“Into the Fire, Wood-burning ovens give pizza special taste, texture and aroma” – National Culinary Review

February 2010
Kathryn Kjarsgaard

“Hearkening back to the centuries-old custom of baking a thin-crust pizza over a blistering fire in Italy, many restaurants today are using wood-fired ovens to make the authentic pizzas and to create a warm, welcoming ambiance.

For Don Bellis, CEO/co-founder and director of the food program at the Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits in Auburn, Wash., “Growing up, pizzas came out of a traditional deck ovens, and it was takeout or delivery,” he says. “But the first time I went to a place with a wood-fired oven, I was surprised by the aroma. It also was entertaining, like a show, watching them toss the crust in front of you then fire it in the oven. I felt I could create a concept around that.”…