Build it and they will come. That is the birth story of Ferdinando’s and their quest to sell 10,000 pizzas.
Our friends, Kimon and Diego have been opening their doors to family and friends for countless fun, vibrant foodie celebrations. Whether it was a birthday or post-4am Long Street search for food, we always were generously fed. With Manu Chao pumping through the stereo, you relax and share nourishing homemade food in the comfort of their clementine and paprika painted walls. I’m now remembering the days before Ferdinando’s: Diego’s Fish Festival with Octopus potato salad with pots of Portuguese mussels .
Last week, Kimon reminded me, “We haven’t been invited out to dinner in AGES!” My cheeky response: “Well, can we have Ferdinando’s pizza take-away at our house?” I’ve learned that friends who build a pizza oven in their own home still want to go to dinner parties too!
When you’re at Ferdinando’s, you’re eating at the best pizza joint in Cape Town. It feels like you’re dining or entertaining at home and you forget you’re a paying patron yet there’s a nice feeling knowing you don’t have to do the dishes.
But let’s rewind to April 15th: Kimon’s birthday.
We celebrated the official opening of Ferdinando’s-the best Italian pizza speak-easy in town. Everybody and their mom knows it (mine does). It’s not your average pop-up restaurant. It’s guerilla gourmet. Diego loves creating, Kimon is a creative and together they created a love child: she’s warm and hot all day long (I’m talking about their pizza oven, guys.)
It’s in their previous dining room, but it all makes sense when you sit around the counter and enjoy the edible doppio zero crust canvas of melted cheese and fresh local and Italian ingredients.
Since Kimon’s birthday, we have brought numerous friends and my whole family to get in on this bubbling pizza sensation. We even included our puppy, Lorenzo who loves his older cousin, Ferdinando: the boss, the dueño, the dog, the inspiration for the pizzeria’s name. Any comments, concerns, complaints? Talk to him.
Ferdinando’s Pizza on The Culinary Linguists blog #capetown
My Mom and Pops, self-proclaimed pizza lovers and global food critics, rate Ferdinando’s pizza top-notch. On their world tour, they ate at Ferdinando’s at least once a week in June and July to keep their winter fingers warm and their stomachs lined with Grizzly and Shanico’s. It was the only way to make it through the Cape Town frigid rain and wind-warm up by the wood-burning oven and digest the best immune boosters: Extra garlic four cheese pizza and don’t pass on the Tiger Sauce!
My brother-in law, Billy, specially requested a beef calzone from Diego (there’s nothing this oven can’t do.)
My sister, Koko, said “Yes” to the mozzerella baby (Kimon’s term for eating copious amounts at Ferdinando’s pizza). Koko used to pick the cheese off her pizza in the 90’s before we had any awareness of Vegan and Lactose-Intolerance diets. One night at Ferdinando’s pizza can make any Vegan beg for a French Prince. They even make Gluten-free-dom crusts!
And so the love saga continues. Kimon and Diego love Ferdinando, we love them AND their pizza-oven addition. We’ll keep supporting them even after the 10,000th pizza is sold and sit down to joy with a reservation for 2 and 1/4, Chris, myself and pup, Lorenzo.
Call Kimon or Diego for your own mozzarella baby with Tiger sauce for any Wed, Thurs, Friday Evening 6pm-10pm. And book on Saturdays for your own foodie celebration for 15 or more. On Monday and Tuesdays, they’ll be eating at our house 😉
CONTACT:
Mr Diego il chef +27 843519248; miss Kimon the artist +27 847710485.
The Culinary Linguist 
🙂 Happiness is…