Neapolitan pizza arrives on South Beach at Fresco Trattoria

Sara Liss4/16/2012

The goods:  There’s a new pizza game in town and its name is Fresco Trattoria. Owner Sergio Massaglia, who owns and operates two Fresco locations in Italy, brings soft and puffy authentic Neapolitan pies to South Beach.

Ambience: Skip the “not very cozy” indoor dining room outfitted with white communal tables, and black neo-Victorian couches in favor of the patio overlooking Ocean Drive.

The goods: Pizza and pasta straight out of Napoli. The Italian-trained pizzaola churns out chewy pies from a wood-burning oven. Prices are reasonable: pizzas $9-$17, pastas $15-$28 and mains $24. Pasta portions are large and one pizza can easily feed two.

A basket of thick peasant bread starts things off, but it’s worth ordering the herb-flecked homemade focaccia brushed with olive oil. Other starters include a standard caprese salad and a tuna tartar in lemon and olive oil sauce. The dozen pizza varieties include the margherita with a nice sauce-to-crust ratio and the Reginella topped with Parma prosciutto. Pastas like pennette rigate flecked with cherry tomatoes and homemade gnocchi in a light cream sauce pair with mains like salt cod “baccala” risotto and chicken scaloppini.

Verdict: If pizza is your religion, there’s a new altar in town to worship the holy communion of dough, sauce and cheese.