Winning Hearts and Palates with Pizza

One of our long-time customers, Dan Moroso, just celebrated the 3rd anniversary of the opening of Moroso’s Wood Fired Pizzeria!  Located in Waco, Texas, Moroso’s is the first pizzeria to offer wood-fired pies in the city.  Did you know that Waco is now renown as a destination city for living and working thanks to television celebrities who call it home? VIPs are among Moroso’s most loyal clientele, and believe it or not, Waco has now surpassed the Alamo as the #1 Tourist Attraction in Texas!  

Owner/Operator Dan Moroso transferred to Texas from Miami where he enjoyed a successful career in television production. When he first opened the pizzeria, Dan used the dynamics of a television set for design inspiration, and his Marra Forni static wood-fired oven played a key role in the decor. He added a red, black, and gold backdrop to his kitchen so that people could come in and immediately feel a part of the inviting yet dramatic atmosphere. 

Neapolitan-style pizza is Moroso’s core product. “They come to try the pizza, and then…..they fall in love with the rest of the menu,” says Dan. Unlike many other new restaurateurs, Dan did not wait for menu items to become trendy before offering them. Instead, he focused on introducing Waco diners to the flavors of Italy that they had been “missing out on.” 

When he started, even the concept of a wood-fired pizza was foreign to locals who had grown up processed, conveyor belt pizza. Dan knew that if customers could learn to appreciate authentic pizza, he could fulfill his mission of sharing a whole new culinary world with them. 

And so the romance began…enticed with a light, airy crust, and authentic, full-bodied Neapolitan flavors of fresh mozzarella, tangy tomatoes, and basil… Moroso’s enchanted customers began to appreciate the other edible charms that the pizzeria has to offer. Since Dan’s family hails from Northern Italy, he created a pleasing menu using polenta and risotto as well. Little by little, he has continued to make customers swoon with incomparable temptations such as fried fresh artichokes and arancini. The secret to his success was his personal touch.  Dan has always treated clients as if they were his own private guests and goes table to table dazzling them with delicious new flavors just begging to be savored. 

For those who can’t get enough of Moroso’s pleasing culinary delights, Dan has created 6-course fine dining events which continue to sell out quickly. The secrets to his success? “Consistency, passion, and love,” says the Owner/Operator. As a testament to their philosophy and demonstration of commitment, Dan and his wife are at Moroso’s every day.  

Consistency is the characteristic that Dan also appreciates the most in his Marra Forni oven. He says that he cooks everything from his signature pizzas to bread, proteins, vegetables, and even desserts in it. He loves the fact that he “can create a robust top heat” which enables him to make even ribeye steaks with a “gorgeous, charred-exterior and perfectly cooked medium-rare interior.” When describing his oven he continued…..“you can cook anything in there, working with it makes me feel like I’m working with an old friend that I can rely on.” The oven gives me the “peace and comfort knowing that I am part of a tradition that goes back hundreds of years with an artisan tool I can count on.”