What is Roman-style pizza? It's coming to Hyde Park Village
What is Roman-style pizza? It's coming to Hyde Park Village
TAMPA — Jeff Gigante, one of the founders and principals of Ciccio Restaurant Group (Lodge, Green Lemon, Fresh Kitchen, Daily Eats, Ciccio, Better Byrd, etc.), is doing it again.
He is partnering with Jason Brunetti of Brunetti Pizza, (with locations in New York City and the Hamptons) to open Forbici Modern Italian in Hyde Park Village. They are taking over the space that until recently was slated to be another outpost of Better Byrd, which has its flagship location on Fourth Street N in St. Petersburg.
Why the switcheroo?
"Better Byrd is growing month over month, but we do understand that it's a new concept and needs time to get in its groove," Gigante said. The Hyde Park space, at 5,800 square feet, was too big for fast-casual grab-and-go, he said.
"And we felt it was the perfect time for an Italian concept."
In the past few years pizza, especially Neapolitan style (blistering hot wood oven, tender centered, sometimes eaten with fork and knife), has blown up in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. This is something different, Gigante says. What he and Brunetti aim to do is Roman style.
New to Tampa, Roman-style pizza is having a moment in the United States. Made in long slabs, it's often cut into rectangles with scissors (forbici means scissors), often sold by weight. Sturdier and thicker than the Neapolitan style, it has a long-fermented dough, is airy and light, is fine eaten at room temperature and delivers well.
So, when can you Uber Eats an order of Forbici Modern Italian? Gigante says a target opening is in August.