New restaurant bringing 'Neo-Neapolitan style pizza' to Five Points

A family-owned pizzeria offering artisan "Neo-Neapolitan style pizza" as well as pastas and other homemade Italian specialties is coming to Jacksonville's Five Points.

Rodrigo's Craft Pizza expects to open in early December at 1029 Park St., owner Alex Rodriguez told the Times-Union.

Serving lunch and dinner, the restaurant will focus on handcrafted fresh-from-scratch pizzas featuring mozzarella cheese made in-house and seasonal ingredients. In-house-made pasta dishes, along with calzones, salads and more, also will be featured on the menu.

"We're not satisfied with merely being another pizza and pasta spot. We aspire to be a haven for pizza enthusiasts, a place where each bite narrates a tale of craftsmanship, quality, and community," said Rodriguez, citing the restaurant's philosophy, which is prominently displayed on the restaurant's website.

Rodrigo's Craft Pizza will replace Crane Ramen, which closed abruptly last November after four years. Opening in 2018, Crane Ramen was Jacksonville’s first craft ramen bar and the second location for the Gainesville-based restaurant.

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Rodriguez, a self-taught pizzaiolo whose family are longtime New York restaurant owners, said he chose Five Points for the pizzeria because of its vibrant sense of community.

"We fell in love with the Five Points area … We came to eat and it just reminded me of New York … the Brooklyn area," said Rodriguez, who relocated with his family about a year ago from New York to St. Johns County.

He also was drawn by the opportunity for the restaurant to be the first of its kind in Five Points, although it will neighbor other pizza joints.

The restaurant's goal goes beyond just serving up a slice, he said.

"We aren't just creating pizza, we're shaping an experience," Rodriguez said of his desire "to craft pizzas that I could serve to my relative and friends, my family, proudly."

The new restaurant will be on the same block as Biggie's Pizza and across Park Street from Sun-Ray Cinema's Pizza Cave and join neighbors Mixed Fillings Pie Shop, 904 Tacos, Hawkers Asian Street Food and Waffle Cone.

Dough makes a difference

Fresh ingredients locally sourced whenever possible will be a priority. But it all starts with the dough — a key factor that he said will set Rodrigo's Craft Pizza apart from other pizzerias.

The dough requires patience as well as a meticulous blend of flours. It undergoes a 72-hour fermentation process that enhances its flavor and aroma. It's also easier to digest, he said.

The menu is being finalized, but topping signature pizza offerings will be a traditional Neopolitan-style pie of fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and olive oil.

Pastas will include gnocchi, spaghetti and fettuccine. Meat for meatballs will be ground in-house, he said.

"We are going to do simple pastas. It won't be really upscale because we want people from different backgrounds to be able to enjoy the dishes without breaking the bank," said Rodriguez, noting Gnocchi alla Sorrentina and Spaghetti Puttanesca are among some of the dishes being planned.

Rodrigo's Craft Pizza plans to be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday and closed on Monday, Rodriguez said.

Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at [email protected].

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Rodrigo's Craft Pizza coming to Five Points in Jacksonville