There is something very gratifying in eating pizza that sometimes can’t be understood–you simply crave it and this urge has to be satisfied. Tuscano Brick Oven Pizza satisfies this craving with ease with its Tuscany inspired cuisine. Tuscany, a region in Italy, is well known for its food and wine; everything there is fresh and the countryside is beautiful. The region is so beautiful in fact that it has inspired movies. Visiting Tuscano is the next best thing one can do to experience the love, beauty, and food of the Italian countryside–without jetting off to another country.
Tuscano Italian Wood Oven Pizza is a concept by the Mc Wilson Group of restaurants, and is located at The Fort Residences, at 30th Street corner Padre Burgos Circle in BGC. It is located right next to Tokyo Bubble Tea and Honeybee, both of which are also part of Mc Wilson. The interior of the restaurant is inspired by the landscape of Tuscany and its countryside. The moment you walk in Tuscano, immediately you can smell the scent of freshly baked pizza. It gets you smacking your lips instantaneously without much conscious thought.
It is widely known that pizza made in a brick oven and baked with wood has a different taste to your regular oven baked pizzas. That’s because the process of baking with wood gives the pie a smoky, natural taste. It is also how pizza was traditionally made in Italy, and what better way to enjoy pizza than its original way?
My all time favorite pizza is the Margherita, and Tuscano has its own awesome version of this. It is thin crust and served with lots of cheese. The Margherita and Goat Cheese (P345, 12 inches, P185, 8 inches) is simply delicious, showcasing fresh herbs and ingredients. The other half of our pizza pie was for the BBQ Smoked Chicken (P380, 12 inches, P240, 8 inches), which on its own merit is also a great tasting pizza flavor, with a sweet yet tangy sauce. Both pizza flavors are a must try when you visit the restaurant.
And what would an Italian restaurant visit be without tasting their version of the classic Minestrone soup? The Minestrone Alla Tuscano (P145) is made out of bits of fresh veggies such as broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, and croutons thrown in for good measure. It goes well as an appetizer, and is a great addition to any meal.
The next dish we ordered was the Wild Mushroom Cream Linguini (P425, sharing; P345, solo). This dish was packed with flavor; each bite affords you with a generous amount of mushroom and a creamy rich taste. The sauce was meticulously made with secret ingredients, broth, and mushrooms. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to weasel the recipe out of the chef, so I’ll have to come back to enjoy this dish and the other delicious food they’ve presented to their patrons to enjoy.
Another must try dish for your visit to Tuscano is the Grilled Balsamic Glazed Pork Chop (P295). The meat is soft and juicy, making you want to order a glass of red wine (it’s just such a perfect combination). The pork comes with a siding of Pumpkin Risotto, and Sautéed Spinach in balsamic sauce. It is such a steal at that price because it is filling and has delicious taste to back it up.
Another dish that caught my eye (initially, just because of its name) was Grandma’s Roasted Garlic-Lemon Chicken (P385). Little did I know that not only did it have a great name, but the dish itself was amazing. One thing that makes chicken underwhelming for me is when it is really dry. But this chicken was exceptionally well made and juicy, not even close to being dry. I asked why the dish was named such, and the answer: because grandmas around the world are the best cooks! Fair point to make, since my own grandmother is one of the best cooks I know of.
I’m pretty much a pasta person and everyone who knows me is aware of that fact, so I couldn’t resist getting the Tuscano Vongole (P280 sharing, P160 solo). It’s made out of fresh clams, a mixture of white wine, olive oil, and lemon.
To finish off the day right, we decided to try something more out of the ordinary. My eye caught something that definitely is unusual, to say the least. The Beef Stew Casserole with Chocolate (P480) is one of the more unusual combinations of food I’ve seen and tasted lately. For me, it’s a bit of an acquired taste, but the stew was definitely a surprising combination of flavors that worked. The dark chocolate and the meat played an interesting concert in my mouth that I’ll have to try again sometime soon.
From appetizers to mains, Tuscano has plenty more on the menu that is worth trying out. But if there is one definite dish that you should not miss when you dine there, it is of course the brick oven pizza. It’s authentic, rustic, and baked with wood–there aren’t many places in Manila that can claim that!
