ZaZa Pizzeria Napoletana open at Sugarloaf Lodge
Salvatore Campanile could easily be considered obsessed – with authenticity.
Since beginning renovations of the long-forgotten restaurant space at the landmark Sugarloaf Lodge, Campanile’s invested a significant portion of his budget into importing everything from the tile that now lines the floors and walls to the custom-made pizza oven, dough-mixer and even his tomatoes from Naples, Italy to Sugarloaf Key.
Even the core staff has been permanently relocated.
“They had to have grown up with this in order to appreciate it!” he explained of his choice to sponsor many of his kitchen and wait staff for work visas.
Long gone is the faded green carpet and ripped pleather covers on the booths. In their place are crisp, white tiles imported from Italy and laid by local craftsman.
Campanile said since opening a month ago this week, the word has spread like wild fire, and by 7:30 each evening, the restaurant is generally on a wait to get in the door.
“I’ve had some patrons say to me, ‘You know, it’s a little noisy,’ but I explain this is just like Italy,” Campanile continued. “Not modern like South Beach, but clean and bustling.”
Drawn to the Keys after his brother, Dr. Giovanni Campanile, joined the Lower Keys Medical Staff in 2009, Sal quickly set his eyes on a space to continue his family’s restaurant traditions.
For five days straight, he scoured Key West, but was unable to find a space the worked.
“I really wanted to do something for the locals, and if tourists come, that’s a bonus,” Campanile explained of his strategy.
Salvatore Campanile, owner of ZaZa Pizzeria Napoletana and pizza chef, Giuseppe Manco, prepare an outstanding antipasti called Stella di Napoli, focaccia topped with Buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, arugula, Parmesan flakes and black olives.
This week, on the way home from an evening meeting, Eleanora Calvacchi was patient as I studied to extensive list of specials. Though the pizza oven is the centerpiece of ZaZa Pizzeria Napoletana, Sal and his staff incorporate classic Italian ingredients like roasted fennel sausage and shitake mushrooms into a host of special appetizers and entrees each night.
Calvacchi shared that two of her favorite pies were the Capricciosa, made with their own fresh San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, mushrooms, ham, artichokes, black olives, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil or the Vegetariana, with roasted zucchini, eggplant and red peppers.
I opted for the Capricciosa with an appetizer of hand-rolled meatballs served with two distinctly different homemade dipping sauces – San Marzano tomato sauce and a wild mushroom dipping sauce; the six skewered meatballs, or Polpette al Sugo, were plated with melted mozzarella and were certainly a healthy portion for two to start a meal.
The taste of the dough for the 12-inch pizza was incomparable. According to Campanile, this is due to the internal portion of the brick oven that’s constructed with layers of sea salt and lava rock harvested from Mt. Vesuvias.
“You won’t find this anywhere else, and the taste cannot be duplicated,” he confirmed.
A slice of Capricciosa and Polpette al Sugo make for a perfect weeknight meal on the go.
Though my meal was carried out, I can’t wait to get back and watch pizza chef Giuseppe Manco create his masterpieces. He and his oven front the open air kitchen and are surrounded by high-backed chairs where guests can watch him toss and knead dough, slide pies into the oven and carefully retrieve them before topping with a plethora of fresh ingredients.
“When you get home, this pizza will be different,” he told me as he slid the pizza into a box. “Be sure to put it back in the oven for three to four minutes at about 350 degrees to warm it up.”
With his obsession for authenticity and investment in only the highest quality ingredients, it’s clear that the owner and staff at ZaZa Napoletana Pizzeria’s passion for food is one they’re anxious to share with their customers.
ZaZa Pizzeria Napoletana, located at 17075 Overseas Highway on Sugarloaf Key, is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. They’re even serving breakfast Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 8 am! (305) 745-2712
