Atlanta has a number of pizzerias that claim to be “New York-style,” but how many of them are true New York pizzerias? Pizza Vito, a pizza franchise new to Georgia, brings a taste New York to Roswell. The Big Apple’s influence can be see in everything from red-and-white shop (which is approximately 1,300 square feet) to the dough itself.
Pizza Vito was started by Italian-born and New York-bred Vito DiBartolo and his son Joe, who grew up in the Bronx. With 40 years in the business, Vito has his pizza dough recipe down to a science. He believes the secret (or not-so-secret) ingredient is the New York water. So, he and Matt Coleman, the owner of the Roswell pizzeria, have the dough shipped in twice weekly from the north, and Coleman uses a dough press machine to make it into pies. OK, so maybe not everything is done exactly the way it is at old school NY pizzerias.
At Pizza Vito, much like at the quick-service pizzerias in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, customers order at the counter, choosing from a variety of slices, double stuffed pizzas, calzones and strombolis. Garlic knots are cheap and there’s not a leaf of lettuce to be found (so don’t expect a side salad). All pizzas are named after New York fixtures. On the popular Mulberry Street, thin, crunchy crust is slathered with olive oil and topped with fresh garlic, Roma tomatoes, feta, spinach and mozzarella. The Bronx Bomber is topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, ham and bacon top the Bronx Bomber.
Italian ices provide a light finish to a meal at Pizza Vito. They are available in chocolate, coconut, lemon, peach-mango, pink grapefruit, red orange, strawberry, watermelon, raspberry and tiramisu flavors. A limited selection of beer and wine are also available. Whether customers eat in, get takeout or request a delivery, Pizza Vito offers a New York pizzeria experience without buying a plane ticket.
