Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.02.2018, Page 44

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Pizza Perfection
Iceland’s first Napoli-style pizzeria delivers

Words: Shruthi Basappa Photo: Art Bicnick
Pizzas and burgers get Icelanders’
hearts racing like nothing else.
When Domino’s first opened its
doors in Reykjavik in the fall of
1993, the lines were never-ending,
but for a country so obsessed with
pizza, a regional-style
pizzeria touting the
virtues of the humble
hand-made pie has
been glaringly absent.
Now, four young
entrepreneurs—Sin-
dri Snær Jensson, Jón
Davíð Davíðsson, Bry-
njar Guðjónsson and
Haukur Mar Gests-
son—are looking to
put that right. They
took their love of piz-
za seriously enough to turn one
corner of Grandi into Reykjavík’s
Little Italy.
“It all started in New York,” says
Haukur. “I went on a pizza tour in
New York City in 2009. Back then I
didn't know anything about pizza,
other than that I liked it. The tour
started at Lombardi’s. We were
told you judge a pizzeria by the
Margherita, and how to close your
eyes, feel the taste of the tomatoes,
the dough, and the cheese. After
that, it became an obsession; the
idea that pizza could be more than
just basic food.”
Napoli style
Flatey is a smart, modern pizze-
ria. It exudes a trendy, moody vibe
in a grey-black-green palette. The
polished copper pizza oven serves
as a bright focus of
the open kitchen, and
there are snippets
from the history of
the Margherita every-
where. It’s the perfect
spot for any thing
from a first date to a
casual family outing.
Un l i ke t a ke -
out pizzas from large
chains, pizzas vary
by region, from the
beloved thin crust
and pepperoni New York slice, to
Roman pizza al taglio, fried piz-
za (pizza fritte), and Sicilian pies.
But probably the most celebrated
is the Neapolitan pizza. Such is its
popularity that they were recently
included in the UNESCO listing of
‘intangible cultural heritage.’
Essentially a 10” pie, the Neapol-
itan pizza is hand stretched, with
simple San Marzano tomato sauce,
mozzarella, fresh basil and olive
oil, served unsliced. The most pop-
ular, and also the simplest is the
Margherita, which marries simple
ingredients by flavour and fire.
Leopard skin blistering
“We decided to do this a year ago,”
says Haukur. I have a hard time
believing him as I slice into the
Margherita. It’s simplicity itself,
and the quality of the ingredients
are obvious. “We travelled, we
tried different Neapolitan pizze-
rias, ate nothing but pizzas,” he
continues. “And then we went to
Naples.”
All of Flatey’s pizzas bear that
delectable leopard skin blister-
ing, with the electric oven from
Naples flash cooking each one in
under a minute. The Diavola is a
true-to-its-name spicy number,
the heat tempered by the pickling
and a wonderful touch of honey.
The Tartufo is a pizza bianca, ele-
vated by truffle oil and handmade
Italian cheese. For vegans, there’s
also a delicious Marinara.
Local tide
With most Icelanders preferring
NY style pizza, I’m curious how
the response has been to this au-
thentic Italian fare. “I was expect-
ing that a lot of people wouldn't
like it,” says Haukur. “We knew it
would be a slow start with people
discovering it. It isn’t a crunchy
pizza—it’s simpler.’’
But the place has been packed to
the gills since its opening. Flatey
has managed to, in a very short
window, turn the pizza tide. The
pricing is intentionally honest,
the passion is palpable, and the
pizzas? Possibly the best in town.
And we don’t say that lightly.
R E S T A U R A N T
w w w . b a n t h a i . i s
Laugavegur 130, Hlemmur, 105 Reykjavík Tel : 6 9 2 - 0 5 6 4, 55 - 22 - 444
----------------------------
BanThai
B E S T T H A I F O O D 2 0 1 7
a l s o b e s t 2 0 0 9, 2 0 1 0, 2 0 1 1, 2 0 1 2, 2 0 1 3, 2 0 1 4, 2 0 1 5 A N D 2 0 1 6
M A N Y A W A R D
Always been the best from the reviews
in our local people and local newspaper.
There's a reason why we get an award
every once a year
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FISH panS
icelandic "plokkfiskur"
Onion, garlic, potatoes,
celery, lime, white wine,
cream and butter
1,950 isk

arcTic cHar
Honey, almonds, cherry–
tomatoes, lemon and butter
2,200 isk
redfisH
Chili, celery root, sour cream,
corn, lemon and cream
2,200 isk
plaice
Tomatoes, capers, parsley,
lemon and butter
2,200 isk
salmon (lacTose–free)
Parsnip, broccoli, cashews,
coconut oil, chili and lemon
2,200 isk
our fisH pans are always served
wiTH buTTer–fried icelandic
poTaToes & fresH salad
any pans
for
luncH?
lækjargaTa 6b, 101 rvk · 546 0095 · messinn@messinn.com
Crusty, but not too crusty
“The idea
that pizza
could be
more than
just basic
food became
an obses-
sion.”
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