Oviedo’s pizza spin doctors

New York couple brings traditional pizza to Oviedo, adds their personal spin

The small, family-owned restaurant is tucked into the back corner of the Riverside Terrace Shopping Plaza - hence the name Backstreet - and though it has been open since just September, business is thriving within this little hamlet, co-owner Angelo Laise said.

Angelo and wife, Staley, moved here from New York five years ago. The couple, which Angelo described as "professional pizza eaters," ordering out three to five times a week, initially faced a problem when they found themselves in Oviedo's fast-food paradise.

"One of the things we noticed is the need, I feel, for a good quality pizza," he said.

Not long after, Angelo, Staley and her father, Ken Kreador, also of New York, founded Backstreet Pizza with the purpose of serving exceptional New-York style pizza customers can't find anywhere else.

Along with them came head cook Joe Ammaturo, a veteran pizza maker who began his career in Italy, where his father sent him to work at a pizzeria at 14.

Ammaturo stresses freshness in his creations, and everything made in Backstreet Pizza is from scratch. As for how he does it, however, "Like everything else, it is so simple, but I can't explain it," he said.

Customers can order out, if they please, but a visit to the shop may be best. Don't be surprised to see circles of pizza dough making elegant turns in midair. Cook Ryan LeRose, who took the gold in freestyle dough tossing at the World Pizza Olympics in Orlando, twirls pizza dough in the shop.

LeRose is gearing up for the Pizza Olympics in Milan, Italy, this April.

"I'm doing handstands now and tossing pizza," LeRose said. Of course, that pizza is not meant to be eaten. His "forward bicycle" toss is a sight to behold.

But beyond pizza, the group at Backstreet hopes to become a staple in the community. They already hosted a Christmas party, complete with Santa Claus, and plan on a New Year's event, as well.

The restaurant recently received its beer and wine license, which means there's something for everyone.

Most of all, it's about good times, Staley Laise said. At Backstreet, the team beams while talking about one another, as if of long-time friends. Some of them are, and the camaraderie is apparent right through the door.

"We want it to be that everyone's close, like a family," Staley said. "And we want people to notice that."

Source: Seminole Chronicle