Tim Silva, chef/owner and pizzaiolo of the newly opened Ozzy’s Pizzeria in Watsonville, says his new spot is a passion project that he intends to build into something outstanding. In addition to having been an executive chef and part owner of another successful local pizza place for several decades, he has also competed in international pizza competitions against hundreds of competitors and won several times.
Named after his one-year-old grandson, Osmo, Silva’s new pie joint centers around vintage and race motorcycles, its decidedly modern/industrial white and black decór set against metal and wood accents. He defines his pizza as neo-Neapolitan style: thin crust and wood-fired. Favorites include the Zoe, with steak, local mushrooms and deconstructed alfredo, and the Leah Lynn, mixing a pepper medley with orange zest. The Arnone is a showstopper: a white sauce pizza with mozzarella, garlic, lemon vinaigrette and arugula, finished with fresh-cut edible flowers. There are also gluten-free Detroit-style pizzas, and the dessert favorite is a house-made cotton candy.
GOOD TIMES: What makes a great pizza?
TIM SILVA: To start with, it’s all about great ingredients: buying the best available and organic/local whenever possible. And we test, test, test, I lean on my 35 years of pizza experience and trust my instincts that what I like, the guests will probably like too. The flour we get is from Italy, and of all the flours I’ve used in my career, this one is the best because it creates a dough that holds up to long fermentation times and high hydrations, and has great flavor and texture.
Tell me more about that cotton candy.
Most people have had standard fair cotton candy, and there’s usually no flavor discrepancy between the colors and the predominant flavor note is just sugar. But the way we make ours is different. We buy clear hard candy with familiar flavors, grind them up to make a powder, then use that to make our cotton candy. The idea was inspired by Chuck Hammers, a local pizza restaurant owner himself. I tested it out on my family for Easter dessert one time, and people loved it so much that they ate enough to almost make themselves sick.
Dark on Tuesdays, hours are noon-8pm (until 9pm Fri.-Sat.). 1036 E Lake Ave., Watsonville, 831-319-4464; ozzyspizzeria.com.
