In our annual Best of the Gulfshore feature, we saluted Barbatella for its unusual yet somehow delicious mixtures of ingredients that shouldn't work on pizzas but somehow amazingly do. The Bianca we fell for hard is out of rotation now because of a recent overhaul of the menu, but the newest (aptly named) Nouveau show-stopper is even more "what the heck are they thinking?" for how it defies conventional pizza wisdom. By the way, it’s only on the dinner menu, but the kitchen will make it on request for lunch.
Tomatoes are noticeably absent and so too is cheese, but one bite of the hot, crunchy yet refreshing pie and you'll be glad you saw this: Fanned slices of avocado are laid over delicate tangles of fennel and pickled red onion, and it all get a boost from sprigs of cilantro, a tiny dice of fresh jalapeño and a sprinkle of lime. Try it with one of the summer wine flights ($10 for three glasses of white, $12 for three glasses of red), and it's a match made in foodie heaven.
