This is the second episode of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour, 2009. For this part of the tour, I went to apizzo, located in Pawcatuck, Connecticut.
OK let's set the record straight. First: the official name is actually apizzo Pizzeria Napoletana.
Second: while apizzo is located in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, you can cross the streeet and be in Westerly, Rhode Island.
With that said, our party arrived, expecting a fairly good pizza. Pawcatuck, is after all, the home of noted pizzaiolo, Jon F.. If Jon F. says a pizza is good, its good.
What struck me immediately, was the ambiance of the place. Stefan Ambrosch the co-owner, and operator, explained to us, that the restaurant was completely designed with his own personal vision of what a great pizzeria should be.
Next, I was amazed at the ornate wood fired pizza oven. Imported from Italy, it is, very attractive, yet functional. The entire restaurant was re-designed around the oven, once it had been installed.
Discover a taste of appizo, with the following video I created:
Before our pizzas had arrived, Jon F. and I cornered Stefan in the kitchen and hammered him with a whole range of questions. Stefan was gracious and polite as he answered each query.
He told us his philosophy of pizza. ("I love pizza. Always have, always will.") He also explained the pizza operation is a family effort with his brothers, Ben and Jeff making pizza and serving pizza. ("I couldn't do this without my brothers here".) The rest of the wait staff also has strong family ties.
He went into depth about his pizza influences. (He gave appreciation to: New York Pizza, Pepe's, authentic Neapolitan pizza as well as Legend of Pizza, Chris Bianco and noted pizzaiolo, Anthony Mangieri (Pizza Blog, February 2009)
He discussed his struggles to find just the right combination of dough and pizza ingredients. (He uses 100% Caputo flour, and a five stage reverse osmosis water filter).
Amazingly, he also kiln dries his wood. This is done to get all of the moisture out of the wood. In this video, Stefan discusses the imported wood fired oven:
Jon F. and I peppered him with so many questions, that by the time we were finished with the interview, our party had nearly comsumed all of our ordered pizzas.
Not to worry explained Stefan, as he personally created a Margherita and a Prosciutto and Arugula so we could taste the pizzas right out of the oven.
The pizzas were in a word, simply amazing.
The crust, the crust, the crust!
Slightly charred in spots, this added to the pizza experience. The fact the dough is given a 48 hour ferment, was clearly evident. Light, airy, tasty, with a full flavor.
You read it here first: Stefan Ambrosch is one of the rising super stars of pizza. He is a young gun, and that's a fact. I predict that his pizza will just get better and better.
Given the fact that Stefan, is able to share his responsibilites and passion for pizza with his brothers, ensures his longevity.
You can visit the apizzo Pizzeria Napoletana website, to find directions and more information. Jon F. and I will be releasing more of the interview with Stefan in the near future, so stay tuned.
If you are planning to go on your own pizza quest, I want to encourage you to visit: apizzo Pizzeria Napoletana. You will not be disappointed. And if you go now, you may not have to wait in line.
This is the kind of pizzeria, where, people will gladly wait in line for this amazing pizza.
Apizzo
59 West Broad Street
Pawcatuck, CT 06379
860-599-2222
Monday: (Closed)
Tuesday - Friday: 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11:30 am to 9:30 pm
pizza in Pawcatuck, Good Will to Westerly,
albert
Pizza Therapy
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Recovery Room: Sail on to Pizza Paradisio
Recovery Room, New London Connecticut
New London, Connecticut is known for being a safe harbor. The place is steeped in sailing tradition. You can find a wide range of incredible seafood at the World Famous, Captain Scott's and other clam shacks.
But, New London also is the home of great pizza.
One of the best kept pizza secrets is served at the Recovery Room. Located on 445 Ocean Avenue, the Recovery Room is right down the street from Lawrence and Memorial Hospital.
The pizza is thin Neapolitan, with a crispy, yet light crust. We opted for the basic mushroom and a pepperoni. The pizzas were memorable.
I have long been a fan of the Recovery Room and whenever, I'm in town, it is one of my first stops. The crust has just the right amount of char. The pizza almost tastes as if it came out of a brick oven.
The toppings are fresh with just the right combination of spices. The taste is consistently good. The Recovery Room has a number of red pizzas (tomato based pizza) such as their 3 Cheese Special (gorgonzola, romano and parmesan), and Rosie's Special, (tomato, bacon and mozzarella).
They also have an extensive white pizza menu, featuring a Baked Potato Pizza, as well as a Shrimp and Artichoke Pizza.
Next time you are in Southeastern Connecticut, make sure you visit the Recovery Room. You will find great pizza and you will not be disappointed.
This was the first stop on the Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009. There is a whole lot more pizza to eat. I've trained long, hard, and intensely for this. And as you know, intense training, always pays off.
Wish me luck...
pizza on earth,
Albert Grande
Pizza Therapy
Discover the Legends of Pizza
Make Pasta, Be Happy
P.S. If you interested in making your own pizza, here is a totally shameless plug for The Pizza Therapy Pizza Book.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)