I’m always up for interesting food combinations. Usually this means mixing meats into wonderful protein concoction, but at Mercato di Vetro in West Hollywood, I was introduced to an especially unique mix of foods. But before I settled on my meal, I got myself a nice look at the entire menu. Menu items were purported to be “small plates,” but carried price tags that said otherwise. Even though I wasn’t paying, I shifted my eyes to food that I could expect to actually fill my stomach with.
This is when I found the Blackberry & Bacon Pizza. At first glance, the mix made me want to vomit, and that was before I saw that it came with arugula. But then I thought about it…I’ve always been a man who loves a sweet and salty mix and this could fit right into it. So I did what any wise man would do and ordered it, without the arugula of course.
Food risk-wise, this was one of the boldest and best moves I had ever made. The combination of blackberries and bacon was nearly on par with the salt bagel and strawberry cream cheese combination that I love so much. I think they key was that blackberries simply aren’t a really sweet fruit. On top of that, some of their tartness seemed to have been cooked away, leaving nothing but delicious bliss on the pie.
Of course, the crust, cheeses (ricotta and parmesan) and sauce played a big role in the pizza, but there is a reason it is called Blackberry & Bacon. Those ingredients were the stars and made this a pizza worth going back for.