Walking into the dimly lit restaurant, the smells of freshly cooked, genuine pizza is overwhelming. Stanzione 87 provides this comforting environment while bringing unique tastes of Italian cuisines to Miami.

Only using ingredients imported from Naples, with the exception of their homemade mozzarella cheese, Stanzione 87 remains the only restaurant in Miami that serves genuine Italian pizza. The wood ovens and most of the Italian-imported furniture contribute to the family-style and homey ambiance that the restaurant evokes.

The restaurant, named after the owner Franco Stanzione, inspired his vision for a unique Italian pizzeria, having grown up in the food business himself. Stanzione and his wife, Ashley Lopez, opened the restaurant together in April 2013. They met at Gulliver and graduated together, as high school sweethearts in 2007. They got married soon after. Stanzione studied in New York with an Italian chef and came back wanting to start the restaurant.

“I bought this property when I was 22 hoping to be the youngest restaurant owner in Miami,” said Stanzione.

The restaurant finished construction two years after his purchase. The couple’s goals were achieved when creating a family-friendly environment and a menu that speaks to the true nature of Italian cooking. The menu features a variety of delicious wood oven pizzas, all cooked for only thirty seconds to a minute at 900 degrees Fahrenheit, while following specific guidelines, such as ingredients used and cooking temperature, to keep the title as a “branded Neapoletana” in addition to salads, appetizers, and their savory Nutella calzone. With Stanzione 87 open to all Miami foodies, the traditional essence of Italian cooking is officially in Miami.