Today we’d like to introduce you to Clara Cavalli-Chiappardi
Hi Clara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Clara Cavalli-Chiappardi
I am a first-generation Italian my parents immigrated to Connecticut from Avellino, Italy. They worked hard to provide a good life for their children. My father is a barber and my mother a seamstress, both take much pride in their work. I grew up in the kitchen cooking with my mother and grandmother. I am a self-taught chef. I continue to learn every day and enjoy making people happy with my food.
I attended Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and graduated Magna Cum Laude with Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts. I have a graphic design and marketing background. I married my late husband, Paolo Cavalli in 2003 and in 2006 we moved to Texas for Paolo’s engineering career. During that time, we had a vision to open a Neapolitan Pizzeria. We were at the time living in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. In January of 2008, we opened the first Neapolitan Pizzeria, Cavalli Pizza in Irving. TX. After only 6 months of being opened, we were named Best Pizza in Dallas by D Magazine.
We also had our first child in 2008, and this is when Paolo was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia. We had a lot to work through, but we persevered and continued to build our brand. We built a mobile pizza truck for Cavalli Pizza in 2008, which was one of the first of its kind. In 2010, we opened our second location, Cavalli Pizzeria in McKinney TX. The brand continued to grow a following and patrons truly enjoyed what we provided.
In 2012, we made the decision to move back to Connecticut, after Paolo’s battle with Leukemia became very difficult and there were no more options for us in Dallas. We moved back home for alternative treatments and to be closer to family. During that time we welcomed our twins. In 2013, Paolo was in remission, and we decided to continue our passion for Neapolitan Pizza in CT. In October 2014, we opened Brick + Wood in Fairfield, CT.
Brick + Wood was a culmination of everything we wanted in a restaurant. From the Neapolitan Pizza to the Mozzarella/Burrata making station, to the Street food. It was also the only, all wine on tap restaurant in Connecticut. Brick + Wood truly was everything we ever wanted, and we began to live our motto LOVE LIFE AND PIZZA.
In 2016, Paolo suffered another relapse and passed away in June 2016. His memory will always live on through myself and our children. He is with us every day; he is our angel.
I continued to live our dream and kept our passion alive in Brick + Wood. In 2018, I met my new husband Giovanni, who took on a widow, 3 young kids, and a crazy life as a restaurant owner. In 2019 he came on full time at the restaurant and began to dive into the art of pizza making and cheese making. We were engaged in 2019, married in 2020 and welcomed our new baby in 2020. The kids were so excited for the newest addition, and we know our “Angel” in heaven brought her and Giovanni to us. Brick + Wood remained one of the highest-rated and reviewed restaurants in Connecticut until we closed in November 2021.
In November 2021, we decided to close Brick + Wood after dealing with so many things through the years. The struggles of being a restaurant owner became too much to endure. The restaurant world took a negative effect on my health and family. So, I decided it was time to make a change. It was one of the scariest things I ever had to do, but I knew it was the right decision for me and my family. We decided to make our way back to Dallas, TX. I wanted to be more present in my children’s lives. I wanted to be able to do something where I could be there for them, and still feed my passion of making people happy through my food. So, I began LOVE LIFE and PIZZA an Italian Lifestyle Blog. I launched my Blog in November 2022. It truly is a piece of me, and who I am.
During all these changes, I developed a severe allergy to wheat and gluten…funny I know. I made pizzas my whole life, owned pizzerias and love to bake and now I’m allergic. So, what did I do? Well, I began to immerse myself into gluten free baking and pizza making. Brick + Wood was already known for its amazing GF Pizza Dough, so I began to explore more. I took on the challenge of making GF sourdough and that’s when the magic happened. I now make all different versions of GF sourdough breads, GF pizza doughs, GF cookies, GF cakes, GF pastries and Italian foods all by maintaining the quality and integrity of the dish. I strive to always use Organic or NON-GMO as much as possible to create only the highest quality products. I also pride myself in that I use NO GUMS, NO PREMADE FLOURS, NO SEED OILS, and try to always make my products using simple, clean ingredients.
