So I stuck my head in Varasano's this AM

[jjerrier2450]

i was only kidding about his mittens...never seen anything like them!

[sourdough girl]

i was only kidding about his mittens...never seen anything like them!

I have... the State (and company) required that we wear them when dealing with the ovens, but we never did.  They required we wear stainless steel gloves while cleaning the slicers, too... but we never did.  Had we followed the requirements, we would have spent hours a day just putting on and taking off gloves... to say nothing of the latex gloves we DID wear!  The time budget is always tight, so you cut where you can....

I think Jeff, when the place really gets rolling, will find the gloves to be a pain... and will lose them.

~sd

[Mo]

I have... the State (and company) required that we wear them when dealing with the ovens, but we never did.  They required we wear stainless steel gloves while cleaning the slicers, too... but we never did.  Had we followed the requirements, we would have spent hours a day just putting on and taking off gloves... to say nothing of the latex gloves we DID wear!  The time budget is always tight, so you cut where you can....

I think Jeff, when the place really gets rolling, will find the gloves to be a pain... and will lose them.

~sd

That's exactly right. Not only time saving, but who can finesse anything with garden gloves on?

[s00da]

Seems Jeff is opening up soon...tomorrow!

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/03/openings-varasanos-pizzeria-atlanta-georgia-ga.html

[scpizza]

http://www.savoryexposure.com/2009/03/varasanos-pizzeria-opens-its-doors/

[s00da]

My guess is that it's the air temp.

I just confirmed it with the oven manufacturer. The 932F is the air temperature and that's what will read on the panel.

932F air temp for an electric oven is really good. They also have countertop models that can hold up to a single 18 inch pie and you can have an extra hearth stone in there as a mini double deck oven.

Seems Jeff has made a really good choice for the oven.

[chriskfla]

Didn't know whether to post here, in Pizza News, or in Restaurant Reviews, and settled on here. I hope this isn't too off-topic for here.

I was in the area, and had previously identified the building / exact location from news reports here and elsewhere. The place is definitely a construction site, but the major utilities looked to be pretty much done (HVAC, plumbing rough-ins and underground, electrical rough-ins), and it's getting to the point where it'll be mostly finishes, which goes pretty quickly unless there's a whole lot of detailed millwork, which I doubt. The space is at ground level in a new high-rise residential structure, and has tall ceilings and glass looking out onto Peachtree, so it ought to be quite nice once finished.

It's a great location, right on Peachtree (THE Peachtree, not one of the 487 imitators) in a very upscale area, across the street from the premiere Houstons, near Benihana and Whole Foods and the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, for any familiar with this area (South Buckhead).

I chatted with Mike, who is Jeff's operations manager, and who was there checking on /working with the contractors. They're shooting for an early January opening, which seems do-able. He gave me some details on the oven, which I'll keep mum on, since I don't think Jeff has revealed them here. I wouldn't want to spoil his fun, if he hasn't.

I can't wait for that place to open.

Regards,

JimR

I ate there tonight and it was fantastic. Sat at the beautiful granite bar and Tony the bartender recommended a great cabernet. I ordered the Nana pie and it came out in less than 10 mins. That oven is cranking. It was one of the best pizzas I've had in a looonng time. The crust was blistered perfectly, very light with great structure and the flavor reminded of the sourdough on the wharf in san francisco. Not overpowering but just good. I'll never eat another bakers yeast pizza again-their crust has no flavor.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Nana pie (light sauce, mozz, fresh romano and herbs) and decided to try another when who walks up? Jeff V. himself. We had a nice conversation about pizzmaking.com and I asked him to recommend another to try. He recommended the white clam pizza. Another winner. Very light and flavorful.

The price is right, the place is rocking and the food is great. What else do you need to know?

Chris

[chriskfla]

http://www.varasanos.com/Index.htm

I've read elsewhere that he is going to be making "real NY style" pies. (what's that,no more Nigerians outside Rays openening up briefcases full of the fake NY Pizza now?)
To avoid more confusion ,maybe this thread should be moved off the Neapolitan Style board if that proves to be the case?The way he has set up his personal ratings has always seemed very confusing to me,lumping in together different styles of pizza and cooking methods.The top two places (Johnny's & Luzzos ) are like night and day and neither IMO are particularly outstanding in their own style.Johnny's was downright distasteful compared to my expectations !
But that's just my personal opinion.I'm looking forward to seeing and trying the final product that he has chosen to produce for Atlanta (I would presume it to be what he considers "his personal best" and not necessarily a clone of any other in particular ?) next month.
I'll try not to read any Ed Levine reviews before I go 

It's open and worth the trip. Just south of Peachtree Battle around 2100 block of peachtree road se. Free valet and great food.