The Columbia Heart Beat

Wood-fired baking for the lightest crust ever

COLUMBIA,  3/10/17 (Restaurant Review) -- Shakespeare's pizza is no doubt a classic pie. 

But for pizza aficionados or folks who just love good food, MidiCi's Neopolitan pizzas are a great alternative.   Where Shakespeare's crust and toppings lean heavy, MidiCi serves an air-light treat baked over a wood-fired oven. 

The wood-fired effect is a crust more like fresh bread than pizza dough, a hallmark of the pizza-making tradition known as "Neapolitan", which means of or from Naples, Italy.  

"The moisture and aroma of the wood allows the crust to maintain its internal softness, as well as ensuring large bubbles inside the dough, and the typical aroma of cooked bread," MidiCi's website explains. 

On a lovely late afternoon a few weeks ago, my son and I were drawn to MidiCi's urbane setting at the corner of Broadway and 10th Street in downtown Columbia.  

The building itself -- a new low-rise apartment with MidiCi on the ground floor -- is everything local residents have wanted in new urban development.   A line of tall, glistening windows invites pedestrians at the sidewalk level to glance in, at a busy crew of chefs and servers working an open-air kitchen. 

MidiCi offers 21 signature Neapolitan pizzas, including vegan and gluten-free varieties.   House faves include the Double Pepperoni (DOPPIO Pepperoni); The Margherita; The Prisoner’s Pizza (PIZZA Del Carcerato); and Rome’s Pizza (PIZZA Romana), which my son ordered.  

Warm potatoes, fresh rosemary and gorgonzola make Rome's Pizza the "hallmark pizza flavor of Rome, Italy," the menu explains.  My son's a finicky eater, so when he ate every wood-fired crumb, I knew we'd found a winner.