No offense, but elite pizza is not supposed to reside in Hot Springs, Arkansas. No way, no how. We’re not talking New York City, Chicago or even Boston here… This is Hot Springs.
But it’s true.
The pizza at DeLuca’s Pizzeria Napoletana is that good, and if you don’t believe me, take the short 50-minute drive down to the Spa City and find out for yourself. Proprietor and Brooklyn native Anthony Valinoti is the man behind this pizza artistry and takes immeasurable pride in his craft.
Every pizza at DeLuca’s starts out as a Classic Margherita ($20). This plain pie comes with a three cheese blend of fresh mozzarella, whole milk mozzarella, and Parmigiana-reggiano, along with extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil. Truthfully, you’d be just fine stopping there, but if you must, “add-on” some fennel sausage ($4) and peppadews ($2). The ground sausage with the sweet and slightly spicy peppers makes for a winning combination. Other toppings include: calabrese, Vermont Smokehouse and Boars Head pepperoni, hot cappiocola, pancetta, both sweet and spicy soppressata, shiitake mushrooms, arugula, jalapenos, onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes. Anthony makes every attempt to locally source all of his toppings.
The crust is thin, light and airy, but foldable, the true hallmark of any respectable NY-style pizza. The bottom-side and edges are slightly charred, making for not only an overall tasty pie, but one that is visually appealing.
If $20-$30 seems like a steep price for a pizza, you’d be right. But this is no ordinary pizza. Deluca’s pies are enormous, the ingredients are superb, and any qualms you may have had will quickly dissipate with just one bite.
DeLuca’s Pizzeria Napoletana
407 Park Ave., Hot Springs, AR (501) 609-9002
Hours of Operation: Thursday-Sunday (11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.)