UPDATE

Today we met with the architect and ordered our oven.  Our oven manufacturer hired an artist in Naples to re-create our logo on the outside of the oven.  The oven itself will be bright red. Since the oven is giant, we will need to take out the entire front of the restaurant to get it in with a forklift. And then re-build it.  Can you imagine! Oh, and the sign is up!

Trip to NAPLES - SEPTEMBER 2009 - part 4: Pizzeria Dal Presidente

This pizzeria is supposed to be one of the best. They claim it's Bill Clinton's favorite place in Naples, that's where it got it's name from.  Enzo apprenticed there few years back.  He was lucky to get that experience -  they taught him  a lot about the dough making process, as well as showed him how to make stuffed rice balls (arancini or palle di riso).  I got pizza with prociutto, arugula and parmesan, and Enzo got a Margherita con Filetti (fresh cherry tomatoes instead of sauce).  The pizza was good.  Not transcending.  I can't say anything bad about it, but something was out of balance.  The crust was just a tad too thick and too dry.  The toppings were great.  The staff - friendly.  They let me take some videos to "mettere langoppo Youtube" (put on Youtube).  It is fascinating how fast they hand-stretch those pizzas and how elegant their movements are.  The videos are on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-2yHYXZBfo

Trip to NAPLES - SEPTEMBER 2009 - part 3: Pizzeria Da Michele

Pizeria Da Michele is considered the best in Naples and we have to agree with that.  Small, hole-in-the-wall space that has been serving the same pizzas for 140 years.  The place is extremely popular with locals, and even more so with tourists.  They told me they make 500 pizzas a day.  Sometimes there are so many people in line that we'd rather walk away.  There are only 2 pizzas on the menu - Margherita (tomato sauce, basil, fior di latte) and Marinara (tomato sauce and some herbs, no cheese) .  Pizzas cost about 5 euros.  Only 2 options, but so amazingly good.  Perfect even.  I love love love this pizza.  I know Naples is supposed to be the best place to get pizza, but even there it is evident that making a perfect Neapolitan pizza is not an easy process.  In many places it is just alright, in many places it's bad, and only few places make it on point.  

Menu

Margherita

Margherita with extra cheese

Leopard charring 

Trip to NAPLES - SEPTEMBER 2009 - part 2 FOOD CARTS

 I never finished the story about our trip to Naples in September.  Since we have a food cart business ourselves,  we are always excited when we find them in other parts of the would. In Naples, there are quite a few cute lemon and orange-shaped ones that sell granitas (Italian fruit ice), juices and waffles. We saw this one on our way from Naples to Positano.  In downtown, there are a lot of kiosks, that serve a whole variety of things - fresh coffee, pastries, etc.

And here is our very own Pupatella

 

IT'S OFFICIAL!

Pupatella is opening a restaurant.  And we’re going to blog about it!  The address is 5104 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington.  It is going to be a lot of work to turn it into a Neapolitan pizzeria, though. Even though it used to be a restaurant, previous tenants took everything (even the light bulbs and the air-conditioner!) and we have to basically build a pizzeria from an empty shell. While it is going to be a lot of work, we’re excited - having nothing there means that we’ll get to make the space exactly how we want it.  

So....

Step 1. Order a wood-burning pizza oven from Naples.  Marco Parente is our guy in Naples.  They have this oven shop, called Forno Napoletano.  http://forno-napoletano.it/  The ovens are built from local bricks and clay by Neapolitan artisans.  We personally tasted pizzas made in one of those ovens and they were the best!  It was in this pizzeria called Da Salvo, just outside of Naples. The pizzeria was great by the way, the best in the Naples area.  Not only they had the best-tasting pizzas, they also had amazing appetizers and fried calzones.  I must show you some pictures. Pizza Margherita:

Fried Calzone

The oven:

The pizzaiolo (right):