He Who Spelt It...

When we ask someone what their favorite thing is about our pizza, we can expect a variety of answers; from the wood-fired taste, to the extensive list of local and imported toppings, to the authentic, old-world style free-form shape of the pie. One of the most popular answers though, is the crust; the kind of nutty, kind of crispy, kind of chewy, all delicious crust. It is a commonly known fact that all great things start with a good, solid foundations. If you build a house made of the strongest materials known to man right on the beach, it will probably collapse as soon as the tide pulls in. However, if you build the same house on a dry, solid foundation, the outcome will be much better. At Michael Anthony's, we have a similar way of doing things, which is why we chose Bear's Mill spelt wheat as the primary ingredient for the foundation of our wood-fired pizzas.
Bear's Mill was built in 1849 by Gabriel Baer in Greenville, Ohio. One third of Farmer, Miller, Baker (along with Bakehouse Breads in Troy and E.A.T. Food For Life Farm in Yorkshire) Bear's Mill is one of the few remaining in the state that still rely on traditional water powered mills. The spelt used in Farmer, Miller, Baker products is ground into flour on French Buhr millstones that are over one hundred years old. The stones are powered by nothing more than water from the millrace located below the stones. This process has been used for thousands of years, and helps to retain the nutrients that are naturally found in the grain. Bear's Mill is a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping the story of old-world milling techniques alive and active in the production of today's consumables. Aside from the production of milled goods, Bear's Mill is quite a popular tourist attraction, hosting exhibits for local artists, guided tours, and an on-site store where their products can be purchased. At this point, you may be thinking "that sounds like a cool place to visit, (it is and you should) but what in the **** is spelt?"
Spelt wheat has actually been around for much longer than any of us (since around 5,000 BC), but it dropped off the scene for awhile, being replaced by high-gluten flours, as to increase the volume and rapidity of the production of commercial baked goods (spelt grows in a tougher husk than most wheat, making it more time consuming to extract). Now that we as Americans are finally starting to make a conscious effort to incorporate healthy, more traditional, minimally processed foods into our diets, we are discovering a great deal of food allergies that didn't really seem to be a problem ten years ago. As a server, I encounter somebody with either a soy or gluten allergy at least once a  week. The good news is, manufacturers are now starting to discover ways to make foods so that people with allergies can still enjoy their favorite things. This is possible due to the fact that we are beginning to realize that our ancestors were doing in the right way all along, and Bear's Mill is so awesome because they refrain from using all of the newfangled, high processing technologies, and they do it the way that it was done in the beginning. Consequently, the product is more like it was in 5,000 BC, and much better for you.
To cut to the chase, Spelt (also known as Farro in Italy and Dinkle in Germany), is simply a grain, like wheat or oat. The thing that makes spelt so special is its' outrageous nutritional value. Spelt is super high in protein, fiber, and vitamin B, as well as simple and complex carbohydrates. As previously mentioned, spelt grows in a tough husk. Though this makes it more difficult to process than modern wheat varieties, it also naturally preserves the important nutrients and freshness, and protects it from pollutants and insects, which drastically decrease the need for the use of pesticides. All of these factors play a vital role in the retention of nutritional value and delicious taste of spelt wheat products. Bear's Mill spelt flour is an organically grown, heirloom, and non-genetically modified product that can be used in place of white flour in a variety of baking recipes.
Now that you know all about spelt wheat, hopefully you can enjoy our wood-fired pizza free of guilt! As I have mentioned before, some of our ingredients are local, and others are imported, but they all have one thing in common; they are as close to their original state as possible, and that makes for a much more innocent pizza.

Wood-Fired Goodness

Hey Everyone, good news!  

The bar remodel is officially complete, and the wood fired pizza oven is ready for business!

