Photography by Kathy Tran.

The crust on the pizza at Flattery Café is simply a must. 

Owners Heather and Ali Haider traveled to Florence, Italy, to study the Neapolitan style, then adapted their recipes after research stints in Turkey, Southeast Asia and New York. 

The kitchen boasts an Alfa oven —imported from Italy — that can bake a pizza in 90 seconds up to 600 degrees. The result is a tasty, paper-thin, slightly charred, crispy crust.

“We picked up the best things from everywhere,” Heather says. “Our menu reflects the flavors of the world. When people come in, they don’t know what to order. I enjoy talking customers into trying something out of their comfort zones.”

Sauces and oils are homemade. The New York pizza, with marinara, beef pastrami, Parmigiano, buffalo mozzarella, mushrooms and fresh basil, is the café’s best-seller. The Texan features marinara, seven-hour cooked brisket, jalapeño and onions. 

“People love it because it’s super juicy and very meaty,” she says.

DID YOU KNOW?

Owners Heather and Ali Haider have a side business creating 3D, gravity-defying cakes. 

In addition to the New York, chef Ali’s favorite is the Genoa with pesto sauce, chicken Parmesan, buffalo mozzarella, olives and fresh basil. Their 3-year-old son, Nyle, and kid diners typically prefer the Naples. Feeling adventurous? Try the Beverly Hills, with smoked salmon and spinach. Beyond Pie is a vegetarian option.

The chef will prepare a cauliflower crust or double the cheese if you’d like. Pizza prices range from $12 to $17.

Unusually, the café also includes $9 gourmet hotdogs. Instead of buns, the dogs arrive in “boats” — Hawaiian rolls toasted in garlic butter. The Chicago Style and Chili Dog are best-sellers. Pasta dishes are new on the menu.

The most challenging part of the café is parking. Two reserved spaces are out front. Otherwise, use street parking or the garage across the street, near Target and DSW.

Chef Ali, a photographer and film director, shot all of the pictures on the restaurant’s walls. “How do you tell a good crust without tasting it?” reads one sign. “Not from the look, it’s not the smell, but the sound of the crusttttth.”

Flattery Café

6005 Berkshire Lane

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Sunday, 11:30 a.m.  to 6 p.m.

flattery.cafe