Since Frank’s Pizza Napoletana opened at 6950 Fern Avenue in Shreveport in early 2013, I’ve paid several visits to the unique pizzeria. The centerpiece of this locally-owned restaurant is an open kitchen built around an impressive, wood-fired Stefano Ferrara oven. Stefano Ferrara ovens are acknowledged as elite in the pizza industry (see this post from Serious Eats’ Slice blog), and are the backbone of many of America’s most famous pizza kitchens. Manufactured in Naples, Italy by third-generation oven builders using volcanic materials from Mount Vesuvius (no kidding), these ovens cook a pizza in something like 90 seconds at temperatures above 1,000 degrees.
So, what kind of stuff comes out of this incredible oven? On my first visit to Frank’s, I opted to try one of the restaurant’s most popular pizzas, the Fig N’ Pig ($15), a pizza blanca topped with port-glazed black mission figs, prosciutto, a powerful mixture of cheeses and white truffle oil. On a subsequent outing, I tried the Nutty Rosie ($16), another pizza blanca, this one topped with crushed pistachios, fresh rosemary, Parmigiano-Reggiano and shaved red onion. While I enjoyed both of these pizzas, I didn’t really develop an opinion of what Frank’s Pizza is really all about until my most recent visit.
On my most recent visit, I ordered an entree-sized appetizer called Salmone Affumicato Focaccia (pictured above, $15), a baked-to-order focaccia loaf topped with delicious, thin-sliced Atlantic salmon, arugula, shaved red onion, capers and lemon vinaigrette. This simple combination of ingredients made room for the high-quality ingredients to strut their stuff. The arugula and pecan-smoked salmon both tasted incredibly fresh. The capers and lemon vinaigrette were bright and tart, contrasting the slight sweetness of the fish. My first bite of this dish changed my outlook on Frank’s Pizza, and is presently one of my favorite bites of food anywhere in Shreveport-Bossier.
A quick aside regarding the service here: Like any new restaurant, Frank’s Pizza seems to have faced some initial challenges in locating attentive, friendly servers. It seems to me that their team has steadily improved since opening. On my last visit, I had the unforgettable treat of being looked after by Horia, a charming French lady with a passion for cinema and the accordion, two things that I also love. Her service was some of the best I’ve experienced in recent memory.
