Botta Boom Pizza, a restaurant bursting with ambiance, is intimate enough for a special dinner for two and yet relaxed enough for a casual lunch or dinner with friends. Lively Italian music floats through the air and one feels as though in a romantic wine cellar with hundreds of bottles lining the walls. As one of my fellow diners said during our meal, “I keep forgetting I’m in North Carolina!”

The menu consists mainly of pizza but also includes an array of starters and salads that are comprised of such Italian favorites as kalamata olives, gorgonzola cheese, and prosciutto ($7.95). All of the ingredients in the piemontese our party tried, a salad of gorgonzola, apples, walnuts and mixed greens ($6.95), were fresh and the light dressing perfectly accented their various flavors.

For our main course, we elected to split two pizzas: one from their list of signature red sauce pizzas, and one from the list of their signature white sauce pizzas. The 12-inch pizzas, good for sharing between two people, are moderately priced at $15.95. The larger 16-inch are $18.95. Several types of Napoletana style pizzas (a personal sized, thin-crust pizza) are also available for $7.95.

Botta Boom pizza is not run-of-the-mill cheese and pepperoni. The menu provides an opportunity for adventure by serving up such pizza toppings as shrimp, lamb, duck, mussels, and crab.

Of course there are also more traditional peppers, olives, and onions, but we decided to be bold. The Milan pizza features lamb with onions, olives, mushrooms, roasted peppers and mozzarella. The Corinthians pizza features mussels, goat cheese, artichoke hearts, roasted tomatoes, garlic, onions and mozzarella. I must say that we were blown away with these exotic pizzas; they were absolutely delicious.

The service was friendly and willing to accommodate. Our waiter even helped us to select a wine that fit our particular preferences and complimented our meal.

If you are looking for fabulous food in an atmosphere that will transport you to old Italy, I highly recommend that you give Botta Boom Pizza a try.

The owners of Botta Boom Pizza also own Botta Bing Pizza on Country Club Rd.
For more information and to see a menu online, visit www.bottaboompizza.com