- December 26, 2024
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Fire In the Hole owner Roger Bradford and pizza maker Melanie Clause at the wood-fire oven. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Plenty of oak wood is on hand for pizza making. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Roger Bradford works with the fire. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Roger Bradford behind the bar at Fire In The Hole. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Roger Bradford works with the fire. Photo by Brent Woronoff
If you want to learn about the history of pizza, you can talk to Roger Bradford. If you want to get a taste of history, you can stop by his new restaurant, Fire In The Hole.
Fire In The Hole opened about two weeks ago in Woodland Commons Plaza, 5 Utility Drive. It has a full menu but specializes in Neapolitan pizza.
As you walk in the door the first thing you notice is the giant wood-fire oven, followed by the stack of oak wood in front of the counter and smells that will take you back to your Italian grandmother's kitchen.
“When pizza was invented 300 years ago it was cooked in a wood-fire oven,” Bradford said. “We’re trying to keep the Naples tradition going.”
Bradford’s oven was imported from Naples. Many of the ingredients the restaurant uses, including the San Marzano tomatoes, the flour and most of the meats, are also imported from Italy.
The bottom of the oven reaches a temperature of 850 degrees and the top goes over 1,000 degrees. The pizza cooks in about a minute and a half, Bradford said.
“To be true to the art, the crust in the middle is so thin you try to limit the toppings,” said Bradford. “The crust is charred, which adds to the flavor.”
Bradford was looking to open a pizzeria in Palm Coast in early 2020, but the pandemic delayed his plans.
“I just saw a void in Palm Coast for owner-owned restaurants. There are too many chains in this town,” he said. “I waited almost a year before I found something, because it was wrong time.”
Besides pizza, Fire In the Hole has a full bar and offers a variety of salads, entrees and desserts.
Its pizza specialty is the Margherita -- San Marsano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, Parmisan cheese and fresh basil. Other pizza selections include pepperoni; sausage; meatball; chicken bruschetta (mozzarella, fontina, tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken, basil and balsamic glaze); chicken pesto; Calabrese (tomato sauce, Calabrese salami, sausage, mozzarella, fontina and ricotta cheese with fresh basil).
There is also the Shroom Out that includes mushrooms, pancetta and truffle oil; arugula prosciutto; white cotto pizza; and beet pizza (roasted beets, sauteed onions, blue cheese and balsamic glaze).
