Great pizza is Las Vegas is surprisingly lacking. With the boom of pizzerias in Los Angeles and great places such as Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix -- while noting all the big-name chefs and restauranteurs that make their home in Las Vegas -- it's a surprise that Las Vegas is not a magnet for a place comparable in standards set by Una Pizza Napoletana or Pizzeria Bianco.

That said, there is an extension of Brooklyn's Grimaldi's that's in Vegas but it is no where near where any tourist would find it. Far from the Strip and many miles south of the airport in a strip mall called Richmar Plaza is one of the locations of Grimaldi's Pizzeria. As I had only been to the Brooklyn location, walking in was a mild shock. Grimaldi's Pizzeria has very high ceilings, it's extremely clean, there's a huge TV (showing a basketball game when I visited), and a full bar with outdoor seating that extends into the parking lot. It's a nice suburban-looking restaurant with a few things that are passed on from the Brooklyn original: gingham tablecloths, a coal fired oven (that looks like its been there for decades) and supposedly, the same pizza. Old photos of the Brooklyn Bridge and landmarks from New York juxtaposed with fake MTA subway signage reminded me how different this place left compared to the original.

Handed the menu, I was asked, "have you been here before?"

"Well, I've been to the Grimaldi's in Brooklyn."

"Well, it is exactly the same here."

We'll see, I figured. Without even looking at the menu I asked for a Margherita-style pizza and I glanced at the wine list and picked out the Sebastiani Pinot Noir.

The wine was great. The pizza didn't take long to arrive and looked like a replica of the original Grimaldi's. Looking underneath, the char was certainly less than I'd expect but still in style. In my first bite I was reminded of the mozzarella at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn with its distinctive taste and texture. It was very chewy and quite stringy. The cheese is "homemade" and well replicated here. The tomatoes were fresh and tasty but most of my pleasure was in the crust: thin and crispy yet very chewy. Quite tasty and almost addictive. I haven't had pizza quite like this since, well, the last time I was in New York.

Residents around this southern area of Las Vegas have a serious treat -- it is too bad they haven't opened a location on Las Vegas Boulevard. Someone at some point will inevitably create a pizzeria of this caliber on the Strip... right? Perhaps I'm asking for something too authentic for Vegas' standards. For now, pizza hunters traveling to Vegas will find the taxi fare to this location worth the price.

Grimaldi's Pizzeria
9595 S Eastern Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89123
702-657-9400