Table of Contents
- 2024 Blog Posts and Nebaletan Words
- 2024 Pizzas Review
- Nebaletan Word of the Day – PAZZO!?
- Pizza Review – Capo Pazzo, Sarasota, FL
As I did at the end of 2023, here’s a quick review of my 2024 in terms of this blog and of, of course, pizza!
2024 Blog Posts and Nebaletan Words
2024 was my most prolific year, both in terms of the number of posts and the number of Nebaletan words used. This is partly due to the number of pizzas we ate outside of home (which I will get to later – spoiler: it was a lot!).
My favorite blog posts were in July: “In Search of Lucio” (about my great-grandfather Lucio) and “What’s in a Last Name” (about how our family came by our last name). As mentioned in my last post, this topic was picked up and made into a YouTube video and podcast.
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | Total | |
| Blog Posts | 39 | 31 | 28 | 0 | 36 | 134 |
| Nebaletan Words | 64 | 46 | 37 | 0 | 23 | 173 |
2024 Pizzas Review
Clearly, we (or should I just admit I?) devour an obscene amount of pizza!
In 2024, I clocked in 78 pizza “events” (read: excuses to indulge), averaging about 1.5 times per week. The overall number of pizza “events” in 2024 was the same as in 2023, but the ratio of purchased to homemade pizzas shifted significantly—thanks to our travel patterns and evolving family dynamics.
| Pizza Events | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Total Pizza “Events” | 78 | 78 | 95 | 101 |
| Purchased Pizzas “Events” | 54 (69%) | 39 (50%) | 45 (47%) | 13 (13%) |
| Homemade Pizza “Events” | 24 (31%) | 39 (50%) | 50 (53%) | 88 (87%) |
I will dive into more detail in the next few blog posts (BTW – something seems wrong with 2021….I’ll look at that).
Nebaletan Word of the Day – PAZZO!?
When Capo Scott suggested we try Capo PAZZO, I knew what the word PAZZO meant, but I had to stop and think: had I ever used or heard this word from others while growing up?
PAZZO—definition: crazy, pronounced potz-o. It’s also sometimes rendered as “obatzo” or “ubatz” (source) and “oobatz’”/”patz’” (source).
To settle my curiosity, I reached out to my brother Chip, cousin Rich, and Capos Carm, Donnie, and Scott. Like me, none of them could recall using PAZZO back in the day.
But, I must say, my first roommate when I moved to Rochester was Jewish. He used the word PUTZ! This is similar in pronunciation and meaning to PAZZO (patz) but with a meaning of “foolish or annoying”.
During our text conversation, I shared that my family often used the word STUNAD (which I covered in my August 4, 2023 blog post)—and everyone agreed. In fact, Scott even mentioned that his brother uses STUNAD as his email handle. Now that’s dedication to the lingo!
Pizza Review – Capo Pazzo, Sarasota, FL
At the recommendation of Capo Scott, we decided to check out Capo Pazzo. Naturally, we went with Scott and his wife for the full experience.
Capo Pazzo opened this past summer in the former Gulf Gate location of Il Panificio, which I reviewed back on April 18, 2022 (you can find that review here). Fun fact: I rated Il Panificio as GREAT. So, of course, I was curious to see if Capo Pazzo, operating in the same space and presumably using the same equipment, could match—or even surpass—that GREAT-ness.
Quick side note: Since we were out with company, I decided to keep it classy and skip taking pictures. Sometimes, though rarely, I prioritize good manners over blog content!
| Date | 11/22/24 |
| Pizzeria | Capo Pazzo |
| City/Neighborhood | Sarasota, FL / Gulf Gate |
| Website | Capo Pazzo Pizzeria + Kitchen + Bar |
| About Us | Page – Capo Pazzo Pizzeria, Kitchen, Bar – Sarasota, FL There is not much on this page, so I made sure to spent time talking to the owner which happened after our meal in the parking lot while he took a smoke. He mentioned that the recipes are from his family which is from Long Island, but his family originally started on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. (see – New York’s Thriving ‘Real Little Italy’ Isn’t In Manhattan, Brooklyn, Or Queens) |
| Style | Kind of a cross between a Neapolitan and New York – read on |
| Ambiance | Capo Pazzo is in the old location of Il Panificio Pizzeria. The inside is “hole-in-the-wall” chic, but there is a fabulous patio that almost harkens back to the side alley holes-in-the-wall joints that you find all over Southern Italy (I’m thinking Benevento in 2018!) |
| Beverage Pairing | Montepulciano di Abruzzo – very overpriced, but pleasant |
| Rating Criteria | |
| Shape | Round |
| Dough/Crust | Tickness – Thin Cook – Soft, Some browning but not charred like wood fired Taste – Bready but not yeasty/sour as you might expect from a long fermented dough |
| Cornicione | Spongy/airy, Bubbly, Chewy, Sweet |
| Toppings | Cheese, dry oregano – way too much that was sprinkled (poured?) on after the bake, several large patches of oregano, Fresh Basil Fresh – unlikely |
| Sauce | Tangy, Bitter, Savory, lots of salt, Thin, but not watery The sauce was tasty but too salty (could have been the result of the cheese though) |
| Cheese | Cheese Type – Moozedell, Parmagian Sharp and salty, very tasty, but when combined with the saltiness of the sauce it was too much Cheese Distribution – Splotchy |
| Cheese to Sauce Ratio | Sauce – A little to Medium Cheese – A little to Medium, the addition of the Parmagian made it seem like there was more cheese Nicely Balance |
| Value | Excellent – especially for Sarasota at $22 for a 16″ Margherita. This is $12.50 for s 12″ equivalent |
| Overall Rating | Good. There were several things that I didn’t like such as the oregano piles, bake, and the dough’s lacking flavor. But for some reason it wasn’t Meh. Could have been our great friends, the nostalgia of the outdoor patio, or the wine! Probably the wine…sorry Scott! |
| Would I Go Back? | Maybe. When we tried Il Panificio, it was part of a bike ride. Pizza is never bad, but for some reason, when eaten as part of a bike ride, it’s enhanced a level or two! So, Capo Pazzo will probably get re-visited by Il Ciucciariello! |
You must be logged in to post a comment.