Mirante

“We got lucky again,” my friend tells us sideways as the owner pushes together tables in an already packed room. The place is usually this crowded, but he somehow always manages to turn up and get a table. The remarkable thing this evening is that we are a relatively big group of five. Nonethless we’re given a makeshift table, before promptly being moved to a larger space at the back as soon as it frees up. The restaurant is warm and cosy, and we have a perfect view of the open kitchen, where a cook is busily preparing fresh pizzas for the wood-burning oven.

The server and boss, Lino, speaks to us in a waterfall of Italo-French words and friendly gestures. We order a bottle of red and proceed to devour the complimentary bread and olives. Ordering goes rather quickly, too, as we are all hungry and in the mood for pizza: one capricciosa, one quattro stagioni, one crudaiola, one quattro formaggi and one mirante.

We don’t have to wait long, but while we do we enjoy the lively atmosphere, even the noise. Mirante has been around for 30 years and is a favourite of both locals and expats. Never mind the kitsch décor or tiny tables; It’s the pizza and pasta that keep people coming back over and over again.

I can understand why as soon as I sink my teeth into the first slice of quattro formaggi. Its delectably thin and crispy crust can only be the work of a wood-burning oven. On top is a lovely, cheesy blend of gorgonzola, mozzarella, pecorino and parmesan. The blue gorgonzola stands out for its sharp, salty bite, the mozzarella for its subtle creaminess.

We’re all exchanging slices across the table so as to taste thedifferent creations. It’s pretty much unanimous: the mirante is most unique. The house speciality, this pizza comes covered in tangy tomato sauce, plenty of cheese, two different types of ham (one smoked, one spicy), crunchy white onion rings, a handful of green olives, loads of fragrant oregano and, in honour of traditional Italian pizzas everywhere, an egg cracked over the middle.

The capricciosa and quattro stagione pizzas are causing a stir, as well, for their perfect combination of flavour and texture in the form of tender, tangy artichoke hearts, heaps of mushrooms, pink smoked ham and cheese that’s gone golden brown and bubbly in the oven.

Another friend made a wise choice, in ordering the crudaiola. It’s a winning combination of ripe tomato sauce, gooey cheese, paper-thin prosciutto di Parma, nutty pine kernels, parmesan shavings and a pile of crunchy, peppery rocket salad.

It’d be a shame to leave already, so we opt for a round of after-dinner drinks (sambuca, limoncello, grappa) and two desserts: One is a fluffy cream parfait with fresh strawberries, the other a thick milkshake-like coffee drink infused with the anise-flavoured sambuca.

The bill comes to less than €30 per person, which we find more than reasonable considering all the drinks involved. And word has it the pasta is just as good as the pizza, so we’ll be back.

***

Plattesteen 13, Brussels; tel 02.511.15.80

This review first appeared in Flanders Today