Bottega Flegrea in Rivoli: a review of the Neapolitan pizzeria just outside Turin
Bottega Flegrea is a Neapolitan-style pizzeria in Rivoli, just outside Turin, just as the Phlegraean Fields from which it takes its name are just outside Naples.
Near the end of this long corridor, nearly 12 kilometers long—the longest straight road in Europe, according to Wikipedia—is the pizzeria Bottega Flegrea: on a street corner, in a low building that from the outside looks like a former garage or something similar; but inside, it's actually very charmingly decorated. The ambiance is modern, with walls crowded with paintings and knick-knacks with a distinctly Neapolitan feel—except that, instead of the usual dusty garlic 'nzerte and Totò pictures, there are psychedelic Sangennari, Maradona, Leopardi, Goethe, and other local or adopted celebrities, written with puns, all in a comic-book style and deliberately exaggerated.
Bottega Flegrea, the menu
The menu features 31 pizzas, all very classic, with few pretensions: a Pummarulella calls itself gourmet simply because it features both red and yellow cherry tomatoes; the Crocchè crumbles the typical fried pizza toppings, but this too is something we're seeing more and more often—for no reason at all. Margherita is just €5, marinara primo prezzo is €4.50, and the most expensive ones don't exceed €10.
Alternatively, panuozzi (4), calzones (3 baked and 1 fried), focaccia (7) which can also be used as a starter or dessert (there's one with Nutella...). The same goes for chiacchiere, pieces of fried dough, which are served with cured meats and/or dairy products. Three off-menu items based on capocollo (a pizza, a panuozzo, chiacchiere) and two pizzas of the day described by word of mouth. Predictably, industrial beers round out the offering.
Fried foods and pizzas from Bottega Flegrea
The chiacchiere are dry and crispy, but above all, the buffalo mozzarella that accompanies them is unexpectedly fresh and flavorful. The fried calzone—traditionally filled with ricotta, tomato, fiordilatte, and cracklings of lard—is equally deliciously cooked, even in the moistest and thickest parts.
The pizza style, as mentioned, is typically Neapolitan, though not cartwheel-shaped; in fact, the disc visibly sinks into the plate. The pizza is thin and soft, with a pronounced crust and occasional burnt spots, while the base sometimes remains raw. These things happen—we always say it, but it bears repeating—in pizzerias that, as is typical in Neapolitan pizza-making, keep the oven at a very high temperature and bake the pizzas for a short time. Especially on a Saturday night during rush hour, the double flaw of raw/burnt is always lurking, and above all, it's highly likely to appear on some pizzas, yes, and on others, not, in the same batch. It happens to everyone, even champions like Gino Sorbillo.
The toppings, on the other hand, are very good: delicious in their down-to-earth simplicity. The Margherita is there, despite the slightly browned mozzarella; the Diavola uses Calabrian spianata instead of the classic salami; the Ligure uses potatoes and sausage, even though the pesto suffers from cooking. The Matriciana—I'm sure I heard it exactly that way, as was mistakenly said in the 1980s, and as Aldo Buzzi also wrote, acknowledging the mistake—the matriciana stands out for its crispy, smoke-scented guanciale.
Opinion
A popular Neapolitan-style pizzeria just outside Turin, offering below-average prices and tasty ingredients in a charming atmosphere.
PRO
- Efficient and friendly service even under pressure.
- Fun place in Neapolitan pop style.
AGAINST
- A bit crowded when at full capacity, a bit too noisy despite the sound-absorbing panels.
