Mamma Mì Pizza & Neapolitan Tradition opens its doors on April 1st, 2022, in Playa Honda, a beautiful and peaceful town in Lanzarote – Canary Islands, under the guidance of Neapolitan Master Pizzaiolo Maurizio Ferrillo and Fabrizio Vaio, who oversees the dining area and welcomes guests.
Mamma Mì Pizza & Neapolitan Tradition was conceived and built to combine the pleasure of savoring authentic Neapolitan pizza, strictly cooked in a wood-fired oven and customized with flavors and varieties according to customers’ desires, with the specialties of traditional Campanian pasta dishes. Not to forget the incomparable fried street food (u cuoppo, le montanarine, le crocche’, gli arancini, le paste cresciute, le frittatine di pasta, gli sciurilli, a ‘muzzarella in carrozz), emblematic of “Neapolitan street food,” a culinary tradition dating back to the 1800s when those who were poor made purchases on deferred payment of 8 days (hence the saying, “a ogge a otto”). The menu also pays tribute to typical Neapolitan desserts (babà, pistachio cake, pastiera), and the classic array of artisanal Italian gelato, with explicit references to traditional Neapolitan flavors (zabaione, pastiera, lemon sorbet); all served in a casual and family-friendly atmosphere.
The intention of the ownership is to recreate a corner of the beautiful city of Naples, providing customers with a comprehensive sensory experience, faithfully replicating customs and traditions without leaving room for exceptions, except in the constant and fruitful search for new innovations and combinations. This very dream is “breathed” in every corner of the pizzeria, with iconic prints on the walls, Neapolitan-style furnishings, and references to the typical Italian style and elegance, all derived from the meticulous pursuit of the style that has made us famous worldwide. This is evident from the logo of the establishment, which clearly evokes the Italian origin of the pizzeria. Specifically, “Mamma Mí” is a typical Neapolitan exclamation used to express strong emotions of joy and wonder, precisely the kind of emotions one experiences when admiring and savoring a delicious pizza! However, it is within this exclamation that the word “mamma” is encapsulated, a true dedication to the mothers of the past, the traditional mothers, and the flavors of home!
In the logo, two stylized elements have been incorporated. The first one is Mount Vesuvius, symbolizing the city of Naples, where pizza and tradition originated. The stylized lines of Vesuvius, resembling pasta strands resting on the text, aim to form an “M,” representing the pizzeria’s name. The second element is basil, an essential ingredient on every pizza, positioned to serve as an accent on the letter “I.” Lastly, the chosen colors naturally evoke pizza – the red of tomatoes and the green of basil. The logo encapsulates the pizzeria’s style, a blend of 70s flair with a touch of modernity.
Oltre alle nostre deliziose pizze, siamo molto orgogliosi di avere il pizzaiolo Maurizio Ferrillo, detentore del record Guinness della pizza più grande del mondo con una lunghezza di 2 chilometri. Maurizio è un vero esperto della pizza napoletana. Offriamo una vasta selezione di pizze fatte a mano e cotte al momento per garantire una qualità impeccabile, dalle classiche alle più gourmet con ingredienti di alta qualità. Vieni nel nostro ristorante pizzeria e prova l’autentica cucina napoletana qui a Lanzarote. Siamo aperti a pranzo e cena. Se stai cercando una vera pizzeria napoletana con molti anni di esperienza, vieni a trovarci e scopri tu stesso perché siamo una delle migliori pizzerie di Lanzarote!
The story of the Neapolitan Master Pizzaiolo Maurizio Ferrillo perfectly embodies the essence that flavors the Neapolitan spirit and can serve as an example for many young people in search of their path. Maurizio is not born into a family of pizza makers, but a young man predisposed to sacrifice and filled with good intentions, who knew and wanted to roll up his sleeves to make one of the oldest and most genuine Neapolitan arts his own, which to this day grants pizza the title of the most consumed and known food in the world.
This art shapes a desire in the likeness of sacrifices and renunciations, allowing a young person to learn a trade and gain experiences that lead to responsible, humble, and aware maturation of the adversities that life holds and enable the understanding of what truly matters: preparation, courtesy, and willingness to sacrifice, regardless of the career pursued.
That’s how Maurizio Ferrillo took his first steps behind the pizza counter and learned to be a pizzaiolo within the walls of the Pizzazzà pizzeria, a place he later acquired and turned into his small but great empire.
The internet crowns him as the “take away king” in the shadow of Vesuvius, but Maurizio decides to open the doors of his pizzeria to customers in search of a reserved and welcoming place, where they can taste excellent delicacies without enduring long waits or being handed the bill as soon as they finish their last bite.
With just over thirty seats, succulent pizzas prepared with devoted dedication to the sacred cult of the “white gold” can be enjoyed both on-site and comfortably seated in the armchair at home. Recognitions and participation in the most famous Guinness records regarding pizza, but for Maestro Ferrillo, it is not enough, and he is ready to take a big step, perhaps the most crucial of his career.
Maurizio’s climb began in 1993, starting from the classic and constructive apprenticeship, matured under the guidance of an authentic genre icon, the son of the founder of the Trianon da Ciro pizzeria, within the walls of what later became Maurizio’s “small but great empire”: “Pizzeria Pizzazzà.”
In 1999, Maurizio took over the premises, driven by the tenacious will to continue honoring the ancient and sacred art of pizza, using only genuine and quality products, blended with the most important ingredient: love for his work.
Pizzazzà boasts a historical primacy far from negligible, inscribing its name among the most sought-after take-away pizzerias in the city, yet without depriving customers of the pleasure of enjoying pizza at the table, which is why the place undergoes a new look, resulting in a welcoming and comfortable indoor dining area.
In October 2016, Maurizio Ferrillo’s human and professional journey reached a level of experience and maturity that imposed an important transition.
Thus, Maurizio’s place bid farewell to the name “Pizzeria Pizzazzà” to don a much more fitting label: “Pizzeria Ferrillo.”
Maurizio Ferrillo did not merely “change the sign” of his pizzeria but chose to bet on his own name, on the credibility and reputation he built over the years through sacrifices, showing boundless devotion to this profession.
Maurizio wanted his place to transform into the “pizzeria Ferrillo” to mold his small but great empire in the image and likeness of his beliefs, talent, and experience.
On April 1, 2022, “Vulcano calls Vulcano,” and so, from Naples, the new dream of the Neapolitan Master Pizzaiolo Maurizio Ferrillo and his former student, now co-owner, Fabrizio Vaio, turned into a splendid reality with the opening of the Pizzeria Mamma Mì Pizza & Neapolitan Tradition.