Orlando’s pizzerias reach beyond chains’ usual fare
On a typical weekday, customers line up outside the Pizza Bruno restaurant in Orlando just before it opens at 5 p.m.
Half an hour later, well before the dining rush at most restaurants, the dining room is nearly full.
The 2-year-old pizzeria southeast of downtown has become a favorite with its “new Neapolitan style” pies, using a blend of flours for the dough and freshly pulled mozzarella cheese. And it’s part of a growing number of Orlando pizzerias that are serving something different than standard pizzachain fare.
Two decades ago, Pizza Hut won first place for pizza in the Orlando Sentinel’s first Food Awards, and chains were a mainstay on the list until 2014.
But now locally owned restaurants such as Pizza Bruno, Pizzeria Roberti and Pizzeria Valdiano are getting more attention. Restaurant owners say the local food movement and a dining renaissance in Central Florida is reaching the workingclass world of pizza and increasing competition.
Other local pizza restaurants are expanding and gaining attention too, such as Lazy Moon locations near the University of Central Florida and Mills 50 that dish out giant slices and outside-the-box toppings such as mojo pork and pickles.
Regardless of style, foodies say a handful of restaurants are pushing local pizza to a new level by taking cues from New York, Italy and other food capitals.
Boardwalk Pizza in Winter Park is a favorite New York-style joint with its thin crust and wide, foldable slices. Coal-fire and wood-fire ovens are gaining in popularity as well to give a crispiness to pizza crust.
Whatever the style, pizzeria owners say the key is fresh ingredients and a care for the craft of making pizza.
“Bad pizza is still pizza, which is pretty good,” said Bruno Zacchini, owner of Pizza Bruno. “But people can tell when you’ve put hard work into
it and used the best you can find.”
The early success is pushing him to open a second location in Central Florida, although he hasn’t finalized a property yet.
Orlando “huge foodie” Mara Gonzalez said she has tried dozens of pizzerias in Central Florida and has definitely noticed an improvement in quality the last few years.
“The Orlando pizza scene is definitely heading in the right direction,” said Gonzalez, 26, who works as a sales representative in Orlando. “I’m super excited to see what else comes out of it with all the growth the city is getting.”
She ranks Pizza Bruno as her favorite spot — but said that she isn’t afraid to try chains such as Mellow Mushroom.
A dish as simple as common as pizza is easy to make, but tough to make great, pizzeria owners said.
While Pizzeria Roberti owner Joe Roberti said he thinks the key to great pizza is using great ingredients, he admits that most people are drawn to the crust.
“It affects the texture of the whole pizza and sets the stage for everything else on the pizza,’’ said Roberti, ingredients whose restaurant is on South Chickasaw Trail in Orlando. “If the crust is bad, it’s hard to recover.”
Both Roberti and Zacchini said giving dough ample time to ferment and rise is an important factor in good pizza. Roberti uses a sourdough-like crust dough with a blend of wheat flour that gives it a more “robust” taste.
New York native Eva Topalidis tried a lot of pizza places in the past eight years before she moved to Orlando permanently two years ago. She said crust is also the biggest factor in a great pizza, but using good sausage, pepperoni and vegetables can make a dish great.
It’s easy to cut corners with ingredients by purchasing pre-cut onion and peppers or using cheaper cuts of meat, said Maria Palo, coowner of the Pizzeria Valdiano on Alafaya Trail. Palo’s brother Joe Liguori started the restaurant 17 years ago in Winter Park.
In recent years, it has made the Foodie Awards readers’ top three list a few times, including winning it in 2017.
“If you are trying to make the cheapest pizza, those big chain restaurants already have an advantage because they can get their ingredients cheaper than you can,” Palo said. “The secret to good pizza, and it’s not really a secret, is to start with the best ingredients you can.”