Photo: PIzzeria Tratto When Christopher Royal opened Pizzeria Tratto in downtown Penticton five years ago, he knew he was bringing a little Italian magic to Peach City. Tratto introduced traditional Neapolitan pizza to Penticton, bringing together the way pizza is made in Naples, the birthplace of pizza, while combining all the good life Okanagan has to offer. “When we opened Tratto it was an instant hit.
It was like lightning in a bottle,” said Christopher. “It’s street food from Naples.” With an open kitchen, guests can watch the dough being stretched, topped and then cooked in a traditional Neapolitan dome oven which is the centre piece of the restaurant.
It only takes 90 seconds to cook because the oven hovers around 900 F. All the dough goes through a cold process for a minimum of three days in the ‘dough room.’ This time sitting relaxes the gluten which makes the dough much easier to digest, said Christopher.
The time is also key to making the best tasting pizza there is, giving it a slightly chewy and soft center and char crust. The pizzas are brought to the table uncut and to be enjoyed with a knife and fork or by hand by folding a slice in half and folding it into a cone to eat, he said. Each pizza pie comes to the table with a pair of scissors for you to cut your own slices.
But the scissors aren’t just a gimmick, explains Christopher. “Neapolitan pizza is very delicate. Slicing it with a knife damages the dough.
” Why they chose Penticton over Kelowna or even Vancouver Island is because they saw the beauty here and there weren’t any fresh, open concept eateries with a focus on specialized Italian cuisine. “This town needed something a little bit different, something bright, with an open kitchen where you get dinner and a bit of a show,” he said. Since opening in late 2019 at 256 Westminster Avenue, the pizzeria has created a local following who come for the consistently delicious flavours but also for the service, said Christopher.
He’s eternally grateful for the community support who he said got them through the pandemic. “The success is in our staff. We really pride ourselves in giving impeccable service and consistent flavours.
Our servers are highly experienced and have a depth of knowledge both about our menu and wine. Our chef and cooks take pride in every pizza they make.” The success is also in the ingredients and how those ingredients are cared for and delivered.
The double zero flour is imported from a mill in Naples. So is the San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte (milky fresh mozzarella) and best tasting burrata used to make their popular ‘Burrata Bomb.’ The “tastiest ricotta in the world” is from Tanto Latte, an Italian soft cheese producer based out of Salmon Arm.
Tratto offers traditional pizza like the classic Margharita to the Napoletana that has anchovy, garlic and chili and not to be missed is their Capricciosa with fior di latte, parmesan, ham, salami, mushrooms, artichoke and olives. Christopher may not be Italian, but he’s very passionate about the foods and wine that come from the country. He is a sommelier trained in Italian wines and has curated a cellar of perfectly paired wines that he loves to share with guests.
Christopher’s favourite pizza is his own creation called the Bee Sting, featuring fior di latte, gorgonzola, prosciutto, local honey and chili to give it that sweet heat. “The Bee Sting is near to the perfect pizza. I challenge the cooks to come up with a pizza that can top the flavours of the Bee Sting but no one has yet,” he said.
To give you a flavour of how many pizzas are being made in a year, Tratto goes through 800 dough balls a week in winter and 1,700 a week during the summer. Each week, staff have been using their creativity in the kitchen with a featured pizza of their own creation. “One of our cooks came up with a Donair pizza that flew out the door and turned out to be a huge hit,” he said.
Christopher’s dream of bringing family “food joints” to Penticton hasn’t stopped at Tratto. He opened Chulo — a Spanish-inspired micro-tapas and cocktail bar — last June. It’s an intimate space with no more than 20 seats, and pays homage to restaurants like his friend’s place the ‘Sardine Can’ (named for how small it is).
“I wanted to open a Spanish tapas bar that is like a Barcelona gin and tonic bar,” he explained. “The idea is that you come grab a bite and drinks and go. It’s not a sit down for a long time and dine experience.
You can even stand and eat. It’s an urban-European concept that’s new for this area – it’s fun, you should try it, said Christopher. “The food is simple and punchy.
The drinks are too.” Find Chulo Tapas and Bar at 124 Estabrook..
