"A week ago, I visited Pizza Romana in Fairfax with some friends. We ordered their cured meats, a black truffle pizza, and a short rib pizza topped with kale.
Let’s start with the pizza. The reason to come here is that they ferment their dough for 24 hours. Ideally, pizza dough should ferment for 1 to 3 days, but never more than five. This fermentation process helps the proteins and enzymes in the flour to bond, creating a network of gluten. The result is a dough that is chewy, light, and airy.
As for the food, the cured meats were fresh, clean, and smooth, with the prosciutto being particularly excellent. However, I was disappointed with the black truffle pizza. They didn’t use real truffle shavings or even decent truffle oil. Instead, the sauce they offered lacked the distinct flavor and aroma of truffles. I thought it would be a clever idea to bring my own truffles and have them add it to the pizza. Unfortunately, they didn’t know how to handle the ingredient properly and ended up burning the truffles. As a result, the pizza lost all the earthy flavor and fragrance truffles are known for.
On a brighter note, the short rib pizza was fantastic. The tender chunks of rib meat, combined with gorgonzola cheese and kale, created a delicious and savory dish with layered flavors. The braised short rib pizza truly delivered a memorable dining experience.
In terms of service, it was adequate, and the ambiance was casual and contemporary. The prices were affordable.
One piece of advice: don't promote items you can't execute well. Customers, like myself, don't appreciate being misled.
Overall, Pizza Romana offers good value in terms of pricing, culinary execution, and ingredient quality. My only criticism is their attempt at making a black truffle pizza, which they clearly do not have the skill to execute properly, even when provided with the right ingredients."
Roman Pizza
