Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana @ Green Valley Ranch, Henderson

The fondest memories I have studying in Italy: drinking espresso at Bar Rosso in Campo Santa Margherita, and smoking cheap cigarettes with friends all day long, and eating a ton of food.... I literally stuffed my face with so much Italian (food) that I should have come back 300lbs heavier, which since walking was the main transportation method in Venice, I managed to lose weight (best fricking deal ever)!!! It was, to say, a most wonderful experience....

Since then, I've quit smoking (lozenges are the way to go), but still guzzle down the caffeine...And having Pizza in Italy was another out- of-this-world experience; having an individual-size, thinly crusted pizza, eating with a knife and fork with the freshest ingredients,  you couldn't ask for anything more satisfying than even the simplest of them all: the Margherita.  With just three ingredients-Basil, Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella, it is the purist and most difficult of flavorful pizzas to achieve.

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And Settebello brings me back to those fond memories, it captures the essence of Italian cooking with fresh and raw ingredients to create their Pizzas.  They are licensed by the VPN (Vera Pizza Napoletana) an organization created in the 80's to preserve, promote and educate the traditional art of Napolitan Pizza making. The VPN Charter provides strict guidelines and requirements to protect the integrity of this culinary discipline, which is why Settebello's pizza catapults me back to Italy and it's wonderful, rich style of humble yet elegant cuisine.

Primarily a pizza restaurant, Settebello does provide some appetizers which is comprised mostly of breads, salads and cured meats.  All of these are absolutely delicious and I recommend ordering one in each category if you're hungry.  My personal favorite is the Involtini di Prosciutto: Prosciutto wrapped around Arugula and Goat Cheese with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, Balsamic Reduction and ExtraVirgin Olive Oil on top.  This is an incredibly satisfying and evolved dish, it combines a salad quotient with a cured meat app that is developed and sophisticated: the peppery bitter greens with the creaminess of goat cheese and the buttery Prosciutto Crudo is just symphonic, add the sweet/tart Balsamic and fruity Olive Oil and it sends me over the top........

Moving on: I have two Pizzas that are my favorite, (and pretty much the only two worth getting): the Settebello and the Diavola.  Due to my new harm reduction policies, I can only order one pizza, but still order a dessert.  May not be conducive to food blogging, but it is what it is, (look to future posts for updates on other dishes).

The utmost favorite is the Settebello: with Fennel Sausage, Roasted Mushrooms, Toasted Pine Nuts, Mozarella, Basil and Crushed Tomatoes with a drizzle of Olive Oil, this is the supreme Pizza of the Napolitan set...  We thoroughly enjoy eating this pizza, with all the topping working so well with each other, (sometimes I like to add some Pepperoncino and a little more Olive Oil to enhance the flavor) and it's balanced well with the toppings to crust/bread ratio, so you get your carb cravings sated simultaneously...

At last, for Dessert, there's quite a selection at Settebello, but my two favorites are: the house made Cannoli and Tiramisu. This time, we ordered the Tiramisu, a creamy and decadent dessert with Marscapone Cream, Lady Fingers soaked in Espresso and Disaronno and powdered chocolate on top.  The serving size, in my mind, too small (a cake pan is more my size)!  It's a great dessert, totally authentic and hits the spot after a great meal.

Settebello is the best Pizza Place in Las Vegas, definitely a must if you enjoy an elevated dining experience with good authentic Italian food!

Rating (Out of Five Stars)

Food:          4.5
Ambience:  3.75
Service:       4