review - MidiCi

MidiCi
The Neopolitan Pizza Company
14612 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks (SO)
(818) 788-2178

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza! It's everywhere. But, nowhere is it served with such appeal and real Italian goodness than at MidiCi, The Neopolitan Pizza Company, a franchise that has a store right at the corner of Ventura and Cedros in SO, where the famousTower Records took up residence for many, many years. MidiCi opened about fourteen months ago and is a big, bright addition to the SO neighborhood, bringing an enhanced sense of community friendship and delicious food that will truly engender it.

In fact, the mission of MidiCi is to bring people together over pizza as "people are the best thing that can happen to anyone". When you enter, you pick up a menu, look over the tasty choices, order your fresh, non-GMO, made.to.order pizza on dough that is baked fresh daily on the premises and walk cafeteria style around the serving area. You are given a number, so the pizza, soup, salad, meatballs will be brought to your table, but...you have the opportunity to serve yourself at the drink bar to a regular soda or fresh Italian soda, adding your own syrup, with many delicious flavors to choose from. Along the way you will notice the real Italian wood burning hand built ovens and the huge olive tree spreading up to the ceiling. The olive tree is a tradition in Italian culture, expressing peace and serenity. Will you be relaxed and comfortable at MidiCi? You bet!

MidiCi means "You tell me!", encouraging conversation with new friends and Neopolitan Pizza is the original, the way the Italians invented it in Naples over 300 years ago, "exalting the flavors and celebrating the senses". The restrooms at the rear are plush, elegant stops reflecting the artful, traditional yet contemporary, clean decor of the whole store.

On to the food! Handsome, affable Thomas Bartsch, V.P. of Marketing for MidiCi (pictured below), was on hand to greet my friend and me. He took us through the order line, we made our Italian sodas and then sat down to a lovely meal which included housemade meatballs with smoked mozzarella, homemade Italian peeled tomato soup, which was my favorite. If you love tomato basil soup, this one's for you. FYI, on an interesting note, there are also sprigs of fresh basil throughout the store that you can pick up and add to any of your dishes. We were offered wood-fire baked truffle cheese bread, which was delectable. Encouraged to sample the pizza, I, a breakfast lover, chose the Egg N' Bacon with fresh whole mozzarella and all natural applewood smoked bacon. To say I practically died and went to heaven is putting it mildly. Those wood fire-roasted potatoes and freshly cracked free-range egg made this a real treat. Light and delicious, not heavy like the greasy pizzas experienced in many other popular pizza haunts around town! To top if all off, we were given the best dessert ever, Nutalla Calzone with Fresh Berries. Truly yummy, and proving once again with its fresh pizza dough, that the best natural ingredients are not only healthy, but often make the tastiest meal choices.

And did I mention the moderate prices? Meatballs and soup at $6 each; pizzas with enough slices for two people, under $10; and desserts, unbelievably $5/$6 each. A steal! There is also a gourmet Italian coffee bar, a gourmet tea collection and a huge selection of draft beer and wine for your extreme dining pleasure.

One thing that impressed me further about the concept of freshness is that you may buy cans of the non-GMO tomatoes on your way out, as well as a MidiCi cookbook with real Italian recipes. These folks believe in high quality, and with that in mind, who would not want to dine at MidiCi with its warm, open atmosphere and friendly staff? Thank you for being our friends!
I'll be back!