The Best Calzone In Florida, Here’s Where To Go
What exactly is a calzone? Depending upon where you are in the country, the answer will differ. However, in Naples you will find one of the best calzones in South Florida.
Of course there are some essential components to a standard calzone. Typically, a pizza dough serves as the foundation. This then brings us back to our opening question. Is this Italian food treat a sandwich, a different form of pizza, a shareable appetizer plate, or all of the above?
Perhaps it doesn’t really matter. Calzone enthusiasts will find the distinct factors that separate certain restaurants’ way of making this item by its fresh flavors and what toppings and ingredients are inside.
If you recall, there was a time where calzones hit the mainstream in America. For example, Pizza Hut used to offer a menu item called the “P’zone.” This pizza chain had a few variations of the P’zone available, but the real thrill was the chance to build your own.
It was their signature dough, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese, but then you pick the topics you want to throw in. This brings us to another question. What makes a calzone so great?
The answer seems to simply be that you mix all of your favorite pizza ingredients together into a giant hot pocket. It’s cooked fresh in a pizza oven and certainly qualifies as comfort food. Lastly, it’s important to know the differences in how calzones are prepared depending on where you are.
In New England,, for example, a calzone is typically not made with ricotta cheese and is prepared as a more flat-looking food. It’s essentially a pizza with a crust baked on both the top and the bottom. It’s then cut into strips and delivered in a pizza box.
In the tri-state area a calzone is completely different, you will find a calzone to look more like a halfmoon, and egg shaped delicacy. It’s then loaded with ricotta cheese as the signature ingredient. From there, you add your ingredients like ham, sausage, or vegetables.
In Florida, we are lucky enough to have restaurants to cook in both styles.
Here’s Where To Go To Get An Unforgettable Calzone In Florida
Located at 3375 Pine Ridge RD, Nunzio’s Taste Of Italy was destined to cook up great calzones in a city by the name of Naples.
Here, calzones have their own section of the menu where the stromboli and New York chicken roll items are as well. Nuzio’s allows you to build your own calzone. After the dough, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese you are faced with six different meat options. You can also add in vegetables, eggplant, garlic, hot honey or truffle oil.
If you can’t decide, I have the perfect sampler for you. Get a chicken roll, which is a dough-filled chicken cutlet, sauce, and mozzarella cheese (essentially, a chicken parm sandwich in a different form). Then, don’t overthink the calzone and simply order the cheese option. Throw one vegetable option into the mix (you can’t go wrong with green peppers and onions). If you want a little extra kick, sprinkle in some grated parmesan.
This order gives you all of the full flavors of a Nuzio’s calzone with the chance to try any hearty option as well, with the homemade chicken roll. In other words, if you went to a restaurant that makes legendary burgers, and then you add one five toppings, you may drown out the full seasoned flavor of the burger.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping your calzone simple. You cut this calzone in half and can see the steam flow out. With fresh ingredients then oozing out, it’s very hard to control yourself to let it cool down before taking a massive bit.