Set high expectations for the beautiful rounds that emerge from the handcrafted Stefano Ferrara wood-burning oven at Roger and Sandra Cappucci’s Porta Napoli in Harrison.
Sandra is the co-founder of well-reviewed Kesté Pizza & Vino in the West Village (among its many accolades is being repeatedly dubbed #1 Pizza in New York by New York magazine), and Porta Napoli uses many of the same imported Italian ingredients (Caputo flour, Ciao tomatoes) in its Neapolitan pie offerings. The Mamaroneck husband-and-wife team, who grew up in Harrison, put a premium on traditional pizza-making technique and authentic ingredients, like Galloni prosciutto di Parma. The bread, mozzarella, burrata, and desserts such as panna cotta and tiramisu are made in-house.
“It’s easier to gauge if your product is good or bad when you do it yourself,” says Roger. “You lose a lot of quality control if you order it in.”
There are dozens of varieties to chose from, including 16 types of red-sauce pizzas and their gluten-free counterparts, 11 specialty pies (try the Del Papa with butternut squash cream, peppers, zucchini, and smoked mozzarella), seven types of white pizza, and four fried pizzas (with toppings placed on lightly fried dough rounds and then finished in the oven). Whichever you select, it won’t take too long to prepare: The 900°F oven cooks a pie in 60 to 90 seconds.
The 58-seat pizzeria, in the space that formerly held Rue des Crepes and which opened in September, has a wine list with bottles representing every region of Italy, most costing between $36 and $54.
Plans are to open a second location in Northern Westchester or Greenwich, CT.
Porta Napoli Pizzeria & Wine Bar
261 Halstead Ave
Harrison
(914) 732-3232
www.portanapoliny.com
