It was just about the perfect evening. My husband, son and I strolled downtown on a crisp October Saturday night, enjoying the changing fall leaves. There's a part of me that really loves big cities for a variety of reasons, the tendency to walk to one's destination being one of them. I enjoy the thought that downtown Siloam is a sort of scaled-down version. (I know, it's
really scaled down, but it captures the essence.) "Why don't I do this more often?" I mused, as we passed great scenes like this one:
Our destination was the newly opened
Fratelli's Wood-Fired Pizzeria. The restaurant's warm glow beckoned us in from the chilly street, and we found a recently vacated, cheery red booth near the door. My husband kicked off the evening with an IBC Cream Soda, one of the many bottled beverages available. He then ordered a "build-your-own" pepperoni pizza ($8), and I chose the veggie pizza ($9). As an almost-vegetarian, I was thrilled by the selection of vegetable toppings. Happily, diners can choose up to five from the list for their veggie pizza. I chose: artichoke hearts, fresh tomatoes, onions, grilled eggplant and fresh basil. Needless to say, I couldn't wait for the pizzas to arrive! While we waited, I enjoyed a side salad ($2), consisting of mixed greens and cherry tomatoes with olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette. (A house vinaigrette and ranch dressing are also available.)
When the pizzas arrived, I was completely delighted. The colorful veggie pizza was a feast for the eyes. It was piping hot, straight from the brick oven. The hand-tossed crust was the right balance of delicate crispness on the outside, and warm chewy goodness on the inside. As stated in the menu, the quantity of the toppings complimented, rather than overwhelmed the simple flavors of the crust and the sauce. It was all that a great pizza should be!
Fratelli's is operated by brothers-in-law Scott Jones and Tom Ledabrand, and their goal is to create true Italian-style pizzas. Many of their ingredients (the flour and plum tomatoes, for example) are imported from Italy, as is their state-of-the-art brick oven. Fratelli's variety of pizza toppings also echos the restaurant's Italian flair: whole-milk mozzarella cheese, arugula, garlic slices, prosciutto (Italian ham), pancetta (Italian bacon), gorgonzola cheese, and speck, an Italian ham that is both cured and smoked. I greatly appreciate their quest for authenticity, as it makes their restaurant truly unique in our town, not to mention region.
The establishment also continues to serve its legendary gelato, fully rounding out the Italian experience. I couldn't help peeking in the case to check out the current flavors, and I was intrigued by the Autumn Spice Crunch and the Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbetto. Feeling hungry yet? Get yourself down to Fratelli's-
manga! Fratelli's is currently open Monday-Thursday from 5-9 pm, and Friday & Saturday from 5-10 pm. For more information, call 524-0766.
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