NEWS

WARWICK — Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, a popular family-owned restaurant chain based out of New Haven, Connecticut, will be opening its 10th location and first Rhode Island shop on Monday, May 14, much to the pleasure of local pizza lovers. The restaurant held a soft opening this week, inviting members of the public in to try some of the Pepe family’s famous recipes. The original Frank Pepe Pizzeria was opened in 1925 in New Haven, Connecticut by Frank Pepe, the grandfather of the current owner. Story has it that Pepe, who came to the U.S. in 1909 at the age of 16, knew only a coal fire would give his pizzas their famous crispy, charred crust, and so the family decided to build an exact brick-by-brick duplicate of his original hand-built brick oven from 1925 in the new Warwick location, nestled in the Bald Hill Commons at 21 Universal Blvd., in the same plaza as Smokey Bones and Olive Garden. The 14’ by 14’ foot oven was built using iron castings from the original mold and weighs a whopping 104,000 pounds. Chefs must use 16-foot paddles to insert and remove the pizzas, after which time they are placed on a marble counter. On April 30 owner Gary Bimonte, Pepe’s grandson, held an official oven lighting to celebrate the completion of the coal fired oven, which requires three to four weeks of heating to get to the right temperature for optimal crust, crunch and char. Bimonte calls the oven a critical element in the build out of each Pepe’s restaurant. “The number one priority is maintaining our family tradition of serving fresh, high-quality pizza that tastes as good as what we’ve been serving in New Haven since 1925,” said Bimonte, also the Director of Quality Assurance & Training. “Our guests are an extension of the Pepe family, and we’re thrilled to finally be able to share our pizza with the residents of Rhode Island.” The restaurant will be open seven days a week beginning at 11 a.m. serving guests signature thin-crust pizzas that come in 12”, 16” or 18” size options. The “Perfect Pepe’s Pizza” can only be produced using Pepe’s original brick oven, according to Bimonte. Speciality pizzas include Pepe’s famous White Clam Pizza, a combination made by Pepe himself using fresh clams, grated cheese, olive oil, fresh garlic and oregano. You can also order a Spinach Mushroom and Gorgonzola pizza or the Quattroformaggi pizza, which includes crushed Italian tomatoes, mozarella, asiago, goat cheese and pecorino with olive oil and basil. For a starter guests can enjoy a traditional ‘Pepe’s Salad,’ seasonal greens tossed with grape tomatoes, cucumber, shredded red cabbage, Kalamata olives, Pecorino Romano cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. The pizza and salad can be washed down with a glass of red or white wine, in addition to imported and domestic craft beers on hand as well as fountain drinks. “Our guests deserve to have an authentic Pepe’s experience every time they walk into one of our restaurants, which is why we’re so passionate about creating a warm, familiar, and family-friendly atmosphere with each new location,” said Ken Berry, President and CEO of Frank Pepe’s Development Co., LLC. The Warwick location was designed by Antinozzi Associates Architecture and Interiors, who set out to create an atmosphere evoking comfort, familiarity and tradition. The 4,000 square foot 90-seat restaurant largely echoes the original Frank Pepe Pizzeria. The walls are lined with historic photos of the Pepe family. Other locations include New Haven, Fairfield, Manchester, Danbury, West Hartford, Waterbury and Uncasville, Connecticut, Yonkers, New York, and Chestnut Hill, Mass. Visit pepespizzeria.com for more information or call (401) 425-7776. http://www.ricentral.com/kent_county_daily_times/frank-pepe-pizzeria-ope...