Indie Pizzas II

Pizzeria Corvina

Corvina is a new spot in a shopping center on the east frontage of I-35, just south of the SH 45 toll road. It’s richly decorated and has a warm feel, especially when you can see the flames of the coal-fired oven (and we actually saw coal being loaded in). The relatively brief menu covers most of the Italian bistro bases (appetizers, salads, pastas, panini, desserts). It has a big wine program, including quartinos (one-third of a bottle) and a lot of by-the-glass options (including flights).

We tried the Cipollina ($8.95, with goat cheese foccacia), which were good but a little tart on the balance scale. We loved the Italian sodas ($4.50), made with San Pellegrino seltzer and Torani syrups. Service is accommodating and friendly.

Our pizza crust was properly cooked (nice charred spots, eggshell edge, small air bubbles, golden brown) but didn’t have much flavor to it. The tomatoes were crushed and might have had just a touch of herb added. The cheese was right on the cusp of being too heavily applied and is a high-quality combination (not pure mozzarella). The crumbled sausage was a let-down; it tasted precooked and didn’t have much flavor (probably precooked to remove the grease, which is where the flavor is). It was probably a nice sausage before someone thought too hard. Pizzas are 12 inches and cost between $9 and $15 (with add-ons at $1.50-3).

This article appears in September 11 • 2009.