Atlanta — By Linda Erbele on January 30, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Filed under: featuredarticle, Food & Beverage

Eat like a local review: Village Tavern & Pizzeria in Helen

Most people don’t think of Italian food when they are visiting the pretty little Alpine village of Helen, Georgia – but there’s a terrific pizza place in the Nacoochee Village, just south of Helen on Georgia 75.

If you’ve taken the road to Helen on a busy day, you will have had to slow down at the curve by Nora’s Mill, because people are crossing the road from feeding the trout and enjoying the mill to the Antique store and Habersham Winery on the other side. On around the corner, you’ll find the Nacoochee Village Tavern and Pizzeria, where Chef Paul Rampula is overseeing the pizza (see map.)

The pizza’s are creative here, as you would expect with a chef’s touch. Rampulla graduated from Pennsylvania College of Technology (a division of Penn State) with a degree in Culinary Arts and Hotel/Restaurant Management, and he’s been cooking for ten years. His philosphy as a chef, he says, is to “get the best ingredients I can and execute it in a dynamic way.”

“My passion for pizza is simplicity — people remember a really great pizza, and most out there are not very memorable.” He set out to find a niche where he could sell a premium product at a value price. “I’m really lucky with the location we have – they have great water and I source my flour from Nora’s Mill.”

The pizzas have names like the Popeye, the Tree Hugger, the Holey Cow and (don’t worry meat lovers!) the Carnivore. I’ve eaten two or three of them — and they are really, really good. There’s also a good selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and desserts, like the Jonagold & cinnamon apple crumble made with apples from the local Jaemor Farms. They have a good selection of beer and wine, including the wines from Habersham Winery. Every month they feature a different American Craft brewery.

Yes, tourists in the know come in here, but it’s also filled with the locals who know a good place when they find it. (One friend with an Italian background who’s an excellent pizza maker eats here when he doesn’t have time to do his own — or when he just wants to relax with friends.)

(Photo: personal collection)