I just hung up with Cane Rosso owner Jay Jerrier, who was returning from an airport run to drop off a special visitor. Giulio Adriani is a master pizzaiolo and an inspector for the Verace Napoletana Assocation (VPN), the U.S. arm of the Italian outfit that decides what is and what isn’t authentic Neapolitan pizza. Adriani spent five hours last night auditing every aspect of Jerrier’s Deep Ellum operation. Jerrier said the process was stressful and felt like “a five-hour proctological exam.” He says Adriani was impressed with the mozzarella, the oven, and the dough mixer (the latter two devices having been imported from Italy). But Adriani did suggest a couple changes. He wants Jerrier to open his dough a bit differently. That’s the process whereby a dough ball is transformed into a pizza disc. Adriani’s change will fill the crust with more air. He also suggested that Jerrier build a climate-controlled room to proof his dough. The Italian marveled at our weather — 93 and humid yesterday, 60 and dry this morning. That kind of fluctuation makes yeast behave schizophrenically.
In any case, Adriani gave Cane Rosso a positive recommendation for VPN certification, and now Jerrier just has to wait for the certificate making the designation official. “Now I can get some sleep,” he says.
