Slice of Italy: new pizzeria honours family heritage

Described as a little slice of Italy, a growing Sunshine Coast suburb has welcomed a new woodfired pizzeria that honours the owner’s grandparents.

Giorgio Gava and Gianna Gatto have channelled their heritage and the art of making bread to open Suriano’s Woodfire Pizza.

With a pizza oven all the way from Italy, the restaurant offers sourdough pizzas for lunch and dinner plus Italian pastries and coffee for the morning clientele.

Located at Sippy Downs, Mr Gava said the restaurant paid homage to his grandparents.

“Suriano’s Woodfire Pizza was born from a passion for food, much like my grandmother had,” he said.

“They raised me in Genova, Italy, and the love, respect and admiration I have for them is why I am where I am now.

Giorgio Gava learnt the art of making dough from his grandmother.

“I absorbed my grandmother’s passion for arte bianca – the art of making bread – whilst my grandfather’s life lessons inspired me to be the best version of myself, as both a person and a chef.

“I owe them everything. After years of hard work what better way to give something back to them than opening a pizzeria in their honour – in their name.

“Everything I have done in the last 15 years has been to get to this point.”

Mr Gava has experience working in kitchen around the world, working with top chefs in Genova, Naples and across Europe.

Suriano’s Woodfire Pizza specialises in traditional recipes.

Ms Gatto, who was born in Jersey with Italian heritage, has been managing restaurants on the Sunshine Coast for many years.

The couple is passionate about fresh produce, using a mixture of Sunshine Coast and Italian ingredients.

“At Suriano’s we use local Sunshine Coast produce supporting the farmers and factories in the area, while importing some traditional brands from Italy,” Mr Gava said.

“The food and coffee we serve has been re-created as best I can from a childhood spent with the most important people in my life.

“Here you will find a welcoming, warming little corner of Italy.”

The sourdough pizza is cooked in a woodfire oven from Italy.

But what makes the pizza different from other pizzerias is the bases, made from a 12-year-old sourdough starter.

“Our homemade dough begins with a 12-year-old sourdough starter made exactly as my grandmother did,” he said.

“The dough is proved for at least 24 hours, which makes it lighter and very easy to digest.

“Doing it this way also gives the dough its own unique flavour.”

Suriano’s is open from 8am to 9pm daily and the menu includes a range of pizzas, focaccias, antipasto platters, Italian salads plus traditional desserts such as homemade tiramisu and cannoli.

Coffee, Italian pastries, fresh paninis and croissants are also available.

The venue also runs pizza-making classes every few months and offers catering and private functions.

Find Suriano’s Woodfire Pizza at 9 Courage Street, Sippy Downs.

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