The About Us section of Black Magic Pizza’s website reads, “At Black Magic Pizza our mission is to provide quality hand tossed New-Neapolitan pizzas in a unique space that is accepting to all.”
The space is certainly different – it’s in the corner of Whiskey Lou’s Lounge in the Milk District – though the “Stop! Do not enter” sign on the door refutes the claim of acceptance. But that door is only for employees. Customers are welcome at walkup window. However, shortly before 5:30 p.m. on a recent Sunday, anyone show stepped up there was greeted by another sign: Completely Sold Out! (It closes at 6 p.m. on Sundays, so it wasn’t as if they ran out of food too early.)
I felt sorry for the two fellows who were dejectedly walking away when I arrived. Luckily I had placed my order earlier in the day for a later pickup, and my order was ready at the prearranged time.
I’m not sure what is meant by new Neapolitan (neo-Neapolitan?). Neapolitan means that it’s in the style of the pies made in Naples, the one in Italy, not Florida, though the Florida city might be considered new Neapolitan. I suppose by adding the “new” to the description, Black Magic figures it can play a little with the pizzas.
And the pizzas are good, once you get past the menu names. Cheezus and Dr. Pepperoni are easy to decipher, but what the heck is a Hornets Nest, Tuscan Leather, White Iverson or Coheed & Calabria?
Well, the latter turns out to be one of the pies I ordered. It had pepperoni and sausage plus mozzarella, mushrooms and Calabrian chilies on a red sauce base. (Coheed & Calabria is a play on the name of a rock band, Coheed & Cambria.)
I also had the Tuscan Leather, which counterintuitively does not have meat. It’s a vegetarian option with cherry tomatoes and spinach and a garlic ricotta sauce. It was drizzled with balsamic vinegar, which gave it an overall sweet note.
The platforms of both pies, the crusts, were nicely charred. The dough seemed to have an elevated gluten level. When cooled, trying to tear the crusts turned into a one-person game of tug-of-war. But overall I liked the crusts. And the toppings on both pizzas were sufficiently ample. At $19 for the C&C and $17 for the no-leather Tuscan Leather, they were in line with other boutique pizzeria prices, maybe even a couple of bucks cheaper.
As for the Black Magic part, I’m guessing the owners didn’t have “That Old Black Magic,” the 1940s song by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, in mind. Probably something more along the lines of the band The Skulls. But I prefer to hear Frank Sinatra when I’m eating a good pizza.
Black Magic Pizza is at 121 N. Bumby Ave., Orlando (map). It is open Wednesday through Sunday. The phone number is 407-286-1310.
