FARM-TO-FORK
basil) and the Vanwall Special (pesto,
mozzarella, local white shrimp and
seasonal tomatoes), which was selected
by Zagat in 2013 as the best pizza in
South Carolina. Popular salad offerings are the Caesar Salad topped with
a soft boiled local farm egg and the
Chicken Milanese Salad, which features crispy chicken scallopini, capers,
arugula, grape tomato, red onion and
pecorino romano.
The team at Monza works with a variety of South Carolina vendors to feature produce from local farms in their
daily specials. Co-executive chef Tito
Marino explains that, “We try to use
as many local ingredients as we can.
There so many really great farms in the
Charleston area. Down here, you’re
crazy not to work with local farmers.
It’s more convenient and you get better
quality produce and other items.”
Marino explains the process for local
sourcing at Monza: “The way we work
is we typically check with our local
suppliers on Mondays and see what
looks really good. We place an order
and then develop our specials for the
week. It’s a lot more fun that way—
things never get stale or boring when
we’re changing up the specials each
week based on what’s available.”
Monza adds a fresh and simple flair
to the local restaurant scene. According to Marino, “Our specials highlight
local ingredients. We provide a lighter
option than a lot of restaurants who
feature heavy entrees—lots of salads,
pizzas and pastas that are fresh and
simple.” As they say at Monza, rev it
up and enjoy the ride. n
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