To be both a pizza devotee and a pious adherent to Judaism's dietary laws in Jerusalem is to know the disappointment of being relegated to the one or two decent kosher pizzerias in the city. But change is in the air, and it carries the aroma of fresh basil and authentic sourdough. For those of you who love real cheese, real crust, real herbs and sauce that has never known the cold confines of a tin can, sign up for the gym because you'll be ordering from the committed pizzaioli at Tito Bravo a lot.

Like many of the high-quality restaurants devoted to foreign cuisine cropping up lately, Tito Bravo is the result of years spent learning from the experts in Exile; yea, by the rivers of Babylon, they sat and learned to make a pizza without corn. After finishing a lengthy stint in the pizza kitchens of LA, the owners of Tito Bravo returned armed with knowledge, purpose, and mehadrin kosher certification, ready to expose Jerusalemites to their realest pizza yet.  Tito Bravo isn't only about pizza, though - connoisseurs swear by its macaroni and cheese, heavy with artery-clogging cheesy goodness, and the menu boasts a dizzying array of foccacie both traditional and fusion-ed. 

And pizza lovers with dietary restrictions will be thrilled to learn that Tito Bravo offers a full "healthy" menu, including a 340-calorie low-fat pizza made with
whole wheat flour and - wonder of wonders - a gluten-free pizza.

The service is uncharacteristically excellent for Jerusalem, the owners passionate about their product and eager to fulfill any request. Every pizza lover in the city could stand to make a pilgrimage.