Coal Fire Pizza Comes to the Triangle
Coal Fire Pizza Comes to the Triangle
This post was written by my dear friend and co-worker Sarah Findle. Check it out!
I was excited to hear that the PR department at my agency (Howard Merrell & Partners) had taken on another local client, but was even more excited to find out it had to do with food…specifically a personal favorite - pizza!
Bella Mia, the Triangle-area’s first coal-fired pizza restaurant, is now open in the Arboretum at Weston in Cary.
A few lucky members of the PR team, including myself were invited to try out the food at a friends and family event held Monday night. I was looking forward to a good slice of pizza but had no idea about the delicious feast that would ensue.
The atmosphere is intimate, yet modern with dark wood furniture and a beautiful tiled coal fired oven on display in the kitchen area. The restaurant specializes in its traditional 12” Neapolitan-inspired pizzas with fresh, locally grown and raised ingredients.
This is no stuffed crust Pizza Hut pizza – the crispy flatbread crust bears the marks of a coal fire and the light sauce and fresh sliced mozzarella is delectable on its own (for you adventurous folks, there are plenty of fresh toppings to try!).
We were able to sample specialty meatballs (a recipe 3 years in the making) and rosemary roasted chicken wings as appetizers and were treated to our choice of fresh salads (I highly recommend the Pera for you walnut, gorgonzola and pear lovers!)
After attempting to conquer our custom made pizzas (a whole pie each!) we were tempted once again by the coal-fired flatbread, this time filled with Nutella and dusted with powdered sugar as a final course – dessert!
Overall it was a great night full of food and flavor. We even got to meet the owner, Rick Guerra and his wife Jeanne while their two sons, Louis and Anthony (both spent time in Italy to learning the art of Neapolitan pizza first-hand) worked the kitchen and mastered the coal-burning oven.
Needless to say I am pleased to add them to our client list – and my own list of favorite restaurants in the Triangle!
