Photo by Erin Nelson.
Kadir Ozbey puts a fresh pizza into a box during the grand opening at Capella Pizzeria in Inverness Village on Jan. 10.
At Capella Pizzeria, more than just the inspiration for the dish comes from Italy.
The ingredients do, too, as well as the training to make the authentic wood-fired pizzas.
Because of that, owner Mehmet Ozbey said he hopes the restaurant — located at 4700 U.S. 280 in the Inverness Village Center — will “feel like a little corner of Italy” for everyone who visits.
“We make Neapolitan-style pizzas,” said Ozbey, who learned the business from his uncle. “My uncle went to Naples and learned there how to make authentic pizza in a wood-fired oven.”
Ozbey worked alongside him in North Carolina for eight years making this type of pizza before expanding the business to the Birmingham area recently. Capella Pizzeria, which opened in December, boasts two wood-fired ovens imported from Italy.
“We are so grateful to be here,” Ozbey said.
The menu offers nine signature pizzas along with the opportunity to personalize them. It also has three Italian-inspired salads — a Roman salad, which Ozbey said is their most popular; a blue salad, which features blue cheese, blueberries and honey roasted pecans; and a caprese salad, made with fresh tomatoes, basil, buffalo mozzarella, olive oil and vinaigrette.
Ozbey said his favorite item on the menu is the Palermo pizza, which is topped with sausage, sweet peppers and caramelized onions.
He said the Monica — a vegetarian and sauce-free pizza — is also delicious, made with mushrooms, fresh spring onions, garlic, mozzarella and truffle oil.
Many of the ingredients for their menu — including their tomato sauce, flour, sweet peppers, pepperoni and sausage — come straight from Italy, and all the food made on site is made fresh every day, Ozbey said.
“Everything is fresh,” he said. “The salad dressings, cannoli and everything is made daily.”
In addition to the cannoli, they have another popular authentic Italian dessert — gelato — as well as a few other options. Drink options include Italian wines and international bottled beers.
Inside the restaurant, the kitchen is open so pizza lovers can watch their dough get tossed, dressed and put into the wood-fired ovens. Italian music adds to the vibe, European sports play on the televisions, and European soccer jerseys are hung around the room.
And like the kitchen, the dining space is also open — there’s plenty of room to move tables around and make long community-style tables if you like.
“It’s great for parties or family dinners,” Ozbey said.
That fits with the restaurant’s fabric — Capella Pizzeria is a family-owned business. In addition to learning the ropes from his uncle, Ozbey also works alongside his cousins.
“We’re so grateful to be a part of this community,” he said. “Business has been great; the people here are so supportive, telling everybody they know.”
Ozbey said he’s enjoyed meeting people in the community and seeing them enjoy his family’s craft.
“I love seeing people’s reaction when they try the pizza and love it,” he said. “That’s my motivation for what I do.”
For more information, follow them on Instagram @capellapizzeria.
