All language subtitles for S01E05 - The Best Pizza in the World

[light music]

[Emeril]
Maybe not a surprise,

but I'm no stranger to pizza,

and I've eaten all kinds--

thin crust, New York,
Chicago deep dish,

different cheeses,
different toppings.

Look, look, look,
this is the moment.

Oh, yeah.

[Emeril] My longtime friend
chef Nancy Silverton,

who lives in Italy part-time,

says the world's best pizza
is made here

by chef Franco Pepe.

That's a big statement
coming from her.

I got to eat this pizza
right now.

- Grazie.
- I'm gonna watch this.

* *

Did I disappoint you?

- Amazing.
- Amazing.

- Amazing.
- [speaking Italian]

[Emeril] There's nothing
I can say that will capture

how freakin' good this is.

It's unbelievable.

But to understand
the genius behind this pizza,

you need to understand
what it's made of.

And for that, we need to start
at the very beginning.

[waves crashing]

[lively music]

[Emeril] Look at this.
Beautiful.

I wouldn't have expected
anything less.

- Here I am.
- Hey, my friend.

Wow.

- Look at this thing.
- [laughs]

Not quite
as gorgeous as you.

Hello, my friend.

- Good to see you.
- Buongiorno.

[laughs]
Buongiorno.

[Emeril]
I met Nancy over 30 years ago,

when she was building
her La Brea Bakery empire

from scratch.

In 2007, she teamed up
with Mario Batali

to open Pizzeria
and Osteria Mozza

in Los Angeles.

Her food,
especially her pizza,

blew peoples' minds,

and Mozza won a Michelin Star.

Then, in 2014,
the James Beard Foundation

named her the best chef
in America.

[Emeril] I'm so excited
about this whole journey

that we're gonna do.

- So where do we start?
- So we're gonna start

in a tiny town
on the Amalfi Coast

- called Cetara.
- Okay.

Where they harvest
the finest anchovies

in all of Italy.

You've been telling me so much
about this, I can't wait.

- Should we go?
- Let's go.

All right.

* *

[Emeril] So there's quite a few
boats out fishing today.

[tires squealing]

- Sorry, but I can't look.
- No, I know you can't.

I got to keep my eyes
on the road.

I want you to drive.
I'll talk.

I'll take
your word for it.

Trust me on this--
there's a couple

of boats out there.

Maybe they're catching
our lunch.

So how did you
meet Franco Pepe?

So I, uh,
pulled into Caiazzo,

and I was with
my friend Michael.

We couldn't find
this tiny little alley,

and finally the sixth person
we asked walked us

down the alley and pointed to
the direction of Franco Pepe.

But there were probably
300 people

crammed into this alley
waiting for a table.

Amazing.

And love at first bite.

And I thought, "This is not
the best pizza in Italy.

This is the best pizza
in the world."

[Emeril] Wow.

[Emeril] Nancy's been telling
me about this pizza

since the first time
she ate it.

So we're going on a road trip
to taste the secrets

of Franco Pepe's perfect pie.

The X factor...

Franco Pepe sources
all of his ingredients

from the neighboring cities
in Italy's Campania region.

First up, Cetara anchovies.

I don't know if Americans
really love anchovies

as much
as the Italians.

Few people can get over
the fact or their prejudices

of anchovies being
stinky and salty,

which they're not--
they're so flavorful.

Nance, one of my
favorite things--

anchovies.

Love 'em.

[lively music]

* *

So this is the town.

This is the town of Cetara.

[Emeril] Cetara is
a tiny fishing village

about an hour's drive
from Franco Pepe's restaurant.

This town exists
for one reason--

to provide Italy
with anchovies.

I can't wait
to taste them...

[horn honks]

Ooh.
[chuckles]

As long as Nancy
doesn't kill us first.

- [Emeril] So...
- [Nancy] Shall we go?

[Emeril] Let's go see if we can
find some crazy anchovies.

Most people look at anchovies
as this tin can

that you can take the key off,
and you fold it back,

and you put three of them
on your Caesar salad,

and you call it the day.

But anchovies in Italy,
overall, are treated

and respected quite differently
than anywhere in the world.

Our first stop
is a little restaurant

owned by
Chef Gennaro Marciante.

Local fishermen
deliver the daily catch

right to his door, about
50 yards away from the dock.

Can't get any fresher
than that.

[Emeril]
Ah, Acqua Pazza.

- Buongiorno.
- Ah, buongiorno.

Ah, chef.

Sì.