Our new wood-fired oven is the key to making our pizzas unlike any other in this part of the world. The pizzas begin with home made Bear's Mill spelt wheat dough. When cooked, the thin and crispy spelt wheat crust has a wholesome, nutty, and slightly sweet flavor. After the dough is hand rolled, it is topped with any of our farm fresh or imported ingredients that you could possibly imagine, from the traditional mozzarella and marinara to extra virgin olive oil with spinach, potato, egg, and pancetta. You have the opportunity to keep it as simple or get as creative if you want with our extensive list of extra cheeses, meats, and veggies.  After your pizza is rolled and topped just the way you like, it gets a cozy five minutes in the wood-fired oven, and that's it! So come on out to experience a brand new dinning atmosphere with a farm fresh, handmade, authentic, old world style pizza. Top it off with one of our new tap beers, or ask Christi, the bar manager, to concoct you a unique summer cocktail!

Pizza Menu

Traditional Pizza
Marinara- House tomato sauce, mozzarella, and provolone...$10

Bianco- Fresh garlic, olive oil, and mozzarella...$8

Margherita- Fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella...$12

Oliva- House tomato sauce, chopped olives, capers, and mozzarella...$9

Vegan- House tomato sauce, red onion, garlic, grilled yellow squash, grilled eggplant, zucchini, and fire roasted red peppers...$10

New World Pizza
Michael Anthony- Rosemary roasted potato, smoked pancetta, spinach, egg, and aged provolone...$14

Wild Mushroom and Greens- Mushroom mix, garlic, olive and truffle oil, seasonal greens, and aged provolone...$16

Smoked Cheddar & Bacon- Baby artichokes, ice root spinach, balsamic glazed onions, aged provolone, parmagiano and pecorino cheeses...$13
Artichoke Spinach-Baby artichokes, ice root spinach, balsamic glazed onions, aged provolone, parmagiano and pecorino cheese...$14
Farm Fresh & Specialty Toppings...................Add $2
White Anchovies     
Ice Root Spinach
Chopped Mediterranean Olives
Baby Artichokes...$4
Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Wild Mushrooms...$4
Domestic Mushrooms
Mixed Field Greens
Molnari Pancetta
Smoked Pancetta
Italian Sausage
Creminelli Calabrese
Leocini Prosciutto De Parma
Applewood Smoked Bacon
Farm Fresh Egg
Fire Roasted Red Peppers
Balsamic Glazed Onions
Specialty Cheeses...Add $4
Carr Valley Applewood Smoked Cheddar
Smoked Mozzarella
Grand Fior De Latte Fresh Mozzarella
Stagionato Pecorino Toscana
Valpadana Aged Provolone...$6
Bleu D'Auvergne
Fontina Fontal

Scott and Jana Harvey

As you should know by now, the wine tasting with Napa Valley's Scott and Jana Harvey on June 18th is rapidly drawing near! We are very excited to have them, and we hope that you will join us for this food and wine filled event! Just a reminder, the wine tasting is $25 per person which will include wine tastes until we run out and light appetizers , reservations are highly recommended, and you are encouraged to stay for dinner after the tasting. We really hope to see you there!

Once again, thank you all for your patience during the bar remodel. We are very happy with the results, and we hope that you are as well! We hope to see you all soon!

As promised, the menu for the Hopler wine dinner on June 16th is now available for your viewing pleasure! . And don't forget about the tasting with California's Scott and Jana Harvey on June 18th! The Harvey's tasting will be more of a casual set up and their wines will be accompanied by a variety of light appetizers from the kitchen. As always, you are invited to stay for dinner afterward, so save room and call (937)526-3020 to make your reservation. We hope to see you soon!

Höpler Grüner Veltliner

Local asparagus and Fontina Fontal cheese tart

House pickled and oil cured eggplant

Ice root spinach and spring green onion frittata with a red onion marmalade

Höpler Pinot Blanc

Smoked salmon mousse ravioli in a pink Sambuca cream sauce with grilled shaved fennel

Höpler Pinot Noir

House smoked and pan seared Maple Leaf Farm’s duck breast with a wild cherry demi-glace and wilted mixed field greens

Höpler Blaufränkisch

Garlic infused braised beef with roasted heirloom tomatoes and a bronzed potato hash

 

Höpler Guttenberg Grüner Veltliner “2006”

Summer Berry and Rhubarb tart with a honey crème fraîche