Alder Wood Bistro, Sequim, Washington Field Report

I had the opportunity to actually visit and try the Alder Wood Bistro in Sequim, WA.

They are actually located on Alder Street in Sequim. That puts it a few blocks north of the main street through town, so you probably would not find it by accident if you were just driving through Sequim.

Their restaurant opened about 5 years ago. Based on my limited experience, you would be well advised to make reservations.

I believe I read that the oven was built by one of Alan Scott's apprentices.

The inside of the oven is 4 feet by 6 feet. It seems to be a typical Scott barrel vault design.

We got their roasted vegetable pizza.

Their menu contains a lot more than wood-fired oven pizza.

In this case, I can recommend a visit.

Mobile Wood-fired Pizza Catering Twin Cities

I'm adding this post because it's a common search term, and I thought I would prepare an answer for it.
(Updated 6/8/2012)

I have identified mobile wood-fired pizza catering businesses in (and near) the Twin Cities that make the effort to be easily found. All of these are (or will be) listed on my Business Ovens page (local to Minnesota and Wisconsin) and on my Mobile Oven page in the Mobile Oven Businesses section (which is worldwide).

• Big River Pizza
• Olive Pizza (added 9/26/2011)
• Pizza Festa di Viaggio (permanently relocated to Nashville, TN; sorry)
• Red Wagon Pizza Company (added 07/09/2012)
• Russell Glover Farm (River Falls, WI, but also serving the Twin Cities)
• Thyme to Entertain
• Wandering Fire (St. Croix Falls, WI, added 6/8/2012)

I have not used any of these businesses. I don't know how much they charge.

If you find similar businesses in Minnesota (or elsewhere), leave me a comment, and I will add them to my link collection.

Maine Grain Alliance, Skowhegan, Maine

I discovered the Facebook Farming/Agriculture page for the Maine Grain Alliance. Their info page says in part:

Maine Grain Alliance organizes the Kneading Conference, an annual event that brings together home and professional bakers, millers, wheat breeders, farmers, eaters, wood-fired oven builders, and food entrepreneurs and writers for two days of hands-on workshops, panel discussions and lectures.

The Kneading Conference has its own site.

I haven't been to any of the conferences myself, but what I have seen (on YouTube and other places) makes me wish I could go there.

Third Street Deli, Pepin, Wisconsin

People in one of my oven-building classes had told me that there was a new wood-fired oven business in Pepin, Wisconsin.

An article in the 7/7/11 Taste section of the StarTribune says in part:

As if Judith Hanks weren't busy enough, what with cooking jumbo breakfasts and lunches at her Third Street Deli along with running an adjacent consignment shop and day spa. No, Hanks recently dove headlong into the outdoor pizza business, and it's a gas.

 They have a Facebook Restaurant/Cafe page.

The next time I roll through Pepin at the right time, I'm stopping for pizza.

Nevada City Community Oven, Nevada City, California

Sometimes there are only a few clues, sometimes more.

There was a Wordpress blog, which disappeared. I did later find a replacement blog post that mentioned a community oven in Nevada City, California.

The post says in part:

The Bluebird Farm contingency has decided to revive the Thursday night summer potlucks……..only they have centered the gathering around a communal bread bake. They have built a cobb oven at the Wet Hill Road homestead off Cement Hill Road. A cobb oven is a wood fired oven made from clay and straw.

I did find a Wet Hill Road off of Cement Hill Road. Looking for information about Bluebird Farm turned up a page with a picture, which links to a page with some directions, but not to anyplace on Wet Hill Road.

I did add a section heading in the community oven links page for this oven. It's on the community oven map as well.

Culver City Community Oven, Culver City, California

I added some more section headers to my community oven links page with headings for some of the community ovens I had previously discovered in California.

One of the ones I knew about was in Culver City, CA, mentioned in a Orange County Weekly blog post.

The blog post says in part:

Finally, the place to be an Southern California food lover that weekend is at the Helms Bakery complex in Culver City, where the Eat Real Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday. While there will be plenty of food trucks there, the focus of the festival is on food making. There will be masterclasses on preserving, fermenting and pickling; there will be a pig-butchery contest; there will be a community oven and sourdough lessons.

This sounds like a one-time community oven, rather than a regularly scheduled repeating event.

In fact, when I look at the Eat Real Festival site, I could not find any mention of a community oven. So, maybe it's there and maybe it isn't.

Woodfire Brick Oven Pizza, Rockford, Illinois

I stumbled across a mention of Woodfire Brick Oven Pizza, Rockford, Illinois while doing a related Google search.

They have a "Restaurant/Cafe" Facebook page. (Their info page has a link to an inactive domain.)

They have gotten some mention in a local blog (here), and in on-line news article (here and here), and in bits about the Rockford City Market, "Joe D’Astice, owner of Wood Fire Brick Oven Pizza, serves pizza from the oven at City Market in downtown Rockford."

Black Beauty, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

A separate catering operation of Pizzeria Prima Strada, their mobile wood-burning oven, Black Beauty, is available for hire.

Six Hundred Degrees, Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

I found a blog post that mentioned several businesses with wood-burning ovens on (or near) Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Posts like this are valuable to me because the identify several places at once, although they are also something of a burden for the same reason.


A comment in that blog mentioned the 600 Degrees bakery, and provided a link to a story about it.


The story says in part:

Inside this protusion [an addition to a shake and shingle home], a wood-fired oven roars to life each Thursday and on Friday, beautifully rustic loaves of breads, buns and cinnamon buns, all leavened with sourdough starter, emerge from the brick oven. A couple of restaurants and health food stores snap them up. And in summer, Julie Lomenda, owner of 600 Degrees, bakes up to 100 loaves every week, many of which are sold at the local Farmers’ Market (which opens in May at Village Green, across from the District of Tofino).

Apparently they spell out the name of the bakery, so its correct name is Six Hundred Degrees. Their home page is pretty minimal.

Pizzeria Prima Strada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I found a blog post that mentioned several businesses with wood-burning ovens on (or near) Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Posts like this are valuable to me because the identify several places at once, although they are also something of a burden for the same reason.


The Pizzeria Prima Strada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, apparently makes Neapolitan pizza, but without the VPN certification.


The blog post says, "Now with two locations, Pizzeria Prima Strada in Victoria is churning out pies at a rate of up to six every two minutes." The blog post goes into substantial detail about Pizzeria Prima Strada.

Wild Fire Organic Bakery and Cafe, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I found a blog post that mentioned several businesses with wood-burning ovens on (or near) Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Posts like this are valuable to me because the identify several places at once, although they are also something of a burden for the same reason.


There was a bare mention of Wild Fire Organic Bakery and Cafe, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.


