Charlotte’s Top Dining Destinations: Novanta 90 Pizzeria Napoletana
The Chef: Vincent & Keith Caminiti
Novanta 90 Pizzeria Napoletana is a family owned restaurant. Vincent Caminiti, along with his business partner and brother, Keith Caminiti, have trained in Italian restaurants and pizzerias since their early teen years and have spent the last 30 years around these things. Raised in Italian families, life centered on the kitchen, cooking and creating wonderful dishes. “Our true culinary inspiration has been our family from our mothers, our kids, and our extended family in Italy,” says Caminiti. “Family has always been our greatest inspiration to be our best!” What they love most about their restaurant how the design allows them to not only showcase how the food is prepared, but also and most importantly, connect people from the inside and outside bars, and serve local craft beer to the pizza bar where one can eat and chat with the pizza makers. There are multiple opportunities for the family to deliver not only a great meal, but to connect and be hospitable.
The Look: Rustic Design
The atmosphere of Novanta 90 Pizzeria Napoletana has a rustic industrial feel with an open kitchen. The restaurant was able to source its bricks, wood planks, and beams from a single building in Manhattan. All of the materials pre-date 1900 making them over 100 years old and were the inspiration for the interior design features throughout the restaurant. By using old bricks, rustic beams, and cleans lines, the restaurant wanted to give the feeling that it has been there for a long time, drawing guests into the kitchen to give the experience of how the food is prepared. From the industrial design, custom wood fired pizza ovens, communal seating, smell of burning wood, and fresh food cooking, the vibe of the restaurant is one of familiarity and freshness.
The Dish: Neapolitan Pizza
Novanta 90 Pizzeria is centered on its Neapolitan Pizza, which is considered its signature dish. It is made with the ingredients and methodology known as the laws of Neapolitan pizza. Imported Italian “00” flour, tomatoes imported from Naples, and in-house, made fresh mozzarella cheese are the foundation of what Novanta’s APN (Associazione Pizzaiuoili Napoletana) certified pizza makers use to continue the art. Pizza was first created in the world this way and the restaurant is proud to continue the tradition. With many different pizzas to offer at Novanta 90 Pizzeria, from Neapolitan tradition to its own recipes and ideas, this pizza reflects the respect for the craft combined with the creative ideas of its pizza chefs. Italian cooking incorporates what is available locally and seasonally, and the restaurant continues to source local ingredients from relationships with area farms to enhance its menu offerings.
Novanta 90 Pizzeria Napoletana: 120 Langtree Village Dr. #102, Mooresville.
This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 9:30 PM.