Capella Pizzeria Brings Italy to Birmingham

From Naples, with amore.

Owner Mehmet Obey says his goal is to make Capella’s feel like a piece of Italy. Around the restaurant, that means Italian music floating through the air and European soccer on the TVs. At the long, Sunday supper-style tables, it means crispy Neapolitan pizzas made with fresh-from-Italy ingredients: sausage made by a family near Milan and San Marzano tomatoes.

Capella’s cheese, flour, extra-virgin olive oil, truffle oil, Citterio pepperoni, and Soppressata are all imported from Italy. “The sausage is made by an Italian family who lives north of Milan, and we take pride in using San Marzano tomatoes in our sauce,” says Mehmet.

Prior to opening Capella in Birmingham, Mehmet spent years working alongside an uncle—who learned to make authentic Neapolitan pizza in Naples—at his pizzeria in North Carolina. Now, Mehmet and several of his cousins work together serving the same traditional Italian dish, straight from their Naples-imported pizza ovens.

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Once you choose your pie, the dough— house-made and cold-proofed for 24 hours for proper gluten development and fermentation—is tossed and topped with sauce, cheese, and meats, then carefully placed into one of the 800-degree wood-fired ovens made from a slab of volcanic rock. Pizzas cook in a matter of minutes.

On a recent visit, we opted for the Palermo—Italian sausage, sweet red peppers, and caramelized onion—and the Siena—fresh mozzarella, Italian pepperoni, basil, and garlic—pizzas. Both were made to order and arrived to the table piping hot in five minutes. The crust offered the perfect ratio of slightly charred and crispy to chewy, and the cheese was melty and fresh. (Vegetarian friends who joined us devoured the Monica, a sauce-free option mushrooms, fresh spring onions, garlic, mozzarella, and truffle oil.) We loved the help-yourself cheese and herb station, where we filled cups with Parmesan and dried basil to season our slices.

We filled up on pizza, but powered through to try a couple of Capella’s desserts. They import the gelato from Italy and make fresh cannoli daily. Other choices include locally made cheesecake, tiramisu, and personal sponge cakes. The kids and adults found the gelato to be creamy and delicious; the two picky Italians of our group declared the cannoli—crisp shell, fluffy filling, and crunchy crushed pistachios—“perfection.”

Though we chose to fill up on pizza and dessert on this visit, Capella does offer a tasty salad selection, including a traditional Caprese (buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil, extra-virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinaigrette); the Roman (spring mix, veggies, chickpeas, and mozzarella); and an Italian Blue (spring mix, blueberries, honey-roasted pecans, blue cheese, and apricot vinaigrette). Maybe next time, because we’ll definitely be back!

Capella Pizzeria is located at 4700 U.S. Highway 280, Suite 13 in Inverness Village Center (near The Fresh Market). Open daily 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. (or until the fresh dough runs out!). For more information, call (205) 4386108 or visit capellapizzeria.com.

Kids Who Shine Sarah And Alex Roy

Story And Photo Courtesy Of Hoover City Schools

Simmons Middle School seventh-grade student

Alex Roy and his sister, Sara Roy, who attends Hoover High School as a freshman, were awarded the Alabama Association of Gifted Students 2022 Outstanding Gifted Student Award. The award honors students who show excellence in leadership and intelligence and who are making difference in gifted education in school or the community. This is the first time students in the Hoover City Schools District have received the award.

District Enrichment Specialist Traci Ingleright nominated the students for the award. “Sara and Alex began their commitment to making a difference in their community very young. They continue to make our community a better place by participating in service learning clubs and building platforms through their small businesses to help solve environmental issues and eradicate world hunger,” she says. “Sara and Alex are a testimony to us all. They are two kids selling two items to solve two very real problems.”

The two are involved in many extracurricular activities, including math team, student diversity council, school newspaper, and sports, in addition to being passionate about making the world better. To that end, they hope their small businesses will help to make a difference. Alex’s business is Soap’d. He makes soap with unique fragrances, colors, and designs, and 25 percent of his profits go to the Kids Against Hunger organization (kidsagainsthunger.org). He also has various soap types, like cocoa butter, goat milk, and olive oil. “I can choose my own scents and colors, and I mix all of that together,” he says. He has sold more than 100 soaps! To learn more and place a soap order, visit soapd.carrd.co.

Sarah’s business is Shine Like the Earth. She makes and sells earrings, and 25 percent of her profit goes to the Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org). “I released my earrings in collections that represent a certain environmental issue,” she says. As of today, Sara has sold more than 70 pairs of earrings, including two pair sold internationally. To shop the collections, visit shineliketheearth.carrd.co.

Bham Family is committed to sharing about the amazing kids in our community! We know there are tons of young people making a difference in the Birmingham area, and we want to celebrate them in our Kids Who Shine column. If you know someone please send details to stephanie@ jbmcmedia.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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