Their home page says, "Organic Levain Breads Baked in a Wood-Fired Oven."


Pictures of the breads look beautiful. They have an on-line photo album.


I would like to visit someday.

Fol Epi, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I found a blog post that mentioned several businesses with wood-burning ovens on (or near) Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Posts like this are valuable to me because the identify several places at once, although they are also something of a burden for the same reason.


There was a very bare mention of Fol Epi.


All I could find was a mention in the on-line version of Vancouver Magazine: 

Artisan baker Cliff Leir moved lock and stock to bare all in his brand-new digs at uber-green Dockside Green. The wheat silo and hand-built wheat grinder are in place and the au natural décor of salvaged fir, brick, and rock is a fitting tribute to the earthy delights on the rise. Boule, baguettes, whole wheat, and pumpernickel are the daily wood-fired breads, while all-butter croissants, organic pain au chocolat and fruit Danish, and morish schneckens—a swirl of pastry with raisins and a slathering of Grand Fir syrup—give reason to wake up in the morning.

(The "bare all" looks like a typo, to me. Nude bakers are rather rare.)

Saltspring Island Bread Company, Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada

I found a blog post that mentioned several businesses with wood-burning ovens on (or near) Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Posts like this are valuable to me because the identify several places at once, although they are also something of a burden for the same reason.


One of the businesses mentioned was the Saltspring Island Bread Company, Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada. Information about the bakery is here. There are many pictures of the oven and its owner, Heather Campbell.

Providence Farm, Duncan, British Columbia, Canada

I found a blog post that mentioned several businesses with wood-burning ovens on (or near) Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Posts like this are valuable to me because the identify several places at once, although they are also something of a burden for the same reason.



One of the ovens that was mentioned was, "the James Barber Memorial Oven at Providence Farm."


Providence Farm has an "Open Group" Facebook page.


Their home page is nice, except there is no search available. I didn't find anything about the oven there.


A Google search for the "James Barber Memorial Oven" turned up a few pages.


Apparently it was installed thanks to some fund raising. Partly it was a matter of moving an existing oven the size of a small cottage 200 kilometers. It sounds like an epic.


One page about the Canadian Chefs' Congress 2010 says, "Wet Saturday and Sunday nights were fueled by endless pizzas coming out of the James Barber Memorial Wood Burning Oven, a legacy presented to Providence Farm by the BC Congress Committee."


A blog post by Chef Jonathan Pulker has a picture of the oven. A different blog post had more information about the party.


There was a picture posted on Flickr as well.


This sounds quite incredible; I would love to see it.

Merridale Ciderworks, Cobble Hill, British Columbia, Canada

I found a blog post that mentioned several businesses with wood-burning ovens on (or near) Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Posts like this are valuable to me because the identify several places at once, although they are also something of a burden for the same reason.

The first place identified was Merridale Cider (which identifies themselves as Merridale Ciderworks).

They have a  "Local Business" Facebook page.

They have a page about their bakery and say a bit about their oven:

In the summer of 2006, we were fortunate to be approached to build a brick oven and bake at Merridale. We thought for mere seconds and said, "Of course". Now helmed by Alain Boisseau, our resident baker, we use this brick oven for our bread and pastries, apple pies, and special occasion menus. From late spring through early fall, we also make pizza, particularly for our famed Sunday night pizza on the deck.

This sounds like a lovely place to visit and a delightful place to eat and drink.

Feebie's Traditional Brick Oven Pizza, Taoyuan City, Taiwan

There is a group on Facebook for Brick Oven Builders. (I'm a member.)

There was a passing mention of Feebie's Traditional Brick Oven PIzza, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.

Feebie's Pizza in Taoyuan city, about 25min from the airport, $6 cab ride most. Whole wheat, thin crust, brick oven pizza topped with fresh ingredients....

While they have a Facebook Food/Beverages page, they no longer seem to own their original domain name (which they link to from their Facebook Info page).

Apparently they don't use that page much; instead they have a Facebook Open Group page.

Their Facebook page says they are Canadian owned. Some of the pictures show hockey uniforms on the walls.

Good luck to them, I say.

Lombardino's Restaurant, Madison, Wisconsin

I found an issue of the edible MADISON magazine that listed some wood-fired pizza places in Madison, Wisconsin.

One of the restaurants listed is one of the older ones in Madison, Lombardino's Restaurant.

The description in edible MADISON says, "Neapolitan style pizza using local, organic produce, eggs, and meats."

Pizza Brutta, Madison, Wisconsin

I found an issue of the edible MADISON magazine that listed some wood-fired pizza places in Madison, Wisconsin.

One of them was Pizza Brutta. The article says, "Chef Derek Lee is certified as a Pizza Yolo with VPN and uses local, organic ingredients and local firewood."

They also have a Facebook page.

Cafe Porta Alba, Madison, Wisconsin

I found an issue of the edible MADISON magazine that listed some wood-fired pizza places in Madison, Wisconsin.

One of them was Cafe Porta Alba.

Their home page says they make "Neapolitan Pizza officially recognized by the "Verace Pizza Napoletana" Association of Italy."

They also have a Facebook page. That page seems to indicate that they have homemade mozzarella.

Whistler Wood Fired Pizza Company, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

Apparently some people are reading this blog, and deciding that they ought to be mentioned.

That's fine with me.

I received an e-mail from Korey Klein informing me of the existence of Whistler Wood Fired Pizza Company, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

I was sent what should have been a link to their home page, but I had to search using Google to find it.

Their home page says in part:

Whistler Wood Fired Pizza is an all-natural product, baked in a "portable" wood fired oven. We can set up in a park, parking lot, or flat lot, as long as we can bring our trailer through.

Their home page has a slide show showing a couple of different wood-fired ovens on trailers.

They also have a Facebook page.

A Google search turned up a couple of YouTube videos (one that looked to be in a farmers market and another about a new oven trailer).

I want to thank Korey for e-mailing me. It shows that some people out there are interested in the subject that this blog is dedicated to.

The Rolling Stonebaker, Beverly Shores, Indiana

An on-line article from a site about northwest Indiana profiles a couple who created a mobile oven business centered in Beverly Shores, Indiana.

They call their business The Rolling Stonebaker.Their home page has a couple of neat pictures of their truck.

The article says in part:

Georgian and Chaddock cooked up the idea of The Rolling Stonebaker pizza truck, a reconfigured 1949 Studebaker fire truck that debuted last summer at Michiana private parties, farmers' markets and impromptu roadside events. The Stonebaker serves pizza from a wood-fired brick oven at the rear of the truck. The Stonebaker was so popular the Beverly Shores, Indiana, couple purchased a second antique Missouri truck for this season, which runs through Thanksgiving.

