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For more information contact Peter Taylor (813) 341-2900

Pizza Wine Bar Serves Up Fresh Approach to Old World Favorite

Tampa, FL (July 30) -- Nationally recognized pizza expert, writer and consultant Peter Taylor is now serving up his renowned culinary delights at a new restaurant in North Tampa. Opened in June, Wood Fired Pizza Wine Bar is a deliciously distinctive pizzeria with a simple yet sophisticated menu using only the freshest ingredients. 

As a New York native of Italian ancestry, Taylor grew up in Brooklyn with New York-style pizza but was always left wanting something more. Wood Fired Pizza is the culmination of years of research and highlights several of Taylor’s own innovations including a hand-built, wood-fired oven and a selection of exceptional signature dishes.

Wood Fired Pizza authentically crafts pizza uniting the traditions and techniques of Naples, Italy with the more familiar modern qualities of New York-style pizza to create a new taste for an old favorite.  Situated among old oaks just off

At tables of intimate seating and at the cozy bar, nothing is served that resembles the industrial tasting pizza found in so many of today’s pizza joints. “Pizza can be a gourmet food if prepared properly with the finest ingredients,” Taylor says. The menu features inventive salads and artisan pizzas, and will offer signature wines upon final licensing approval expected in October. Designed for taste, the pizza selections include intriguing combinations that seduce the senses using house-made mozzarella, succulent San Marzano tomatoes, rosemary and even pistachios. Absolute freshness invigorates the palate as everything is prepared daily without the use of freezers or microwaves. 

“Truly, pizza is all about the crust,” Taylor explains.  Made with wild yeast cultivated off the coast of Florida, Taylor’s trade secret microflora gives his pizza crust a flavorful creamy taste.  According to Taylor, only two places in Naples, Italy still use a wild yeast starter today. 

Adhering to old world tradition, the specially prepared dough is naturally leavened with a long, room temperature fermentation and then blast baked in the blisteringly hot oven in just under two minutes. The hand-crafted creations are subtly blended, rather than cooked, becoming an aromatic, delicious pizza with a slightly crisp yet pliable crust.

A favorite house dish, Pizza Raquel, named after America’s first passion diva Raquel Welch, is a North American version of the Margherita pizza, while Pizza Sophia, named after Italy’s Sophia Loren, features a more Italian style of pizza. Items for the pizza connoisseur are complemented by equally tasty creations for kids. While diners won’t find anything but pizza on the entrée menu, they are treated to delectable extras such as Cannoli, a specialty dessert designed after a Taylor family recipe.  

In every dish, top-quality ingredients are prepared in a Neapolitan traditional way with a touch of familiar American style resulting in an extraordinary experience. “When you eat a Wood Fired pizza, you know with every bite you’re getting something special,” Taylor concludes. 

Wood Fired Pizza is open for lunch from noon until 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 p.m. until the chefs are out of dough except Tuesdays. While seating reservations are not accepted, reserving dough balls is recommended.

For additional details about Wood Fired Pizza Wine Bar, visit www.wood-firedpizza.com or call (813) 341-2900.