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The pizza situation at Kennett
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The pizza situation at Kennett
Brian Ricci has an infrared thermometer, and he's not afraid to use it. The chef at Kennett (848 S. Second St.) has been working with his Forno Bravo wood-burning pizza oven for a mere two weeks, so their relationship is still in that awkward, giggly shoe-gazing phase. They don't know each other intimately just yet. That's why Ricci's kept his red-laser temperature gauge — literally point and shoot the thing, and it casts out a heat-sensitive crimson dot, like in sniper movies — to best ID the oven's various hot spots. The North Jersey native's very close to getting his flow down pat — a precise understanding of his oven-floor geography, i.e. exactly where he should slide raw dough off wooden peel, and when; how many times he should breach the oven's brick-lined craw to rotate a pizza as its crusty rim inflates with the heat; the precise right moment to yank a pie out and dress it up in his love.
Yes, the brick-oven operation at Kennett is young, but it's clear Ricci, who's worked with dough as a baker in San Francisco, has already got a feel for putting out some tasty pies reflective of the restaurant's all-local mission statement. The pizza operation here was instituted by happenstance: Before taking the Kennett gig, Ricci (Pub & Kitchen, Supper, Django, NYC's Tabla) was putting together a business plan for a mobile brick pizza oven he'd link up to the back of a truck to tour around Philly farmers markets. When Ricci hooked up with co-owner Johnny Della Polla, he suggested he integrate this operation with Kennett, though Ricci adds he'd still like to execute his oven-on-wheels idea in the future. Ricci is using high-protein Daisy bread flour milled in Lancaster, which gives his pizza a wheaty, quietly sweet flavor, with more backbone than closer-to-traditional Neapolitan crusts. For now he's doing just three individual pies, his way — a Jersey tomato marinara-slathered margherita that 86's basil for marjoram, one of Ricci's favorite herbs ("oregano's kissing cousin," he calls it); a salami-draped pie with Sicilian green olives, mozzarella and tomato; and what's sure to become a signature, a pulled pork white pizza with dollops of whipped lardo, housemade farmer's cheese, garlic confit (clutch!), herbs and a quick drizzle of honey. Ricci says there's talk of putting a bacon/egg/cheese pie on the menu for weekend brunch guests, but for now, these are his three babies. Check 'em out.
Had the porchetta pizza last night - it was excellent. Looking forward to going back for more!
[...] Kennett for the first time. We couldn’t believe it was the same space as Lyon’s Den. The pizza oven is operational and they’re cooking up a mean breakfast pizza for [...]
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Check out the pizza situation at Queen Village's Kennett: http://ow.ly/3Uhxd [...]
Wow. The pizza looks awesome! It's refreshing to hear about someone who is both passionate about his work, and clearly, very good at it!
Bravo Chef Ricci, BRAVO!!
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