VINCENZO CARRIERI-RUSSO, V&M BISTRO

HERNANDEZ

From its purported creation by Roman soldiers cooking flatbread on their shields to the emergence of dough stretching robots in the 21st century, pizza has grown and evolved throughout the centuries. Vincenzo Carrieri-Russo, head chef at V&M Bistro in Wilmington, Delaware, has personally witnessed pizza’s evolution in his own time. For nearly half a century and counting, he has been pounding the dough to bring the world’s most popular comfort food to generations of hungry diners. Now, with his daughters, Vincenza and Margherita CarrieriRusso, following in the family tradition as co-owners of V&M Bistro, Carrieri-Russo visits the Chef’s Corner to tell us about his 50-year pizza journey.

PMQ: What is your earliest pizza memory?

Carrieri-Russo: Around 1955, my mother would always go shopping in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturdays. She would drop me off at this pizzeria in the middle of Union Street. She would buy me a slice and a soda for 15 cents. I would stay there and talk to the pizzaiolo. I would watch him do the prep and ask him questions. I would always get the first slice of the day. That became a ritual and the highlight of every Saturday for me. One day I looked him straight in the eye and said, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a pizza maker.”

PMQ: So how did you eventually get started in the business?

Carrieri-Russo: Years later, my dad walked into a pizzeria and asked for a job. It was Lenny’s Pizza, the iconic pizzeria featured in Saturday Night Fever. He eventually became the head pizzaiolo there. They would allow me to go behind the counter and pretend to be an employee. In 1961, my father opened his own place in Long Island. That soon became a family affair with my parents and brothers.

PMQ: What was the first major industry change that you remember?

Carrieri-Russo: In the early ’70s, we started opening up pizzerias in malls when their popularity was in full bloom— sometimes two or three a year, in Philadelphia and the TriState Area. My father saw a future in that. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and the popularity of malls waned.

But we held on for about three decades as best we could. That was the first significant change from the small-town, single-unit operations I remember.

PMQ: What is the biggest difference in opening pizzerias today versus 40 years ago?

Carrieri-Russo: Today is more complicated due to restrictions, regulations and codes. You typically need more square footage to put together a shop safely within regulations, which ultimately means you need more money. The biggest hurdle today is getting the permits. It was much easier even just 20 years ago. Make sure you have a plan and get a head start on that. The second issue is getting the equipment. Know what you want to do and what you need to make it happen, and make sure that it fits your floor plan. Don’t leave that for last. Less than a 2” clearance on the floor can ruin an architectural plan. And make sure to hire quality contractors. You don’t want to be left holding the bag with the government for shoddy craftsmanship.

PMQ: Were pizzeria operators more or less competitive in the earlier years?

Carrieri-Russo: There was a secretive side to the industry early on regarding recipes, but the recipes were uniform. You would walk down the street and smell the grandmothers cooking the sauce, but it was all the same sauce for the most part. Everyone can have the same recipe—it just depends on who is making it. There was actually a very communicative side amongst the pizzaiolos, like we see today. There was a respect for each other’s businesses. Someone would open a certain distance away from an existing place because they didn’t want to steal customers— they wanted to build their own clientele.

PMQ: Now we’re living in the age of big chains and technology. What’s your best tip for those still trying to adapt?

Carrieri-Russo: Competition has become fierce. For the small operator, the best way I see is to go back to the roots of the business and give the customer a quality product using the best ingredients you can get and offer an old-world product to the best of your ability. Create your pizza like an artist, and I’m sure your customers will come back. But customer service [is still important]. That interaction will keep them coming to you for the personal touch. Technology or not, you are the face behind the veil.

PMQ: Is there a big demand in Delaware for V&M’s style of highend dining?

Carrieri-Russo: We are located just over 100 miles from New York, so it isn’t completely foreign to the diners here. Pizza has been evolving in Delaware—to blow our own horn, due in no small part to us. We have a good product and try to bring the flavors people know and love while maintaining a standard that

“We had to eighty-six a lot of dishes due to the shutdown of inside dining, but our Sicilian pizza became the superstar—that traditional light, thick-crust, rectangular pizza. It has been received very well by our customers and keeps them others have to try to achieve. We strive to create an atmosphere that will either put you in Italy or downtown New York City, right here in Delaware!

PMQ: How do you come up with new recipes?

Carrieri-Russo: Going back to the experience of having pizzerias in malls, we found we had to modify our recipes from state to state. The concept was uniform, but the tastes varied for each region. I always say you can’t be stubborn in the pizza business. You have to be able to bend and be flexible. If you don’t know how to bend, you will snap. Listening to the customers is key in recipe creation. And grandmothers! They always know about great flavor combinations that some people may have forgotten. Plus, they always have wonderful kitchen tricks to get the best flavor and use out of all the ingredients.

PMQ: Do you have a seasonal menu?

Carrieri-Russo: We are located right next to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania—“The Mushroom Capital of the World”—so we get some exceptional mushrooms. We love putting them in our current dishes, from our chicken marsala to pâtés or stuffed tortellini. We also incorporate very complex sauces, pastas and soups using pumpkin. Then, in the winter, we experiment with different fish, like bacalao from Iceland. But we definitely support local growers whenever we can.

PMQ: What is your favorite ingredient?

Carrieri-Russo: Yeast. I know you probably don’t hear that often. I like to use the freshest yeast I can find to create a good proof in the dough and a great taste in the pizza.

PMQ: During the pandemic, what has become the signature dish of choice for your customers at V&M?

Carrieri-Russo: We had to eighty-six a lot of dishes due to the shutdown of inside dining, but our Sicilian pizza became the superstar—that traditional light, thick-crust, rectangular pizza. It has been received very well by our customers and keeps them coming back. When the pandemic started, we had to pivot to a takeout operation, and I told my daughters, “I know this business.” I felt this type of pie would do well. We also do a timballo lasagna. It’s kind of like a pasta pot pie. But it is made individually and can be taken home and reheated in less than 10 minutes.

PMQ: Any final bit of wisdom you’d like to share with the industry?

Carrieri-Russo: Forgive quickly. Never hold a grudge. This business is very stressful, and you never know what you’ll encounter day to day. If you forgive quickly, you’ll live a healthier, longer life. Also, when I was nine years old, Lenny himself told me, “In this business, look out for the penny.” Great advice.

For more tips and insights about the industry, pizzeria equipment, ingredients and customer service, watch the full interview with Vincenzo Carrieri-Russo and his daughter, Vincenza Carrieri-Russo, at PMQ.com/vincenzo.

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