Come February, the thought of fresh tomatoes and homemade pizza could inspire some people to take a vacation.
For those who enjoy the Italian feel a little closer to home, Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria is opening a branch at 11 Bellerose Dr.
Adam Carmichael, the local restaurant’s general manager, said he is now hiring staff and hopes to open to the public in mid- to late February.
“Famoso has been around for about five years now and the founders from the company are all from St. Albert,” he said.
“It’s pretty exciting for them and myself, I grew up in St. Albert as well, to bring something really tasty to the community.”
The Famoso story is a new one, even if the recipes are not.
In the summer of 2005, co-owner Justin Lussier travelled to Italy and, according to the restaurant’s website, fell in love with the local pizza.
From Naples, he called his friends and future partners, Jason Allard and Christian Bullock, and they decided to bring the authentic Neapolitan pizza back to Canada.
In the five years since Famoso opened its first restaurant in Edmonton, the franchise has expanded across Alberta and into British Columbia.
The St. Albert location will be the 16th.
Carmichael said Famoso is a mix of fast and casual dining.
It allows customers to come in for a 30-minute lunch and to order, pay, sit down and get a pizza in less than 10 minutes.
Or, he said, you can come in for a full meal, have a beer or some wine and stay for two hours with friends and family.
“We have a great wine selection, we also serve great desserts, great appetizers. It’s not just pizza, even salad,” he said.
Carmichael said Famoso is popular for its authentic pizza. The main ingredient is the dough, made from imported Italian flour.
The dough is highly refined and low on gluten, which makes it easy to digest, he said.
“You can eat a whole pizza and not feel like you ate a full pizza,” he said.
“It’s honestly healthy for you compared to North American pizza,” he added, putting some air quotes around North American.
The same goes for the tomato sauce.
Carmichael said they import their tomatoes from Italy as well, and they taste a little sweeter than North American ones.
For the pizza sauce, they add a touch of salt but few extra flavours.
All pizzas are hand stretched and prepared fresh by pizzaiolos (pizza makers), and come out of the oven credit card thin.
“We have special ovens from Italy. The actual cooking process takes 90 seconds,” he said.
“It’s pretty cool to watch a pizza cook in 90 seconds, the cheese is melted and the pizza is just perfect.”
He added that beside the cooking and the oven, the restaurant brings a modern twist to the rustic Italian feel.
All Famoso pizzerias are designed with brickwork, leather seats and wooden booths and tables.
And there’s always a fireplace.
“It’s a great place and great food and it’s really refreshing to work somewhere where there is no deep fryer, no microwave, and no grill,” said Carmichael.
“We just have an oven and we do all the cooking, all our preparation for anything warm, in there.”
