FACING PAGE
AND TOP LEFT:
Jeff’s pepperoni pizza.
BELOW: Bettola’s Sophia
pizza with eggplant,
artichokes, arugula and
vodka sauce and left,
Truffalo Buffalo
chicken pizza.
JEFF’S WOOD FIRED PIZZA
In uncertain times, there is still
pizza. Perhaps the world’s most
reliable food, it follows the old
adage that, even at its worst, pizza
is still pretty damn good. That’s
not to say it’s remained stagnant over the
past seventy years or so: The evolution of
pizza in this country is a study in dough,
from thin to thick to blistered. But, as far
off as Naples is, the native Rhody spirit is
readily infused into what has become an
American staple.
Born out of a wood-burning food truck,
Jeff Stafford and his wife, Alexis, recently
opened up a storefront in East Providence
which — like every other venue in the state
— turned to takeout in its very first months.
But not much is lost in translation; the
twelve-inch pies travel with charm. Stafford
uses a sourdough starter in his dough and
its influence is significant. Individual pizzas
are tinged with wood soot but because the
dough is bubbled and chewy, the contrast
is marked and welcome. The beauty of a
wood-burning baked pizza is that, in ninety
seconds flat, it creates history for those of
us eating. We know where that dough came
from as it tells the story of its origin in every
bite — and Stafford is intent on telling tales
in the constructed pie as well.
In the thick of social distancing and the
subsequent outpouring of support, Stafford
expressed his pride at being a townie and
his local conviction permeates the menu.
Barbecue pork comes from Pawtucket’s
Smoke and Squeal, mozzarella hails from
Narragansett Creamery and meatballs are
made in-house. Throw in accessories like
candied jalapenos, organic micro basil and
a piquant balsamic buffalo sauce, and you’ll
start to see just how far-reaching the impact
of Stafford’s alma mater, JWU, is. Even
Proclamation Ale has a foot in the game
with its “Proc Loves Jeff IPA,” a brew that
matches not only the charred crust with
an appropriately bitter note but the previous
noteworthy can designs as well. This
may be the very best-looking logo on the
market.
There are sides worth getting with your
stellar pizza: a mean hot honey chicken
sandwich, truffle fries and house salads.
But Jeff’s radiates local love in its pies and,
if you can only get one thing, order a pepperoni
pizza loaded with meaty cups that
curl upward like Shrinky Dinks. Only a
place like this could make you think of Campania
in the first bite and finish the last bite
proud to be a Rhode Islander.
127 Waterman Ave., East Providence, 537-
7500, jeffswoodfired.com. MUST GET: Pepperoni
with a can of Proc Loves Jeff IPA.
BETTOLA
Bettola is a pizza joint disguising
itself — successfully
— as a bar with a retro, urbane
appeal. Its broad brass pendant
lights and olive leather
banquettes suggest that it’s almost too stylish
to be considered for local takeout but style
lies far beyond interior aesthetics. Bettola is
the little sister to Cranston’s Basta and it
carries that same juxtaposition of modernity
and tradition. Even appetizers go old-school,
from the pasta fagiole and arugula salad to
the eggplant rollatini and fried discs of mozzarella
served with bright basil pesto.
The pizza is a cross between Neapolitan
and New York-style: It comes out charred
on the edges but it’s firm enough to eat by
the slice and, if you’re from Queens, you’ll
even be able to fold it in half while swallowing
the slice in three swift bites. The menu
speaks with an Italian sense of humor: Luca
Brasi, Eddie Mush-room and Dr. Vinnie
Boombatz are all an array of updated classics,
featuring bianco sauce, braised beef, a
red sofrito base and a shower of prosciutto.
But given that Bettola has put so much care
into its pizza accessories (toppings, sauces,
drizzles and crusts), this is the place to build
your own. >>
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MAY/JUNE 2020 109