[Emeril] Acqua pazza anchovies
is a simple traditional dish

that fishermen make
using tomatoes, olive oil,

their daily catch,
and a little garlic.

[speaking Italian]

[Emeril]
Okay, so a lot of garlic.

Now the anchovies
and then...

Just a little bit
of fresh parsley.

It does not get simpler.

No, it doesn't get
any simpler than this.

And then you salt.

Right.

The secret weapon.

[laughs]

[Emeril] Of course, Cetara,
a town that thrives

on fishing anchovies,

has found a way to kick
their catch up a notch,

with a briny, savory,
intense fish sauce.

To make the colatura,

the anchovies are put
into small chestnut barrels,

alternating a layer of fish,
a layer of salt, and so on.

It's aged like fine wine
for two or three years.

It takes about 90 pounds
of anchovies

to make just over
a gallon of colatura.

But that flavor is
incredible.

- Come on.
- I think I love it.

Amazing.

Sì.

Fantastic.

[thunder rumbles]

[light music]

[Nancy] Wow. Look what
we're getting.

Nice.

Oh, wow.
There's our fried anchovies.

- This--
- Look at that.

[Emeril] Gennaro serves up
another round

of his
world-famous anchovies--

this time, fried.

- Oh.
- [speaks Italian]

Oh.
[laughs]

- Buon appetito
- [both] Grazie.

Wow.
I'm going for a friti.

Me too.

These are damn good.

I mean,
this is perfection.

[thunder rumbles]

And, you know,
this is what

I'm so excited for
in this journey

that we're taking--
for you to see

why this pizza
is so different

than anybody else's pizza.

I knew when I was opening up
Pizzeria Mozza,

like, the kind of crust
that I wanted to have.

I wanted it to be airy,
and I wanted it to be crisp,

and I had whatever
I had in my mind.

And then I proceeded
to develop the combinations

that I felt
made a great pizza.

'Cause the top
is equally important.

'Cause the top
is equally important.

[Emeril] Since I've known you
for over 30 years.

It's only been
about integrity--

what you do,
how you do it,

how you treat it,
how you look at it,

even when we were younger--

in those early days,
because I was your friend

and I was experiencing
that with you.

You were a mom,
a beautiful lady

in a predominant male
environment.

I personally seen you
at 4:00 in the morning,

orchestrating, stretching,
pulling, kneading, doing...

- [Nancy] Shaping.
- Shaping.

- Mixing.
- Yes.

I've seen that all.

No regrets?

Oh, no.
No regrets.

But not easy.

Well, you and I know
that it is in our blood.

We can't not do it.

You know, to understand
what we do,

you have to understand
our DNA.

- Why we do it? Yeah.
- Our DNA.

Yeah.

Then you understand
who Nancy is, who Emeril is,

and the journey
that we're on.

Wow, cheers.
I'm so happy...

Cheers.
[glasses clink]

To be here with you.

[Emeril]
Where we going next?

[Nancy] We're gonna eat
some cheese together.

And then do I get
to eat the pizza?

No, I like to keep
you waiting.

[upbeat music]

* *

[Emeril] On the way
to mozzarella.

[Nancy] The bufala milk
mozzarella.

[Emeril]
If you ask me,

cheese is the most important
part of any pizza.

For Franco Pepe,

it's all about
the local bufala mozzarella

produced just 4 miles up
the road from his restaurant.

You know, I have this
fascination with cheese,

which started for me--

When I was
at Commander's Palace,

I was making goat cheese.

So long ago.
When was that?

- Yeah, in the '80s.
- Oh.

I was buying
goat's milk fresh

through a local farmer.

But nothing
that I've ever done

has been with bufala
mozzarella.

So this is it?

This is it.

I can smell
the cheese already.

So yesterday
we were at the sea...

- Yes.
- With the anchovy.

- Yes.
- Today we're in the country.

- Mozzarella.
- With the bufala.

[buffalo lowing]

[Emeril] Bufala mozzarella
is made from the milk

of the Mediterranean
water buffalo,

which is indigenous to Italy.

My friend Mimmo.
Mimmo.

Buongiorno.

- Emeril.
- Buongiorno.

- Mimmo.
- Mimmo.

Pleasure.

both: Sì.

- Perfect.
- [laughs]

- Yes.
- [laughs]

both: Grande.

Prego.

Oh, it's great
to be back here.

I'll tell you.
The smell...

- Ah.
- You want to bottle it, huh?

The smell is amazing.

Sì.

- Okay.
- Okay.

