Da’Nonna Pizzeria, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune Pizza Restaurant

Restaurant Name: Da’Nonna Pizzeria, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune
Phone: +919710947361, +914428114700
Address: 796/4 white lotus, Dr Joshi Hospital lane, off, Bhandarkar Rd, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune, Maharashtra 411004 India
Time: 12:30 Noon – 10:30 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,000
Cuisines: Pizza
Facilities: Home Delivery, Seating Available, Indoor Seating

Recently, the Maharashtra Government announced a partial lockdown in the state till the end of April. Time regulated delivery and takeaway services are permitted, but dine-in services at restaurants have been completely suspended. The hospitality industry, which was just starting to get out of the eight-month long shock, has again been hit by the new guidelines. I started this week by placing an order at Da’Nonna Pizzeria, a cloud kitchen located near Bhandarkar Road in the Deccan Gymkhana area. They deliver pizzas inspired by the Neapolitan style, pastas and calzones. The pizzeria was started by Piyush Kulkarni from his grandmother’s home in Narayan Peth, hence the name Da’Nonna.

Da’Nonna Pizzeria, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune: Food

When you are looking for pizzas, there are a lot of options to choose from, as there is a pizza brand or a local pizzeria at every nook and corner in the city. So I am always on a lookout for a pizzeria which is unique and offers something other than the usual staples. Da’Nonna offers pizzas inspired from the Neapolitan style of pizzas. The menu has a good range of pizzas, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. It is always a happy moment when you see pork on the menu and they have three pork options. I ordered directly on the number mentioned on their Instagram page. We picked the Buffalo Chicken, Meat Extreme, Ortolana and Pugliese pizzas, which were delivered through Dunzo in right sized cardboard boxes lined with wrap paper. The buffalo chicken pizza was topped with bbq chicken, onions, cheese and creamy ranch dressing. This was probably my top pick of the lot. The meat extreme had marinara sauce as the base with bacon, ham, roasted chicken, jalapenos, confit garlic and a drizzle of mustard mayo. This one tasted incredible, but the confit garlic was missing from my pizza and the quantity of bacon was very less. The classic pugliese pizza was the best among the vegetarian options. The tomatoes three-way (tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes) with onions and generous mozzarella cheese is a combination which rarely goes wrong. The roasted veggies (baby corn, mushrooms and bell peppers) on the ortolana pizza were sparse. Just wish they had added aubergine slices as a topping. The one thing which was consistent through all four pizzas was the incredible base. The dough is well rested (for around 72 hours) and the pizzas are hand-stretched. So instead of a crowd-pleasing crunchy or crispy thin crust base, you get a more rustic, soft and fluffy base which can be folded when you eat a slice. All the pizzas had risen well, particularly the corners without the toppings, which were delightfully charred in places. We also asked for the spaghetti in bechamel sauce with spinach and tomatoes, which was well seasoned and the sauce was just right.

Da’Nonna Pizzeria, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune: Plus & Minus

The quantity of toppings was slightly inconsistent and some toppings on the meat extreme were missing. These issues will have to be addressed and streamlined as the brand grows. Having said that, the taste, process and style of the pizzas was excellent. I will be definitely ordering again from Da’Nonna, particularly some great pizza options which I missed the first time and the tiramisu too.