Imagine strolling the streets of Naples and coming across a local pizzeria. A young man is tending to the ovens, wielding his pizza paddle. That could well have been chef and pizza expert, Dino Santonicola. The Naples native performs the same culinary tasks at Bethesda’s new pizzeria, Pizzeria da Marco. Considering that Santonicola started his kitchen career at the age of 13 in a neighborhood pizzeria, it is no wonder that his pizza skills are in demand. “I started in a pizza place down the street from my home,” he explained. “I was just hanging out there and the staff were friends. I asked if I could help out in the kitchen.”
The youngster went to school in the morning and spent the afternoons washing dishes and delivering pizzas. Management decided to train young Santonicola, who spent one day a week and the weekends learning the pizza ropes. “It was a long process,” he added.
| If you go |
| Pizzeria da Marco |
| Where: 8008 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda |
| Info: 301-654-6083 |
| Hours: Lunch, Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Dinner, Sun.-Thurs., 4 to 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat., until 11 p.m. |
After graduation, Santonicola enrolled in a local culinary school. “It was the best school for pizza,” he said. “I got to work in the kitchen.”
When a friend asked him to move to Seattle several years ago, Santonicola left behind Naples for a whole different culture and lifestyle. He later moved to D.C., another foreign place to him, but one which he has come to enjoy.
He has also gained some perspective on the differences between Neapolitan and American pizzas. “With Neapolitan pizza,” he said, “the dough is really soft, and our ovens are really hot. American pizza dough is really hard.” For his prize pies, Santonicola uses flour, fresh mozzarella, Marsano tomatoes, and follows the traditional techniques, adding that he does not toss the dough in the air as many popular movies depict, but kneads it carefully on a marble slab. The result? A delicious, soft crust.
The restaurant offers pizza as a main course, topped with meat, prosciutto, salami, artichokes, olives, sausages, rapini, pepperoni, or whichever selection the customer chooses. “We actually do Neapolitan pizzas,” he said. “And to do that, you need a guy from Naples.”
A pizza maker for about 22 years, Santonicola has no regrets about his career choice. “I will always be a pizza maker,” he said. “Not a cab driver.”
Will he return to Italy? “Not until I am about 55 or 60,” he said, pointing to a photo of his grandmother holding buffalo mozzarella.
Q&A
What is your comfort food?
Pasta. I love pasta with tomato sauce, basil, the simple one. I grew up with pasta.
What has been the greatest influence in your cooking career?
You have to learn pizza from Ciro from Naples. He’s the one who does it with pizza. He said, “If you burn the pizza, you pay for it.” You make the dough and you have to stay in the room until it is done. You really need a lot of patience. You really work and do not complain.
Which is your favorite restaurant?
Assaggi and Da Domenico. But I don’t have much time to eat out.
What’s in your fridge?
I have got everything. It’s all from Whole Food. Lots of drinks, and there is always pasta and olive oil.
What are your essential ingredients?
Tomatoes and olive oil. This is the greatest combination. I really eat lots of tomatoes.
Recipe
Eggplant Parmigiana
Serves 6
3 1/3 pounds eggplants
Sea salt for sprinkling and seasoning
About 6 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can tomato paste
About ? cup red wine
2 (24-ounce) cans tomatoes, strained
Several fresh basil leaves
Flour for dusting eggplant slices
10 ? ounces smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced
5 ? ounces grated Parmesan cheese
Slice the eggplant ? inch thick lengthwise. Set a colander into a large bowl, layer in the eggplant slices, and sprinkle them with sea salt to remove any bitterness and to soften them. Cover the slices with a medium-weight plate, and set aside for about 1 ? hours.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat, and saut? the onions and garlic until golden. Stir in the tomato paste with a spatula, and add the wine and a pinch or 2 of sea salt. When this is well mixed, add the strained tomatoes and the basil. Reduce the heat to medium low, and cook for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the eggplants under cold water and pat dry. Dip each slice on both sides, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and pan-fry the slices until golden. Remove and place on paper towels.
To assemble the dish, in an ovenproof baking dish, put in a layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of eggplant slices, aprinkling them with a few pinches of sea salt. Add more tomato sauce, and then a layer of the cheese. Repeat the layering, placing the eggplant slices sprinkled with a few pinches of sea salt, in a different direction–for example, if one layer went from end to end of the baking dish, place the next layer from side to side. Finish the top layer with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, and serve.
