Since 2009, Carmella’s has run as an Italian bistro open only for dinner service, but last October, co-owners and sisters Nicole and Kristin DeFranza made a significant change.
They transformed the side room, mostly used for overflow seating and private parties, into a small lunch and dinner restaurant specializing in Neapolitan pizza.
The two sisters previously owned SAP until January 2025, when they sold it to new owners to focus more on Carmella’s together.
“We felt like [SAP] was taking us apart from each other when we really love creating and working together,” Nicole said. “Neapolitan pizza has also always been a dream of ours to do.”
In October 2025, the two opened VIA Pizza Napoletana inside of Carmella’s at 716 N. Casaloma Drive in Grand Chute.
“We started thinking if it would be possible to make it almost like two dining experiences in one space and that’s essentially what we did,” Nicole said.
The DeFranzas completely transformed the space including adding a door that leads directly outside and a door between Carmella’s and VIA to separate the two areas.
“It’s been a really interesting and unique way to utilize our space better and to offer this new thing to the Fox Valley that’s never been done here before,” Nicole said.
Owners of VIA traveled and specially trained to create authentic Neapolitan pizza
VIA is almost a Vera Pizza Napoletana, or VPN, certified restaurant meaning all of its ingredients and techniques are regulated through the Associzzione Verace Pizza Napoletana.
While the restaurant is not officially VPN certified at this time, Nicole said the application process is nearly complete.
“They’ve tasked themselves with carrying on the ancient art and tradition of true Neapolitan pizza making,” Nicole said. “We learned what the process was, what the guidelines are for becoming a member of the VPN and came back and got to work.”
Nicole, Kristen and their head chef Kari Mueller traveled to Los Angeles about a year ago to train under master pizzaiolo and VPN certified Peppe Miele, with each of them earning their own individual VPN certificates.
Neapolitan pizza dough is made in-house with ingredients that must be approved by the VPN, including an imported Italian flour, before it ferments for 24 hours in the restaurant’s dough room.
“We use the dough for our pizzas the next day which are topped with ingredients that, again, have to be approved,” Nicole said. “Everything has to be done in a very specific way even down to the way the dough is stretched.”
The sauce for the pizza requires San Marzano tomatoes that are hand milled and the cheese must be Fior di Latte, a fresh type of mozzarella.
“There’s obviously some leeway with the kind of pizzas we create but there always has to be a margherita and a marinara pizza on the menu,” Nicole said. “Those are two staples of traditional Neapolitan pizza.”
While the pizza menu changes with the seasons, currently customers can find pizzas like the Dolce e Piccante made with calabrese salami, Calabrian chili pepper, honey and basil, the Capricciosa made with ham, olive, artichoke and mushroom and the Melanzana Fritte made with crispy eggplant, herbed ricotta and basil.
All pizzas are cooked in a VPN certified, wood-fired oven and finished with extra virgin olive oil.
“The oven is really beautiful and actually came from Naples, which was a task to get in here but it’s amazing,” Nicole said.
Other pizzas include the Scampi made with mozzarella, shrimp, crispy kale, cherry pepper and Carmella’s scampi butter, the Carbonara made with parmesan crema, crispy pancetta, leeks and poached eggs and the Zucchine made with mozzarella, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, whipped ricotta, hot chili and lemon zest.
The restaurant also features a new specialty pizza every week.
Aside from pizzas, customers can order soups, salads, appetizers and Pagniotello, or sandwiches with buns made from pizza dough.
Pagniotellos include the Meatball Parmigiana served with mozzarella and marianara, the Combinato made with salami, capicola, mortadella, provolone, green olive tapenade, tomato, arugula and creamy Italian and the Pagniotello of the week.
“We also offer gelato that’s made in-house with grass-fed milk from Clover Meadows, local, organic eggs, no heavy cream and no artificial colors or ingredients,” Nicole said.
Customers can also order from Carmella’s pasta menu during VIA’s lunch hours.
“At night we shut the sliding doors between the two restaurants, and each menu stays exclusive to its space,” Nicole said.
Nicole said they are currently working towards getting a separate outdoor sign to make the two spaces more distinct.
“Once you visit and come inside the building it makes a lot more sense,” Nicole said. “We just love bringing new cultures and experiences to the Valley.”
For more information and a full menu visit carmellasbistro.com. To stay updated on the restaurant’s weekly specials visit VIA’s Facebook page.
Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Restaurant aims to serve first certified Neapolitan pizza in the Valley
Reporting by Jelissa Burns, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
