Mannaggia what a marginal pizza we ate here! We tried to go to a place in Chamonix so well-rated even the Italian reviewers liked it, but it was closed for a break before the high season traffic arrives in mid-June. So we went on down to the center of town to a place that advertised pizza au feu de bois: pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. Unfortunately, that could not save the product.

My pizza of “chorizo” with peppers (fresh) and onions.

The crust seemed like something one might buy at Costco, the cheese was plastic-y with no delightful stretch nor flavor, and the sauce was barely tomato-colored, much less flavored. What was advertised as “chorizo” was perhaps better described as saucissons as it tasted like what was served for breakfast at our hotel. It may have been sausage, but not chorizo nor even decent Italian salami. We had better pizzas when my mom would bake a frozen Totinos back in the 1960s in Minnesota.

Cute interior, cave-like as one might imagine from the name. Cozy and romantic.

This was in sharp contrast to last week’s amazing find in Antibes at Pizza D’Or. I guess we’re going to get a bad one now-and-then.

Pizza Quality: 1 If you have a bad crust and tasteless cheese with bad texture, you can not save the pizza, even with a wood-fired oven.

Service: 3 The server was very nice, beyond cordial, and as she was working alone, amazingly efficient. It’s always helpful to us when they speak English in France.

Wood-fired oven gave us false hope.

Ambiance: 2   This is a very cute place, built in a wine cellar that is several hundred years old. Cozy, dark, romantic, with comfortable and private booths. HOWEVER, the music was too loud and did not match the charming environment. Minus one point for the music.

Total Points: 6 (The total does not reflect how bad the pizza is. Ambiance and service count equally in this scale, but if you are going to try something other than the pizza, it might be a worthwhile stop.)

Returnability: DNR – Do not return under any circumstances. Mistakes were made.

The cheese was a sham, the anchovies salty although Ric got past the non-traditional addition of olives and capers on his Pizza Napoli.

The shop dog hung out in a hallway and seemed bored by it all. While we see dogs in restaurants a lot, usually they are with dinner guests….