 It's clear from their site that they move around a lot.

TNF Community Oven SF, San Francisco, California

Sometimes I get lucky right away. And sometimes I have to do a bit of detective work to trace down what I am really looking for.

My Google Alert found a post about a dance show called "Our Daily Bread." This post mentioned, "the outdoor pizza oven which is a community oven for the neighborhood’s enjoyment."

I was eventually able to contact the dancer and choreographer Amara Tabor-Smith, who put me in touch with Daryl Smith, who kindly furnished me with some pictures of what is called the Tenderloin National Forest.

With that name as a clue, I was able to find a few more links that were related. (There is even a page for the Tenderloin National Forest that mentions the oven.)

There was another post about Amara Tabor-Smith, a picture of the oven on flickr, and an older page about the history of the Tenderloin National Forest.

Daryl Smith (in an e-mail to me) said, "The oven's use is always a supervised activity, usually by me or someone from our group who has been oriented to all safety issues related."

The oven now appears on my map of US community ovens, and I have created an entry for it on my community oven page.

KIPPelora Community Oven, Elora, Ontario, Canada

Sometimes I don't find out about community ovens except by chance. (Other times I get lucky, and people associated with them will contact me.)

I found a brief mention of a community oven in an on-line article for the Fergus-Elora News Express. The article says in part:

KIPPelora to begin building ovens

After many months of community collaboration and with great enthusiastic anticipation, KIPPelora is set to build the ovens that are the centrepiece of the project.

The community oven build is set to start at 9 a.m. Saturday and expected to continue through to Monday, states a KIPPelora release.

The Kitchen in the Park Project aims to set up wood-burning, community-use ovens at the east end of Bissell Park in Elora that it's hoped will eventually become the core of a community food area in the park.

Over the past week a large storage shed has been built on site at Bissell Park at the east end near the iron walking bridge and building materials have been gathered for the building work to commence.

Edge Realty has offered their services to clean up the cement pad and area, while Grand River Tree Service has donated time to cutting back large weed trees.

These are just some examples of amazing donations that have come from our community, the release states.

Centre Wellington District High School is actively assembling a donor wall, with Wellington Manufacturers providing bracket supports for this large structure.

A Newfoundland Architect donated the design to KIPP, believing the project has merit.

Having more detail, I started to see if I could find more information. I discovered more than I was expecting.

They had a Wordpress blog, including an explanation of their project, progress reports, and a YouTube video.

I even discovered some previous press that they had gotten.

Finally, I discovered they had a Facebook page.

This project embodies all the community aspects of wood-fired ovens that I find exciting. I wish them all good fortune.

My web page for specific community ovens is here. My link collection for community ovens is here.(This one is where links for KIPPelora will eventually wind up.)

Lido Woodfired Cafe and Restaurant, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Not all the news caught by my Google Alert involves reviews, openings, or good news.

An on-line article for the Courier & Mail reported that there was a fire at the Lido Woodfired Cafe and Restaurant, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Lido does not have a web site that I can find, but they do have a Facebook page.

(On Facebook they made it clear that they were not closed for long by the fire.)

Sounds like a jolly place.

Red Beard Historic Bakery, Trentham, Victoria, Australia

An on-line article from the Sydney Morning Herald covered several food "how-tos" including making sourdough bread.

For the bread making, they went to the Red Beard Historic Bakery, Trentham, Victoria, Australia.

Their home page says in part:

Located in the picturesque gold rush town of Trentham in Central Victoria, Red Beard Historic Bakery is only 70 minutes from Melbourne's CBD. We specialise in organic sourdough bread and pastry, handmade with traditional techniques and baked in a huge 19th century woodfired Scotch oven.

Their Scotch oven has a page of its own.

It sounds like a great place.

Community Ovens in the US

I have updated my community oven links to include a map of all the community ovens I have been able to identify in the US.

Only of few of these have their own web sites. You will have to follow the different links on the page to get to information about specific ovens.

The map has to updated manually, so there is always a chance that the map and the links page could be inconsistent. Changes are the links will be more up to date.

Still, the map gives a good overview of where these community ovens are.

Wisconsin Wood-Fired Oven Businesses

I'm experimenting with a mapping application. If it works the way I understand it, this post should include a map showing all the businesses in Wisconsin that I am aware of that have wood-fired ovens.



This includes all of the "wisconsin pizza farm" locations.

Note that the map markers have no links to the businesses' web sites. Some of them are accessible on my Business Ovens web page.

You can't assume that places on this map are operating as retail businesses or traditional restaurants. You will need to check each location yourself, but at least you can see where they are in Wisconsin.

06/27/2001: Added three wood-fired oven restaurants in Madison, WI.

Round Barn Farm Bed & Breakfast & Bread, Red Wing, Minnesota

Several years ago now, I got interested in what I called "bread tourism." While there are obvious places for somebody interested in bread to go (King Arthur Flour and the Kneading Conferences for example), one place I discovered was much closer to home, Round Barn Farm Bed & Breakfast & Bread, Red Wing, Minnesota.

I don't remember where I heard about them, but I did want to pay them a visit, so my wife and I went there and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. I did put some info about them on my Quest for Ovens web site on the businesses page.

Their bread baking and breakfast have their own page.

If you are one of their guests, then you can bake some bread in their oven and later take it with you.

Their breakfasts include bread baked in their oven. (I forget the hearth size, but it's an Alan Scott design built into the oldest structure on the farm, an old smoke house.)

Tinder Hearth Wood-Fired Bread, West Brooksville, Maine

What do should I do when the domain for business seems to be unavailable?

I found a blog post about Tinder Hearth Wood-Fired Bread, West Brooksville, Maine.

Searching for their site, I found an on-line version of a magazine article about them.

But regardless of which source I tried, the link to their site, http://tinderhearth.org/Tinder_Hearth/Tinder_Hearth.html, gets me the message "Firefox can't find the server at tinderhearth.org."
I get a similar message for http://www.tinderhearth.org/Tinder_Hearth/Tinder_Hearth.html.

I checked the WHOIS data base, and maybe there is a clue there. The WHOIS record was last updated on 5/21/11, and the current status is PENDING DELETE RESTORABLE. Sponsoring registrar is GoDaddy.com.

Well, Google still has a cache of some of their pages.

They have do at least have a Facebook page.

05/28/11: I got a response from tinderhearth@gmail.com about the situation:

Our website is indeed down, and we do not have another one besides the facebook page. ...at this point we probably won't get tinderhearth.org up and running again for at least 3 months.

They are just too busy baking to turn their attention to their web site right now.

