Anna's Vesuviano is a wood-fired pizza truck that opened in Providence, Rhode Island in July 2022. It was founded by Anthony Giordano. After studying archaeological anthropology in college, Giordano began studying the culinary arts. Eventually his travels brought him to Naples, Italy where he studied the arts of crafting pizza and cheese. He returned home to New York City and worked in several kitchens, but pizza remained his passion. In 2020, Giordano and his fiancé relocated to Providence to wait out the pandemic. Not only did they decide to stay, but his sister Amelia also decided to make the move. She had experience in restaurant operations. The siblings decided to open a mobile pizzeria and they named it "Anna's Vesuviano" after their grandmother Nanianella "Anna". She emigrated from Naples to Brooklyn in 1918 and helped other Italian immigrants find their way in the city. Most of Giordano's pizza influence comes from the fact that his family frequently had pizza at Totonno's Pizzeria in Coney Island. With his new business venture, Giordano crafts classic Neapolitan-inspired pies like a Margherita, but also draws influence from Arabic cuisine by using ingredients like za'atar. Through his archaeological studies, he firmly believes that the Middle East (in addition to Italy) plays a big part in the evolution of pizza.
My son and I recently tasted some of Anna's Vesuviano's pizza after we went on a long bike ride on the nearby Washington Secondary Bike Path. We drove to Proclamation Ale Company after our ride so I could sample some of their beers. I'm not ashamed to admit it, but I specifically picked this day to visit Proclamation because I heard that Anna's Vesuviano would be the visiting food truck that day. Giordano and his staff only use fresh local ingredients on the pies and thus the menu changes on a daily basis. My son and I decided to order and share the "Pepperoni" (mozzarella, pecorino, red sauce, pepperoni) and the "White Heat" (ricotta, mozzarella, chili, honey, parmigiano). Both pies were excellent and paired well with my beer samples. Nice chew to the crust and very flavorful. The pepperoni pie was very good, but the real winner was the White Heat pie which had a nice blend of creamy cheeses, a spicy kick from the chili, and sweetness from the honey. I must applaud Giordano and his staff and I look forward to eating their pizza again! read more