07-04-2014
The oven of the gourmet pizzeria at Palazzo Petrucci in Naples, created by the heirs of Mastro Ernesto. It will be the preferred corner of Michele De Leo, an experienced pizza-maker who will thus collaborate with Lino Scarallo, the chef of this one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Piazza San Domenico
The good news keep on coming for lovers of high quality Neapolitan pizza (and for the lazy people who don’t want to cross the town’s borders). After Ciro Salvo’s arrival in Mergellina with his 50Kalò, very soon even the beautiful Piazza San Domenico – in the heart of the historic centre, with the church of San Domenico Maggiore – will welcome a new pizzeria which is expected to be very interesting. Until a few months ago, in the rooms that seemed to be a prolonging of the church itself, there used to be a bar, owned by the same people as the nearby restaurant Palazzo Petrucci, one Michelin star, among the best places in town. Edoardo Trotta, the owner of the restaurant guided by chef Lino Scarallo, has now chosen to bet on pizza, which of course will have to be at the same level as the restaurant, giving back to the square one of its most beautiful corners. He’s assigned the oven and dough-making to Michele Leo, who until a few days ago was working in Città del Gusto’s pizzeria, in Nola, and before then in Bagnoli.
Michele De Leo, a pupil of Gabriele Bonci
Pizzeria Palazzo Petrucci should open its doors on April 16th. Right now, one can only see the darkened windows, from outside, but the wood oven traditionally created by the heirs of Mastro Ernesto, a historic artisan from Naples, the author of the ovens in the most ancient pizzerias in town, is already at work. We met Michele together with chef Lino Scarallo and asked them to tell us something more about this new project in which the couple will closely collaborate. «The basic idea – Michele explains – is to create a pizzeria with the same criteria of a restaurant, in fact, of restaurant Palazzo Petrucci. Everything, from the setting to the service, including the waiters’ uniforms, will be in line with the restaurant. And together with the chef we are studying both special pizzas, but always with seasonal and quality ingredients, just like in the restaurant, and some unique fried starters, not the usual ones». Of course there will also be classic pizzas, starting from Margherita made with first choice ingredients, but Michele has already been appreciated for his craveable interpretations, such as with the Pizza with green peppers, piennolo cherry tomatoes and Laticauda pecorino or the filling with Genovese sauce.
Piazza San Domenico, a scenic spot of Naples’ historical centre
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a journalist born in Naples now living in Rome, she tries to make her three passions meet: eating, travelling and writing