Bread & Butter Farm, Shelburne, Vermont

While searching for information about another bakery, I came across the site for Bread & Butter Farm, Shelburne, Vermont. (They were mentioned in the Intervale Community Farm Other Products page.)

They have a separate page that talks about their bread and their oven.

Their bakery page says in part:

Our traditional German breads are unique, even in a state with such a lively bread culture. German bread baking focuses on whole grains, natural leaven, and moist dough. The resulting bread, baked in our wood-fired hearth oven is robust, nourishing, and long-lasting.

They also have a Facebook page.

Good Companion Bakery, Vergennes, Vermont

While looking for information about another bakery, I found the site for Good Companion Bakery, Vergennes, Vermont. (They were mentioned in the Intervale Community Farm Other Products page.)

Their home page says in part:

Here at Good Companion Bakery, just outside of Vergennes,
Vermont, we bake classic European artisan breads in a
wood-fired brick oven. Our bakery is part of a working,
diversified farm raising 100% grassfed Angus beef, all-natural
pork, poultry, and a variety of crops.

They have a wonderful page that's a photo essay of "A Day in the Bakery."

Farm to Hearth Wood Fired Bakery, Salem, Connecticut

My Google Alert lucked out for me again. I found an on-line news item about a bakery I had never heard of, Farm to Hearth Wood Fired Bakery, Salem, Connecticut. (I didn't even know Connecticut had a Salem.)

I couldn't find a web site for the business.

The article says, in part:

When he was 16 or 17 years old, Todd Solek built an earthenware oven in his parents' backyard.
"I fired it up, and it didn’t fall apart, so I started baking bread in it," he said. And now, at age 32, Solek has channeled this early passion for bread-making into his unique new business, Farm to Hearth Wood Fired Bakery, located at 26 New London Road in Salem.

This bakery sounds like one I would like to frequent.

05/28/11: Found a couple Facebook pages, here (not updated since Feb., 2011) and here.

Quest for Oven Links Updated for Mobile Ovens

I have updated my Quest for Ovens links site. I have factored out the two collections of links related to "Mobile Ovens," which had been in different parts. Now you can find "Mobile Oven Suppliers and Projects" together with "Mobile Oven Businesses" on the same page.

This makes the "Businesses with Brick Ovens" links page smaller, as well as focusing the "Mobile Ovens" links page for ease of access.

Jack's Wood-Fired Oven, Logan, Utah

My Google Alert spotted an extremely short item from the on-line version of Salt Lake Magazine, about Jack's Wood-Fired Oven, Logan, Utah.

The item is so short, I will quote most of what it says, "Wood-fired ovens are taking over the world, and it's about time. This low-key little place looks like any mom & pop's pizzeria, except for the oven dominating one end of the room."

(Jack's web site could use more than a bit of editing.)

PaneVino Wood Fired Pizzeria, Allen, Texas

Sometimes a place with wood-fired pizza gets good reviews. But, sometimes they don't.

A site called Pegasus News, News and Entertainment for DFW (probably meaning Dallas/Fort Worth), had a review that pretty much panned PaneVino Wood Fired Pizzeria, Allen, Texas.

The review says in part, "Fancy domed oven does not guarantee good pizza." (The domed oven comes from Renato, which is in Garland, Texas.)

If you visit this place yourself, let me know if you agree with the reviewer.

LoveTree Farmstead, near Grantsburg, Wisconsin

Going over my information about "pizza farms," I thought should include that I discovered before I started blogging about what I have been finding.

The LoveTree Farmstead, near Grantsburg, Wisconsin, has been getting some mention in the Twin Cities' press. They started a "pizza by the pond" business to take advantage of their own cheeses. (As far as I know, this is unique among "pizza farms.")

Another difference between "pizza by the pond" and other "pizza farms" is that they have a cob, not a brick, oven.

It's a ways away from the Twin Cities, but there have been expeditions there.

They have a Facebook group.

Community Oven, Athens, Georgia

Sometimes all I can found out about a community oven project isn't enough to help me get much closer.

In this case, my Google Alert found an online news item about architecture students getting involved in building an oven, "Several University of Georgia landscape architecture students plan to build and operate a wood-fired brick oven to serve businesses and community groups around Ben's Bikes at 670 W. Broad St."

There is one name, "The bread oven will replace a shed that previously housed a meat smoker, said John Reichert, one of the students involved in the project."

I would dearly love to find out more about their project. (If you know anything, please comment.)

HeatRock Wood Fired Ovens, Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada

My Google Alert caught an on-line ad for a "wood fired pizza & bread oven" on a site I had never heard of, backpage.com.
The ad provided a link to the main business, HeatRock Wood Fired Ovens, Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.
Their main page makes some interesting claims:

• Our Precast Refractory Wood Burning Bake Oven is the most affordable outdoor or indoor oven available! We guarantee it! 
• This Dual Purpose Oven allows you to cook inside the oven as well as on top of the oven.
• Propane Options Available - Cook with Wood today and Propane Tomorrow!

I'm not a big fan of oven designs like this, but I did think I ought to share what I find.

5/24/11: Another on-line ad, this time in Salt Lake City, for "Backyard Barbecue - Wood burning Oven Kit." It looks like they have a web strategy.

Roundboy Outdoor Products, Dorrance, Pennsylvania

Sometimes people who create web sites don't consider their audience as much as I would like. If you have a business, I think it is fair to expect that the business clearly tells where it is located.

I found a new oven source, Roundboy Outdoor Products, through my Google Alert.

Looking at their web site didn't really tell me where they were, but there was a link to a blog, and the profile of the bloggers says, Dorrance, Mountain Top, Pennsylvania.

I can't say that I'm a fan of the specific oven design, but I do want people to know it's out there.

Goodfella's Pizza, Staten Island, New York

Apparently I was in the middle of posting about Goodfella's Pizza, Staten Island, New York, but got distracted and didn't finish. (We have been having thunderstorms here in the upper midwest; I disconnect my computer when there is lightning about.)

I was reading the Facebook group, Brick Oven Builders, where Scot Cosentino posted a picture and a link to Goodfella's Pizza.


After following the link, I discovered they also had a Facebook page.


It certainly looks like award-winning pizza.


There is no doubt that they have a wood-fired oven.

J. L. Hawkins Family Farm, near North Manchester, Indiana

Another chance find on my Google search for "wisconsin brick oven pizza farm" turned up an on-line review for pizza nights at the Hawkins Family Farm,  near North Manchester, Indiana.

