Scuola Vecchia Pizza e Vino offers a slice of Naples in downtown Delray Beach
Kesté pie topped with prosciutto, fork and knife required
Authentic pies with a Neapolitan pedigree, charred crusts and buffalo mozzerella are the specialty of this small, modern eatery
MOVED, EFFECTIVE SEPT. 21, 2020. NEW ADDRESS:
Waterways Shoppes at Heron Bay, Suite #115, 62040 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, Florida 33076
Scuola Vecchia Pizza e Vino in downtown Delray Beach is a different slice of pizza.
Actually, you can’t order pizza by the slice at this bit of Italy transplanted to Atlantic Avenue. Whole pies (4-slices) only.
That’s perfectly okay, however. The pies here have a pedigree and the atmosphere is not that of your typical pizzeria.
Outside tables
Modern interior
Scuola’s kitichen and 950-degree over
Scuola vecchia, which translates to “old school” in Italian, is a proponent of authentic Neapolitan pizza. Scuola Vecchia’s owners work closely with APN America (Assciazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletana), an organization working to preserve Neapolitan pizza making’s 200 year tradition. It sets standards for flour, tomato sauce, the quality of the mozzarella, and the temperature of the oven (950 degrees, to be exact). The pizza makers at Scuola Vecchia have been trained by world renowned chef and master pizzaiuoli Roberto Caporusci, of Pontinia Italy. There’s an Acunto bell-shaped, wood-burning oven sourced from Italy within sight of diners from anywhere in the room. The dough is made with imported Caputo 00 flour and the tomatoes are San Marzano. Mozzarella or Burrata are homemade. And there’s also Buffalo Mozzarella imported from Italy, depending on the pie ordered. Prices, compared to your neighborhood pie joint, may seem on the high side.
Pies take just a minute and a half to cook. And in the case of the Margherita pizza, there’s an exact amount of sauce, fresh basil, and mozzarella The high oven temperatures, along with a volcanic stone baking surface, combine to create a charred, crispy yet tender crust.
The restaurant itself is a small, modern blue and white storefront affair with a few sidewalk tables. The inside sits about 60 diners at wide-striped, navy-blue-and-white banquettes and gray-veined, white-marble tables. White-tiled walls display framed images, perhaps of Italy.
Unfortunately, the small room can get loud when most seats are filled as voices ricochet off the tiled walls. The decibel meter app on my phone registered 80db at times, just below the hearing danger zone.
You’ll find more than two dozen Neapolitan-style pizzas on the menu, split between white and red choices, with build-your-own options. It’s tough to choose. Seeking something more substantial than a plain pie on a recent visit, I ordered a Kesté, a pie topped with tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and arugula and then laden with slices of prosciutto di Parma and grated grand cru pecorino. Kesté is Neapolitan for “this is it.” It’s also is the name of a New York City pizzeria that specializes in Neapolitan pies and has a similar menu to Scuola Vecchia.
Margherita pie
My pie arrived quickly (not unexpected). The crust was perfectly char-speckled and chewy, though a tad underdone near the center. The bits of tomatoes provided a sweet counterpoint to the bitter arugula and the prosciutto was silky. The crust and the toppings together provided a variety of textures and sprinkling a bit of the hot olive oil provided by our server over the pie provided an explosion of flavor with each savory bite. To be sure, with all the prosciutto, this is a pizza to be eaten with fork and knife. No slice folding here. The Margherita pie, which I’ve ordered on a previous visit, is a textbook example.
Wine choices are all Italian and fairly priced with nine available by the glass for about $10 a pour. I had a glass of Montepulciano, a soft, fruity red that paired perfectly with my pizza.
Service was attentive from the moment we were seated.
It’s tempting to come back to try the other offerings, though I’ve visited several times in the past. And there’s more than pizza on the menu— antipasti, homemade pastas, salads (dressed only with oil and vinegar), panini and desserts. If you haven’t eaten your fill. And, there are gluten-free options. Parking is free from 6-8 p.m. in a lot on S.E. 6th Ave., just south of Atlantic Avenue, around the corner from the restaurant. Delivery also is an option. Just don’t visit on a Tuesday. They’re closed.
Scuola Vecchia Pizza e Vino
522 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33483
561-865-5923
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