Credit: c/o Josh Anson
A new spot for New York-style pizza just soft opened in The ‘Burg last weekend.

Cipolla Rossa’s new food truck is parked at 2927 Central Ave. in the Grand Central District, and is already dishing out the artisan pies it’s known for.

Owner Josh Anson—who is typically slinging ‘za at maker’s markets throughout St. Pete—tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that his newest venture is a collaboration with Hawthorne Bottle Shop.

Anson had already been longtime friends with Hawthorne Bottle Shop co-owner Anthony Roman, so the mutually-beneficial partnership was quickly established earlier this year. Anson needed a more permanent location to sell pizzas out of, and Hawthorne Bottle Shop wanted hot food options in addition to its cold offerings.

At Cipolla Rossa’s new location, Anson is now operating out of a fully-equipped food truck, a notable upgrade from his pop-up and wood-fired oven setup which was already one of the best food pop-ups in the Bay area. With more space he’s able to expand his pizza menu to include new options like buffalo chicken and vodka meatball, in addition to classic flavors like cheese, pepperoni, margherita, bianca (or “white pizza”) and mushroom.

Anson adds a small amount of naturally-fermented yeast into his pizza dough, giving it a springy texture and deep flavor without tasting too sour.

All pizzas will be available for purchase as 16-inch pies, but folks can also grab slices of margherita or pepperoni.

“I know it sounds crazy to say, but this new oven makes our pizzas even crispier…this is literally our best pizza coming out of this oven,” Anson tells CL. “We’re really not taking any shortcuts here—we’re making all of the sauces from scratch, baking bread daily. And all of our pizzas pair really well with the beers that Hawthorne has on tap.”

There are also a handful of new, non-pizza menu items on the horizon as well, like homemade garlic bread, meatballs, salads and dessert.

For the time being, Anson’s new location will be the main focus of Cipolla Rossa, but he still plans to pop up at markets and events throughout Tampa Bay with his trusty wood-fired oven on wheels.

Cipolla Rossa’s new food truck is now open from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m.-9 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m.-7 p.m. on Sundays, with plans to expand operating hours in the future.

Follow @cipollarossapizza on Instagram for the latest information about pop-ups, menu changes and its grand opening party, slated for Saturday, July 28.

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This article appears in Jun 12-18, 2025.

Kyla Fields is the food critic and former managing editor of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay who started their journey at CL as summer 2019 intern. They are the proud owner of a charming, sausage-shaped, eight-year-old...