When the Moon Hits Your Eye (Farina Pizzeria)

I think mushrooms are magical, though not the way you think (get your mind out of the druggie gutter!). I think they taste the way I imagine nature tastes...rich and earthy. I have always been a mushroom fan, and I think that heat brings out their flavor amazingly well. I'm a sucker for mushroom sauces, soups, hors d'oeuvres, you name it. But recently I have found my newest favorite vehicle for this magical fungus: pizza. Now don't misunderstand, I'm not talking pizza from Pizza Hut or even Dions here. I'm talking about pizza that's been crafted to accentuate the mushroom, not just a pizza with a few mushrooms thrown on top. More specifically, I'm talking about the pizza at Farina Pizza.

Farina Pizza just quietly opened in EDO (Central and Edith) by the owners of Artichoke Cafe. It is a pizza and beer spot for those of us who can't often afford the luxuries of the Artichoke...or for those of us who are looking for something tasty but not fussy. Farina, while I haven't seen any advertisement for its opening, is a hopping place on a Friday night, and is just the ticket for dinner with friends after work. Be warned that it is a loud restaurant, but still homey and comfortable. The older dinner companions who were with me were adverse to the noise, though I didn't have a problem with it...different strokes I guess.

And even if you are bothered by noise, the pizzas easily make up for it. There's a whole host of preconceived pizza ideas on their menu, and you can also create your own. I wouldn't bother with your own though...Farina's creations are above and beyond delicious. This comes back to my above discussion of the mushroom- the Pizza a la Fungi (or some similar name) is spectacular. It doesn't have red sauce on it, and consequently, you can really taste the rich mushrooms and the caramelized onions that grace its top. I almost stabbed one of my dinner companions' hand with a fork when he reached for the last piece of it...that's how good it was. We also tried the Margarita pizza and a few of the meat laden pizzas. All were tasty, with thin, crispy crust and extremely flavorful toppings. But none of the others held a candle to the Fungi. Don't question it, just order one.

Farina also has salads on the menu, and a friend told me that they are amazing as well. I suppose if they were all out of mushrooms, I might try a salad... However, I know that not everyone loves mushrooms or pizza necessarily (though really, who ARE you people??), so you have some other options. Plus any meal that can be washed down with home brewed beer can be considered a good one. Wine is also offered, but is served in those "funny glasses with no stem" (so stated by a noise-repelled companion). Either wine or beer will complement the pizza nicely though.

Considering that I am now daydreaming of mushroom pizza as I write this, I highly recommend you try Farina Pizza as soon as possible. Raise a slice of piping hot Fungi pizza in my name...