Avero Craft Pizzeria: Copper Oven, Craft Beer and Caviar Pizza

A gilded, hexagonal wood-fired oven cranks out pizzas in 90 seconds or less at Avero Craft Pizzeria. Stationed at the center of the restaurant behind the bar, the oven is the focal point of the outdoorsy eatery.

Beside the oven is a pile of white oak logs. To heat up the fire, they are strewn onto the 600-degree hearth and sparked with a gas assist. Amidst the flames, fresh ingredients are cooked at a consummated 850 degrees, dusted with a pink Himalayan sea salt garnish and served in the form of pizza.

In its first week of business, Avero Craft Pizzeria has attracted crowds with its vibrant orange awnings, booth-free seating and strings of ceiling lights. Boasting its craft beer and modern appeal, the restaurant on U.S. 34/Lancaster Avenue will also be open for lunch at 11 a.m. beginning Thursday.

“We put pizzeria on the door but at the same time, it’s anything but a pizzeria,” said general manager Pete Raffetto, a Main Line resident since he was 8 years old, with the exception of a term in the military. Raffetto has worked in the restaurant industry for 13 years, including a managerial position at chain restaurant Rock Bottom.

Founders Scott Morrison, owner of Chelsea Tavern and the Ernest & Scott Taproom in Wilmington, DE, and Vince Schiavone fostered the Main Line project, seeking to offer something “light and simple” with both an American and slightly Italian feel, according to Raffetto.

“He put ‘pizzeria’ almost to lower the bar,” Raffetto said, highlighting the restaurant’s extensive beer and wine list. “There’s the simplicity of it, but he put a lot of love into it. A lot of thought is put into everything, but the pizza is the forefront with the pizza oven when you walk in the front door.”

Although it opened its doors last week, the trendy spot is still a work in progress, printing out revised menus and prices on an almost daily basis. Currently, the pizza prices range from $14 to $20, and the appetizers range from $6 to $22. Aside from pizzas, the American-ized Italian spot serves up pasta, salads and dessert including bombolone, an Italian doughnut.

With additional items in the works like ossetra caviar pizza, priced at $95, the average menu price may spike in coming weeks.

“This menu will be evolving, changing as it goes,” Raffetto said. “We want to start with making what we have good.”

Additionally, craft beer has maintained a following within the last decade, earning it a substantial space on the pizzeria's menu. The restaurant obtains some of its malted beverages at the Chester County's Victory Brewing Company, but also imports select picks like Italian beer from Brooklyn, NY.  

Inside the restaurant, umbrellas are fanned across the ceilings, overlooking sleek concrete floors and slender vases filled with sand and youthful orange and green flowers. Bright orange pizza boxes are stashed on shelves behind the bar, made visible by the lime-colored globe lights during the nighttime hours.

“[Scott] wanted the colors to pop,” Raffetto said, describing the style of the restaurant. “It’s not stupid loud, but it gives an outside feel.”