Va Piano*

I met K for lunch today at this awesome restaurant near his office – Va Piano. It’s a business luncher’s dream. When you walk in you are given a card. Everything that you order is put on the card and when you leave you give the card to the cashier.

Then you walk through a bright and airy room, filled with counter height communal tables surrounded by benches, stools, and banquettes in blond wood and tan leather. Each table has a long, marble rectangular box – almost like a window box – that holds two small lamps, a few pots of herbs, salt and pepper grinders, and chili infused olive oil. In the center of the room was a huge terrarium filled with even more potted herbs. In the back is a counter with three stations – salads, pastas, and pizzas. After placing your order you are given a buzzer to let you know when your food is ready.

K and I each got a pizza – his with mushrooms and peppers, mine with mushrooms and proscutto (which turned our to be more like regular ham). The personal-sized pies had thin crusts and a smoky essence, the topping were not applied too heavily, but were enough that you have a piece in every bit or two.

Best of all, the prices seemed very reasonable. If this place were in New York it would be a packed mad house everyday. If this place were in Raleigh people might explode with joy.

* Note: Updates to this post were made on September 5, 2009...the restaurant is actually "Va Piano" not "Via Piano"