Bavaro's

Editor's pick

514 N Franklin St., Tampa, FL 33602

(813) 868-4440

http://www.pizzaiolobavaro.com/

Categories: Restaurant

Cuisine: Pizza

Features: Catering, Party room

Cost range: 10.01-20.0

Payment options: Credit cards accepted

Alcohol: Beer and wine only

More in this neighborhood: Downtown Tampa

In Tampa's deliciously blossoming downtown, this is pure Neapolitan know-how. Dan Bavaro spent time roaming Italy, falling deeply in lust with the mosaic-tiled, rounded brick pizza ovens handmade by Stefano Ferrara and his family outside Naples for the past 100 years. He bought one and had it shipped by container while a pizza maestro was imported by plane. His task: Stretch the ball of dough, toss rakishly for ideal thinness, then give it a topping of hand-crushed and deseeded San Marzano tomatoes and other ingredients (less is more) and slide it into the maw of the blistering oven. You can build your own, but you're better off letting the experts concoct one of caramelized onion and provolone or soppressata and buffalo mozzarella. Follow immediately with the Nutella dessert pizza.

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