Page 16 - Valley Table - Spring 2022

PITCHFORK BARBECUE & BISCUITS
Pine Island • pitchforkbarbecueandbiscuits.com
Valley natives John Castrovillari and Lauren Grace have always had an appreciation for wood-fired barbecue, but it was a stint living and working in Wilmington, NC, that inspired them to share their passion with smoked meat lovers up north. “Few places around here cook in this style,” says Grace, which involves using
an offset smoker—the fire is alongside the cooking chamber rather than directly under the food—to prepare mouthwateringly tender ribs, brisket, and chicken. And then there are the biscuits, which Grace crafts by hand, often cutting 200 in one day. The biscuits serve as the base for both fried chicken and, on weekends, a killer egg sandwich. The homemade sides are stellar, too: think hand cut coleslaw and, in summer, a watermelon salad with lime vinaigrette, herbs, pickled red onions, and cotija cheese. “We try to make everything the best we can, within the confines of the trailer,” says Castrovillari, which includes all their jams, pickles, and condiments, often with local and seasonal ingredients. If you know you’ll be in the area—their trailer is set up in an open field in Pine Island from April–September, before moving to The Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery during apple picking season—it’s a good idea to place an order the day before on Pitchfork’s website. They often sell out, well before closing time.
photo courtesy of pizza vitale
march – may 2022 valleytable.com 15
PIZZA VITALE
Mamaroneck • pizzavitale.com
For pizza purists, Neapolitan-style pies, with their simple ingredients and days-long dough rise, are the gold standard. Which is exactly what Naples, Italy native and pizzaiolo Francesco Vitale was banking on when he left the NYC pizzeria world to open a wood-fired oven on wheels. In 2019, Vitale and his wife Lili Chu arrived on the food truck scene with Pizza Vitale, “a little silver box” that can churn out 70 pizzas an hour. His pies are made with 00 flour from Mulino Caputo, and the dough takes three days to rise— which yields a light, airy crust—before being topped with crushed tomato and an assortment of add-ons ranging from pesto to spicy pork soppressata. In the beginning, Pizza Vitale was often parked in the alleyway outside of Industrial Arts Brewery in Garnerville, but as word spread, they began popping up at farmers markets in Chappaqua, Hastings, Bronxville, and Pelham, as well as booking private events. “We really found our demographic at farmers markets,”
says Chu. “Some people just don’t get [spending] $15 for a pizza. They want a slice of pizza—and that’s cool. But people who have had Napoli pizza understand, and they come from all over.” For Pizza Vitale’s weekly schedule follow them on Instagram @pizzavitale.