The “Statazit” Vodka Pizza Left Me Speechless!
When I saw that Tony Cerimele, the pizzaiolo behind New Columbus Pizza Co, was featuring a new pizza he calls “The Statazit” at a local wine festival, I knew I had to drop everything and get there to try his latest creation. For those not familiar with New Columbus Pizza Co, it’s actually a brick and mortar pizzeria in Nesquehoning with a mobile wood-fired pizza oven that Tony operates at local events, festivals, and private events. Tony himself is a highly skilled and trained pizzaiolo who has studied under some of the most established pizza makers in the world. He’s well versed in a wide variety of pizza styles, but his artisan wood-fired pizza is my favorite!
The word “Statazit” is a slang word in Italian that means “Shut Up” so this is perhaps a strange thing to name a pizza with Vodka Sauce on it. After taking a bite of the pizza, it made sense! It was so delicious that I had no words and it shut me right up! I also learned a new slang term perhaps to use in the right situation, so perhaps a win-win!
Reviewing the Pizza
The pizza starts with a light and airy crust that is impossibly tender lightly crisp on the bottom and around the cornicione. The dough has a pleasant flavor which is nicely accented by a light kiss of wood fired smokiness. The leaoparding around the edge provides excellent variation and both texture and flavor. This crust was special in composition and cooked to perfection.
The vodka sauce applied to the pizza was also fantastic with the natural sweetness of the tomatoes being the prominent flavor nicely balanced by the rich romano, mozzarella and other cheeses. I also loved the slightly chunky texture of the sauce which made the pizza even more interested. To top it all off, Tony added slice prosciutto on top creating a flavor profile that was so artfully combined I was left without enough superlatives to offer here. My description of the pizza just doesn’t do it justice. Let me just say this – if you’re a pizza snob, keep an eye out for New Columbus Pizza Co’s future events and go try it for yourself!
Pizza Disclosure
Full disclosure, I constantly pick Tony’s brain for pizza advice and tips so he’s a bit of a pizza mentor to me, but having reviewed hundreds and hundreds of pizzas over the years I’m confident in my ability to offer an objective review and rating on this pizza!
Rating the Statazit Pizza
Restaurant: New Columbus Pizza Co.
Location: Pittston, PA
Date: October 2020
Eat In/Take Out: Eat in
| Rating Category | Rating Score |
|---|---|
| Crust | 9.4 |
| Sauce | 9.3 |
| Cheese | 9.3 |
| Taste | 9.4 |
| Crispy/Cooked Properly | 9.1 |
| Value | 7.7 |
| Overall Rating | 9.3 |
Pizza is Similar to: Bar Pazzo
