Louis Vizzacherro has finally opened his own pizzeria—at the age of 62—proving that it’s never too late to make your pizza dream come true.
Vizzacherro, who worked for years as an executive chef in the corporate dining sector, opened Bella Cucina Pizzeria on Friday, August 28, in Nutley, New Jersey.
“My kids laugh at me and say, ‘Dad, what are you doing?’” Vizzacherro told TapInto. “I tell them, ‘I have to do it. I had the chance, and this was my dream.’”
Vizzacherro does not envision Bella Cucina as your ordinary Jersey slice shop. He’s aiming for a more upscale dine-in atmosphere where “everything is homemade. The meatballs are fresh, the chicken cutlets are fresh—everything.”
A few pizzas stand out:
- Upside-down pizza: Cheese goes directly onto the dough first, then sauce is spread over it. Vizzacherro says it ultimately still resembles a conventional pizza visually.
- Grandma-style pizza: Topped simply with sauce and Pecorino Romano.
- Pinsa: Made with a bread base imported from Italy. The TAPinto writer tried it and raved about it.
He’ll also offer rotating daily specials, including a more artisanal pie topped with fig jam, goat cheese, caramelized onions, prosciutto and arugula, then finished with balsamic glaze.
Vizzacherro makes the pastas himself, such as short-rib ravioli, lobster ravioli and shrimp ravioli.
A friend alerted Vizzacherro when the Bloomfield Avenue restaurant space became available. The previous business had been closed for about three weeks, and Vizzacherro took over the existing lease. In other words, the opportunity presented itself, and the 62-year-old grabbed it.
