M Wood Fired Oven

M Wood Fired Oven is located in East Hyde Park, next to the beloved Hap’s Irish Pub. Lest one not believe the pizza is actually wood-fired: flames burn atop pedestals outside the entrance, while a prominent oven filled with actual wood anchors the large bar inside.

M offers six gourmet pizzas, with toppings including pistachios, pine nuts, apples, and raisins. Each is 12 inches - roughly the size of a large dinner plate - and costs $12. We order the No. 1 and No. 4.

The No. 1 is a Margherita with mozzarella, basil, and tomato. It is an all-around well-crafted pizza, distinguished by its thick, flavorful red sauce. The sauce is unusually prominent and seems like a contender for the best in Cincinnati. A serious pizzeria should be able to make a good Margherita, and M passes that test easily.

The No. 4 combines tomato, house-made sausage, smoked mozzarella, and apple. The crust is thicker than a traditional Neapolitan crust, and I would prefer another 30 to 60 seconds in the oven to produce more char around the edges. Even so, it is soft, chewy, and flavorful - the kind of crust that is enjoyable on its own and among the better wood-fired versions in the city.

M’s toppings are more ambitious than its crust. The crumbled house-made sausage is excellent and intensely flavorful. The apple adds sweetness and textural contrast, and it is interesting for a few slices. By the end, however, I think it detracts from the pizza and begin scraping it off. I found myself thinking a straightforward sausage pizza would be excellent on this crust. But alas might seem too conventional for the menu.

Each table also includes two sauces for the pizza: Olive oil & a thick house-made hot sauce resembling sriracha. It is spicy, flavorful, and an excellent addition. I like having the option to give individual slices different accents, much like the chili oil found at many European pizzerias.

Wood-fired pizzerias are appearing all over Cincinnati, and some degree of overreach seems inevitable. I go into the meal prepared to dismiss M as another polished Hyde Park mediocrity. Instead, I left full and impressed.