Crispy crust, mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes define Neapolitan pizza. At MidiCi, a new pizzeria downtown, you can create your own pizza by changing the recipe and mixing up the traditional Neapolitan.
MidiCi is located at 1007 E. Broadway, on the ground floor of the Lofts on Broadway, and features imported Italian ingredients and a unique ambiance.
The first location opened last year on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, California, and has been massively successful. Since opening, over 400 franchises have been sold in a 16-month span. Franchisee Mike Heiland, a St. Louis native, has decided to bring some of that success to Columbia.
“Two of my three boys went to Mizzou, so we’re familiar with the city, we like the city and like the location,” Heiland said. “It has down-to-earth, Midwestern people.”
General manager Dan Jaycox said the preparation of Neapolitan pizza is what sets it apart from the pizza we typically eat here in the states.
“[The] big focus of true Neapolitan pizza is the dough,” Jaycox said. “Ours in particular is made with Neapolitan flour imported from Naples.”
The traditional Neapolitan dough is meticulously made with flour, yeast, water and sea salt, then sits for 8-12 hours before it is used for pizza. Prosciutto, tomatoes (which are crushed in-house to make the sauce) and many of the main ingredients are also imported from Italy. To maintain freshness, however, produce is locally sourced, and non-GMO ingredients are a priority.
“By paying attention to details, we kind of establish a culture in the restaurant,” Jaycox said. “We really pay attention to the details of our ingredients, the quality of our ingredients.”
In addition to the preparation and carefully selected ingredients, the Neapolitan cooking process also differs from that of a typical American pizzeria. According to MidiCi’s website, the pizza cooks for about 90 seconds in wood-fired ovens at a temperature nearing 1,000 degrees.
According to Heiland “the traditional margherita is the main focus,” but pizzas can be “built.” The menu includes many other items, such as salads, burrata plates and meatballs and cheese or meat boards (from the selection of diverse appetizers). Come early for MidiCi’s happy hour, and stay late for Italian coffee and desserts.
While the handcrafted and meticulously-prepared pizza may be divine, the entire authentic Neapolitan experience might be the main attraction.
“The culture of the place with no TV and no pictures on the walls, and really no digital distractions, with bumping Italian music you’ve never heard of before won’t distract you from bringing your friends together,” Heiland said. “The whole mission is bringing your friends together over a pizza.”
Heiland plans to open 5-10 more MidiCi franchises in the future, in Kansas City and St. Louis.
MidiCi does not have a set date for the grand opening, but plans to have a soft opening at the end of this month and open to the public around the end of November.
_MidiCi can be found on Twitter [https://twitter.com/mymidici] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/midici/?hl=en]._