Mike Spineti will never forget his first taste of authentic Italian pizza.
He marveled at the recipe, perfected and passed down by a family in the small village of Miranda. Bocconcini, Parmigiano and Fior Di Latte cheeses. Distinct toppings of prosciutto, sweet potato, hot salame and black truffle.
But he wasn’t in Miranda. He had discovered the popular Windsor pizzeria, Oven 360.
“I fell in love with the product. It’s second to none,” says Mike. “It’s exactly what you would find in Italy, because it comes from Italy.”
He’s so in love, he just opened the first U.S. franchise of Oven 360 in Troy, along with partners Mosaab Alttabae and Ryan Guvenal. The pizzeria is at 1711 Crooks Road, at Maple.
Oven 360 is the creation of Remo Tortola, who started his first pizzeria in Miranda at the young age of 18. He later brought his family recipes to Windsor, blending them with an innovative oven concept that creates a crisp, evenly cooked thin crust.
He partnered with Chef Lucio Franceschelli, John Bornoty, Matthew Duronio and Huy N’guyen to bring his vision to life.
“Oven 360 is identical to my pizzeria in Italy,” he says. “Pizza’s our life. There’s a lot of heart in this. A passion.”
A passion for authenticity. The dough, for example, is made exactly according to his family recipe. And it’s stretched by hand while you watch – not by machine as with most pizzerias.
The oven – what Remo calls the Ferrari of ovens – is one of the most expensive in the world, imported from Italy. Inside, the pizza rotates on a flat stone made from a mountain. Yes, Mount Vesuvius.
“The holes in the stone create a crispiness,” says Remo. “There’s a crunch. It’s a beautiful pizza. I love my pizza.”
He also touts the speed. This specialized oven, coupled with the thin-crust dough, means that any pizza can be ready to go – from ordering to walking out the door – in under eight minutes.
Each of the toppings is carefully selected by Remo and Chef Lucio. During a visit to Modesto, California, they fell in love with the field tomatoes found there.
"I'll never use another tomato again," he raves. "These are so sweet and juicy. They're perfect for a pizza."
Nearly half of the toppings, though, are imported. “The bacon, pepperoni, sausage, prosciutto. Even the salami is imported from Calabria.”
Ever try potato on your pizza? Ricotta? How about gorgonzola, caprino (goat cheese), friulano or vegan cheese? You will, at Oven 360. And you'll watch them assemble it, right in front of you.
Order your own creation or select one of the spectacular signature pizzas.
Try the Remo: Ricotta, mozzarella, seasoned mushrooms and hot salame.
The Lucio: Sundried tomato, goat cheese, mozzarella, roasted peppers.
Or the Francesco: Sweet potato, goat cheese, mozzarella, garlic, parsley, with no sauce.
“This was named for my son,” Remo smiles. “When he was a little kid, the only thing he would eat was sweet potatoes. I added some goat cheese for protein. He loved it. That was his lunch and dinner for months, so I decided to make a pizza just like it. I added garlic to give it a little kick.”
Mike’s favorite: Mr. Harper, named for the former Prime Minister. Ham, Italian sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella.
You’ll find much more on the menu – paninis, salads, pastas. For dessert, Nutella pizza.
And then there’s the gelato.
“We had no expertise in this area, so we called a gelato master from Italy, flew him in and he stayed with us for two months, teaching us how to make it. This is the same gelato you’ll get in Italy.”
This authenticity is what captured Mike and his partners from the first bite.
“The experience we’re creating here is a high-end pizza with fresh ingredients at a very reasonable price,” he shares. “If you’re looking for an authentic Italian pizza experience, you'll love it as much as I do.”
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It's almost impossible to find these signature pizzas anywhere else, because many of the ingredients are imported and unique to Oven 360. Here are some of the more popular signature pies:
QUATTRO STAGIONI Mushrooms, Artichokes, Ham, Black Olives, Mozzarella
MIRANDA Spinach, Ricotta, Prosciutto, Mozzarella
OVEN 360 Spinach, Italian Sausage, Hot Peppers, Mozzarella (no sauce)
MR. HARPER Ham, Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Mozzarella
FRANCESCO Sweet Potato, Goat Cheese, Mozzarella, Garlic, Parsley (no sauce)
REMO Ricotta, Mozzarella, Seasoned Mushrooms, Hot Salame
LUCIO Sundried Tomato, Goat Cheese, Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers
CHICKEN PRIMAVERA Chicken, Pesto Aioli, Sundried Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Mozzarella (no sauce)
QUATTRO FORMAGGI Blue Cheese, Parmigiano, Friulano, Mozzarella
BLACK TRUFFLE Mushrooms, Sausage, Mozzarella, Roasted Peppers, Black Truffle
AMERICANA Tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, green peppers and mushrooms
NUTELLA PIZZA
The holes in the stone create a crispiness.“There’s a crunch. It’s a beautiful pizza. I love my pizza.