If you happen to pass through Albairate, in the province of Milan, remember that there is a place where the pizza is as tradition dictates, but if you want to try something new, there are Fabrizio’s recipes and, then, you will never leave
Fabrizio Tropea grew up with it among flours and wood-burning ovens, since the age of 14 when he was making deliveries for pizzerias in the area.
From there comes his passion for pizza, which since 2010 has been his job, his business, his life. Just think that in the pizzeria he met Silvia Ruggieri, who is now his wife and runs the business with him. From this love that blossomed between pizzas, Pizzeria Il Point in Albairate was born. At first it was a take-out pizzeria, then as the clientele grew, the place expanded and now seats 90. “I make a contemporary pizza that derives from a reinterpretation of the classic Neapolitan,” explains Fabrizio Tropea , “I have tried to maintain the visual aspect of the traditional pizza, with the high crust as it once was; I wanted, however, to give it characteristics more in keeping with contemporary tastes.
To achieve this, Fabrizio studied the doughs and set up a working method that, starting from a common base, develops in different ways depending on the intended use. “I use stone-ground flours and operate a long leavening technique; this is only the base though, then I use different preferments such as biga or poolish or direct leavening depending on whether the product is intended to be consumed immediately, or after a day, or for take-out. I adapt the technique by changing timing and processing to achieve the same end result: a tasty and digestible pizza, light and fragrant, as people want.”
At Il Point we only and exclusively make pizza. This is its hallmark, Fabrizio explains, “That way our focus is on the product and we are completely dedicated to executing it well. Those who come to us know this.
The appreciation of our ever-growing customer base makes us satisfied. Albairate is a small town in the Milanese hinterland, but it is surrounded by many more populous localities, and by now the name of Il Point is well known and customers gladly travel a few extra miles.” The excellent results, according to Fabrizio, also stem from having chosen reliable suppliers, such as Le 5 Stagioni, which Fabrizio has always used because “it is a certainty and I don’t risk surprises: the pizza always succeeds perfectly and the right flour certainly has part of the credit.”
Two menus, at Il Point: the first, about fifteen variations, is oriented on classic pizzas, such as the traditional 4 stagioni or capricciosa; but it is the second menu that is the real surprise. It is called “Fabrizio’s recipes,” and here the pizzaiolo expresses the best of his creativity. “They call them gourmet pizzas,” says Fabrizio Tropea, “but I prefer to call them ‘my recipes.’
These are pizzas for foodies who like to try something new, and I try to please them. Basically, I reproduce on the pizza base some traditional Italian recipes made with Italian products. It is a way to pay homage to the extraordinary heritage of our country and I am very proud of it. Some examples? Cacio e pepe, ficus, pumpkin or cimetta. A few escapades in Spain with jamon serrano and Cantabrian anchovies, but above all many Italian products because I like the idea of enhancing our territory so rich in specialties. I carefully choose the ingredients because to get a quality product you have to start with excellent raw materials. So, first and foremost, freshness and guaranteed products.
Of course, there is no shortage of pizza in honor of my last name: Tropea like onion, so I invented the provolona pizza with tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, smoked buffalo provola, Taggiasche olives, oregano and … Tropea onion.”
