V Pizza - Putting the Pizzazz in Pizzas

By Zachary Schwartz

Image courtesy of V Pizza

When it comes to putting the pizzazz in pizzas, V Pizza has it in spades.  That’s because they have the one element that no other pizzeria in Jacksonville has: Authentic wood-burning pizza ovens imported straight from Naples, Italy.  To say that this makes a difference in their pizza is an understatement.  It makes all the difference. So much so that the three ovens are literally the ONLY cooking devices in all 3 Jacksonville V Pizza locations.

The story of V Pizza began when Paul and Chris went to Italy in 2008.  They fell in love with Neapolitan pizza, which they soon discovered on their return to JAX was nowhere to be found in North Florida.  Thus was born the idea for V Pizza.  To take the restaurant from concept to reality was no easy task.  In order to produce an authentic Neapolitan pizza, you have to start with authentic Neapolitan pizza ovens. 

The ovens you will find at every V Pizza are hand-built in Naples, Italy by the Ferrara family, who have built wood-fired pizza ovens for three generations.  One of the tricks of the trade is the use of clay from Mt. Vesuvius.  That’s right, the same volcano that buried Pompeii 2,000 years ago also provides the 1-of-a-kind ingredient that makes Neapolitan pizza ovens special.  It also gives the Ferrara’s ovens the ability to maintain a 1,000-degree temperature for hours on end.

Image courtesy of V Pizza

“Once we light the ovens up and get them tempered, we literally never turn them off… ever!”  David explained to me recently.  “At night, we bank the fire and close the ovens up.  When we open up the next day, the ovens are still at 450-500 degrees.  We simply start adding wood and are ready to cook pizzas in an hour or so.”

The ovens at V Pizza are so special that they have names like Amore, Spiaggia and La Palude.  They also have personalities all their own.  For instance, they don’t always cook the same.  The people who built them in Naples told the owners of V Pizza that you should talk to them like they are real people to see if they will listen.  Apparently, sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t.  That’s why each location has three ovens., This way, if Amore decides she doesn’t want to cook pizzas properly, they will simply use the other two ovens. Mama Mia!

The ovens aside, what also makes V pizzas a cut above is their dedication to using only authentic ingredients in their pies.  That means shipping in 00 flour and Marzano tomatoes from Italy, along with only the finest Mozzarella DI Bufala.  That is one of the hallmarks of V Pizza.

“We’re never going to skimp on quality to save a few dollars.  That means we’re never going to stop importing Prosciutto DI Parma, which is aged for ten months in Italy.”

Image courtesy of V Pizza

While the V in V Pizza stands for Veloci, which means quick in Italian, the partners are definitely not after a quick buck.  Aside from making authentic pizzas and calzones, the menu also offers Bruschetta, Stromboli, Panini and oven-roasted chicken wings.  Their 3 locations also offer wine and beer. 

Of course, what would be an authentic Italian meal without Italian desserts?  Cannoli, Tiramisu, and Gelato are there to add the perfect end to a perfect meal.  The restaurant also offers daily lunch specials, along with lunch and dinner specials that change with the season.  (Click here to check out their menu.)

With 3 locations in JAX, including San Marco, Mandarin, and JAX Beach, V Pizza offers you the taste of Naples without having to deal with the jet lag.  Mangia!

Also, feel free to peruse their website located at http://www.vpizza.com/