He is 40 and loves the good pizza. This is Gennaro Nasti, professional pizza man who left Naples to chase a dream: Make the best pizza everywhere. Before going to United States of America – where he achieved resounding success in Portland, Seattle, Miami, New York, California, Boston and Chicago – he opened a restaurant in Barcelona. Now he lives in Paris, where he is working to open a new pizza restaurant gourmet.

Why you decided to join in “Pizza Gourmet Association” project by GMA?

“I think that is the best choice today; not everyone can have at their disposal products of excellence, a professional team specialised in making dough and consulting for a high quality product choice too.”

What are your favourite products?

“I prefer to make a light dough using a flour mix of “Allegra and Petra 9″. My perfect pizza has to be made with tomatoes: red or yellow or tomatoes from Corbara, but the classic San Marzano too. These are products I always use.”

So, are you working to open a new pizza restaurant in the city centre of Paris?

“Yes, the pizza restaurant “Popine”, which name derive from Latin: The popina was an ancient Roman wine bar, where a limited menu of simple foods (olives, bread, stews) and selection of wines of varying quality were available. We will open in few weeks at “108 boulevard de Ménilmontant 75020.” That will be a gourmet pizza restaurant, characterised by products of excellence and new culinary experiences. Not only pizza ( main speciality ), but French and Neapolitan cooking too. ”

What do you serve?

“We start from typical french meals, trying to create a great French fusion with Italian and Neapolitan products and typical French meals. For example, our escargot are made up of yellow tomato”.

What is your main course?

“The newest pizza “Napoli in Paris”, prepared with grilled tomatoes “San Marzano Orto di Lucullo”, extra vergin olive oil, foie gras and buffalo mozzarella”.

Pizzeria Gourmet et Restaurant Popine

108 boulevard de Ménilmontant

75020 – Paris

Photos: Gennaro Nasti at Mediterranean Cooking Congress 2015 in Opatija (Croatia)