My Great Pizzas of 2024

Table of Contents

In the previous blog post (see here), I started my review of 2024. I continue here with Purchased Pizzas, but first, I want to call out my GREATEST PIZZAS of 2024.

My Great Pizzas of 2024

Date	Joint	Blog Post	Style	City	State/Country
12/28/24	Trattoria Bella Napoli	This post	Neapolitan	Sarasota	FL
9/19/24	Pizzicleta	12/02/24	Neapolitan	Flagstaff	AZ
9/4/24	Pizzeria Florian	10/21/24	Neapolitan	East Aurora	NY
7/19/24	Nights and Weekends	08/12/24	Neapolitan	Ashtabula	OH
7/14/24	Wildflour	07/29/24	Sicilian	Rochester	NY
4/24/24	Gastronomia Reale	04/26/24	Roman – Al Taglio	Caserta	Campania, Italy
1/24/24	Bavaro’s	1/26/2024	Neapolitan	Sarasota	FL

But before we dive into stats, let’s have some fun with the Nebaletan Word of the Day!

Nebaletan Word of the Day – SCOOSTAMAD!?

My cousin Richard—aka Rich, aka Rick, or as I still call him, Ricky—has been asking why I haven’t featured SCOOSTAMAD (or Scustumad) as the Nebaletan Word of the Day. So, in honor of Ricky… here we go!

SCOOSTAMAD—pronounced Skoo-STAH-Maad. Most online sources seem to agree on this pronunciation.

Real Italian Roots: The word comes from the Italian scostumato (masculine) or scostumata (feminine).

As with many Nebaletan words, the meaning has evolved and varies depending on who you ask. Here’s a roundup of definitions:

Immoral – from Real Italian. What does scostumato mean in Italian?
Immoral, dissolute, bad-mannered, boorish – Collins Dictionary.
Greedy – according to “The Italian American Slang Word of the Day!” is SCUSTUMAD’
No manners – from the same source above.

According to Ricky, “In our family, we use scooshmaud (sp?) as anything that’s messed up.” Apparently, his adult kids and wife are on board too—they all use SCOOSTAMAD!

2024 Purchased Pizzas Review

Just like my blog posts, 2024 saw a “prolific” rise in purchased pizzas—54 total, marking a whopping 30% increase.

Purchased Pizza	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	Other	Grand Total
Purchased Pizzas	54	39	45	13	22	1	174
Great Pizzas	6 (11%)	3 (8%)	8 (18%)	3	2		21 (12%)
Good Pizzas	38 (70%)	24 (62%)	23 (51%)	9	13	1	109 (63%)
Meh Pizzas	9 (17%)	12 (30%)	14 (31%)	1	7		43 (25%)

In Rochester, finding a new spot to grab a pizza can be tough. With changing demographics, there are fewer unique pizzerias, and local chains dominate most of the pizza “space.” Although, it’s somewhat easier in Sarasota. As a heavily touristed area, new pizzerias open (and close) nearly weekly. And when one shuts down, another quickly takes its place.

Great – once again, great pizzas are rare, at 11%. Clearly I prefer Neapolitan pizza the best, but a few other styles snuck in this year (Sicilian and Roman…because variety is the spice of life!).

And as always, it’s the dough that makes a pizza stand out for me. It’s the trickiest part to get right. Dough involves so many variables—recipes, fermentation, baking techniques—that the pizzaiolo or pizzaiola really needs to nail. Having made plenty of dough myself (see below), I know how much effort it takes.

Good – This might be because I had more New York-style pizza this year.

For me, New York-style pizza is usually just “good.” I find it a bit heavy, likely because it’s often made with same-day dough. That said, a lot of my friends—especially those from NYC—love it, probably because it’s what they grew up with.

Meh – I had fewer “meh” pizzas in 2024. That’s probably because I’m getting pickier.

Pizza Review – Trattoria Bella Napoli, Sarasota, FL

Even with a lineup of other pizza reviews waiting in the wings, I just had to bump Trattoria Bella Napoli to the front of the list.

I first heard about Trattoria Bella Napoli from Tony S., the Capo of Club Napoli Rochester (see here) back in November. Tony dropped some enticing info: he knew Cesare (pronounced Chez-er-ay), the owner and pizzaiolo, who had honed his craft at Made in Italy before teaming up with the owners of Napule as their pizzaiolo. To me, that was pizza gold right there!

When I checked out Bella Napoli’s website, I saw they were still under construction but getting ready to open soon. I also noticed their website was designed by Lauren P., someone I know from my favorite hangout, Angelo’s Market. Lauren, though firmly connected to Angelo’s, was buzzing with excitement about Bella Napoli’s debut, slated for just before Christmas 2024.

Armed with these glowing endorsements, we carved out some time the weekend before New Year’s to pay Bella Napoli a visit. And let me tell you—I’m so glad we did!

Date	12/28/24
Pizzeria	Trattoria Bella Napoli
City/Neighborhood	Sarasota, FL / Downtown
Website	Trattoria Bella Napoli
About Us	(1669) Cesare Di iorio – YouTube No About Us on the website, but there’s a link the Cesare’s YouTube site which will show a lot about his background as a pizzaiolo
Style	Neapolitan
Ambiance	Quite inviting, with two long and narrow rooms divided by a wall, reminiscent of old-school downtown joints. The interior touches give it a feel akin to a trattoria you might stumble upon in Napoli.
Beverage Pairing	Sardinian Cannonau (a dry-ish red wine) We’ve sampled many Cannonaus from Sardinia, and this one fell a bit short of the mark. It lacked the punch and robust flavor we’ve come to love—not bad, just not the best.

Shape	Round
Dough/Crust	Thickness: Neapolitan Thin Cook: Soft with a slight crispiness that only a well-heated floor of a wood-fired oven can achieve. The chewiness adds a delightful texture that makes each bite more enjoyable. Flavor: A fantastic char and a sourdough sourness that’s almost biting! Simply incredible!
Cornicione	Classic Neapolitan! Spongy and airy with delightful bubbles and a chewy texture. We did find a few over-charred and blistered spots, but nothing that detracted from the overall experience. The place was buzzing with energy, and Cesare was busting a gut to keep up with the demand. Talk about dedication!
Toppings	Fresh basil, Cheese Fresh – No, but available
Sauce	Tangy and sweet tomato as you might expect from a San Marzano (although, I don’t know that to be true), thin with some small texture although not chunky like a puree, Slight saltiness
Cheese	Cheese Type – Moozedell “regular”. Also fresh is available, fresh parmagian Cheese Distribution – All over Salty
Cheese to Sauce Ratio	Sauce – A little to medium Cheese – Medium Balance – well balanced as one would expect from a well made Neapolitan pizza

Value	$18 for Margherita, this is high for a pizza, but for a Neapolitan in Sarasota, it’s pretty good
Overall Rating	Great – Trattoria Bella Napoli is now my favorite pizza in Sarasota surpassing Bavaro’s from earlier in 2024. The dough of Trattoria Bella Napoli is other-worldly which is what I also believe in Napoli itself. Trattoria Bella Napoli certainly represents its namesake well.
Would I Go Back?	Absolutely – Oh, the dough! OMG! Cesare and Trattoria Bella Napoli has me rethinking how I make dough! And the moozedell and sauce were outstanding too. I can’t wait to go back!