07-04-2014

Palazzo Petrucci’s pizzeria

As of April 16th, Napoli’s restaurant will also serve a gourmet pizza. With expert Michele Leo in charge

The oven of the gourmet pizzeria at Palazzo Petruc

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 

Michele De Leo, a pupil of Gabriele Bonci 

Michele, once an IT and then a pupil of Gabriele Bonci, started his pizza-making career by opening a small place selling pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) in Naples which he then left in order to collaborate with Gambero Rosso – he’s the creator of excellent pizzas thanks to a “Neapolitan” dough made with mother yeast and a long leavening (48 hours at low temperatures). At last, people will now be able to eat his pizza, both at lunchtime and supper, right in the centre, while admiring one of Naples’ most beautiful squares, especially when the terrace on the floor above will be open.

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

Piazza San Domenico, a scenic spot of Naples’ historical centre

As for Scarallo, he challenged himself with a fun re-interpretation of pizza, serving his “pizza Margherita metamorphosis” in a glass, as an entrée, at Palazzo Petrucci. In other words, it’s doubtless that many beautiful things will be created thanks to the collaboration between these two – even if the chef is keen on stressing that the pizza-maker is naturally Michele.

The restaurant, which will seat around 80 people, on top of the pizzeria area and the terrace (plus a few tables in the square, in the warmer months) will also have a wine-bar area, where one will be able to wait for the table or stop for an aperitif or a selection of cured meat and cheese, paired with a glass of wine. Even in this case, the choice will be wide, being able to count on Palazzo Petrucci’s large cellar. How about the prices? They will be closer to those of a pizzeria, than to a restaurant, and in any case, in line with the new gourmet pizzerias in Naples. The privilege of eating an excellent pizza in a unique place, however, would well deserve a few extra euros.


Dall'Italia

Reviews, recommendations and trends from Italy, signed by all the authors of Identità Golose

by

Luciana Squadrilli

a journalist born in Naples now living in Rome, she tries to make her three passions meet: eating, travelling and writing

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