When the summer heat melts away any ambition to cook, it’s pizza to the rescue. Pizza lovers (and, really, who isn’t?) have two special days to avoid their ovens this month—National Cheese Pizza Day, September 5, and National Pepperoni Pizza Day, September 20. Additional excuses to order America’s favorite takeout fare are just around the corner, with National Pizza Month in October. Pizza-philes take note, the following local spots serve intriguing variations on the theme.
LowBrow Pizza & Beer
Antonio Longobardo, who owns Luigi’s Pizza é Pasta and Pezzo Pizza + Bar in Estero, purchased the acclaimed LowBrow Pizza & Beer in East Naples from founders Chris Jones and Henrik Lagergren. LowBrow’s motto, “Serious about pizza and beer … and not much else!,” may constitute hyperbole, but there’s no denying it excels at both. The name creates a playful contrast to LowBrow’s seriously artisanal pizzas and house-made specialties. Among those are the Maggie, a classic Margherita; the Porker, with house-smoked pork; and the Facemelter, featuring pepperoni arrabbiata and hot coppa ham. Along with craft beer and cocktails, LowBrow will soon offer LowBrow Brewski, a lager created by local Riptide Brewing Company. “There’s so much love that goes into a LowBrow pie,” says Longobardo. “We make everything, the dough, the pizza sauce—over a dozen sauces. The wings are smoked in house, and we do brisket and pork shoulder in an 18-foot smoker.” By year’s end, he plans to open a second location in Midtown at Bonita in Bonita Springs.
Piccolo Buco by Cooper’s Hawk
Piccolo Buco by Cooper’s Hawk recently opened at Coconut Point, Estero, a collaboration of Luca Issa and Tim McEnery, founder and CEO of Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants. The pizza’s tall, cloudlike crust is cut tableside with special scissors to avoid flattening the dough, made with Italian imported flour, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil. McEnery discovered Piccolo Buco while in Italy and brought it to the United States. “A perfect spot to grab a bite after a day in the Florida sunshine, Piccolo Buco is unlike anything else,” says McEnery. “It’s a little slice of Rome.” The menu also includes salads, pasta, entrées, and Italian desserts. A Chicago artisan salumi maker follows Issa’s grandmother’s recipe to make salumi and ’nduja. As part of the Cooper’s Hawk family, Piccolo Buco offers wine pairings, wine club benefits, cocktails, and beer, as well as an open tasting bar, dining room, and patio seating.
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