MidiCi in Maitland offers classic take on Italian pies

Looking for a taste of Italy right in Maitland? A new restaurant in the Maitland City Centre has just the right traditional twist.

— The Neapolitan Pizza Company recently opened its doors in the new Maitland development in January and is serving up pizza the way it was made 300 years ago.

Visitors can tell they are in for something rustic and authentic as soon as they step inside MidiCi. A live olive tree grows from the ground in the center of the restaurant, which is designed to mimic an outdoor Italian courtyard. 

Even the pizza oven is imported from Naples, Italy and hand-built by a third-generation Italian family.

It’s an eatery run by co-owners Joe and Melissa Roberts, who hope to become the go-to stop for an authentic pizza experience.

“We follow the same kind of standards of a true, authentic Neapolitan pizza,” Joe Robertssaid. “We just keep it simple. Our oven would make it unique. … The only source of fuel is a wood-burning fuel, so there’s no gas. … It kind of brings people back to going to Italy.”

The Maitland restaurant marks one of the latest locations by the company that opened its first location  in 2015 in Los Angeles. Today, MidiCi has more than 40 locations across the country.

Joe Roberts said it didn’t take much convincing to want to open a pizza eatery in Maitland. 

“We wanted to be part of (developer Allen Morris) and the city of Maitland’s vision of Downtown Maitland (and the) Maitland City Centre,” he said. “In addition, Maitland is experiencing a lot of growth, both in the business and residential communities. We have a strong sense of community and look forward to supporting community events, schools (and) churches in Maitland.”

MidiCi offers an array of Neapolitan pizzas, wood-fired calzones, salads, pasta dishes and desserts. When it comes to specialty pizzas, The Devil’s — made with Italian tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, housemate spicy sausage, spicy Italian Salami and red chiles — and the Double Pepperoni are best sellers, Joe Roberts said.

Melissa Roberts said part of what truly sets Neapolitan pizza apart is that it’s a much healthier option than what you’ll find at fast-food pizza joints.

“My favorite (pizza) is the Truffle & Vegetable — it has a lot of different ingredients in it,” she said. “It has mushrooms in it, it has black olives, and it has tomatoes, and it has drops of ricotta, as well as mozzarella. They put it in the oven, and then after baking, they put arugula on top, so it’s like a fresh salad on top of this amazing pizza. Of course, our dough is vegan, and it’s very clean. We have gluten-free options, as well.”

When it comes to ordering pizzas, hungry patrons shouldn’t be afraid to create their own and diverge off the menu. Customers are welcome to take a classic pizza and add whatever they want to it, Joe Roberts said. It plays right into the restaurant’s name — MidiCi translates to “you tell me.”

Joe Roberts also stressed that although the restaurant sports an upscale feel and atmosphere, it’s a place where the whole family can come and grab a bite to eat.

“So far, it feels like we’ve been well-received,” Joe said. “It’s really amazing the amount of families that we get during dinner time. We love that, because we want to be family-friendly.”