Victoria's Pizzeria was Featured in the Virginia Pilot Newspaper about our fresh ingredients and high quality imported flour.
See the article here.
By LEE BELOTE | jlbelote@verizon.net | Correspondent
UPDATED: November 10, 2024 at 10:46 AM EST
Victoria Choutris loves making pizzas.
Her dad, Yiannis Choutris, said she’s always been fascinated with food and has been making pizzas since she could walk. Now, 9-year-old Victoria is thrilled to have a new pizza restaurant named after her. Yiannis said she was the inspiration for his new Victoria’s Pizza restaurant that opened in August on North Great Neck Road inside the Renaissance Shopping Center. Victoria’s Pizza is also next door to Yiannis Wine Shop, a wine bar and restaurant that he’s owned since 2011.
Yiannis describes his pizza as Neapolitan style, which is pizza that’s prepared with simple and fresh ingredients. His pizza uses an Italian imported flour that is chemical free, buffalo mozzarella chunks (never shredded cheese) and a sauce made of crushed tomatoes. The oregano comes from Cyprus, Yiannis’ hometown.
“We strive to be as organic and clean as possible,” Yiannis said. “Half of the year we grow our own tomatoes and herbs. That’s all we want to go in our food.”
The wood-fire pizza oven was brought in by truck from New York and then built on site. Made by Fiero, the Italian oven covered in red tiles features a rotating deck that allows the pizza to cook evenly and has a dual fuel oven, gas and wood.
The bestselling pizza is the Hot Honey, which is topped with pepperoni, crushed tomato, buffalo mozzarella and hot honey. Another specialty pizza called “Yiannis,” is covered with fresh tomato, zucchini, squash, spinach, capers, Kalamata olives, roasted red pepper, feta and oregano.
Victoria's Pizza recently opened on North Great Neck Road inside the Renaissance Shopping Center. The Neapolitan style pizza is made with Italian imported flour that is chemical free, buffalo mozzarella chunks and a sauce of crushed tomatoes. The wood-fire pizza is made with simple and fresh ingredients, said owner Yiannis Choutris.
Other customer favorites include the pork gyro, meatballs, Arancini (stuffed rice balls) and the Greek salad. The pork gyro is done on site and uses the Greek approach with a vertical rotisserie to cook the meat. “Our menu items are authentic to their origins,” Yiannis said. All of the breads, burger buns and desserts are baked in house.
Chef Dave Craine said the desserts are extraordinary, including the huge chocolate s’mores cupcake with a marshmallow crème brûlée on top. He described their moon pies as colossal cookies with flavors such as pop tart and chocolate peanut butter. “Everything about this place is home grown,” Craine said.
Tables in the restaurant are larger than the average table size to encourage food sharing. Also, the artwork that decorates the open, airy restaurant was done by local artist David Hollander and showcases the harvest-to-table theme.
The restaurant, now open for lunch, offers a daily lunch special for $15 that includes half a pizza, salad and drink. Soon, Victoria’s will be offering home delivery. “The idea of having the businesses next to each other was as scary as it was exciting,” Yiannis said. “I own Victoria’s Pizza, but the plan is for Victoria to take it over when she’s older.”
Lee Belote, jlbelote@verizon.net Originally Published: November 10, 2024 at 10:43 AM EST
[Photo Caption] Yiannis Choutris, owner of Victoria’s Pizza, stands in front of his Italian pizza oven that is a dual fuel oven, gas and wood. Choutris also owns Yiannis wine shop next door. [Photo Credit] (Lee Belote/For The Virginian-Pilot)
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