Ironside Pizza Offers Vibrant Setting With Authentic Italian Fare
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A little slice of Italy is drawing in the crowds in the courtyard of a hipster area called Ironside, which is just west and south of 79th Street in Miami.
In the middle of a hodgepodge of art galleries, warehouse space and residences is Ironside Pizza . The same group that owns Toscana Divino, in Mary Brickell Village, heads the charming restaurant.
"It's a fantastic place. There are about 40 tenants. It's mostly galleries, furniture stores and architecture. It's a very vibrant setting," said co-owner Tommaso Morelato.
The restaurant is the ultimate combination of a vibrant setting with truly authentic Italian food.
"Ironside wants to be a classic Italian pizzeria, Neapolitan style. It's very simple, very cozy and a place where you can hang out with family and friends inside and out," Tommaso said.
The secret, he says, to his perfect pizza is in the dough—it's kneaded by hand and placed in a wood-burning oven for 60-90 seconds. Gluten-free pizzas are also an option.
"The dough rests 24 hours. It's the classic Neapolitan recipe. It's strictly cooked in the firewood oven which makes flavor completely different," Tommaso explained.
But Ironside Pizza isn't only about pizza, the salads are fresh and beautiful as well as the many other options on the menu, with very reasonable pricing.
"The soul of the place is the firewood oven. We can do parmiagana, meatballs, veggie lasagna but everything's cooked in that oven," he said.
First CBS4's Lisa Petrillo tried the Braseola, which is cured Italian beef salad made with arugula, cherry tomatoes and fresh parmesan.
"There's a nuttiness to the arugula and then a nice salt flavor to the meat--and the lemon on top is delicious. This is a light and perfect summer salad," Petrillo said.
Next up for tasting is the "Involtini," also known as pizza bites.
They can be vegetarian or not. Petrillo's little mini pockets filled with fresh ricotta, salami and parmacotto, cheese and topped with truffle oil.
"With the ricotta cheese inside and crunch on the outside then the truffle oil on top makes it decadent. I could pop these in my mouth all day long," Petrillo said,
Finally, Ironside's signature pizza: Pizza Regina, or The Queen's Pizza.
It's made with fresh sliced Italian prosciutto, arugula and parmesan cheese.
"They are super light, super thin, airy, crunchy and really authentic Italian," Petrillo said
Ironside Pizza is opened 7 days a week lunch and dinner. For more info, click here.
