by Steven Doyle
If you have not made it to the new Robert Colombo’s (Sfuzzi, Trece, Villa-O to name a few past winners) new restaurant, Peasant Pizzeria you are missing out. The menu is simple and charming. The price point is super legitimate, and gives Cedar Springs neighborhood residents something to visit often. Open lunch, brunch (weekends) and dinner each day Peasant is a clear hit.
Look for menu options such as Meatballs al Forno served with an addictive saged buttered wood oven bread (meatballs so tender, so flavorful), huge chopped salads that even a half order could feed several easily, a lovely Bucatini alla Amatriciana (bucatini is the fatter spaghetti with a hole running the length of the pasta, a super hot item right now), Lasagna Forno Bolognese (that sauce), and our favorite item, the Bone-In Chicken Paillard (made with an evenly flattened and grilled or Milanese style airline chicken and served with a generous mound of polenta).
Then there is the Peasant Pizza which Colombo sent through months of testing to perfect, using his wood-fired oven. The dough is crisp, but with a fond wispy chew due to his two-day fermentation process making this a very unique crust topped with even more unusual ingredients such as the magnificently flavorful Los Gatos tomatoes and fresh Mozzarella di Bufala Campana. The word legitimate is bounced around the dining room between guests for a great reason.
The menu is strikingly on point and pairs eloquently with the largely Italian wine list that is also priced extremely well that encourages repeat business.
Look for a quaint, devilishly delicious Italian neighborhood restaurant with spot on service at Peasant Pizzeria.
Peasant Pizzeria is located at 3900 Cedar Springs.
Looks great