Pizzeria Mercato

Where Carbonara Meets the Carolinas

From the outside, Pizzeria Mercato might seem like just another Italian pizza place, but once you get to take a look at the menu, it’s a whole new world. The thing that is special about Pizzeria Mercato is the fact that their style is an Italian-Southern fusion. This was something that we had never seen before and we were all fascinated by it. Both Italian and Southern cuisines are fantastic by themselves, and they certainly wouldn’t be the first combination I would’ve thought of, but after tasting everything, the pairing does seem to go nicely together. Both cuisines have simple, yet comforting flavors. Both styles of food can be found in one’s home! By combining both styles, you are left with a flavorful, yet simple fusion!

A lot of menu from the naked eye appears to be Italian. There are different pastas, pizzas, and other traditional Italian dishes. The biggest Southern influence comes with the pairings within the dishes and the source of the ingredients. Pizzeria Mercato’s menu changes based off of the seasonality of the produce at the local farmer’s market. This really helps integrate the Southern flavor into the Italian framework. By using the freshest ingredients, you can extract the true Southern flavors that are needed to complete the fusion cuisine!

Our group went in December, so our experience reflects on what was seasonal then! Some of the items might be similar, but the overall concept should remain consistent. Our meal consisted of PEI mussels, grilled sweet potato, Neapolitan meatballs and 2 pizzas: the Formaggi Misti (3 cheese) and the carbonara pizza.

The PEI mussels were an interesting opener. Traditionally, Italian style mussels are done with garlic, red chili and white wine in a tomato base. At Pizzaria Mercato, the broth is complete with green chili instead of red chili and tomatoes and this definitely changes the dish. Instead of a rich broth to dip your garlic crostino in, you get a sense of spice because of the chilies. This new and untraditional version of mussels was really unique and made for a great start.

The grilled sweet potato was the item that we got that seriously exposed us to the Italian/Southern style of cooking. Italy is certainly not known for sweet potatoes, but is a staple in the south and especially in North Carolina. The sweet potato was paired with whipped ricotta, guanciale, which is bacon, spiced pecans and mint. The sweet potato was whipped and tasted fresh. The sweetness of the potato was balanced by the ricotta. The ricotta’s flavor came off as mild, making it more savory than sweet, giving the overall dish a nice balance. The guanciale and the pecans were a nice garnish too, but it was the ricotta that give the dish that Italian flair.

The meatballs and pizza appeared to be Italian for the main part. The meatballs combined pork, beef, and a tomato sauce. They were paired with a focaccia crostino, smaller rounds of focaccia. The ratio of the different meats gave the meatball a nice texture and flavor. The pork provided some fat, while the beef gave the meatball most of the flavor. The meatball wasn’t too dense and tasted great!

The formaggi pizza had different cheeses, including the fotina, provolone, pecorino and the fior di latte, all famous Italian cheeses. There was also basil and tomato slices on the pizza. This was essentially a margarita pizza, except with all the extra cheeses, which makes a huge difference. The pecorino cheese was salty, while the provolone was rich, giving the pizza many different dimensions and flavors. The carbonara pizza had the guanciale, pecorina, black pepper, and an entire egg in the center. The purpose of this pizza was imitate a carbonara pasta on a pizza, and all the elements were spot on. The egg used for the pasta was a surprising twist and then you start to get deeper into the cheese, making a complete experience. You also cannot discount the quality of the crust, it had the right thickness and cooked perfectly so there was a nice bite, but wasn’t burnt.

As a standalone Italian restaurant, Pizzeria Mercato does a very solid job at meeting the needs of a customer looking to grab a nice pizza. However, what’s special about this place is their ability to take what is regional to North Carolina and combine it was Italian culture to make an incredible fusion cuisine that is unique and worth trying!