As in many parts of Hungary, Neapolitan-style pizza is gaining popularity in Esztergom. In April, Mark Kostolányi opened his first food truck called PitStop, which he runs with his partner Eszter Herdy. The dream became a reality, and popularity followed in a matter of seconds! Below you will see all the details!
On the day of the Lantern Boat Parade, we noticed the Pit Stop food truck with lines snaking in front of it. We went there too because, in addition to wish to try Neapolitan-style pizza, we were curious about why it had become so popular so quickly. Mark Kostolányi greeted us and answered all of our questions while making the pizza.
– There was a long line in front of your pizzeria, what made you so popular? – Yes, the last time I saw such a long line in front of a pizzeria was in Naples. But seriously, a lot of people visit us, perhaps this is due to the fact that we make high-quality, but simple Neapolitan-style pizza in a few seconds, said Mark Kostolányi, and then remembered when his love for making pizza began: ” After I received my driver’s license, I started working as a courier near the school. The position of a pizza chef had just become available in a restaurant, and my boss told me that he saw a fantasy in me and that I should try my hand at baking pizza. So, I started studying and was simply fascinated by the world of making pizza. That’s when I decided to study being a chef. After finishing school, I got a job at my godfather’s restaurant, Mediterraneo, where I worked for four years,” Mark said, and then emphasized, that having a food truck was his big dream, and after much thought, he decided to go for it: he bought a food truck, which he used in the courtyard of the Mediterraneo restaurant, parked next to it with the prior permission of his godfather.
– Why did you choose Neapolitan-style pizza? – Because Neapolitan pizza is the one of the highest quality and, in my opinion, also the most delicious. I love working with good ingredients and making something more special than others. Neapolitan pizza dough consists of four ingredients: flour, water, salt and yeast. It also differs from others in that it has a longer fermentation time and needs much less yeast. Fermentation lasts longer, so the dough will be much airier, lighter and foamier, which will not harm the stomach. The pizza is baked at a very high temperature – 400-450 °C – in one and a half minutes, – Mark explained the process of baking pizza, and then added that in addition to the most two authentic Neapolitan pizzas – Marinara and Margherita – he prepares 11 more pizza types for guests, also prepared from the best ingredients. It should also be noted that the pizza uses Italian ingredients that meet the AVPN certification (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, i.e. in Hungarian: The Real Neapolitan Pizza Association).
Try their pizza in the courtyard of the Mediterraneo restaurant, at Helischer József utca 2, where visitors are welcome from Monday to Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., on Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.! They also participate in events about which they publish up-to-date information on their social media pages. And if you want to order it to your home, you can do it using the Wolt app!
