Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana Phoenix

It’s no secret that I love Pizza. I don’t discriminate, I love all types of Pizza; homemade pizza, gourmet pizza, frozen pizza, leftover pizza. If you can call it pizza, I’ll eat it and enjoy every bite. When I got the request to visit Pomo Pizzeria Neapolitan, I was thrilled. What better way to end a long day of photo shoots then to enjoy some Authentic Neapolitan Pizza? Truthfully, I had no idea what Neapolitan Pizza was, but they called it pizza so I knew I would enjoy my visit. Walking into Pomo, I was a sweaty mess. I had been shooting outdoors, in the sun with March temperatures already over 100 degrees. I was hot, tired and starving due to a missed lunch. Despite my less than stellar appearance, I was welcomed into the restaurant by friendly staff and a wonderful cool breeze. I selected a seat at the bar in front of the pizza oven. These were the best seats ever! I highly recommend calling ahead and reserving it for a busy Friday night. It was like sitting at the chef’s table at a high-end restaurant, and experience you will always remember. I chatted with David my Pizzaiolo while he prepared pizzas. Being naturally curious and friendly, I learned a lot about pizza that day. Napoletana pizza is a specialize type of pizza that requires the use of specific ingredients, or it can’t be called authentic Napoletana pizza. One of those requirements is to use San Marzano tomatoes from Italy. These tomatoes are then used to create Pomo’s signature sauce using only the tomatoes and Mediterranean sea salt. Being health conscience, I attempt to eat as much “real food” as possible, so I am always excited to learn that a recipe has simple ingredients. I was also thrilled to learn that the recipe for the crust only contained organic wheat flour, Mediterranean sea salt and water. My pizzaiolo explained that the fantastic flavor was due to the quality ingredients and a traditional process; the sourdough crust is proofed for over 24 hours and then formed and stretched by hand. No easy task when you might create over 200 pizzas each night! I watched David in awe as that same dough was tossed and spun into the air, something that only years of experience could have taught him. He quickly spread the sauce and topping to create his masterpiece prepping it for the 905-degree wood over. A long wooden paddle was then used to slide it into the brick pizza oven. I waited eagerly and watched as the pizza quickly cooked as it was rotated to cook each side evenly. Less than 2 minutes later my pizza hot, bubbly and ready to eat! I took my first bite cautiously; I really didn’t want to be disappointed after learning all about the authentic pizza process. Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed my first bite was amazing! The flavorful crust was perfect, thin and crispy on the outside, but soft and chewy inside. The wood-burning oven provided an amazing baked in flavor unlike any crust I’ve ever tasted! (And I’ve tasted a lot of Pizza, good and bad!) I quickly finished off more than my fair share of pizza, vowing to return soon. When you go, try sitting at the counter by the pizza oven and watch the amazing dance of pizza being tossed into the air. What a fantastic experience! I look forward to visiting again with my family. Maybe I can go tomorrow and hope they don’t recognize me… -Julie