Chef/owner Gerard Craft of Niche Food Group will host his third Pastaria Pop-Up on Tuesday, August 2 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at OneC1TY’s C1TYBLOX to preview his upcoming restaurant, Pastaria Nashville. This event will be the third in the series of pre-opening tastings. May’s pizza pop-up drew big crowds, despite a torrential downpour.
“We somehow managed to sell out of 140 pizzas that day,” Craft explains, with a laugh. “We’re hoping for better weather this time around, but we want to continue to get the community’s feedback before opening. I know that our chef team is excited to get to know the people of Nashville as well.”
Craft will once again bring his 8,000 pound mobile pizza oven to execute the next pizza pop-up. The menu will feature three of Pastaria’s favorites: the classic Margherita, the spicy Nduja, and a seasonal vegetable pizza. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase whole pizzas as well as beer, wine and a special whiskey cocktail from neighboring restaurant, AVO. In addition to the pizzas, guests will have the opportunity to test Executive Pastry Chef Mathew Rice’s latest creations like his Burnt Toast with Concord Grape Jam or Strawberry Shortcake gelato cups.
Chef Craft dedicated over two years to perfecting his dough recipe for Pastaria’s pizzas. After testing countless variations in his backyard wood oven and traveling across the country to experience the best of the best, Chef Craft settled on a Midwest hard winter wheat, a regional modification from the traditional Double 00 flour, to produce the perfect chewy, bubbly crust for the perfect balance of texture and flavor. The research didn’t go unnoticed. Food & Wine recognized Pastaria as one of the best pizzas in unexpected places, Thrillist named Pastaria as the best pizzeria in Missouri, and more.
