There's good pizza, and then there's officially good pizza.
From its excellent wines to its classic cheeses and beyond, Italy's regional food products are all about strict standards of quality. Pizza is no exception.
In fact, there's a trade organization devoted exclusively to promoting traditional method of pizza-making, the Naples-based Verace Pizza Napoletana Association, known as the VPN. Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana, the new eatery at Scottsdale's Borgata shopping center, has just become the first restaurant in the Valley to receive the elite accreditation.
To get the VPN designation, an establishment must follow very specific rules on making Neapolitan-style pizza. Tradition dictates pizza hand-kneaded or mixed at a low-speed, worked in a marble slab or similar surface, and baked in a wood-fired oven with a temperature of a least 800 degrees.
All-natural ingredients must also be the highest quality, from the 00-grade flour to the San Marzano tomatoes to the fresh fior di latte or bufala mozzarella.
Even if a trip to Naples isn't in your future, a taste of VPN pizza is the next best thing.
