Crostata’s Pizzeria

Crostata’s is a Quagliata family restaurant. The Quagliatas have 50 years of history in the restaurant business here in Cleveland. Crostata’s is a wonderful spot to enjoy Neopolitan-style pizza. I was most recently here on a Tuesday night, and it was full, which is very telling. The staff always makes you feel welcome. It is tucked in the middle of a semi-residential area and is located at the corner of Bishop Road and Wilson Mills Road.

The wine is served in juice glasses. I have become a fan of Sangiovese wine, so started off by ordering a glass of Sangiovese. The waitress also brought me a glass of water. As Wikipedia explains, “Sangiovese’s high acidity and moderate alcohol makes it a very food-friendly wine when it comes to food and wine pairings. One of the classic pairings in Italian cuisine is tomato-based pasta and pizza sauces with a Sangiovese-based Chianti. Varietal Sangiovese or those with a smaller proportion of the powerful, full-bodied Cabernet blended in, can accentuate the flavours of relatively bland dishes like meatloaf and roast chicken. Herb seasoning such as basil, thyme and sage play off the herbal notes of the grapes.” If you haven’t tried it you might want to give it a try.

I can recommend the soups. First of all, the Italian wedding soup is a great wedding soup, and the New England clam chowder was a special that I enjoyed during my most recent visit. The clam chowder was refreshing and had a lot of clams and potato chunks. The wood-fired bread stick that comes with the soup was a nice touch.

First off, if you like arancini then you have to order the arancini here. They are the best I have had. Arancini are Italian rice balls that are stuffed, coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Crostata’s arancini are delicious. They have meat, mozzarella, and peas in them. Truly delicious with a great tomato/basil sauce. I ate one and saved the other for lunch the next day.

The first time I was here I ordered a pasta dish. They apparently make their pasta in house. It was okay, but if you want a truly outstanding meal order one of their pizzas. It is prepared in an authentic Italian style wood burning oven, which is a feature in the open kitchen behind the counter. The prices for the pizzas are also quite reasonable.

I’ve been here a couple times now and have tried a few of the pizzas. I love a good wood-fired Napolitano pizza. I love the char and appreciate being able to enjoy it with a knife and fork. The Quattro Stagioni has the four toppings, but they are mixed together on the pizza. The artichoke hearts were a little unwieldy to eat, but they were tender enough. I really enjoy the Margherita con Bufalo D.O.P., and the arugula-topped pizzas were really delicious as well.