Giuseppe e Simone Vesi

“In the name of the father”. With this epithet, recalling the moving film from the 90s masterfully interpreted by multi-awarded Daniel Day-Lewis, we could sum up the story of Giuseppe and Simone Vesi, father and son, born in 1966 and 1998 respectively, third and fourth generation of Neapolitan pizzaioli, for almost half a century with their fingers in the pie.

Just like Giuseppe has learnt from his father, self-trained and founder at pizzeria Vesi in Via dei Tribunali (now run by his brothers), so Simone grew up among dough and flour, so much so that after catering school and attending Università delle Pizza with his dad, he decided to take on his father’s road and became passionate about mother yeast, maturation and leavening.

They have two restaurants in Naples, under the same name, Pizzagourmet Giuseppe Vesi, but in two different areas: one is in the residential area of Vomero, the other, just opened (on the 22nd February 2017) is on the promenade in Via Caracciolo with a breath taking view of Capri.

Their work is based on collaboration and sharing, continually together and divided between the two restaurants where, thanks to some good collaborators they trained themselves, they present a gourmet take on Neapolitan pizza, with a large and airy edge, a thin disc and a wood oven baking at very high temperature, according to Neapolitan tradition. While at Vomero the dough is both classic and whole wheat, on the promenade there’s also a blend of gluten free flour, with less toppings available compared to the other types of dough.

The products used for the topping are the result of Giuseppe’s constant research (he won, among others, the 2016 edition chef Alessandro Borghese’s TV programme 4 Ristoranti), promoting a short and controlled supply chain so as to enhance the local area and organic GMO-free farms: from provolone del Monaco to mozzarella from Agerola, from black potatoes from Matese to Corbara cherry tomatoes from Monti Lattari, from cured meat made with black pigs from Caserta to anchovies from Menaica, from Piennolo Dop tomatoes to truffles from Bagnoli Irpino.

In 2017 they’ll open a Pizzagourmet in Milan too.