March 03, 2011

Pizza delivery from Naples to Boulder

Who doesn't love pizza?  Anyone?  Hello??  Didn't think so... 


If you ask a foodie, the best pizza to love is the classic Italian style.  Naples, or Napoli, is known for their pizza and chefs around the world are attempting to re-create it and pay it homage.  It is serious business.  So serious in fact, that there is an Italian organization, called the VPN (Vera Pizza Napoletana), whose sole purpose is to protect the authenticity of their beloved pizza.  Their objectives are to cultivate the culinary discipline of Neapolitan pizza, to defend the origin of the authentic pizza, to teach the art of pizza making and to designate a certification to those pizzerias which respect the tradition.  

I told you.  Serious business.  

So we set out to dine at the newly opened Pizzeria Locale in Boulder, Colorado and see if the certification really did produce a better pizza. 

According the to VPN standards, in order to be certified you need: 
1. A Wood-Burning Oven: Pizza Napoletana must be cooked in a wood-fired dome oven operating at roughly 800ºF.

2. Proper Ingredients: Tipo 00 flourSan Marzano tomatoes, all natural Fior di Latte or Bufala mozzarella, fresh basil, salt and yeast -- only fresh, all-natural, non-processed ingredients. (That is my kind of rule!)  

3. Proper Technique: The pizza dough must be kneaded either by hand, or with a low speed mixer. No mechanical dough shaping is allowed, such as a dough press or rolling pin.  Pizza baking time should not exceed 90 seconds.

4. The Final Product: Pizza Napoletana should not be larger than 11 inches, with a raised edge crust and thin center. The pizza should be soft and elastic, and easily foldable, not hard or brittle.  

Pizzeria Locale takes this standard so seriously, that the waiter explained it to us as soon as we sat down. "Your pizza will be 11 inches wide, uncut, and soft and chewy".    

To get the full experience, I suggest sitting at the pizza bar where you can watch the chefs at work, and witness your pizza come to life.  

Of course, a couple of glasses of Italian red wine make it that much more enjoyable.  

I ordered the Margherita.  Simply topped with tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella.  
It.  Was.  Delicious. 

 Every good meal deserves a good ending.  
This butterscotch pudding was a perfect touch of dolci (sweet).  

Three hundred years of pizza making history has definitely paid off.  Thank you to the VPN for your diligent work and passion in keeping the traditional Napoletana Pizza alive.  

Would you like to tackle chocolate next?....



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1 comment:

  1. The pizza looks fabulous. I would have ordered the margherita too. Quite an education on how an authentic pizza should be mad.

    ReplyDelete