It seemed like not that long ago I was a serial complainer about the lack of high quality, authentic pizza in Vancouver. Thanks to recent injections by the likes of Nook, Campagnolo and Nicli Antica Pizzeria, the bar has been raised, and I’ll be the last to complain whenever news comes that yet another option is one way.

NOVO Pizzeria & Wine Bar is coming to 2118 Burrard Street, just off West 6th next to Fifth Avenue Cinemas (formerly the Indendio West location). The 88 seater will boast over 2,000 sqft of indoor space with another 34 seats on a south facing patio. As you can see from the photos below, there’s still plenty of work to be done, but we can expect to see it sometime around the start of August.

NOVO will be the first ever restaurant from a pair of long-time East Vancouverites named Carmine Paradiso (best Italian name ever) and Roger Visona. Their dream is to serve up real deal Neapolitan pizza made in a wood-burning oven, just like in their ancestral homeland.

Scott Fitch (ex-Figmint, Feenie’s, Hilton Vancouver) will be in charge of the front of house. He detailed this information in an email this morning:

Staying true to their Italian roots, Carmine and Roger traveled to Los Angeles to train at the North American branch of the Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN) – an association established by the Italian government to preserve the techniques, tradition and art of Neapolitan pizza making. From there, the two friends spent another six months developing their menu for NOVO – and incorporating the preparation techniques learned at VPN.

The dough for each of NOVO’s Neapolitan pizzas will be made from “00” stone-ground
Caputo – the number one choice of pizzaiolis (pizza makers) in Naples – and then aged 72 hours, a technique that gives the dough an array of complex flavors. Add some fresh, quality ingredients and buon appetito… you have the perfect comfort food.

Along with an expansive wine bar, classic Italian cocktails and rustic pizzas that will be fired up in a 900-degree wood-burning oven – which naturally imparts flavour into every pie – NOVO features a full menu that includes antipasti, salads, panini and a variety of home-style pasta dishes reminiscent of their childhoods (think chicken ravioli soup, gnocchi, Bolognese and fettuccini carbonara).

Sounds pretty sweet. For decor, they’re shooting for an old-world feel with modern, elegant touches, “the kind of place one might come across while strolling a side street in Naples or Rome.” We wish them luck. Break a leg.