West Ballston is sizzling with the opening of Pupatella Neapolitan 
Pizzeria and Friggitoria - literally. Italian for "fry shop", the Naples-born concept of a friggitoria serves up such bad-but-so-good artery cloggers as deep fried risotto balls, calzones, and mini-doughnuts.
But the real piece de resistance at Pupatella is the authentic wood-burning oven, specially built in Naples and shipped over. This baby, fed by oak
logs, cooks your pizza at 800-1000 degrees in a mere 1 minute and fits up to 5 pizzas at once.
Named after the owner and complete with an adorable pizza box that features the couple's son, this legendary pizza cart-turned-restaurant is an overnight sensation in their new permanent space, and for 
good reason. They use beautiful fresh ingredients such as buffalo mozzarella (also imported from Naples), basil, smoked salmon, goat cheese, prosciutto (hormone-free and grass-fed), roasted red peppers and arugula. They even grill their own sausage. You can also get spicy Spanish chorizo or Mortadella with pistachios, a surprisingly good pizza topping.
Choose one of their intriguing combos like the Spicy Salami, Kalamata Olives, and Goat Cheese; the Grilled Eggplant, Fresh Tomatoes, and Gouda Cheese; or live luxe with the White Pizza with Roasted Porcini, Portobello, and 
Button Mushrooms, Garlic, Brie Cheese, and Truffle Oil. The secret to their sauce? San-Marzano tomatoes, an heirloom variety grown in the San-Marzano region near Mount Vesuvius. Considered the best for pizza sauce due to their intense sweetness and concentrated flavor, they are the only tomato allowed in Vera Pizza Napoletana (true Neapolitan pizza).
A dream for me and for others who like their crust thin and perfectly baked and their mozzarella fresh, this is an Arlington don't-miss. Dine in or call ahead for pick-up.
See more of their mouthwatering menu at www.pupatella.com and follow them on Twitter for each week's special.
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