The review says in part, "HOPE CSA, in conjunction with Hawkins Family Farm, is pleased to announce the return of Fridays on the Farm, the weekly dining event featuring artisan pizzas made with all-natural, locally sourced ingredients baked in an outdoor, wood-fired brick oven. Pizza will be served most Fridays during the summer from 5:00p.m. -8:00p.m, starting Friday, May 6."

McCaffrey's Dolce Vita Twin Springs Bakery, Decorah, Iowa

Doing a Google search for "wisconsin brick oven pizza farm" brought a surprise: The first wood-fired oven business that I have found in Iowa. (I'm not saying there aren't any, only that I am ignorant of them.)

A blog post by Jeremy Iggers at tc foodies mentions A to Z Produce and Bakery near Stockholm, Wisconsin, Vino in the Valley near Ellsworth, Wisconsin, and the Stone Barn, near Nelson, Wisconsin.

The real subject of the post is McCaffrey's Dolce Vita Twin Springs Bakery, Decorah, Iowa. The blog post says in part, "It's a little further afield - about two and a half hours from the Twin Cities, but the setting is charming - farm country in the rolling hills of northeast Iowa - and the thin-crust pizza is pretty good....You can watch the pies, which are big enough for two, being baked in the wood-burning brick oven in the dining room - it takes about 90 seconds."

This sounds like another interesting place to visit when I'm in the neighborhood.

AtoZ Produce and Bakery, Stockholm, Wisconsin

Apparently modern times have caught up to AtoZ (or A to Z) Produce and Bakery, Stockholm, Wisconsin. They now a real web site, and not just a Facebook page (which is run by a fan, not by A to Z themselves).

As far as I know, A to Z was the original "pizza farm." One of their slogans seems to be, "Made where it's grown."

There is a section of my oven businesses links just for A to Z (currently here, but you may need to search for "Stockholm, WI" if the headings change).

They were also the first location that was a destination for a field trip by the Saint Paul Bread Club, way back in 2004, not long after the club was formed.

I think this the place that got me interested in pizza baked in a wood-fired brick oven.

A to Z had been trying to keep a low profile; they have appeared in newspaper articles, but without mentioning their address or giving directions.

Since they have their own web site now, and provide their address and directions, I feel like I can lift the embargo about talking about them.

7/7/11: A to Z was mentioned in an article in the StarTribune about food destinations south and southeast
of the Twin Cities.

8/2/11: Was told that there was a blog post about them on the Pizza Quest blog.

8/24/11: I was there on 8/23, and by about 6:25 p.m., they were serving pizza #131. They had been making more than 1 pizza per minute for the first two hours of business. The rate was probably about ready to drop because fewer people were showing up in line for pizza.

Vino In the Valley, near Ellsworth, Wisconsin

Chance conversation about "pizza farms" brought mention of Vino In the Valley, near Ellsworth, Wisconsin.

Their menu mentions a Sunday buffet (not a Sunday morning buffet!).

Their times and days of operation are here. Not open on Fridays for some reason.

Oops. Missed their Facebook page in the first version of this page.

I have a field report from my visit to Vino in the Valley.

For similar places, click on the vineyard and farm labels on the right of the page. There is also a blog post about Wisconsin Pizza Farms.

Bread Baking Link Collection

While normally I focus on brick ovens in this blog, I thought I would digress a bit by putting one of my own subsites forward.

In response to a question from somebody who heard me on Radio KASM's program, Afternoon Delight, I decided to publish my collection of links related to bread baking.

I added them as part of the web site that I maintain for the Saint Paul Bread Club.

I just called the pages Bread Links. They are built using a process similar to the one I use to build the links for the Quest for Ovens Ovens Links pages.

I also have a subsite for my baking and oven-building classes called Baking with escargo.That is mainly of interest to people near the Twin Cities, since that is where most of my classes are held (Minnesota and western Wisconsin).

If you are interested in bread baking, I hope you find the links useful.

Wisconsin Pizza Farms, Midwest Living Magazine, June, 2011

For a map with all the Wisconsin wood-fired oven businesses that I know, see this blog post.

While I was waiting for my haircut, the table in the waiting room had the latest issue of Midwest Living magazine.   I never really noticed that magazine before, but one of the cover stories was, "A Slice of Country: Pizza Farms in Wisconsin." (You can only read the beginning of the article without registering at the Midwest Living site.)

They reviewed a couple of "pizza farms" in western Wisconsin.

The first was the Stone Barn near Nelson, WI, which my wife and I have been to. They have a page for their "artisan foods," which includes their pizza.

The second was Suncrest Gardens Farm, near Alma, WI. They have a specific page for their pizza business.

There are other, similar businesses in the area as well, but they were not covered in the article.

Usually when I see somebody searching for a "pizza farm" they are looking for A to Z Produce and Bakery near Stockholm, WI. They have their own blog post here; there are many news items about them (like this one); and I have many links about them collected here.

(If you are interested in all "pizza farms" then you should go to the list of labels on the right of this page and click on "farm" or for related alternatives, "vineyard". For Wisconsin pizza farms, I put a section about them on my Business Ovens page.)


8/11/11: There was a segment of Dining with Dara that covered two different Wisconsin pizza farms (here).

Wide Awake Bakery, Mecklenburg, New York

Sometimes I find new brick oven places the long way around.

I found the Facebook page of the Wide Awake Bakery, Mecklenburg, New York, by chasing some information from the Yahoo! Brick Oven group. (On Facebook they say they are in Trumansburg.) There was a somewhat technical discussion about different kinds of ovens, which led to some pictures of bread and an oven, which led to the Facebook page of one of the group members, which led me to the page for the Wide Awake Bakery. (Here is their own page about the oven.)

The Facebook page didn't mention their home page in the info section, but it was mentioned in passing on one of the comments on their wall; I updated this post to link to it. (Their home page says they are in Mecklenburg.)

Oven builders appreciate their craft for itself, but for many it's only important insofar as an oven can be used to bake good bread (or pizza).

It appears that the Wide Awake Bakery has created an oven that will enable the production of a lot of good bread (and whatever else they decide to bake).

Wood fire pizza ovens in Japan

My Google Alert brought my attention to a corner of the world I don't see much: Japan.

It's a blog about wood-fired ovens in Japan, and aptly named Wood fire pizza ovens in Japan.

They also apparently sell some small ovens. (They do not look like general purpose ovens; they look like they are better for pizza.)

They even have a kids cooking class.

I thank them for making their interest available in English so we can see what they are doing.

Uncle Mario's Brick Oven Pizza, New York, New York

Today seems to be the day for finding brick oven pizza places on Facebook.

A rather scant page pointed out by my Google Alert pointed me toward Uncle Mario's Brick Oven Pizza, New York, New York.

Again, a Google search did not turn up a web site, but it did turn up a Facebook page.

