Il Lazzarone Pizza

Pizza is definitely one of my favorite splurge meals. It is just so delicious! Recently, the hubby and I tried il Lazzarone Pizza in the City Market and we’ve already returned several times. We had heard rave reviews and knew we had to give this authentic Neapolitan pizzeria in the heart of Kansas City a try.

il Lazzarone prides itself on using premium ingredients and serving true Neapolitan pizza. Their dough is made from just four ingredients - water, flour, yeast and salt and is rolled by hand. For the sauce, they use San Marzano tomatoes, a very rare tomato native to Italy.

A post shared by il Lazzarone (@il_lazzarone_kc) on Oct 23, 2017 at 7:39am PDT

True Neapolitan pizzas are cooked in less than 90 seconds using a large wood-fired brick oven that holds a temperature of over 800 degrees! According to their website their “ovens are Acunto Marios, made on the main street of Naples, Italy by a fifth generation oven builder. The mouth of the oven and the oven dome height must all be constructed within specific ratios to achieve a true pizza Napoletana. Our oven is constructed of all hand laid brick made from the soils of the Campania region of Italy." Isn’t that incredible? And, the first one imported to America is used at their St. Joseph location.

Mimosas on the patio before the meal

I will say though, since the oven is constantly burning, it can feel very warm in the restaurant too! I suggest sitting on the patio or near the door to catch a breeze.

That aside, everything we’ve eaten here has been fantastic! My mouth is watering just thinking about their delicious menu choices. This is a great place to grab drinks and an appetizer or sit and enjoy a few pizzas. We've done plenty of both.

For an appetizer, I love the charcuterie plate because it comes with a lot of different options and there's plenty to share with a small group (approx. 4 adults). The menu describes it as "flatbread, burrata, Parmigiano Reggiano, gorgonzola, coppa, cappicola, proscuitto, apple, grapes, olives, capers, walnuts, balsamic glaze, House made basil pesto."

---

Charcuterie plate

For pizza, the menu is split between pizza made with red sauce and white sauce. I enjoy the Supremo, Crepa, Pizze Caprese or the classic Pepperoni. The Crepa is by far my favorite one. It has mozzarella, applewood smoked bacon, balsamic glaze, basil, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt. Oh, so tasty! That wood-fired oven also makes the crust just the right amount of crispy with some charring on the edges.

​Also, be prepared to eat your pizza with a fork because “a delicious pool of flavor forms in the middle of a Neapolitan pie during its short time in the oven making it what one might call wet or soupy." It’s impossible to eat it any other way.

Supermo and Crepa

If you aren't feeling a pizza, or want to start with something lighter, they also have some great salad choices. I've tried the Foglie, which has mixed greens, red onion, cherry tomatoes, goat cheese crumbles (my favorite!), aged balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil and sea salt. I added some salami to the salad as well, for a small additional charge, and it was so yummy.

The Foglie with salami and the Cavolo Riccio

Overall, you can't go wrong with anything you order here. It is all appetizing and so savory! One pizza is plenty to share or enough to have some leftovers for later.
 
il Lazzarone Kansas City is located on Delaware St., right in front of the streetcar stop at River Market West.

Let me know when you get a chance to check this place out and which pizza is your favorite! Enjoy! 

- Rachel