Review by William Jackson

On a recent casual Sunday, I joined friends at a brand spankin’ new eatery in Round Rock, Texas for Pizza.  No, this is not just any pizza but the coal-fired pizza of Pizzeria Corvina, a Pizzeria, Wine Bar & Marketplace recently settled in a suburb of Austin.  I was eager with anticipation as this was to be my first dining experience in this hip establishment with an interesting concept.  

As described on www.PizzeriaCorvina.com  the menu marries two very distinct traditions, that of “Neapolitan home cooking and New York style pizzerias” complemented “with a touch of innovation to produce Italian fare with the freshest ingredients from both worlds.” All ingredients are fresh and homemade on a daily basis.  Most unique is the manner in which pizzas are cooked.  Ingeniously, “pizzas are cooked in a coal burning oven at 800 degrees achieving a lightly charred crown with a bubbly but al dente center and eggshell outer crust.”   Perfecto! 

We were excited as kids in a candy store as we anticipated the delivery of our first course which was a delectable selection of Italian Tapas, also finished in the coal fired oven.  We couldn’t wait to sink our forks into Oven Roasted Olives, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Figs and Sausage Stuff Calamari.  Visually the dishes were a pleasing feast.  The Sausage Stuffed Calamari is my favorite.  I will admit the combination seemed a bit unusual, but make no mistake; the combination of these two delicacies was delicious.  The texture of the Calamari was perfect.  Can we say al dente?  And, with the Sausage, there was a perfect balance of texture and taste.   

As I don’t care for the texture of melted cheese, ordering a pizza has always been a challenge.  Who eats a pizza without cheese?  Well, that’s me.  Nevertheless, the accommodating staff chuckled as I placed my order for a Quasi Tutto Pizza WITHOUT cheese and didn’t judge too harshly.  The Quasi Tutto is Rosso with pepperoni, sausage, meatball, onion, olives, roasted peppers and mushroom.  To make up for the lack of cheese, I requested a huge portion of kalamata olives.  Can I loudly applaud and say delicious three times?  I’d venture to say the Coal Fired Oven has magic powers which ensure food that enters comes out amazingly, perfectly delicious, EVERYTIME.  All of us raved at how tasty our respective dishes were.  For Dolce, you won’t be disappointed!  Sit back and enjoy the Vanilla Bean Gelato or the Oven Baked Apple.  Your Sweet Tooth will smile, big! 

For your beverage pleasure there is a wide selection of wines from regional Italian and Italian American producers.  Jennifer Awbrey, the Wine Director has taken great strides to ensure wine lovers have a unique and pleasant experience.  I’m partial to white varietals and the Friuli – Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio was an obvious choice, very light and smooth.  Specifically about the wine list, the selection and pricing is one of the establishment’s strong points.  Though wine list on the website is not the full menu, when you visit the restaurant you’ll find the wine list is expansive with over two dozen reds and over one dozen whites by the glass and many more by the bottle.  The wine list is well thought out and heavily weighted with Italian wines.  Having lots of Italian wine is important as it is the best the thing to pair with Italian food.  You won’t have to break your wallet to have a complementary glass of wine as the selections are reasonably priced.   

The atmosphere is casual so bring the entire family, they’re sure to have a great evening.  There’s also an appealing happy hour menu featuring 16 Italian Tapas at a special price.  As Pizzeria Corvina is also marketplace, there are menu items for purchase.  Stop in after work for a relaxing beverage or bring the entire family in for a tasty and filling meal.  Be sure and welcome General Manager, Paul Denton and his team to the neighborhood.    

Visit Pizzeria Corvina at 3107 S I H 35, Round Rock TX 78664, 512-310-2625.

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