Pizzeria Cortile — Restaurant in Chattanooga

Early May 2018, we have been waiting for this place to open since it had a real brick pizza oven like in Italy. We have been to Italy a number of times and love the brick oven pizza. I took my extended family, 8 people, so we tried pretty much everything on the menu. Seating was very casual. Wooden bench on sidewall, picnic tables outside. Not comfortable enough to linger over a long meal. Do not sit near the front before the Sun goes down, as it blasts heat in the big front window. They had several types of risotto balls for appetizers, which were well cooked and good, toppings cost extra. Wings, while not the best in town were OK. Pizza, which is the main reason you would go, was a big disappointment. The portion isn't great, only one size, a 12 inch, individual. Ours came blacken on the edges, like Indian “Non-bread” with the center un-cooked. Nothing like the pizza you get in Rome. Most of the 4 pizzas we had ordered was left uneaten. The pizza cook clearly did not know what they were doing. Whoever said this was good, clearly does not know their thin crust, brick oven pizza and what it is supposed to be like. They only had two types of draft beer, luke warm in a 12 once plastic cup for $ 6 bucks with an inch of foam then an inch of empty cup at the top, not nearly full enough. Needless to say I did not order another. We ordered both deserts to share, one turned out to be a strange Cannoli which tasted like it had a Keylime pie filling, it was OK but nothing like any Cannoli I ever had. The other desert was a very sweet chocolate Nutello type of dish which the two young children liked. It was not very crowed on a Friday night and the service was good and courteous. I am not sure what the restaurant is intended to be? A little too pricey for all but the north shore yuppies, too casual/(uncomfortable seating) for an Italian dinner, food not good enough for the discriminating, not a place to slug down cold beers and pizza. We may try it again in a few months to see if they have significantly improved their game, in the mean time there are places in Chattanooga with much better Italian food and (while not cooked in a brick oven) much, much...

Cozy, yet industrial feel to this neighborhood pizza restaurant. We started with the arancini- a ball of deep fried risotto, stuffed with ham and served on a zesty and tasty marinara sauce. It's crunchy and lighter than it sounds, just try it. We also went in for the Buffalo wings, which were spicy enough to make you grab your beer for a sip. It is important to note that the process of cooking the wings is sous vide, which is done by submerging a specially designed plastic bag in boiling water, with the wings inside. The protein is completely cooked and safe to eat, but you will find redness near the bone. The result is very tender, juicy chicken wing. Don't be afraid to try them. We came for pizza, and we weren't disappointed. All pizzas are 12 inch pies. If you are hungry, you could easily eat one all by yourself. The style is thin-crust Neapolitan style. They use a wood-fired stone oven, which tempers the air with the smells of burning wood, a comforting and pleasing experience on a cold night. The crust is chewy, and easy to fold. The toppings were generous, but not so much as to make the slice collapse before you can get it to your mouth. We ordered a Hawaiian style pizza with smoked ham, pineapple and roasted jalapeños, that were not very spicy. My only complaint is that I typically enjoy a crispier crust, that doesn't require two hands to eat one slice, but that is not the style they serve here, and I can appreciate all styles of pizza. Lastly, I usually don't go in for desert, but seeing as they make fresh cannolis, I couldn't resist. Definitely add these to your order! They are custard-filled confections finished with crushed pistachios and powdered sugar. The custard was cool and creamy with a hint of lime zest. Fantastic! Presently, they have 3 beers on tap, all local micro brews that cover a decent range of styles. I predict that this place will be a hit, especially in the summer. We watched the place fill up on a Sunday night while we were there. The staff seemed to be well trained and professional, lacking slightly in beer knowlege, (M.B.B.C. stands for Moccasin Bend Brewing Co.),...

An ok experience, dressed up as something fancier.

First let's talk about being the only pizzeria/restaurant in the world that does not take over the phone orders. Ok. Extremely weird and puts you at a huge disadvantage. Decided to give it a go against my better judgement.

Pizza. Very ok. Nothing special. Flavor is ok. You have to like paper thin crust. This is the first pie I've ever HAD to eat with a fork. You literally cannot pick up the slice as it flops over like your drunk uncles head at the end of the family reunion. Still, not the worst pie.

Desert. I ordered at the beginning with the pizza. I ordered nutella rolls. This was a tad more disappointing. Not only were they not ready by the time I was finished eating, serving size seemed more child size. Basically a fried puff pastry with nutella and confectioners sugar sprinkled on top. Dough was slightly over cooked, and nutella had taken on a hot chocolate like consistency and flavor. I actually still liked it, but when you get two tiny bells for 4 dollars, not worth the wait.

Nicest part of the experience was the restaurant itself. They may have over-extended themselves since it is a nice space. Ambience is good. Maybe lower the music a bit at 11 in the morning? Good if you want a semi lounge dining experience. Just don't expect high quality food.

P.S, the phone order thing is almost laughable. The reason I got was, "we cook in a brick or wood oven, it compromises the quality"? Every dime a dozen wood/brick oven pizzeria in Brooklyn has never used this excuse. If you guys are bottoming out, take payments over the phone if you're scared to get ripped off.

Overall a very decent experience minus a few...