- Let's get naked.
- Yes.

[Emeril]
Italian bufala mozzarella

is a more than $400 million
business.

Il Casolare supplies
all the mozzarella and ricotta

for Franco Pepe.

Mozzarella
everywhere, huh?

Beautiful.

- Oh, my God.
- [Nancy] You just want

to jump in this, right?
[laughter]

Very sweet, huh?

- Yum.
- Let's go.

[Emeril] Buffalo milk
is decadent.

The fat makes it
extra rich and creamy.

And at Il Casolare,
it's also super fresh.

Here, the milk is turned
into mozzarella

within 12 hours
of being collected.

What's so fascinating
to me is that

the cheese maker
could have stopped here.

I mean, this is
delicious too, right?

Yeah.

- [Nancy] Just a work of art.
- [Emeril] Yes.

[Emeril]
Fantastic.

[Nancy] What they're doing
right now,

the word for it is mozare.

- To tear it off.
- Yes.

And that's where
the word "mozza"

- Yes, yes.
- Mozzarella comes from.

I could play
with this all day.

Oh, it's amazing.

[Nancy]
Wow.

[Emeril]
Grazie.

[both]
Cin cin.

- How do I look?
- Delicious.

Grazie, grazie.

I just went to Heaven.

[Emeril] It's so soft,
it's like biting into a cloud.

Working with this clearly gives
Franco Pepe's pizza an edge.

Grazie.

- It was amazing, right?
- Yeah, it was so...

Such a treat.

- I'm hungry.
- I'm ready for a glass of wine.

- [Mimmo] Ciao!
- [both] Ciao!

[Mimmo] Ciao!

[light music]

* *

[Emeril] A short drive north,
we find another piece

of the pizza puzzle.

We're gonna meet
Dr. Giuseppe.

We are, and taste
his olive oil,

which is outstanding.

* *

[Emeril]
Look at this.

- Oh, hi, welcome.
- Ah.

- Giovanni.
- [speaking Italian]

Giovanni.

[Emeril]
Dr. Giovanni Petrazzuolli

is a pediatrician.

How are you?

He and his family

have been making olive oil
for generations,

with trees that are several
centuries old.

He and Franco Pepe
were childhood friends

here in this region.

This is extra-virgin olive oil.

Can I just...?

* *

Mmm.

- And a wonderful finish, right?
- Oh, my God.

And then right on my palate
is just, mmm.

Sì.

So, as a doctor,
you have to study science.

- Sì.
- To make olive oil

is science.
- Sì.

Passion, well, you know,
that's why we're here.

- Without the passion...
- That's why we're here.

- Taste one of those because...
- Thank you.

- Amazing, right?
- Mm-hmm.

This one tastes like
it's just off the tree.

Mm-hmm.

I've never tasted
anything like these olives.

I have not.

[Emeril] This truly is
the nectar of the gods--

the final element topping off
the greatest pizza on Earth.

When Franco
came to Los Angeles,

I invited Franco to come
to my restaurant.

We had a special wine dinner,
but also he taught some classes.

And he agreed to come
only if he could bring

in his suitcase olive oil
and olives,

'cause he said, "If I can't have
the core of the ingredients,

- I can't make my pizza."
- He can't make the pizza.

[laughs]
Yes.

- [Nancy] Today's the day.
- [Emeril] Today is the day.

Franco Pepe.

The moment you've
been waiting for.

Yes, indeed.
I'm so excited.

I read a story that before
Franco Pepe's restaurant

became so popular

that the town was pretty poor
and getting pretty rundown.

- A lot of the shops
were closing.
- Right.

'Cause there was really
no traffic.

You know, and what happens
in these towns

is that the old get older
and the young move away.

And so there isn't a lot left,
but Franco's pizzeria

has really brought

a lot of traffic to the town.

And I think that makes...

- He's revitalized it.
- Him very proud.

Exactly.
He's revitalized the town.

[Emeril] Franco serves
more than 500 pizzas a night.

Luckily he's opened
a little bit early

to give us a sneak peek.

[Nancy] And we've arrived.
Now let's go find Franco.

- [Franco] Hello!
- [Emeril] Ah.

- Oh, there you are, Franco!

Ah, so good to see you.

- Emeril, Franco.
- Chef.

- Luigi.
- Hi, Nancy.

- It's good to see you.
- How are you?

- Good to see you.
- Thank you for having us.

I'm excited.
The smells are incredible.

It's been interesting being
with Nancy in our journey

the last three days.

