THE DISH: Vesuvio Pizza Italian Eatery
Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans
By Curt Yeomans
curt.yeomans
@gwinnettdailypost.com
39 E. Main St.
Buford, Ga. 30518
678-765-8151
Open since: Jan. 1
Owner: Luigi Scotto Di Carlo
Hours: 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and noon until 9 p.m. on Sundays.
Location: In the middle of downtown Buford’s row of shops and restaurants. It is between 37 Main Buford and Aqua Terra Bistro.
Atmosphere: The goal of Vesuvio Pizza, as far as dining atmosphere is concerned, is to appeal to the entire family, according to owner Luigi Scotto Di Carlo.
“My goal is to see a lot of families in here and a lot of kids,” he said.
One feature available to engage children who come into the restaurant with their families is a chalk art wall in the back of the restaurant.
On one wall, there is a painting of the Napoli coastline with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. There is also a Sicilian flag hanging next to the flag for the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Italian flag.
There are also various pictures of Italy and painted images highlighting the Napoli area on another wall.
As far as seating options, the tables in the middle of the dining area have only chairs, but the tables along the wall have both bench and chair seating.
Menu: Diners who visit Vesuvio Pizza will find an array of dishes on the menu that mainly represent the types of food a person would eat if they visited Napoli or Sicily.
The reason for that focus, particularly on Napoli, is that is the part of Italy where Di Carlo grew up.
“(It’s) southern Italian cuisine with a touch of New York because of the New York-style pizza — everybody loves the New York-style pizza,” said Di Carlo, who previously owned Luigi’s Slice of Italy at the Mall of Georgia.
Popular pizzas include the Margherita Pizza Napolentana, which uses a sauce made from tomatoes grown in the rich soil around Mt. Vesuvius in Italy, and the New York Style pizza, which has toppings such as peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, sausage and onions.
Other popular menu items include the Vesuvio Salad, which has romaine lettuce, fresh mozzarella, salami, ham, prosciutto, kalamata olives, tomatoes and a balsamic glaze; the Caprese appetizer, which has fresh mozzarella, tomato and kalamata olives topped with fresh basil and a balsamic glaze; and the Mamma’s Lasagna, which is the recipe Di Caralo’s mother used with ground beef, bechamel sauce and parmiagiano baked with mozzarella.
“The lasagna is definitely the No. 1 (popular menu item followed by) the napolentana-style pizza,” Di Carlo said. “I would say the bruschetta has been one of my best sellers (as well).”
Another popular menu item is the Seafood Di Mare, which is shrimp, mussels, clams and a white wine tomato sauce served on spaghetti.
The Napoli — which is a sandwich with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, fresh basil, tomatoes and a balsamic glaze on puccia bread and served with fries — is popular as well.
Popular desserts include the regular or chocolate-dipped shell cannolis covered in powdered sugar and chocolate syrup drizzle, and the Vesuvio Zeppole, which is fried dough balls covered in powdered sugar with a chocolate syrup drizzle.
Diners who prefer adult beverages with their meals can get white or red wines, as well as beer options, such as Peroni beer from Italy.
Something You May Not Know: The “Vesuvio” in the restaurant’s name is actually Mt. Vesuvius, the famous Italian volcano that buried the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. “Vesuvio” is the Italian version of “Vesuvius.” The volcano is visible from Napoli, where Di Carlo is from.
“I’d wake up every morning as a little kid and look at the giant,” he said. “I’m lucky to live here, but at the same time, think about the people in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Growing up, you’d see it every day, but people just live their happy lives right under Vesuvius. Everything that grows there is really good because of the volcanic soil.”
