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Community Corner

The Man Behind the Pizza

For 15 Years Only One Man has Made the Pizzas at Belle Gente

How is it that a Peruvian immigrant growing up in a pizzaless land can put out the best pizza this side of the Hudson River?

If you were to ask the pizza-maker himself he would be dismissive, saying only, “I just make pizza.” But that modesty belies the true talent, Oscar Herrera, master of pizza, employs when crafting his inventive, delicate, freshly made, thin crust pizzas.

“Oil, salt, yeast, water – all the ingredients are the same,” Herrera said, denying he had a secret recipe.

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The difference, then, must be in the maker – something any pizza-loving patron of Belle Gente Trattoria & Ristorante on Bloomfield Avenue in Verona can tell you. They know Herrera’s pie by taste.

Recently, when Herrera took a short break to visit his native Peru, customers noticed. Although other cooks stepped up to fill in while he was away, the pizza just wasn’t the same. Upon Herrera’s return diners were much relieved. According to Herrera they kept exclaiming, “‘Oh, thank God you’re back.’”

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Even owner, Kim Cheung, admits without Herrera there is no pizza. In fact, a sign on the counter in front of the wood burning brick oven where Herrera works announces, “No Pizza on Mondays.” It is Herrera’s day off.

“If I’m not here no one can make the pizza,” Herrera acknowledged. He added customers check to make sure he is behind the counter before ordering up a Quattro Formaggi or Alla Napolitana.

Herrera credits his brother who taught him the trade when Herrera immigrated here twenty years ago. Before that Herrera had no experience in the kitchen. Back home he worked for a cosmetics company, but here Herrera was a quick study. Making 200 pizzas a night could do that to a person. Five years later he went to work for Belle Gente, and he’s been there ever since.

Now he may make 40 to 50 pizzas a night, but he’s a one-man show. At times the restaurant must temporarily suspend takeout orders to fill the demand in the restaurant. Customers simply must wait out the dinner rush if they are dying for one of the specialty pizzas on the menu like the Alla Genovese with pesto, mushrooms and mozzarella or the Paradiso with shrimp, sundried tomatoes, garlic and basil. They can always opt instead for one of the fresh-made pastas like the cavetelli and broccoli or the orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe.

If patrons hold out for pizza, though, it is certain to look almost as good as it tastes. Herrera notes, “I make it like a decoration.”

Although Herrera has been with the restaurant for 15 years, it first opened its doors in the 1980’s. It has since undergone several name changes, but has remained Belle Gente since the early 90’s. In the mid 90’s the restaurant added the space at 644 Bloomfield Avenue to create a formal dining room, called R’s Place. Recently, under new ownership, that name was changed to Belle Gente as well and the room is now used for private parties during the week.

The changes were made according to Cheung, who took over in 2005, to “provide customers with more attentive service.”

Cheung would know about pleasing diners. He has worked in the restaurant business since he first came to this country from China at 11 years old. He worked at one of two restaurants owned by his father and then for his father’s friend, who offered Cheung a higher wage to work at his Chinese restaurant. By the time Cheung was 14 and while still working for his father, he took over management of the friend’s restaurant.

Although Cheung wasn’t old enough to drive himself to work, he managed. “I had drivers from the restaurant drive me around,” he explained.

Through high school and college Cheung continued to put in full work-weeks. At 35 the Verona resident owns 9 properties (and speaks four languages) although he is looking to consolidate.

“The only business I want to keep is this restaurant,” he said, adding, “Quality-wise nobody beats us right now.”

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