While summer days are meant for the sea, sun and sand the
nights are meant for…meant for laid-back leisurely dinners in the company of
friends and family. In Italy, that
usually means going out for a pizza at least once a week. Since I had not had a pizza night in a real
long time, I decided to check out a pizzeria outside of my usual rounds. Something different. An alternative. I decided to head out to the
small town of Tuoro not very far from the Caserta Royal Palace.
It was there where I met up with
Francesco Vitiello, aka
Ciccio, the 24-year-old pizza maker, patron, and energetic pulse behind
CasaVitiello.
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| Francesco Vitiello |
This pizzeria has developed a
strong devoted following in just a couple of short years and I was about to
find out why. It only took a few minutes for me to get swept
up in his enthusiasm as he showed me around the tiny pizzeria whose young cast
and crew were setting up for another packed summer
evening.
He led me over to the counter where I got an opportunity to check
out the pasta dough. Vitiello has been
studying and experimenting for years with out of the ordinary combinations – combinations
that you just do not see every day. Grano arso/burnt wheat, hemp, turmeric,
multigrain, fennel, and even cocoa.
Customers can choose the type of pizza dough
and Vitiello and his staff guide the pizza lover to the right type of toppings
to pair with it. How cool is that?
What if you
prefer to stick with the classic pizza dough?
No problem!
Time to try it out…but where? During most of the year, there are only have nine tables
inside. Those tables were not there now. During the summer, Casa Vitiello sets up
their dining room across the street in the small town square – 20 tables under
the starry summer serata. Tables that were quickly filling up, quite impressive
for a Tuesday evening.
Let’s start off with a beer and a focaccia using the classic
pizza dough. Just a little salt, oregano
and a summer sunset. Add a few potato
croquettes and then show time.
I had the
chance to try three pizzas that evening starting with a classic margherita
pizza topped with San Marzano tomatoes…
Then a pizza with hemp in the dough and topped with fior di
latte from Agerola, black pork sausage, and a creamy papacelle Neapolitan
pepper sauce.
Room for one more – grano arso pizza dough topped with
ricotta cheese, zucchini flowers, and anchovies from Cetara.
In between pizzas, I couldn’t help but notice the family
feeling through the small piazza…from the staff to the diners. Diners who were regulars. Part of the family. Those who had been swept up in Vitiello’s
enthusiasm…and pizza. Those who chose to
spend a night out for a laid-back leisurely dinner in the company of friends
and family, for a pizza under a starry summer serata.
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