Crosta Pizzeria: My Favorite Pizza Spot So Far

For a long time, I have limited myself to the pizzas of Italian restaurants and pizza chains. I’m already happy with the pizzas of S&R and Shakey’s, which has become a staple food of meetings and parties that I go to. Whether bought from a chain or a stand-alone pizzeria, I guess you can never go wrong with this Italian classic.

Then last year, a friend invited me to try a pizzeria at The Social, a mini food hub located on Ebro St., Poblacion, Makati. My girlfriend lives nearby and we always frequent Khao Khai Thai Chicken House (see my article here) and Señor Pollo (and here), which is on the same street. So how come I missed this spot? Anyway, I gladly accepted my friend’s invitation because the pizzeria’s Instagram is drool-worthy. And when I tried the pizza, I vowed to return!

The Social on Ebro. This was lively at night before the pandemic.

The pizza spot? Crosta Pizzeria.

The brainchild of Ingga Cabangon-Chua and Tom Woudwyck, Crosta is a small pizzeria that serves artisanal pizzas. They make use of sourdough which, according to their website, had a 7 year journey and is still evolving. Then it’s topped with the best ingredients from around the world and cooked in a coal-fired oven. They also offer vegan options.

Crosta’s pizzas fall under 3 categories: Round, Square, and Vegan. Here are the pizzas I tried so far:

Round

The round pizzas are as classic as it can get. They have puffy crusts, nicely charred and delightfully chewy dough, and classic toppings.

Basic B**ch: This is Crosta’s take on the classic Margherita pizza, which only has 3 ingredients: Basil leaves, cheese, and tomato sauce. Its simplicity is its charm.

Cheesy AF: This is the pizza for cheese lovers. The combination of Fontina, Gorgonzolla, Mozzarella, and Taleggio give a nice, subtle funk.

The Retiree: I’m among those people who believe that pineapples go with pizza! LOL. This pizza is Crosta’s take on Hawaiian pizza. It has flavorful, homemade fennel sausage which nicely contrasts with the sweet pineapples. And have I mentioned that the tomato sauce is perfectly sweet and tangy, as with other Crosta pizzas that use the same base?

The Retiree with Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Crust

By the way, you can upgrade any round pizza to have a Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Crust. That’s why my Retiree is shaped like that. Think of it as a cheesy and creamy spinach dip stuffed in the crust. Yum!

Square

The square pizzas are either Detroit- or Sicilian-style. The Detroit-style has an airy (or porous), crunchy dough and has a perimeter of melted cheese, while the Sicilian-style has a pillowy dough and a crisp bottom.

Roni Sicilian: This is probably the most Instagrammable of all Crosta pizzas. It is flooded with cute, cupping pepperonis, all sitting on a pillowy dough. It’s also mildly spicy.

Super Duper Supreme (Detroit-style): If you’re into loaded pizzas, then this is for you. It’s topped with bacon, bell peppers, fennel sausage, mushroom, pepperoni, and onions. It’s cheese crust has a sharp, burnt taste. But what’s even more captivating than the cheese crust is the pizza sauce (I believe it’s also their tomato sauce) that is smothered on top. It’s nicely sweet and tangy!

I haven’t even tried the vegan ones because I was skeptical if it would taste good. But when I was researching for this article, I became convinced that I should try them soon! So watch out for it!

What Crosta pizza above have you tried or would like to try? Are there other varieties that I should try? Comment them below!