Looks interest, but the ovens do not appear to be wood-fired.

Al & Arty's Pizza, Vanceburg, Kentucky

An on-line column from The Independent (Ashland, Kentucky) was brought to my attention.

Part of the column covered Al & Arty's Pizza, Vanceburg, Kentucky, including this quotation from a note from the manager, "We use a wood-fired, brick oven ... the largest in the nation to be exact! Roger Jahn, the owner, built the oven brick by brick and now we’re using it to make one-of-a-kind hand-tossed pizza.”

They don't seem to have a web site of their own, but they do have a Facebook page.

Epic Roasthouse, San Francisco, California

My Google Alert pulled up an interesting blog post,  which says in part, "As many of you know the soul of our kitchen is a wood burning brick oven. It is made of twenty-two thousand pounds of sand, brick and stone."

The post was something of a mystery, since it did not plainly identify whose kitchen it was. There were some clues: The blog was titled, "Epic Chefs Blog," (to which I respond, "They do?").

The blog entry was posted by "Epic Roasthouse." That sounded like something searchable.

Indeed, a quick Google search turned up the site for Epic Roasthouse, San Francisco, California.

Their home page says in part, "Chef Birnbaum will preside over a custom-built wood-fired grill and a large wood-burning oven, which, along with a spectacular fireplace, will serve as the design focal point of the restaurant."

Sounds like an interest place.

Portable Oven Classes (Update), Minnesota and Wisconsin

I have put together a consolidated site for my classes, including my oven-building classes.

The site's index page primarily discusses class formats, and locations.

There's a locations page for class location and registration information.

There's also a schedule page for both the baking classes and the oven-building classes. (For simplicity, I put the oven-building class dates on the locations page as well as the schedule page.)

The Tunnel Mill location requested an additional spring date (May 14) because of "popular demand," (the May 7 class filled and they had a long waiting list). They also said they anticipate the May 14 class to fill.

It's going to be an interesting year for oven building.

Falconer Vineyard’s Vineyard Bistro, Red Wing, Minnesota

I heard from someone from Red Wing (Bill Hanisch of Hanisch Bakery & Coffee Shop) about a winery that recently installed a wood-fired brick oven. I thought he said the name was the Faulkner Winery.

Well, at least that's what I thought I heard.

In reality, my search turned up the Falconer Vineyards, near Red Wing. Minnesota.

They have a Vineyard Bistro, which does have a wood-fired oven (picture on their page).

Their page says in part, "We will reopen for pizzas in April." Apparently that is late April.

As of May 20, 2011, their site says, "Now open Fridays through Sundays during winery hours!" On July 1, the bistro hours show that it opens at noon, Friday through Sunday.)

I added pictures of their oven that they supplied to me on my Business Ovens page.

I definitely intend to give them a try sometime.

Fork in the Ally Brick Oven Pub, Roanoke, Virginia

My Google alert showed me the Facebook page for the Fork in the Ally Brick Oven Pub, Roanoke, Virginia.

Despite having a "Photos" page, I couldn't actually see a picture of their oven.

They did have a link to some reviews, one of which says, in part, "Specialty pizzas looked to be wonderful, perfectly baked in the open brick ovens. The guys in the kitchen are twirling the dough and running about, making it fun to watch."

Sounds like a winner to me.

Hegg Store, Ettrick, Wisconsin

Kevin Stifter, one of the fine people at Smith-Sharpe Fire Brick Supply, informed about a new place doing wood-fired pizza in the wilds of western Wisconsin. To the best of my knowledge, Hegg Store in Ettrick, Wisconsin, does not have a web site, but they do have a Facebook page.

Their page does have some pictures of their oven and their pizzas.

Ettrick is somewhat north of LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Like the "pizza farm" in Stockholm, Wisconsin, they only make pizzas one night a week (so far).

Pesto Brothers, Flagstaff, Arizona

Just because I'm feeling cranky, here is an example of a way to fail at communicating.

My Google Alert sent me the link to a blog post that announced, "We have started building our Wood Fired Pizza oven!" This is apparently for a restaurant named "Pesto Brothers."

OK. Fine. Where are they located? They don't really say on the blog post.

Going to their home page, they list a street address (2500 Woodlands Village Dr), but don't provide a city or state. They provide a phone number (with area code), but unless you have the area code map memorized, that's not a great help. Under Places to Visit, they do mention Grand Canyon tours and Flavors of Flagstaff, so it does appear that they are in Flagstaff. It would have been nice just to be told. Grumble.

Stone Bake Oven Company, Sway, Hampshire, United Kingdom

I had been aware of the Stone Bake Oven Company, Sway, Hampshire, United Kingdom before, but I caught a trade press mention of them here.  (I had no idea there was a site devoted to Pasta and Noodles news.)

The news item says in part, "The Stone Bake Oven Company, a seller of wood fired ovens to cater to commercial or domestic demands, indoor and outdoor use, and a range of budgets, has launched their Rocca oven range that can be installed inside the home as well as outdoor."

Interesting designs they have.

Pizza Moto, Brooklyn, New York

I found a hospitality jobs listing on Craig's List for a pizza maker.

It was for a business named PizzaMoto. The listing says in part, "We make lovely Neapolitan brick oven pizza outdoors every weekend at the Brooklyn Flea and in Central Park for all the Summer Stage shows throughout the summer."

That sounded intriguing.

They didn't provide a web address with the listing, but I found their home page and their Facebook page. Both pages have some pictures of their oven.

They have several reviews on their listing on yelp.

Community Oven, Penrith, Cumbria, United Kingdom

My Google Alert pointed me to an organization in Penrith, Cumbria, United Kingdom that had plans for community ovens.

The organization was named Penrith Action for Community Transition (PACT).

They have many projects underway, but their community oven project has its own page.

It's also a topic on their site that you can search for related pages.

Here is their YouTube video of building a cob oven at Newton-Rigg.

Community Oven, Albury, NSW, Australia

A little piece in the on-line version of The Border Mail (in Australia), mentions, just in passing, the community oven in Albury, New South Wales, Australia.

The piece says in closing, "Naan bread, African food and French crepes will be cooked in the community oven."

The oven was built as a multicultural artifact, bringing together Australian and immigrant cultures.

Previous pages that I found point to the community oven at Dufferin Grove Park in Toronto, Canada as its likely inspiration:

"The idea came from Albury City Council's cultural development officer Narelle Vogel, who saw a picture on a Canadian website and said, 'I want one of these for Albury'," says project co-ordinator Chelsea McLaren from Hume Murray Food Bowl, a group representing and promoting local food and wine producers.

The oven has been mentioned previously in The Border Mail (here), and has also been cited as one of the area's attractions.

