When I heard that Marco and Amy Stevanoni – owners of Veneto Ristorante Italiano – were opening a pizza restaurant, I was excited. That’s because for my money, Veneto may just be the best Italian restaurant in our state. But what really filled me with anticipation was that their new pizzeria – Via Veneto Pizzarium – would specialize in pizza al taglio.
What is pizza al taglio? Well, pizza al taglio translates literally as “pizza by the cut” or “by the slice.” Now, of course you can find plenty of pizza by the slice in Utah. But pizza al taglio is a different beast altogether than NYC style pizza by the slice. For starters, it’s baked in large rectangular trays and is sold by weight rather than by the pie. It looks a lot like Sicilian pizza, but is not.
Pizza al taglio is the ultimate Italian street food, where customers step up to the glass counter and point to the pizza they want. Customers indicate how big of a slice by using their hands to show the server the size they want – and then the pizza is cut to the custom size using a pair of pizza scissors. The pre-cooked slice is heated up in a small oven, weighed, and enjoyed, in Italy, often on the run.
Ortolana
One reason that I was excited about the opening of Via Veneto Pizzarium is that pizza al taglio is very hard to find in this country, even in places like New York City. So, we Utahns are very lucky to be able to enjoy pizza al taglio right here in SLC.
What makes pizza al taglio so special for me is the crust. It’s made from highly hydrated dough – around 75-78 percent water – which cold ferments for anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. This creates a crust that although it looks like Sicilian pizza, is actually very light, airy and easy to digest, with a crispy bottom and soft, bubbly interior.
The pizzas are oven baked twice: first, to eliminate all of that moisture, and then a second time to crisp up the crust and cook the toppings. The slices then are reheated in a small oven for customers to enjoy on the spot.
Verona and Patate e Mozzarella Pizzas…