Joey's Italian Cafe

Now my previous post was about how delicious the menu is at an Italian Franchise Restaurant.  So comparing that post with this non-Franchise Italian Restaurant does it no justice.  In the Wynwood Art District by Midtown in Miami, on this almost unnoticeable strip of street that really only the locals, artsy or trendy people of Miami know about, lies this remarkable and beyond amazing hidden gem of an Italian Restaurant.  The adjacent and parallel buildings are covered with artworks from famous local graffiti artists and painters as well as highly renounced artists who have come from all parts of the world to mark their art on the cities buildings and streets.

Having it be a Friday night it seemed perfect to dine al fresco under the full moon of a beautiful and cool Miami night.  And little did our stomachs know about the feast that it was going to under go.

Coal Fired Pizza has to be my weakness and if I had a limitless amount of stomachs I would consume a limitless amount of Coal Fired Pizza with abstract toppings such as the ones that they serve at Joey's.  This is not your ordinary cheese pizza with some basic and bland toppings.  No, whoever created these deserves a salute, hug and high five because it is truly ingenious.

This Pizze is called Affumicatta and it has spinach, mozzarella, scamorza (an Italian's cows milk cheese), sundried tomatoes, smoked salmon and hot peppers.  The saltiness of the fish hits you first with the distinct combination of the cheeses, then comes the spinach and texture of the sundried tomatoes and an unexpected heat from the peppers.  Nothing overpowering the other and the smoked salmon really adding a flavor that leaves you wanting more.

Dolce e Piccante! The other Pizze that we ordered since we decided that one selection off the menu  just would not suffice.  This one was topped with figs, gorgonzola cheese, honey and hot peppers.  That is not grease or olive oil, that is drizzled HONEY on top of a pizza.  The combination of this pie is just one that is hard to describe using words rather than sounds.  The gorgonzola cheese adds a nice deep richness that is compensated with the sweet texture of the figs and sweet smoothness of the honey.  All the while it is cut off with that heat of the peppers just creeping on you at the end making you want to take another bite for that initial sweetness.

Just one more tantalizing close up of this food masterpiece.  This Pizze is dangerous for gluttony is always around the corner.  And as you can see from the pictures all of their Pizze's are made with an EXTRA thin crust allowing you to really taste all the toppings with a nice added crunch from the crispy coal fired dough.

Since this place is a drive from my house I decided it would be best to take one Pizze to go to have for lunch or dinner for the next day.

For the to-go Pizze we got the Gorgonzola Tartufata.  Gorgonzola cheese with walnuts, truffle oil and topped with fresh arugula.  Close your eyes and take a bite and it will probably take you to Jupiter and back.  Once again I wish I had a few more stomachs to fit all this food inside of it.

Thin crust almost like an enlarged fancy cracker and charred from the coal fired oven.  You have everything that your taste buds will need to be partying all night long.  Texture, perfect flavor combinations and an elegance and freshness to the ingredients.

Check out the rest of Joey's menu items here http://www.joeyswynwood.com/