Starting in July, Buffalo will see its first full fledge roaming, wood fire pizza truck called O.G. Wood Fire. I spoke with owner-operator Jay Langfelder who informed me that in the US there are only a handful of true, traditional wood fire burning food trucks on the road (maybe 10). According to Langfelder, O.G. Wood Fire (O.G. stands for One Goal) will be in the business of making the best modern American Neapolitan pizza on the road, which is only possible through years of culinary training and hands-on practice. He started his career in the pizza business at a young age, and has made every style pizza under the sun since. While Langfelder still appreciates a good Buffalo-style pizza, his heart has led him down the old world, wood-fired road.
But don’t think that he’s playing by the old world rules. Quite the opposite. Langfelder is excited to introduce his customers to ingredients that appeal more to his culinary senses. “While we may be importing some of our meats,” he shared with me. “I believe we have sourced better tomatoes than San Marzano – they will be coming from central California and they are brighter and sweeter than the traditional San Marzanos that everyone typically uses. We’re also not using Caputo double-zero flour. We’re getting our flour from Vermont, and the people that have tried it swear that it’s the best. We will, however, be using Italian Grana for our cheese – my philosophy is to source the best ingredients close to home, but if the best is further away, then you must go that route. Our sausage will be made right here in Buffalo, because we know that it will be fresh and delicious, using the best ingredients.”
Currently, Langfelder is in the midst of building out his truck operation, and is tweaking the design as he goes. Once on the road, customers of O.G. Wood Fire will be able to peer into the truck in order to get a nice view of their pizzas being made. I asked Langfelder where he hopes to position the truck and he told me that his goal is to align with the local breweries. He’s already reached out to a few of them, which are interested in teaming up. He also hopes to have a presence at Larkinville and other hot spots throughout the city.
In the end, it’s not so much about the location, as it is about the truck. “This is the real thing,” Langfelder told me. “We’re not talking about a trailer with a combo oven. This is a full blown 2000 pound oven* on a roaming truck. So far, Buffalo has been missing the mark on this style of pizza. Everything is handcrafted… from the cheese to the dough, this is true Neapolitan-style artisan pizza.”
According to Langfelder, the only food on the truck besides pizza, might be some desserts made by his girlfriend, who is a baker. In a world where it can be tough for culinary operations to focus on one particular item, Langerfeld feels that his driven passion for pizza will ultimately lead him down the road to success.
Being a devout pizza-lover, as any true blue Buffalonian should be, I can’t wait to try the final product once O.G. Wood Fire hits the road. This city is a battleground when it comes to naming favorites, that’s for sure. But from the sounds of it, this guy just might have what it takes to satiate the throng of devout wood-fired aficionados out there who have been eagerly awaiting for this day, and this truck, to arrive.
Find O.G. Wood Fire on Facebook
*Pizza orders will be running under 2 minute bake times, with oven at 800-900 degrees.