What makes an amazing pizza, simply outstanding? Hint: It’s not the water.
Las Vegas recently landed two pizzerias on the prestigious 50 Top Pizza list, a recognition that puts them among the best pizza places in the U.S. On the list: renowned pizza maker Tony Gemignani’s Pizza Rock along with Double Zero Pie & Pub, a one-year old pizza restaurant in Chinatown headed by chef Michael Vakneen.
So how is this ranking assembled? Well, 50 Top Pizza dispatches anonymous inspectors all over the country to not only judge the quality of the pizza but the service and atmosphere. They dine. They pay. And then in Vakneen’s case, “you wake up and get an email one morning saying you made the list.”
Vakneen says to think of it as “the Michelin guide to pizza.” He tells Time Out at a recent anniversary party that it was “a pinch me moment” and a milestone.
Vakneen credits his pursuit of perfection and his dedicated team to making the list. When asked the secret to crafting an award-winning neo-Neapolitan pie, the former bagel maker turned pizzaiolo chuckles and responds, “It’s not the water at all.” But it’s everything else, starting with finely milled 00 (double zero) flour.
“It’s the process and the ingredients you’re using. The quality of everything going into it and the quality of the person that’s making it,” Vakneen explains. “It’s mastering the process and perfecting the timing.”
Vakneen is always experimenting with recipes and testing out new pies. His latest creations: a veggie version topped with charred green onion, garlic, marinated zucchini, squash and fresh herbs, and another pizza he calls the Salami Rosa.
“We wanted to create a pizza that had a little bit of spice with a savory meat component,” he explains. “We found this salami rosa that’s like this cross between salami and mortadella, that was perfect.”
To complete the pie, Vakneen whips up a red pepper pesto with a hint of chili oil, adds dried tomatoes, garlic, crushed pistachios and a squeeze of lemon.
“They’re classic flavors, just done in a new way,” Vakneen says. “We’re giving someone something new visually but when they eat it, it rings a bell in their head or they get a light bulb moment that it tastes like something they’ve had before. We’re not trying to make the guest feel like they’re eating something that’s intimidating. We want them to feel at home but give them something new and fresh.”
If you’re dining here, don’t pass on dessert. Vakneen has created a deconstructed cannoli that’s worth the calories. Rather than rolling it up and piping it with pistachio filling, he’s layering it like a thin cake.
“Take a spoon and break it and it shatters like glass,” he says. “You still get the crunch and the cream like a traditional cannoli, just in a new fun way.”
Double Zero Pie & Pub is located at 3853 Spring Mountain Road. It’s open Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 10pm and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 11pm.