Evo

1075 Montague Ave., North Charleston, SC - (843) 225-1796

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Posted By Michael Stern on August 11, 2010 1:35 PM

If you doubt that we are in the midst of a pizza renaissance, get yourself to North Charleston, South Carolina, and dine at Evo. While the Palmetto State never has been known as source of great pizza, Lowcountry cooks are famously talented; and Evo – an acronym for Extra Virgin Oven – is proof that their creative juices combined with the best local products and a wood-fired oven can equal transcendent pizza.

But before we get to the pizza, may we detour to hors d'oeuvres? To a peak-of-summer panzanella salad, starring big chunks of megaflavored tomato and significant house-made croutons along with pickled red onion, crumbles of creamy blue cheese and basil, all dressed with bright balsamic vinaigrette: one of life's memorable salads. For a more simple starter, you can get something called an "olive plate." It is more than a plate. It is a big bowlful of black and green ones – many dozens – along with a bunch of whole garlic cloves that have been roasted until they are soft and sweet, the gorgeous cornucopia marinated in oil well perfumed by basil.

Now, about the pizza. Cooked briefly in a roaring wood-fired oven, it comes out with a crust that is thin and relatively lightweight – crunch more than chew – albeit sturdy enough not to wilt even under seas of melty cheese. Its edge bears the brand of a high-temperature bake in the form of a few char marks on the puffy parts. Toppings range from basic margherita to such wonders as pistachio pesto topped with mozzarella (made here twice daily) and just enough crème fraiche to elevate the eating experience into wanton indulgence. We enjoyed a special of locally made feta along with fresh okra and a puree of roasted garlic and corn as well as the awesome "pork trifecta" of house-made sausage, pepperoni and smoked bacon.

For dessert, it is hard not to indulge in a sampler of Sweeteeth brand chocolates (made by a former employee) that includes a salted caramel heart and a peach cobbler bon bon; but you must also reserve a significant amount of appetite for the amazing blueberry calzone – a pocket of pizza dough filled with dark chocolate melting around local blueberries and drizzled with South Carolina honey.

Overall Rating

Panzanella Salad

Feta & Okra Pizza (12")

Sweet Teeth Chocolate Sampler

Olive Plate

Pistachio Pesto Pizza (12")

Blueberry Calzone

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