Photo taken by Andrew Fabian

The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) would clench their fists in rage. How dare someone make a pizza that looks suspiciously like a Neapolitan-style without using yeast! But they’d have a hard time finding Anthony Petralia, who operates his sourdough pizza pop-up, Tralia, out of a ghost kitchen in Gulf Gate with Sunday residencies at 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottleshop in Downtown. The talented self-taught chef, who somehow finds the time to manage kitchens at both Gulf Gate Food + Beer and Seabar, works all over the place both geographically and stylistically.

This past Sunday’s pop-up at 99 Bottles included a pepperoni pizza with a delightful profile of flavors. A touch of sweetness was provided by a drizzle of hot honey on the finished product, which blended seamlessly with the touch of kick from the slices of pepperoni. Fresh oregano added a unique earthiness compared to the customary basil leaves found on a margherita pizza. Of course, it’s all held together by the savory addition of pecorino-romano cheese. The refined and masterful chord progression of flavors sits atop a sourdough crust that looks eerily like a delicate Neapolitan-style crust, but it has more of a crisp and flake than the doughy wood-fired versions from Southern Italy. This is pizza for pizza connoisseurs, a triumph in blending elements from different styles while staying true to the simple joy of it all. 

Just don’t tell the AVPN.

Photo taken by Andrew Fabian

Tralia, info@traliasrq.com, 941-312-1621, @traliasrq