Name at least three cafes in Chennai that offer sourdough pizza. Can't think of even one? We will give you a name that is hard to forget. Nolita! This pizzeria in Chennai draws inspiration from the New York - Neapolitan style pizza making commonly found in the neighbourhood of Nolita in New York City. We went on to Google maps to find out that Nolita is a little neighbourhood that is located in the North of Little Italy in Manhattan.
A part of Ikhaya Artisanal Boutique (they also have an event space and a designer studio - Button Thief Co), we love that Nolita has a laid-back outdoor seating space, and a mix of Mediterranean chic meets contemporary. Blue and white walls along with the cool shade of the trees and delish sourdough pizzas to bite into, this place is perfect for a date.
Shreya Bajaj, one of the owners of Nolita, suggests we start with the Three Cheese Mushroom Veloute Soup. This thick, creamy soup is made with tiny bits of mushrooms and three seasonal cheese. To my companion and me, this was more like a thick dip that was never-ending. (Read: We didn't want it to end!)
From their list of Anti-Pasti (they have Chicken Wings, Toast With Mushroom & Pesto, Cheese, Jalapenos & Olive Croquettes), we were most excited to try out their Pizza Bianca. This was basically pizza dough baked with Grana Padano cheese, olive oil and parsley with marinara sauce on the side. More like a supplement to garlic bread, this one was crunchy, aromatic, and as they say, no one can have just one bite! We also learn from Shreya that the slow-fermented sourdough is hand-stretched and never feels the weight of a rolling pin. Which is why the pizzas are seldom perfectly circular.
Chicken lovers, we highly recommend their Slow Cooked Chicken And Mushroom Pizza that was high on flavour and disappeared from our plates in no time. Nolita's White Pizza made us curious, and so we tried their Mushroom, Goat Cheese Cream, Jalapeno & Rucola pizza. This might be a little bland for some but help yourself with their seasoning. For those who can't do without a salad - try Nolita's Roasted Grape and Almond Salad which is primarily roasted red grapes with almond slivers with seasonal greens, dressed in a grape juice reduction.
All in all, you can have a meal here for INR 400. Yes, you read that, right! This 40-seater pizzeria is budget too!
