Tuesday
Feb282012
Double Zero Napoletana
by 
Troy Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 6:20AM
Troy Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 6:20AM
We recently had the opportunity to join a Pizza Making Class and Double Zero Napoletana in Sandy Springs. The evening started with drinks at the bar while waiting for the class before us to clear out. Double Zero's cocktail list is similar to its sister restaurant, The Iberian Pig (more on Iberian Pig in another post), but unfortunately, that is where the similarities end. Double Zero's bartenders, while very friendly and obviously interested in their craft, can be a bit sloppy with their pours which can lead to drinks that don't quite balance.
As an illustration, Troy ordered an Old Fashioned, but the drink was so sweet he asked for a splash of bourbon to bring the cocktail back into balance. The bartender offered to remake the drink, but Troy just asked for a bit more bourbon. Instead of asking which bourbon was used, the bartender reached directly for the well and poured a half ounce into the Old Fashioned. It did help but mixing bourbons seems a bit careless.
Recommendations for cocktails at Double Zero? Get a highball or a glass of wine.
The Pizza Class was a pure pleasure though. The Executive Chef Chad Crete gave us a wonderful overview of Double Zero's philosophy and the special ingredients they use to make their pizza unlike any others in Atlanta. It begins with the wild yeast starter imported from Southern Italy. That combined with Double Zero flour (hence the name) and salt makes for a pizza crust that is light, slightly tangy, and uniquely tasty. The Executive Sous Chef then demonstrated how they create the pizza crust which doesn't involve throwing the dough at all. Instead he stretched, rotated, and flipped the dough back and forth between his hands in a complicated manner he likened to patting your head and rubbing your stomach. He also showed a simpler technique that doesn't require a great deal a practice. After the quick lesson, he invited us behind the counter, gave us a dough ball and let us loose to make our own pizza.
Overall, the pizza and service at Double Zero is amazing. The cocktail menu has what could be some great drinks on it. If as much care was given to the cocktail creation as is given to the food, then the drinks would be wonderful.
As an illustration, Troy ordered an Old Fashioned, but the drink was so sweet he asked for a splash of bourbon to bring the cocktail back into balance. The bartender offered to remake the drink, but Troy just asked for a bit more bourbon. Instead of asking which bourbon was used, the bartender reached directly for the well and poured a half ounce into the Old Fashioned. It did help but mixing bourbons seems a bit careless.
Recommendations for cocktails at Double Zero? Get a highball or a glass of wine.
The Pizza Class was a pure pleasure though. The Executive Chef Chad Crete gave us a wonderful overview of Double Zero's philosophy and the special ingredients they use to make their pizza unlike any others in Atlanta. It begins with the wild yeast starter imported from Southern Italy. That combined with Double Zero flour (hence the name) and salt makes for a pizza crust that is light, slightly tangy, and uniquely tasty. The Executive Sous Chef then demonstrated how they create the pizza crust which doesn't involve throwing the dough at all. Instead he stretched, rotated, and flipped the dough back and forth between his hands in a complicated manner he likened to patting your head and rubbing your stomach. He also showed a simpler technique that doesn't require a great deal a practice. After the quick lesson, he invited us behind the counter, gave us a dough ball and let us loose to make our own pizza.
Overall, the pizza and service at Double Zero is amazing. The cocktail menu has what could be some great drinks on it. If as much care was given to the cocktail creation as is given to the food, then the drinks would be wonderful.
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