The New Guys on the Block
When we think of pizza we very easily think of that eagerly
awaited delivery from our local pizzeria or a sit down meal
in the majority of Malta or Gozo’s restaurants. But if you
want a good pizza you usually look out for the pizza places
focusing on their dough, their choice of quality ingredients
and of course the fresh and authentic toppings that take a
pizza from good to great.
But what if that pizza was prepped and cooked in a food
truck? And what if we said that it hit every mark on the
‘pizza expectations list’? Well, even though they’ve only
been open for a handful of weeks, The Pizza Wagon is
serving up slices of heaven with their pure Italian wizardry.
You might have heard of Christian Calabro’, Stefano
D’Emilio and Chef Jacopo Di Giandomenico aka the
masterminds behind The Meatball Guys - but did you know
that their magical culinary concepts extend to pizza of the finest quality? The Pizza Wagon is situated along the
Sliema promenade where foot traffic and hungry after-work
aperitivo-seekers are now easily summoned by the wafting
aromas of perfectly cooked pizza dough.
“We invested a lot of time in the dough for The Pizza
Wagon; in fact our pizzaiolo, after numerous tests, found
the perfect mix to create the perfect texture that we think
gives our pizza a special touch,” commented Christian.
Selecting quality ingredients to feature as the toppers
of your pizza is a relatively easy process, so to the pizza
aficionado, it’s clear to say that the beauty of a good pizza
is in the dough - The Pizza Wagon dough is fluffy and
light, salty and perfectly oiled - and it’s got a unique taste
and aroma that is quite hard to place, but it’s excellent.
What makes The Pizza Wagon’s selection a whole lot more
interesting is that every pizza, from the classic Margherita
to the bold Peanut Butcher can be ordered as a 33cm
standard size or a mini 23cm pizza - you can also opt for
your selection to be quickly transformed into a calzone.
“We wanted to offer our clients a variety of options. Choices
for the smaller appetite, choices for the simple palates and
also some for the adventurous eaters - but we also wanted
to give the calzone its moment of glory, any pizza can be
a calzone, you just need to ask!” explained Christian with a
smile on his face. “We are the only pizza truck on the island
and thanks to the experience we’ve gained through The
Meatball Guys, we’re ready to make The Pizza Wagon a
huge success in Malta, but this is all thanks to our investor
who pours a great deal of love into our concepts.”
The Meatball Guys featured on Shark Tank, with a keen
interest from three of the sharks on the panel - but their
alliance with Michael Bonello is what took them to the next
level, allowing them the financial stability to start up The
Pizza Wagon franchising the all-round experience with their
influence overseas.
The switch from fixed location to food truck can be quite
challenging, but also eye-opening. “Working in the food
truck for the past few weeks has given us the opportunity to
craft better skills as a team, it allows us to learn more about
the food we are producing and focus on quality!
Every
day teaches us something new and luckily from day one,
our feedback was good, so it’s encouraging for us to learn
how to make our product and ourselves better. Both The
Meatball Guys and The Pizza Wagon have allowed us to be
creative and adventurous in an innovative way that meets
the local market’s needs.”
Click here to see Horeca Issue 9 online