Monday, August 16, 2010

From Wood-fired Ovens to Wood Floors

Punch Pizza — Stadium Village
Using the same centuries-old techniques the Neapolitan masters used to create delicious Italian pies, Minneapolis-based Punch Pizza is one of a few pizzerias outside of Naples, Italy to be a member of Vera Pizza Napoletana. A requirement of authentic Neapolitan pizzerias is that they must use wood-burning, bell-shaped brick ovens that can cook a perfect pizza pie in 90 seconds!
 

To ensure their stores have an old-world Italian feel worthy of the authentic techniques they use to make their pizza, Punch Pizza turns to Manomin Resawn Timbers for antique timber flooring. At Manomin, we too are dedicated to the traditions and skills of our craft — milling the antique timbers with a saw mill, drying it in a kiln, planing it, fabricating it in our shop and then hand-sanding and staining it to the perfect finish. 
 

Featured in all seven of Punch Pizza’s Twin Cities locations, Manomin most recently helped with the Punch Neapolitan Pizza – Stadium Village location at 802 Washington Ave SE in Minneapolis. 


A striking exterior door that we crafted from hand-hewn timber skins invites guest in, and a one-of-a-kind antique wooden door handle completes the look. Upon entry, our huge 22-foot long vintage timber community table greets customers, and a welcoming antique Douglas Fir floor sets the stage with gorgeous 3-inch wide planks. 



More reclaimed Douglas Fir (salvaged from old industrial warehouses) adds charm to tables and benches. Tabletops crafted out of hardwood from a central Wisconsin dairy barn built in the 1850s complements the weathered antique panel wainscoting to add to the old-world dining experience. 
 

So we invite you to enjoy the world’s finest San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and top-secret dough that forms the foundation of a Punch Pizza cooked to perfection in the wood-fired oven! But please, make sure you take a look around and enjoy the whole experience that Manomin helped to create.