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.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, May 16, 2011
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).
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).
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).
Monday, May 2, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
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.
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.
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.
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.
Friday, April 29, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
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).
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).
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
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.
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.
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.
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.
Friday, March 25, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
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:
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.)
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.)
Friday, March 18, 2011
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."
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!
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.
Their home page says they have a "25 ton wood burning oven."
No pictures though.
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