"Go to Sheboygan, the country's best Neapolitan-style pizza is there!"
Sheboygan?
My wife and I visited Kohler this weekend and I've been hearing about Il Ritrovo ever since declaring Spacca Napoli my favorite taste of Italy. Everybody knows where I'm having my last meal -- check out my bio, homes. Jonathon makes a mean pizza pie. But every time I mention Spacca, someone always has to chime in with "yeah, but what about that place in Sheboygan?"
You know that baller from across town you never met but always heard had your game beat, knowwhatI'msayin'? No? Not so much.
"Il Ritrovo! The famous pizzeria," they shout.
"Il Ritrovo! Certified by an international Neapolitan-style pizza federation!" (Seriously, someone told me this. There is a certification for Neapolitan Style Pizza, conducted by L'Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. Il Ritrovo and Spacca Napoli are among the fewer than 20 pizza places that have received this designation)
So we went to Kohler and gave the arch nemesis a try. We asked everyone around our hotel if they had heard of Il Ritrovo, and each inquiry was met with wide eyes and an "Ooooohhhh, IL RITROOOOVO!!!" Kind've crazy, this king pin of wood-fired delights, tucked away in sleepy Sheboygan had developed quite the reputation.
On a Spring Saturday night, when there were no cars nor pedestrians in site, we walked into Il Ritrovo and there were all the people of Sheboygan. The restaurant was jam packed with people and pizzas. Fortunately, there is a wonderful side-by-side grocery store under the same ownership, complete with an enoteca-style bar. Our bartender was well-versed in Italian wines and enthusiastic about their current offerings. We sat there with glasses of a nice, dry prosecco, awaiting our much-anticipated meal and got up a few times to stroll the coolers of local meats and cheeses, the shelves imported italian olive oils and sweets and plenty of other gourmet impulse buys.
We were seated just as we finished our glasses and were met with great energy by our waiter. The menu at Ritrovo is wonderfully diverse, filled with salads, soups, pizzas and pastas, but there was no questioning what we were in for. We ignored most of our waiters introduction to specials and went right for the pizza.
Man. It's war, Spacca.
We started with beautful mixed green salad that included bufalina mozzarella that was tangy, herby and juicy in the center. Damn. Warm crusty bread soaked up a nice vinaigrette.
I had an agenda. One white pizza. One red Pizza. I needed buffalo mozzarella and I craved a good prosciutto di parma. Our waiter recommended a special red pizza featuring salami, onions and a red chili paste. Different, but delicious. Very spicy, but the meat was extraordinary.
And balanced perfectly with a lighter, creamier white pizza consisting of buffalo mozzarella, buffalo ricotta, prosciutto di parma and arugula. This was the pizza that made the trip worth it. The crust is perfect, with little charred peaks on the heal and a slightly crispy thin bottom. The cheese was oozing, the prosciutto was delicate and fresh.
Our wine? Average. Priced inexpensively with a nice variety, my wife's chianti was okay. My Shiraz was perhaps at the end of it's life cycle. I give this team a bonus, however, for offering an atypical wine list and being a bit adventurous (no Viettis or Santa Margheritas or Ruffinos).
I may not drive all the way to Sheboygan to eat at Il Ritrovo again, but their Neapolitan-style pizza is knock out, rivaling, but not surpassing, Spacca Napoli's. I love the combination gourmet shop, wine bar and restaurant. I love the expansive menu, the enthusiasm and a truly unique offering in the middle of this distant resort town.
This place would be packed in Chicago.
Go. Get two pizzas, one for you, one for your date, mix them up and mangia. read more