It seems like there is a new pizza place opening up everywhere you look in Delray Beach, FL. After reading a recent article in a local publication, I guess it isn't just pizza places, but restaurants in general. I think something like over 80% of businesses opening on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, are restaurants, so I guess we shouldn't single out pizza here. However, a new pizzeria called Scuola Vecchia just opened, and the City of Delray Beach should be quite thankful!

I heard about Scuola Vecchia through my friend Bruce, who said he found a new "old school" styled pizza place that opened up on Atlantic Ave, that could be a contender as one of the best pizza places down here in South Florida. Bruce knows how serious I take a claim like that, and normally I go into a pizzeria after hearing such outrageous reviews, thinking the worse. Man, did Scuola Vecchia prove my stereotyping wrong. When you enter Scuola Vecchia, you feel like you went into a heavenly white place, with spotless counters, floors and tables. I actually think if I had white gloves on, they could have passed the test (outside of bruce spilling his drink on the table). Shaun and Sharon Aloisio opened this hard to pronounce, and even harder to type pizzeria in Delray Beach only a few months ago. They saw the need for a truly traditional Neapolitan Pizzeria to open in this region, and decided to realize their dreams, and open one here. Check out my full review below:

Italians. Just saying that makes you think of food. Maybe the French have perfected complicated culinary delights. But the Italians? The Italians have perfected food. For many people like myself, to perfect the art of food is to make the perfect pizza. I may not know how to make it, but I sure do know how to eat it.

It's tempting to say that Scuola Vecchia's pizza is perfection because it is perfectly authentic Naples, Italy pie. That's the easy way out, though. It tells you nothing, only that the pizza they serve is probably authentic to Naples and that some people might be pretentious about the fact that authentic is the only way to go. Be honest. Nobody believes the word "authentic" anymore. It's clichÈ.

So let's just look at pizza. There's a lot of it here in South Florida and much of it is pretty good food. So what, besides claimed authenticity, makes Sculoa Vecchia somehow different?

Simple. It's really, really good pizza made in a very unique way and with very traditional, well-considered ingredients.

The basis of great pizza is the crust. Thick or thin, it must be excellent or the rest of the pie will fail. The crust under a pizza made by Shaun Aloisio (co-owner and chef at Scuola Vecchia) is beyond perfect. Then on top of that go the ingredients ñ all fresh, all Italian, all the best you can get.

Is it authentic Napoli pizza? I couldn't tell you and honestly, I couldn't care less. It's great pizza. That's what matters.

A big reason for that is that everything that comes out of the kitchen at this eatery is hand made from fresh ingredients. Even the salad tastes like someone just walked out into the garden and cut the ingredients and put them in a bowl for you. Then comes the cake.

If you've never had flourless chocolate cake before or if you've only had the kind that comes in the freezer, then you must go to Scuola Vecchia and have this. It's the only thing I've ever eaten that made me think that maybe I should give up reviewing pizza and move on to desserts instead.

The restaurant itself is upscale and very Italian. As are all of the people working in it. It's co-owned by chef Shaun Aloisio and his mother Sharon. The menu is filled with excellent Italian choices, most focused on pizza or complements to the pie. I didn't see a pie on the menu I wouldn't want to try.

Everything about this restaurant is excellent. From their fire oven pizza to their heaven sent dessert, you won't go wrong trying this Delray Beach eatery.

Scuola Vecchia in Delray Beach gets a strong 7 out of 8 slices.