Fairfield, CT: "I suppose I could give it a name, but really, it's just the food I grew up eating," says Paolo Cavalli of the wood-fired pizza and Italian street food that are abundant throughout the city streets of Italy. Paolo and his wife Clara are preparing to open Brick + Wood, an exciting new concept to an often played out Italian restaurant genre. Brick + Wood is the product of Paolo's childhood in Italy and growing up in the family's restaurant business here in Fairfield County; a true representation of his culinary prowess and Italian heritage.
Paolo spent much of his childhood outside of Rome on a farm which bore an olive grove and vineyard. Here, he learned the language and developed a passion for the Italian food culture. In the states he immersed himself in the family's restaurant business (Luigi's in 1975 and Ponte Vecchio in 2003 in Fairfield). Upon graduating college with an engineering degree, Paolo took a ten-year reprieve from the restaurant world and took a position with GE Capital in Irving, TX. Clara, who also grew up in an Italian household, comes from a line of 6 generations of bread makers.
Not exactly known for their pizza in the Lone Star State, the pizza oven began calling their names and in 2008 Paolo and Clara created Cavalli Pizzeria Napoletana in Irving, TX. Upon the success of their first restaurant the duo opened a sister location in McKinney, TX. Today, both restaurants continue to thrive while the Cavalli's embark on a new venture back at home with their families in Connecticut.
Brick + Wood is currently being developed in the former Ponte Vecchio location in the center of Fairfield's bustling downtown area. The space and its concept embrace a new beginning and dining out for a new generation. Haverson Architecture & Design of Greenwich, CT, the talented team behind such stunning restaurant designs as MARC Restaurant's Morello Bistro in Greenwich and Bistro du Midi in Boston, Capriccio in Providence, RI, and the Griswold Inn in Essex, CT, are transforming the conventional space into a multi-layered / multi-sensory restaurant and bar.
As the name implies, much of the design is framed by stressed wood and worn Chicago brick with pockets of space throughout filled with stacks of wood that heat the oven. The focal components are of the functional persuasion including the mosaic tiled pizza oven and the butcher block and Calcutta Ciero marble top mozzarella bar. The dark night sky ceiling presents dangling glass fixtures with fluttering open filaments. Brick + Wood is home to the area's first all-tap wine service; its 26 taps highlighted by a wooden wine cask backdrop. The indoor-outdoor component flows seamlessly from the bar onto the large patio accentuated by outdoor lamps draped across the open archways and exterior spaces, reminiscent of a Naples street scene.
The Italian street food component is an exciting new food concept for Fairfield County. These traditional finger foods are what one might see people eating out of a paper cone or wrapped in parchment, while strolling in the streets or piazzas. Some of the Cavallis' favorites that will be featured on the menu include; Arancini – deep fried risotto balls stuffed with a variety of fillings; Potato Crocchette with various toppings; Fried Calamari; Stuffed Calzone; and a selection of toasted panini and fresh salads. The sweet side of the menu features dessert pizza with such mouthwatering toppings as Nutella and cheesecake and homemade seasonal tiramisu shares the stage with flash fried zeppole.
Brick + Wood continues to shine with their wood-fired thin crust pizza. Their "perfect pizza" is a labor of love and is certified by the Associazone Pizzaiuoli Napoletani (APN), an association formed in Naples by pizza makers to preserve the authentic Neapolitan pizza values. Supported by the Italian government, this rigorous certification process is required by any restaurant in Italy wishing to serve authentic Neapolitan pizza. Only a handful of pizzaiolos in the United States have earned this distinction. Brick + Wood pizza starts with fresh dough, handmade on the premises and leavened for 24-48 hours. The dough is hand toss, never rolled, to give it that thin delicate center. Using Italian imported San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil and house made fior di latte mozzarella; the pizza is then cooked in a 900 degree wood-fired oven for about 90 seconds, which marks the pizza with flame blackened blisters along the crust and bottom. From this perfect "anatomy of a pizza", creative, as well as classic toppings can be added.
The beverage program is a first of its kind in the area. In addition to craft cocktails and premium beer selections, an impressive line-up of wine varietals is served by the glass, the quartino or the carafe via a contemporary wine tap design which maintains the integrity of wine. Gone are the open bottles of days old wine.
Brick + Wood is a fresh new outlook for how we drink – and eat.
Look for an early fall opening.
www.lovelifeandpizza.com
1275 Post Rd No. 7 / Fairfield, CT 06824