Pizzeria La Sorrentina - Visit #25

          My first pizza-focused trip across the mighty Columbia river was to Pizzeria La Sorrentina. I have been reading, hearing, and getting questions from my Insta followers about Vancouver's pizza scene, so this year I decided to expand my territory.

          I must admit, the first time I read about La Sorrentina I was skeptical about the hype. I had a hard time believing world class Neapolitan style pizza was offered in Vancouver out of a food truck. It is a lesson in never judging a book by its cover. La Sorrentina has something very special going on in Vancouver, and if it is any indication of the quality of pizza in the area, I am glad I made this decision to forge north.
       
         Pizzeria La Sorrentina is located in the Hazel Dell neighborhood. Their set up reminds me a lot of Ash Wood Fired in that both are part of a small food cart pod that adjoins a brewery. I love this design because it allows the guest to eat inside the brewery and enjoy great beer with great pies.

          Daisuke (pronounced "Dice-K") Matsumoto is the owner and pizzaiolo at La Sorrentina. He started the business in 2015 after a successful Kickstarter campaign, and I had the chance to talk with him to learn more about what inspired him to open a food cart. Daisuke is a second generation southern Italian trained chef from Japan. His father (Tomio Matsumoto) owned and operated the first Italian restaurant in Japan (Caruso Ristorante) for over 35 years in Nishinomiya. Daisuke also spent time in Sorrento, Italy interning and cooking with a wood fired oven. This experience ignited his passion for pizza, specifically traditional Neopolitan style pizza. He also honed his pizza making skills at Via Tribunali in Portland and Seattle. His interest in pizza continued to grow, but it wasn't until he visited Pyro Pizza cart when he realized that a food cart could produce great za.

       The food cart is the beginning of a grander plan for Daisuke. He ultimately would like to open a full brick and mortar Italian restaurant in the Vancouver area. Starting with a food cart serving only pizza was a brilliant idea to test the waters in Vancouver. After a few years in operation, he has already built a strong local following, and it is clearly a success. Most days he slings 100-125 pies, and also draws a number of customers from Portland. When I visited, there were several Oregon license plates in the parking lot. I would bet on La Sorrentina being very successful for a long time in the area; perhaps 35+ years like his father's restaurant.

        I will admit, traditional Neapolitan style pizza is not my very favorite of all pizza styles. I appreciate it, and I enjoy it, but I do prefer more char, crunch, and overall structural integrity than this style offers. I also like to see pizzerias take risks in their dough recipes and topping combinations in an effort to be unique. Traditional Pizza Napoletana is restrictive (i.e. "00" flour, hydration requirements, etc), but I do appreciate how it puts pizzaiolos on an even playing field for competitions.

         La Sorrentina will be competing at this year's International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in March. La Sorrentina has qualified and will be facing off against some of the best pizzerias in the world (~90% from Italy). Daisuke has been putting in extra preparation for this competition in his free time with the help of Joey Chmiko at Nonavo. At the pizza expo, Daisuke will be baking in a brick oven that gets a bit hotter and bakes a bit differently than the mortar domed oven that occupies his cart, so this collaboration with Nonavo is really important. It is very generous of Nonavo to allow Daisuke to use their brick domed oven.

Margherita

        On my visit I ordered three pies. I started with the Margherita - the PDX Doughboy litmus test. This pie was excellent. The bake was as good at it gets for Neapolitan. Absolutely perfect leopard spotting on the cornicione (lip or edge of the crust).  With each bite of the crust I got that very slight crunch (almost crisp) then light texture and chew. It was as if I was biting into a crunchy cloud. All the elements of the pie reached their perfect point of baking at the same time. Very well done.

Quatrro Formaggi

              The second pie I tried was the Quattro Formaggi. This four cheese was made up of fresh mozza, smoked mozza, parmesan, blue cheese, and basil. This was also excellent. The flavors melded together so well. I loved the unexpected addition of basil too. My only critique, although a minor one, is that the crust lacked a bit of puff (airiness) and I didn't detect a lot of flavor in the dough. I felt each pie could have had more flavorful dough and puffy crust, but again the pizza was excellent.
   

The Hedgehog

           The third pie I tried was the Hedgehog. This was the special and included mushrooms, roasted potatoes, sun dried tomatoes, mozza, and white truffle oil. This was another excellent pie. I loved the combination. The texture of the mushrooms were perfect. Also, another perfect bake. Just look at those leopard spots.

          As you can tell, I loved the pizza at La Sorrentina. Daisuke is doing masterful work here. I do think this is the best Neapolitan pizza I have tried in the area. I have La Sorrentina edging out Neapolitan powerhouses Pizzeria Otto and Firehouse, to move into PDX Doughboy's Top Ten. If Neapolitan is your favorite style,  La Sorrentina may just be your favorite pizza in the area. It would not surprise me if Daisuke makes some noise in Vegas. 

Overall Rank: #10 (tied)