All the ingredients--
anchovy, mozzarella.

Yes.

Okay.

[Nancy] Look at,
a laboratory of
a different kind, right?

[Emeril]
Ah, yes.

Yeah.

[Emeril]
It's an absolute pleasure

watching this maestro work.

There's no mixers
or machines here.

This is all old school.

Incredibly skilled hands
transforming raw flour

into the ideal pizza dough.

[together]
Beer yeast.

My colleague, over 30 years,
way back when--

the beginning--the restaurant
and her bakery.

The connection that we had
instantly was I started,

ten years old,
in the bakery.

[Nancy] Should we come
in there with you?

Okay.

[Emeril]
Mm-hmm.

He's making his own machine.

- Right.
- The Franco machine.

Please.

- Absolutely.
- [laughter]

[Franco]
Bravo.

Beautiful. It's amazing
how the dough feels--the smells.

Yeah, his flour is ground
a lot finer...

- Yes.
- Than mine.

Ah, it feels
so silky smooth.

I didn't know we were
gonna be working.

I thought
we were gonna be eating.

I wouldn't have worn--

[laughter]

Okay.

[laughter]

Hired.

[Nancy] The dough is
a much softer dough.

When the flour's so soft
like this,

it doesn't have
the same elasticity.

[Emeril] Right.

And so it's not stretched
the same way.

They almost just
press it out.

- Right, right.
- No, no, no.

- I know.
- You hurt the child.

- No, the woman.
- Yeah, right.

Mozzarella.

- [Emeril] The olives from...
- [Luigi] Olives from Caiazzo.

- Uh-huh.
- Olive oil.

[Franco speaking Italian]

- [Emeril] Just oregano?
- [Franco] Origano, sì.

[Nancy] This is a traditional
Neapolitan oven.

Very low opening,
very low oven, very hot fire.

- It's a beautiful oven.
- Right. Yeah, you know, and--

[Emeril] Watch how--
This is not gonna take long.

[Nancy]
No, I think 90 seconds.

[Emeril] The open flame
is essential.

That's what helps
the crust rise.

Okay, this is--look, look, look,
this is the moment.

- [Nancy] Oh, yeah.
- [Emeril] He did not put them

in the oven.

- Anchovies afterwards.
- Not in the oven--after.

[Emeril] No one.
No one does that.

[Nancy]
So you don't get all the char

from the bottom
of the oven.

On the plate. It's nice
and clean. Look at this.

- [scoffs]
- [laughs]

Well, he don't know,
but in the old days,

- I would go, "Bam!"
- Yeah, right.

[laughter]

[Emeril]
All the different ingredients--

so fresh,
so incredibly balanced--

I mean, I got to eat
this pizza now.

- Grazie.
- I'm gonna watch this.

Did I disappoint you?

I have no words.

- Every ingredient...
- You taste each ingredient.

- Every ingredient...
- I mean, every one...

And the dough is
wrapping around it...

- Cradling it.
- Yes, cradling it.

The dough has
a perfume of its own.

Mmm.

Now I know why we're here

with Franco Pepe.

- Amazing.
- Amazing.

When you taste
the amount of love

that's in this dough
and then the ingredients,

I don't have words
to explain that.

- I'll never forget.
- [laughs]

Amazing.

[Emeril]
Cetara anchovies,

Il Casolare bufala mozzarella,

Caiazzo olive oil--

this trinity of local,
hand-crafted ingredients

harmonize to make
the best pizza I've ever had.

[cheers and applause]

All the suppliers are waiting
on Franco Pepe's pizza.

And now it's time
for Franco Pepe

to show off a little bit.

We would like to thank
everyone for coming

for this great celebration--
Nancy and I--

for Franco Pepe.

Everybody at the table provides
a certain ingredient of love

which comes to Franco
to make this beautiful pizza.

So here's a toast.

[all toast]

- Thank you.
- [Nancy] Cin cin.

There are people
that are making pizza,

and then there's
Franco Pepe.

And he keeps reminding me
about why I raise hogs,

why I make sausage,
why I make cheese,

why do I go through
all these steps.

It's to control the experience
to the best I can

for my customer,

to give them the very best
on the table.

And that is what Franco Pepe
is doing here in Italy

in a small town.

The end result
was a perfect journey

into finding the best pizza
in the world,

and I'll never forget it.

Fantastic.

- No good-byes.
- Thank you.

- No good-byes, just...
- I will be back.

- Until next time, right?
- That's right.

[both]
Until next time.