By Harper Cuttino

One evening, my mother Libbie Crane, and I decided to treat ourselves by going out for pizza. While we would typically dine at places such as Arianna’s or Fire & Hops, we wanted to give a different pizza place a try. After doing a quick Google search for options, we found Pupatella. Pupatella was founded in 2007 by a native of Naples, Italy and his wife. Their mission was to bring more traditional Italian cuisine to the United States.

Photo credit: Pupatella’s website.

Neapolitan pizza is Pupatella’s specialty. The way the pizza is crafted consists of simple ingredients as toppings and an abundance of sauce, typically with more sauce in the center of the pizza. Since the amount of sauce makes the pizza more soggy towards the middle, the dough must be around 10-12 inches in size to prevent the destruction of texture. These pizzas cook very fast due to the thinness of the dough; therefore, the best method of cooking involves a wood stove.

Photo credit: @Pupatellarva via Instagram.

With these aspects in mind, the chefs that work at Pupatella must go through an intensive training program to become certified masters, known as a Pizzaiolos. The mastership of crafting these pizzas is taken very seriously. According to their website, Pupatella is certified by the Assozione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), meaning that every pizza must be created by a master that is certified and committed to the original recipe and methods of Neapolitan pizza. 

Pupatella is situated on the corner of 1 North Morris Street in the VCU area.* The downtown venue has multiple parking spots right in front of the entrance, making it easy to access. The restaurant operates by a self-service method. You first pick up menus in the back, choose your own seats, then return to the front register to order. What I appreciate about this system is that you feel a little more comfortable in choosing where you want to sit, and you get the time to decide when you are ready to order without any sense of rush. Shortly after my mom and I chose a table, a waiter came to greet us with water. 

The menu had a variety of pizza choices and similar small plates. The smaller plates ranged from salads to a selection of fried food originating from Naples. On the menu, to the right of the small plate selections are two columns of pizza choices. All of the pies are considered personal pizzas, so it is typically advised that every diner should have their own. After scanning the menu, we placed our orders at the counter.

The first of our food to arrive was the garlic and mozzarella bread, for $5.50. My mom and I were given two slices of sourdough bread, each with a considerable amount of cheese. At first glance, the gooey cheese almost covered the entire slice of bread. In terms of taste, the flavors were as expected. The mozzarella was fresh and melted, while the bread itself was soft but still crunchy on the outer corners. 

Photo credit: Harper Cuttino.

After we finished our appetizer, our pizzas arrived. Since the pizzas take around 1 minute to cook, our full order came approximately 10 minutes after ordering. My order, the Classic DOC, was my ideal pizza: regular cheese with the same red sauce used on most Pupatella pizzas, and a handful of basil leaves on top. The sauce-to-cheese ratio was splendid, and the thin dough made it easier to taste the rich flavors of the sauce and basil. The crust was another highlight, as it was crispy and soft all at once. My mom ordered the margarita pizza and had the same thoughts on the thinness of the crust and dough: “I like how [the crust] is crunchy and smoky but still a little bit chewy towards the middle.” However, with the similarity between the two pizzas, I found the pricing for the margarita pie was higher than I expected. 

Our total order of two personal pizzas and one order of the garlic and melted mozzarella bread was around 42 dollars, including a 20% tip. My only complaint was the cost. For example, a medium cheese pizza from a chain (Papa Johns) costs $13.99. In comparison to the pricing of Pupatella’s, the $13.99 price tag is similar to that of the margarita pizza. In addition, the chain price is what’s considered a medium size, while Pupatella focuses more on specially made smaller portions for that same price. The pizza was delicious, but I would reserve this restaurant for a special occasion. In comparing Pupatella to any other pizza place, such as Frank’s West or Domino’s, I would choose Pupatella each time. The quality and taste of the pizza, in combination with the inviting atmosphere and helpful staff, make for a rich experience.

*Correction: A previous version of this article mistakenly stated that there is a Pupatella restaurant in Glen Allen. The Match regrets the error.