Executive chef Bobby Matos [Gary Wise/Flickr]
On the more casual end of local restaurateur Tony Vallone's portfolio of establishments is Ciao Bello, which might be more relaxed than flagship Tony's and new steakhouse Vallone's, but which nonetheless holds its own among the top Italian eateries in Houston. That might be why the pizza there is as consistently well executed and freshly made as the restaurant's popular pasta dishes. So Eater asked Ciao Bello executive chef Bobby Matos, who's been leading that kitchen for almost four years, to make his favorite pizza for this photo interlude. Matos chose to bake the Pepperoni Polpette, which is topped with what he says is "a little bit of everything: The homemade Tony Vallone recipe meatballs, the pepperoni, and the ricotta. It's a great combination." Matos tells Eater that he's proud of their pizza because it's "different than the pizzas that most restaurants serve: It's a thin, Roman-style pizza." As for the revered chef's advice to those attempting to imitate his pies at home, Matos says to stick to thin crust and to invest in an oven that reaches very high temps. "The thin-crust style is really great to make in a home oven on a pizza stone because it cooks really fast." Here now, Matos offers a behind the scenes look at how the pizza is made at Ciao Bello:
· Ciao Bello [Official Site]
· All other Pizza Week 2014 Coverage [-EHOU-]
