Pizzeria La Gita

Simply Delicious!

Just across the street from Marine Gate Shiogama, the place where you can take the ferry to Matsushima or the Urato Islands, you'll find a little building with a bright green tile sign that reads Pizzeria La Gita. Inside, the warm wood tones and copious pictures on the wall make it feel like a little bistro from anywhere. The small restaurant only seats 21 total, but even on a Saturday afternoon, I found it uncrowded and comfortable. The owners are a husband and wife team, trying to recreate Naples in Shiogama with their lovely hand-tossed pizzas. Having never been to Naples, I can't speak to how well they accomplish this task, but the pizza is delicious. Lunch time runs from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM and for 1200 yen you get your choice of pizza in addition to a small salad and drink. The restaurant boasts some great Italian wines, but unfortunately they are not part of the special. There is an English menu if you need one but the owners are comfortable speaking to you in Japanese as well. I opted for the Deliziosa, which came with tomatoes and salami. The dough was well cooked and pulled apart easily. The cheese in the middle was copious enough to be a little bit of a challenge for the thin dough to keep up with, but that's the way I like it. The salad that came ahead of this pizza was absolutely wonderful, with a range of colors and excellent dressing. It even had slices of purple carrot which is one of my all-time favorite veggies. As a beverage, I chose the beer, which is a draft Asahi Super Dry. Not my favorite, but it's nice that there was a beer option with the lunch special. So if you're early for your ferry or just hanging around, catching the lunch special at La Gita when you have the chance. If you like your pizza hand-tossed, fresh and delicious, this is the pizza place for you.