Athena D.
Yelp
I have very few stipulations for wherever I end up living in the world, but one of my non-negotiable requirements is a good Neapolitan pizza place. I was so delighted to learn about Il Ritrovo from a friend and knew that it was a must-try. I guess you might catch me moving up to Sheboygan soon!
Il Ritrovo is located on a cute little street near the lake and definitely has the perfect atmosphere of a neighborhood staple that locals love to frequent. On a Saturday evening, our party of four had to wait about an hour, which gave us plenty of time to explore the riverfront area. The restaurant group also owns Trattoria Stefano (across the street), Field to Fork (attached to Il Ritrovo), and Stefano's Slo-Food Market (so many unique delights!). The restaurant itself has a warm and cozy atmosphere with tall wooden booths and a ceiling fresco. Every table has a view of the main event- the wood-fire pizza oven that allowed Il Ritrovo the designation of Certified Vera Pizza Napoletana member. This status requires a number of qualifications to meet approval by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana and there are only about a hundred such restaurants in the US- so great to find one in Sheboygan!
Our waiter exalted the fonduta al forno [$16] as their number one appetizer. This was a fondue-like affair served in a terracotta pot with greens and prosciutto, great for sharing and spreading on toasty bread. It definitely tasted pretty pizza-y from the tomatoes and oregano incorporated in the cheese, so I might go with a different appetizer if you're planning on ordering red pizzas for entrees. It was a satisfying and indulgent dish- maybe not as outstanding to me as the hype made it out to be, but it helped a lot to warm our souls after a chilly riverfront walk.
For entrees, we shared the boscaiola [$20], capricciosa [$20], and calabrese con miele [$20]. The boscaiola, a pizza bianca topped with rosemary, pancetta, and mushrooms was a deceptively simple concept full of savory and lightly fragrant flavors. Although all of the pizzas were good, we thought the capricciosa- a pizza rosso topped with mushrooms, ham, artichokes, olives, and soppressata- was our least favorite of the bunch, not because it was bad but just because it was dwarfed by the calabrese con miele. Playing on the hot honey trend that took the coastal cities by storm several years ago, this pizza rosso topped with plenty of cheese and Calabrian chili paste, calabrese salami, and spicy honey was an indulgent and excellent combination of savory, spicy, and sweet. We all agreed that this was the best one! I would say I was definitely satisfied with the pizza here. There could be room for improvement in terms of the consistency of the bake (between our 3 pizzas the bake was quite variable), and the distribution of toppings on the pizzas, but the quality of the food was very clear. We also enjoyed both the lychee fizz [$11] and negroni sbagliato [$10] (had to order this Gen Z drink).
A very friendly staff member brought us some of their house-made Nutella gelato to sample as we perused the dessert menu. We decided to close out with their tiramisu (a delight!) and a cannoli studded with plenty of candied orange.
The service was incredibly warm and friendly. We felt welcomed as though we were close friends. Our waiter was genuinely interested in how we enjoyed the food and gave many detailed recommendations. It was clear that the team cares a lot about their guests and the quality of the food. They seemed invested in making sure that we had a great experience and got to try all the menu highlights!
During college, my friends and I spent many evenings at Eataly joking about school and consuming our weight in Neapolitan pizzas, and I've been chasing the memories of that happiness ever since. Now I'm in graduate school in a completely different state, but thanks to Il Ritrovo, I'm comforted knowing that I can still have the cherished experience of sharing great pizza and laughter with the people dear to me.