February 28, 2017

Bufalina Due – Austin, TX

Over the years I’ve enjoyed many styles and qualities of pizza. Amazingly, I can enjoy a cheap frozen pizza as much as the next guy. However, aside from a slice of grandma’s or pepperoni pizza from Patzeria Perfect Pizza in Times Square, it doesn’t get much better than a well-made pizza napoletana made of 00 flour dough baked in a 905 °F Stefano Ferrara oven. Bufalina Due offers exactly that.

I’ve visited Bufalina Due at least five times in the past year or so, dining in and taking out, and I’ve never had a single negative experience. I’ve tried a good portion of their menu, and most have been a positive experience. There are a few items that aren’t up to the standards of their pizza but still of good quality. Bufalina Due is a foodie heaven – they have a tremendous wine list, with some great high-quality wines that you would expect at a Michelin-starred restaurant, not a pizzeria. They have a equally impressive appetizer menu that features fresh mozzarella and burrata (albeit not mozzarella di bufala, but good nonetheless).

The star of Bufalina Due is their Neopolitan pizza. My standard go-to pizza at a pizzeria napoletana is the Margherita, the quintessential Neopolitan. Bufalina Due’s Margherita follows all the rules – made with 00 flour dough, San Marzano tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, and fresh basil. It was delicious, with a beautiful crisp/chewy/tangy/creaminess. The meat and cheese boards were also good, but not to the level of their pizza. The single item on the menu that really blew me away was the Fresca pizza. The Fresca was just shy of knocking me out of my chair on the first bite. A crazily delicious flavor profile that allows you to experience the definition of umami.

Speaking to service, after having dined in three times and takeout twice, on all five occasions I experienced great, attentive, friendly service. Service while dining in was well-paced, not rushed, but definitely not slow. My to-go orders were all ready within twenty minutes of placing the call.

Bufalina Due is a must-try restaurant in Austin and on my short list of places I go when I don’t feel like cooking.