This page seems to be from a neglected site, but it says about the community oven, "Community Wood Fired Oven: Heading down to the community’s centre, check out what’s on exhibit at the Library Museum or savour the delicate flavours of your meal cooked in the community wood fired oven." The content seems to be the same as on another travel site's page.

Nice to see the Albury oven get such use.

I do have a set of links that I collected about this oven here.

10/26/11: I received an e-mail from Narelle Vogel with the 2011 brochure for the community oven. (I am working on getting permission to make it available for downloading or linking to it on the Albury web site.)

Dee's Brick Oven Pizza, Forest Hills, New York

The Slice pizza blog at Serious Eats has an entry for Dee's Brick Oven Pizza, Forest Hills, New York.

I had come across Dee's before (that is, before I started this blog).

The blog entry says in part, "What a nice surprise, then, that the pizza is so good—and so interesting. It's fired in a wood-burning brick oven that, the pieman claims, gets up to 900°F, cooking the pizzas in three to five minutes."

That almost sounds slow to me, for an oven that hot. Our Twin Cities-based wood-fired pizza place, Punch Neapolitan Pizza, has a line on their menu, "800 degrees, 90 seconds."

Bellaroma Pizzeria & Ristora, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The final entry from my correspondent in Canada is Bellaroma Pizzeria & Ristora, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Their site has a gallery page, and the first picture is of their wood-fired oven. Good for them!

Siegel's Bagels, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

I asked a friend who had moved to Vancouver if she had been to any of the wood-fired businesses I had identified. She had been to one, and mentioned another two, one being Siegel's Bagels, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Their home page says they have a "25 ton wood burning oven."

No pictures though.

Incendio, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

A blog post caught  my eye because it made references to both a brick oven and H.P. Lovecraft.

The blog post says in part, "We found this great pizza place in the Gastown area called Incendio’s. The brick oven looks like something from an H.P. Lovecraft story. But H.P. Lovecraft never made pizza this good! (I assume.)"

Well, there was no link provided, but I did find the home page of Incendio. I am a big fan of Vancouver's Gastown, but it's been a long time since I had time to visit.

Portable Oven Classes, Minnesota and Wisconsin

My schedule for teaching my class on portable brick ovens is now mostly firm.

If everything goes according to plan, I'll be teaching my class in five different locations this year.

Three of the locations are in Minnesota (Tunnel Mill, Silverwood Park, and the annual meeting of the Minnesota Guild of Metalsmiths), and two are in Wisconsin (French Hill Folk School, Driftless Folk School).

I put together a page about the class here. The class dates scheduled are listed below.

• 05/07/11 Tunnel Mill (full)
• 05/14/11 Tunnel Mill (added by popular demand)
• 06/11/11 French Hill Folk School
• 06/25/11 Driftless Folk School
• 08/13/11 French Hill Folk School
• 09/10/11 Silverwood Park
• 09/17/11 Minn. Guild of Metalsmiths

It's a one-day class with everyone getting a chance to build an oven and watch naan, pita bread, pizza, and bread getting baked in the oven.

Brick Oven of Morristown, Morristown, New Jersey

The web site of Brick Oven of Morristown, Morristown, New Jersey came to my attention.

I haven't checked any reviews for the place, but their site's pictures look good.

I found a patch.com post about the Brick Oven.

Luciano’s Italian Brick Oven, White Oak, Pennsylvania

Well. I don't quite know what to say about this one.

There is a "Cranberry Patch" review of one Luciano’s Italian Brick Oven, but not
Luciano’s Italian Brick Oven, White Oak, Pennsylvania.

It's also not clear what kind of brick oven they have, if any.

I'm adding them here, just in case.

Luigi's Italian Restaurant, West Palm Beach, Florida

The Palm Beach Pulse has a review of Luigi's Italian Restaurant, West Palm Beach, Florida.

The review does not detail the pizza, but it does say this, "Whatever the reason for the concept and name, the home-cooked fare at Luigi’s is downright delizioso. The well-varied menu offers generous, moderately priced appetizers, salads, paninis and heroes, brick-oven pizza, pastas and classic entrées."

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, based in New Haven, Connecticut

Westfair Online has an article about the opening of a new branch in Danbury, Connecticut of Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, based in New Haven, Connecticut

The review says in part, "The pizzeria is known for its pies made with clams harvested from the Long Island Sound. Berry said there is also an element of the dramatic in the open-space kitchens, which act as the stage for ‘pie men’ who reach into 15-foot by 15-foot coal-fired brick ovens with 17-foot- long spatula paddles. The two 15 ton ovens at the new locations were built on site to the specifications of the one introduced at original Pepe’s in 1938."

Brick Oven Restaurant, Provo, Orem, St. George, Layton, Utah

A review of Utah's best pizza joints included mention of several brick oven pizza places.

The review included mentions of the Brick Oven Restaurants, which has multiple locations around Utah.

The review says in part, "These family-style eateries feature pasta and salad bars along with pizzas such as the popular Chicken Alfredo: baked chicken, fresh mushrooms, Canadian bacon, crumbled bacon, creamy Alfredo sauce and extra cheese."

Nuch's Pizzeria and Restaurant, Salt Lake City, Utah

A review of Utah's best pizza joints included mention of several brick oven pizza places.

The reviews said this about Nuch's Pizzeria and Restaurant, Salt Lake City, Utah: "The owner is from upstate New York and the pizzas straddle the border between New York- and New Haven- style pies, baked in a brick oven, as are many New Haven pizzas."

Flare Restaurant and Lounge, Coventry, Rhode Island

A web news site had a food review for Flare Restaurant and Lounge, Coventry, Rhode Island.

The reviewer was not entirely impressed.

The review says in part, "I also must say for a brick-oven-place…. Flare needs to work on their crust. Reminiscent of a frozen and pre-docked shell, it left me looking for more."

Brick Pizzeria Napoletana, New Bedford, Massachusetts

A comprehensive survey of pizza places in Massachusetts covered several different establishments, so of which were brick oven businesses.

One of the businesses mentioned was Brick Pizzeria Napoletana, New Bedford, Massachusetts.

The survey says in part, "Their imported Italian wood burning oven and the use of a sourdough starter in lieu of commercial yeast sets Brick apart from other pizzerias in southeastern Mass."

Regina Pizzeria, Boston, Massachusetts

A comprehensive survey of pizza places in Massachusetts covered several different establishments, so of which were brick oven businesses.

One was Regina Pizzeria, Boston, Massachusetts.

The review says in part, "In October of 2010 The Food Network's Food Feuds pitted Regina against Santarpio's and declared Regina Boston's pizza champ."

