Levante Brewing is debuting “Levante Sole”, the brewery’s first entrance into cuisine, and beer fans can get their first bite soon at the Levante Stables.
Levante Sole is the brainchild of Ryan Rayer, Chef de Cuisine and Retail Operations Manager, and Executive Chef William Braun, who just joined the brewery recently from Tired Hands Brewing. Together they will debut Neopolitan brick oven pizza offerings, made fresh at the Levante Stables.
We spoke with Ryan Rayer to get more info on this project 2 years in the making, which was put on hold due to the pandemic. As he told us, the name is perfect for them: Levante Sole, translating to rising sun in Italian, ties to both the Neapolitan roots of the pizza as well as the namesake of the brand.
The story around how Ryan and Bill have put all of this together is unique, and is a testament to Levante Brewing always trying to elevate the customer experience for beer fans onsite. As Ryan put it, “Ultimately, our goal was to make the best Margherita pizza that any of us has ever had. And if we could pull that off, then we could definitely do other styles.”
Starting literally from scratch, Ryan and Bill approached this process differently and tried to apply as much of the science of brewing to the way they made recipes of pizza. They had the opportunity to go to Forza Forni in New York, where they got their wood-fired pizza oven from, to get a crash course in pizza.
They first needed to look at the dough. Water profile is very important, Ryan noted, and they tested water profiles from areas that are known for great pizza: Italy and Brooklyn, and of course they tried West Chester water. They decided on Brookyln’s water profile. Next was yeast, and just like brewing, there are many to choose from. They tested how the different water profiles and yeasts interacted, and finally settled on the Philly Sour Yeast.
From there, it was 6 months of R&D with many blind tastings. They experimented with many types of flour, tomatoes, and an assortment of cheese. They ultimately decided on a Fior di Pizza cheese from Caputo Brothers Creamery in Spring Grove PA.
“Our goal is to have food crafted the same meticulous way that Levante beers are crafted.” – Ryan Rayer, Chef de Cuisine and Retail Operations Manager
This is the start of Levante’s food offerings, according to Ryan, who said Levante plans to add more options down the line. The brand new wood-fired pizza trailer will be parked at The Stables exclusively to start. Eventually, the plan is to have pizza available at both The Stables in Chester Springs and the West Chester brewery every day they’re open.
The first four pizzas that Levante Sole will be debuting this week are:
• Margherita
• Marinated heirloom tomato
• Roasted mushroom made with scallions, lemon cream sauce, and Korean chili flakes
• Hot soppressata and pickled jalapeño
Want to try these? Head on over to the Levante Stables this week for your first try. But fear not, they will be cooking up these delicious pies every day The Stables is open!
