BarrelHead pizza was voted Niagara-on-the-Lakes favourite pizza so who better to reach out to and discuss the secret to a good pizza. Of course, in the spirit of TRIES IT I wanted to try something more than the pizza so I ask for a lesson on tossing pizza dough in the air.
Head chef of BarrelHead, Michael Zappitelli invited me over to his kitchen for a slice, cooking lesson and chat. And during that chat we touched on the prescient topic of the current relationship between Canada and that country just south of our border. BarrelHead recently received its Feast ON® certification, awarded to businesses by the Culinary Tourism Alliance. Feast ON® is North America’s largest and longest running local food certification program that recognizes businesses across the food tourism value chain committed to sourcing Ontario grown food & drink. Perhaps now more than ever is the time to look for the Feast ON® designation and other Made in Canada labels when shopping and dining.
With the success of BarrelHead pizza it may seem obvious now but I ask Chef Michael why open a pizza restaurant?
“Pizza is something that is so simple, yet intricate. It's contradicting in a way. Everybody can make pizza, but to do it right, takes a little bit more time and there is a science behind it. To make it good, I think there are a few key things that you need to follow, and it was something that I wanted to do because I knew that I could make a good pizza, and I wanted to share it with people.”
So what exactly makes a great pizza?
“First and foremost I'm going to say the dough, but more than that are the ingredients going into the dough. A good quality double zero flour, the olive oil you're using and just the preparation method. Are you cold fermenting it? How are you fermenting it?”
“I'm always learning about pizza. It’s something that I love learning about.” After the dough “good quality ingredients is a big thing. Sauce being one of them. Dough, sauce, and cheese are the trifecta. I think fewer ingredients are better from my experience with pizza. Finally a good quality cheese, I personally have my own formula. I use a low moisture mozzarella. We're bringing in local cheeses. We're using fresh ingredients.”
“I think that because we are strictly a pizza restaurant, we get to work on our craft every single day, we get to master our craft”
As a pizza lover myself I ask what to look for when going out for pizza.
“My favorite pizza here and what I look for on a menu if I'm going to a pizza restaurant is, (and I always get) a Margarita. You can't really hide behind any of the other ingredients. You're looking at the dough, the sauce and the cheese, and that's kind of it.”
“I'll give any pizza place a try. When I hear of a pizza place popping up, I wanna go there.” But it doesn’t take long for Michael to suss out whether it’s going to be a delicious experience.
“I can definitely tell by looking at it. Was it cooked at a high temperature, was it not? Does it look flat? I can tell right away if the dough was fermented properly. And a hundred percent wood oven is is the best. There's something about cooking with wood - bringing it back to our roots.”
We go on to discuss his latest achievement - a formal designation by Feast ON. I ask about the process and what he’s most proud about.
“I am happy about it all. It was a lengthy process that I had to go through. Submitting all my invoices, working with my suppliers to find out what's actually in certain things that I'm buying. Where is it coming from, is it an Feast ON product, that sort of stuff.”
According to Feast ON the minimum requirement is 25% Ontario sourced - BarrelHead has achieved closer to 70% locally sourced making them a leader in the industry.
“Our big ticket items are our meats, our cheeses, the things we are always bringing in, that's kind of what fuels it for us. Especially because they're even looking at things like, are you bringing in local wines? Well, yeah, we have Pillitteri wines and only Pillitteri wines. Everything's grown on property, it doesn't leave the property. So that was a big one for us. We're using partners like Spirit in Niagara, where, again, they're making their products locally, so they look at your spirits, they look at your beers, they look at all sorts of stuff. I am using local any time I can. Any chance I can get things like mixed greens, romaine, red onions, and tomatoes.”
Finally, apron on and into the kitchen we go. Tossing, topping, sliding and slicing ensue. The best part of it all - tasting. Hot, slightly charred crust, bubbly cheese and with the right amount of acid and fat from the olives and cup & char pepperoni. It was one delicious pizza but you know that already - you voted for them.
For those new to BarrelHead - give them a try soon. By the time the outdoor patio opens with picnic tables nestled among cherry trees overlooking the Pillitteri vineyards, it will be tough to find a seat and a slice.