Posto

Boston, Massachusetts

Concept

POSTO is a wine bar & pizzeria focusing on wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza, pasta and beautiful Italian inspired apps. POSTO always brings seasonal ingredients and local sea food. 

Pizza & Dough:

We do Neapolitan-style inspired pizza, baked in our wood-fired pizza oven from Italy. This makes it crispy; but soft, too, which to me is what makes it unbelievably tasty and creates an unforgettable experience.

How long have you been making pizza? And why pizza?

I have been making pizza since 2009. I fell in love with the craft and the excitement to be in front of the oven. This industry has brought enormous joy to my life. I have gained so much experience throughout the years and that has allowed me to share my dream with others around the world. Social media has also opened the doors for me for opportunities like this! I currently have 260,000 followers on my social media account (@juangpizza) and I am able to hear their stories and dreams. This also leads me to sharing my dream of opening a small pizza place. It is something that I am working towards every day!

How did you learn your craft?

I started my career at California Pizza Kitchen back in 2009. Working for a global company has taught me a lot. Luckily, I found a small place called POSTO and I learned the basics of the Neapolitan-style pizza — hand stretching, wood-fired oven management and more. With the basics of this style, I have tried to put my own craft on it, but not getting too far from the basics.

What’s been your biggest challenge with pizza dough and how did you solve it?

First, not having control of the temperature in the room due to the unpredictable Boston weather. We all know that temperatures can change drastically from one day to another. We do have a pretty consistent dough. It just needs to get the right water temperature, which I like 65 F. I know that for some the rule should be around 55 to 56 F. But due to changes in the room temp I have found that this (65 F) water temperature has worked out perfectly for us.

What direction is pizza headed in your view?

In my view, back in 2009 when I started in this industry, pizza was just a regular business like any other. Big chains were ruling the business, and of course, there were small local places with high quality products too.

Now in 2022 the revolution of these new portable ovens has vastly impressed me! To be able to bake a pizza in your home at 700 to 800 F, and still have professional quality, has taken pizza to a new level. 

Therefore, this industry continues to revolutionize and open the door to many new small pizza places all over the world.