My website www.lovelifeandpizza.com is a culmination of everything I’ve learned throughout my life, passion, heart and soul. The name is perfect once you understand my story LOVE LIFE and PIZZA. Life is too fragile not pursue your passion, so that is what I decided to do.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say it has not been a smooth road. Opening my first Neapolitan Pizzeria in Dallas in 2008 when no one even knew or understood Neapolitan Pizza in a world where people considered chain pizza as good pizza. It was a constant process of educating the public and staff on how we made everything from scratch. We had to work with importers on bringing into Dallas the proper pizza flour from Italy and the tomatoes, as well as learning how to make mozzarella and providing a pizza like no one else was making in Dallas. It was a challenge, but after six months of being opened we received our first article from D Magazine as Best Pizza.
In addition, to introducing a new product to Dallas and dealing with a slow market back in 2008 we received the news that my husband at the time was diagnosed with Leukemia and I was pregnant with our first child all within same week. The road was not smooth from the very start. However, during all the struggles were glimmers of happiness, especially when I was able to see the smiles on people’s faces biting into our pizza and eating our foods. This gave me joy in such a difficult time. I believe that is why feeding people brings me such joy, because it was the happiness I found in a very hard period of my life.
There were more struggles through the years and how to manage everything and process it all as well. Blessings came throughout the struggles, as I welcomed my twins in 2012. However, darkness came after my husband’s death in 2016, where I struggled for several years, until I was able to come through it and find love and hope once again. I met my new husband Giovanni in 2018 and we were married in 2020 where we also welcomed my fourth child. So blessed with a new baby and then two months later COVID stuck. Being in Connecticut at the time running a successful restaurant and then having to cope with all the COVID restrictions and hostility, was the second most difficult thing I had to process and deal with, but we did. I did not know if I would have a staff left, or business since we had to shut down for so long. But love, hope, and perseverance got me through. The hardest decision I made was to sell everything the restaurant, my home, and move back to Texas for a better life for my family. It was a very hard decision but ultimately the best one for me and my family.
In 2020 while all the issues were going on I developed an allergy to wheat which has now become very severe. So I had to begin eating gluten free. This is where my next challenge began. Coming from an Italian upbringing, pasta and pizza were staples. How was I going to do it! My mission and challenge became to learn everything about gluten free baking and cooking. So I immersed myself into books, articles and learning not just how to bake and cook gluten free, but also what the causes were of why people have to go gluten free. Once I became educated I was able to use what I learned and begin creating recipes using healthy ingredients that will also work to heal the true cause which is inflammation of the GI tract.
In 2022 I decided to use all my new knowledge and began a BLOG not knowing anything about writing a Blog or starting a new concept based on being Gluten Free. I took a leap of faith and it has been very well received. My hope is to help, educate, and feed people amazing foods that will work in their favor.
Through all the struggles and darkness have come light, happiness and most of all hope and faith. You must cherish everything and LOVE LIFE.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am first and foremost a Mother and Wife, as well as a Master Pizzaiola, a Women in Pizza Ambassador, a Gluten Free Chef/Baker, a Daughter, a Sister and a Friend.
I specialize in Neapolitan Pizza and Gluten Free Baking/Cooking. I am known for beginning the Neapolitan Pizza movement here in Dallas back in 2008. I created and ran very successful Neapolitan Pizza Restaurants. I also well as created a new Gluten Free Business from scratch that has been thriving. My GF Sourdough breads, Pizza Doughs, Pastries, Desserts, and Italian Catering have grown since starting in 2022.
I am most proud of my children and then comes how I always try to persevere and succeed in everything I do. I always give it 100% and my heart.
What sets me apart is I don’t give up! There is a famous song quote I relate very well to, “I get knocked down but I get up again” that is me. And when I get up I’m stronger, smarter, more fierce, and better! I always try to better myself for me and my family.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My clearest memory is form when I was 10 years old, during the summer visiting Italy in the small town my parents grew up in. There was a beautiful evening, I recall the sun setting and all our family and friends at my uncle’s house. It was my first-time making Neapolitan Pizzas. My family made it a celebration of family, we all came together and picked fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden, made homemade mozzarella, and created magic in the wood-fired oven.
All the mothers were crushing the fresh picked tomatoes by hand and chopping the cheese. My uncle was getting the wood fired oven up to temperature, and the kids were picking the leaves of the basil. Once everything was ready the ladies stretched the doughs, and we began an assembly line of making the most amazing pizzas I would ever eat. My uncle cooked them within 90 seconds, and you had pure perfection! To this day I can still remember the taste, the smell and the sounds of everything from that evening in Italy
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lovelifeandpizza.com
- Instagram: lovelifeandpizza
- Facebook: Love Life and Pizza
- Youtube: Love Life and Pizza
