Fiore Pizza fresh as a daisy
A New Yorker pizza is removed from the wood-fired oven of the Fiore Pizza food truck.
Clark Wiesenberg and Michelle Parrott make pizzas in the Fiore Pizza food truck during a special catering event in Lehi on Wednesday.
A pizza cooks in the wood-fired oven of the Fiore Pizza food truck.
I’m a pizza snob. I developed a personal vendetta with this food group at a young age, boycotting it in the lunch lines each week of my secondary school career. I refused to eat pizza. The pooling grease nauseated me. The under-cooked crust was bothersome. Fortunately, much later I lived in New York City for a summer and changed my pizza-hating ways. I fell in love with fresh cheese and basil on thin crust that was available at mom and pop shops on nearly every corner. Who knew masterpieces like these existed?
Living in Utah Valley, while we have many hospitable pizzerias, doesn’t quite always bring the joy I associate with pizza back east — until Fiore Wood Fired Pizza.
Fiore, meaning flower in Italian, is a budding food truck and catering business. Typically, there’s no sit-down establishment or patio furniture when they pull up to their location for meals. It’s straight pizza. I have seen Fiore in a few spots around town for the past year or two, but noticed that recently it seems to be sprouting up in all the right, popular places.
As a group of friends and I sought out dinner one evening, we decided to hit up their publicized location for the night. (Fiore frequently updates their traveling locations on social media sites, making it fairly easy to track down.) I anxiously waited to taste their special of the week. It had been promo’d on their Instagram and it looked promising.
Fiore has four daily pizzas each week — the Bianco, Pepperoni, New Yorker and Margherita — with the addition of a rotating specialty that provides some gourmet variety. While our visit featured the Sausage Bianco special, at other times the menu has featured Pistachio, Rosemary Potato, Prosciutto Arugula or Sweet Corn with Bacon.
In just under 10 minutes, we picked up three of our four pizzas that we ordered. The fourth got a little held up in production, but it was worth every second as it ended up being our favorite.
We ordered the New Yorker, which would satisfy any meat-lover with its pepperoni and sausage. We also ordered the classic Margherita pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, basil and olive oil. Then there was the Bianco for those who love cheeses and olive oil, like me. Fiore’s Bianco was the true highlight of my meal with mozzarella, cream, ricotta, basil and drizzled olive oil.
The Sausage Bianco special was unique and refreshing. With fennel sausage, garlic and arugula, who knew eating pizza could feel healthy? I felt no guilt or remorse after eating slice after slice, and that I believe must be a pizza miracle.
My friend who lived in Italy for several years tagged along. We each took turns eating pieces from different pies, taking in the deliciousness. I was curious to know if he thought it was authentic compared to his experiences in Milan. He was pleasantly surprised that the pizza set itself apart from everyday American “pizza” and came very close to the real Italian stuff.
The downsides to a food truck is that often staple restaurant supplies (like cutlery, napkins, chairs) aren’t always guaranteed and that requires visitors to improvise. I found myself hunting for a napkin multiple times while eating and eventually resorted to licking my fingers. (Oh darn, I know.)
When it came down to each pizza though, it wasn’t the toppings or sauces that stole the show, like so many pizza places try to do. The pizza dough sets Fiore apart from all others. The crust was thin and sweet. When a dough is such a simple and yet perfect concoction, it doesn’t matter what toppings you sprinkle on — though they were all delightful.
And if the flavors from the pizza don’t amaze you (which is unlikely), Fiore’s truck surely will because it’s a piece of art all on its own.
FIORE WOOD FIRED PIZZA
Where: Find its daily location on Facebook, Instagram or on the Daily Herald’s website at heraldextra.com/foodtrucks
Hours: Hours vary day to day but are typically between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.
Prices: $7-$9
Info: www.fiorepizza.co, fiorewfp@gmail.com