FRESH Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta, Black Mountain, North Carolina

A blogger posted a review of  FRESH Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta, Black Mountain, North Carolina (apparently not far from Asheville, NC).

The review has several good pictures of pizza (but not the oven).

The review also says in part, "We walked in the door and were instantly greeted by the aroma of rising yeast and artisan cheeses wafting out of a massive fireplace. I watched pizza dough skillfully tossed in the air and then stretched as thin as a windowpane. The menu consists of pizzas with an unapologetic less-is-more attitude. Each pizza is layered with a few meticulously selected ingredients. After a trip into the fire, the pizzas arrived at our table piping hot with a blistered bubbly crust. I had to pause a moment to gaze at these glorious creations before devouring them."

Community Oven, Tanzania

The village is not identified in this article about a 16-year-old California girl who helped build a community oven in Tanzania.

Certainly it is an wonderful example of ovens improving people's lives.

About a year later, there is now more information about Lily Gordon. I have collected links about her.

Bravo Pizza, Havertown, Pennsylvania

This time the Havorford Patch site sees the action with a review of Bravo Pizza, Havertown, Pennsylvania.

The review page includes a picture of the exterior of the oven in the background, with display cases of pizza and calzone in the foreground.

Bravo Pizza has a gallery page where the sad news becomes apparent. There is a brick oven, but it is not a wood-fired brick oven.

As long as expectations are met, that's not so bad.

Nonna's Brick Oven Pizza & Restaurant, Yorktown Heights, New York

Now the Yorktown Patch makes its existence known with a review of Nonna's Brick Oven Pizza & Restaurant, Yorktown Heights, New York.

The review says in part, "Although they are relatively new, having opened in 2008, Nonna's Brick Oven Pizza has already distinguished itself. They start their thin crust pizzas with quality, fresh ingredients and cook them perfectly in a large traditional brick oven." There is a picture where you can see a case full of pizzas and part of the brick oven.

Apparently Nonna's does not have a home page of its own. Also apparently, a feature of the Patch site allows place pages to be created, and Nonna's now has one.

A La Lucia, Alexandria, Virginia

Another local instance of Patch, in this case Huntington-Bellehaven Patch, has a review of A La Lucia, Alexandria, Virginia.

The review says in part, "A La Lucia is the perfect spot for a romantic Italian dinner or a casual lunch of brick oven pizza."

Brick Oven Pub, Sacramento, California

A web site for Sacramento Beer Week mentioned Placerville's Brick Oven Pub.

Sounds like it might be fun.

Brick Oven The Bangor Rye Bread, Bangor, Maine

An on-line article for the Bangor Daily News covers the sale of a "city institution."

There seems to be some disagreement about the name for the business.

The article calls it "Brick Oven Bangor Rye Bakery."

LiveStrong.com calls it "Brick Rye Bread."

Hotfrog.com calls it "Brick Oven The Bangor Rye Bread."

Menuclub.com also calls it "Brick Oven The Bangor Rye Bread."

A site called YiPpIe! just calls it "Brick Oven."

All this is complicated by the fact that they don't seem to have a web site of their own.

The article says in part, "Bangor Rye is as famous for its challah, sub rolls, bulkees and hard rolls as it is for the family that owned and operated it for decades."

According to the article, the current owner hasn't had a vacation in 25 years and works six days a week.

It's a real bakery with real bakery work hours, "The bakery currently employs 14 people, running one shift. The Hustons come in around 8:30 p.m. to go through orders and begin making the dough needed, and the crew shows up at around 11 p.m. to start making the breads."

Bertucci's Italian Restaurant, Multiple Locations

An article that's part of Braintree Patch discussed healthy menu choices at Italian restaurants.

The article says in part, "And so I began my quest for lighter (but still delicious) Italian fare at Bertucci’s, a local icon known for its signature brick oven style of cooking.

"After scanning the menu, I happily discovered vegetable-rich soups, nutritious side dishes and plenty of tasty protein options; all perfect components of a balanced meal. I then assessed the nutrition information available online...."

Bertucci's Italian Restaurant has numerous locations in the Northeast US.

Community Oven, Elst, Belgium

My Google Alert pulled up a post on Flanders Today about a community oven in Elst, Belgium.

There is a short season where a regional specialty called geutelingen are baked, using a traditional recipe and in a traditional wood-fired oven.

The post has a good picture.

The post says in part, "Meanwhile the men at the oven work as a team, one filling the other's long-handled dipper with dough, which is then poured directly onto the hot oven base in rows. They keep a steady tempo, a wonderfully synchronised coordination of movements. The geutelingen puff up and bake quickly, in only a few minutes, before being removed and transferred to a cooling rack, where they flatten down naturally."

Goodfella's Pizza, Staten Island, New York

I found a blog entry about brick oven building and cooking on the site for Goodfella's Pizza, Staten Island, New York.

Apparently they also make and sell brick ovens.

Their home page has a lot of embedded pictures and video that makes their place look great.

Pavich's Brick Oven Pizzafe, Rancho Palos Verdes, California

A restaurant review for the Manhattan Beach Patch covered Pavich's Brick Oven Pizzafe, Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

(Apparently they don't have a web site of their own; they do have several reviews on yelp.)

The review says in part, "But if you’re like most people, that first visit won’t be your last. You’ll come back to the restaurant again and again until your company transfers you to Outer Elbonia -- and even then, there’ll be trips home."

Further down, "The oven is not just for pizza. Pavić goes out early in the morning for pork that will roast four and a half hours before being stuffed into roasted pork sandwiches with roasted yellow bell peppers, white garlic sauce, and lettuce ($7.56). The bread, in round loafs called Somun, comes out of the oven as well."

The Brick Oven Pizza, Dobbs Ferry, New York

Sometimes a site just gets something plain wrong. In this case an online directory listing for something called the Riverstown Patch ("Covering the villages of Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry and Irvington") had a listing for "The Brick Oven Pizzeria."

Their listing says, "This Dobbs Ferry staple serves a number of creative pizzas like the chicken, bacon ranch...."

The only problem is that the business lists itself as The Brick Oven Pizza.Their site has some delightful pictures of pizzas and their oven.

The Pizza Cart, Cedar City, Utah

Apparently there is  more than one business named The Pizza Cart (linked to its Facebook page).

This one is in Cedar City, Utah.

Ember Room, New York, New York

The Scallywag & Vagabond blog posted a review of the new Ember Room, New York, New York. (The Ember Room site is Flash-based and not possible to easily link to.)

It's another Todd English restaurant.

The review says in part, "[T]he sous-chefs diced scallops in front of the brick oven in the center of the restaurant."