{"id":31789,"date":"2026-07-13T09:27:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T09:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/31789\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T09:27:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T09:27:11","slug":"piccolo-buco-by-coopers-hawk-brings-taste-of-rome-to-sw-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/31789\/","title":{"rendered":"Piccolo Buco by Cooper’s Hawk brings taste of Rome to SW Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tim McEnery may have found the perfect pairing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The founder and CEO of Cooper’s Hawk had been looking to collaborate on a new restaurant<\/a> concept.<\/p>\n

“It could have been anything,” he said. “I wanted something different. Cooper’s Hawk brings Napa (Valley, California) to where you are. I was thinking \u2014 what would be the next thing.”<\/p>\n

While vacationing in Rome several years ago, he found what he was looking for, thanks to his wife, Liz.<\/p>\n

“Anywhere we travel, she spends a full week planning where we are going to eat,” he said. “This place was like No. 2 on her list. We waited an hour (in the queue). In the middle of a tourist trap area, all locals were eating there.”<\/p>\n

That restaurant, located steps from the beloved Trevi Fountain, was Piccolo Buco.<\/p>\n

“As soon as I saw the pizza, I knew,” McEnery said. “I went in with an attitude of I’m from Chicago, and I know pizza. I’ve traveled all over the world, and I never saw pizza like this before.”<\/p>\n

McEnery singled out owner Luca Issa (“Only two people were working”), spoke to him briefly and left his business card, hoping for the best.<\/p>\n

“The next day, he sent me a three-page email,” McEnery said.<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/p>\n

Tim McEnery is the founder and CEO of Cooper’s Hawk.<\/p>\n

Piccolo Buco goes from Rome to Estero<\/p>\n

Fast forward seven years, and the fifth Piccolo Buco by Luca Issa & Cooper’s Hawk just opened in the United States.<\/p>\n

The upscale Roman pizzeria made its highly anticipated Southwest Florida debut on Monday, July 13, in The Marketplace at Coconut Point.<\/p>\n

“Our (Cooper’s Hawk) Wine Club has a cult following,” McEnery said. “Piccolo Buco is a natural extension. It’s something they’re going to love.”<\/p>\n

\"Piccolo<\/p>\n

Piccolo Buco is an upscale Roman pizzeria in Coconut Point.<\/p>\n

With Cooper’s Hawk locations in Fort Myers and Naples, Estero was a perfect middle ground for this new venture.<\/p>\n

And it’s simply lovely. The 7,500-square-foot space is filled with two luxurious bars (including Gusti Bar for tastings) and two spacious dining areas, all steeped in whitewashed brick, rich wood millwork, overhead trellises, cascading greenery, and colorful artwork (including a mural of the Trevi Fountain).<\/p>\n

It’s invitingly upscale, modern and classic \u2014 a perfect companion to Cooper’s Hawk and an ideal setting for that unique pizza\u2026<\/p>\n

Pizza unlike any other\"Piccolo<\/p>\n

Piccolo Buco’s pizzas are cut with scissors to maintain the structure of the crust.<\/p>\n

Piccolo Buco is known for its Neapolitan-style pizza with a heavenly and cloudlike, tall and substantial three-ingredient crust \u2014 Italian-imported flour, sea salt, and extra-virgin olive oil. It’s a uniquely crispy, chewy joy.<\/p>\n

“Quality is everything,” said Issa, who worked beside his father at Piccolo Buco in Rome before taking over the famed family restaurant more than a decade ago. “What we use has to be the best, or it’s not Piccolo Buco. Every ingredient is approved by me.”<\/p>\n

And that’s a very good thing. After all, Issa (who flew in for the opening) was born into the family business \u2014 literally \u2014 on the top floor of the building that houses the original restaurant, where his mother still lives.<\/p>\n

\"Luca<\/p>\n

Luca Issa, the owner of Piccolo Buco in Rome, has partnered with Cooper’s Hawk to bring his restaurant to the U.S.<\/p>\n

His pizza is presented tableside and cut with scissors instead of a traditional pizza cutter, which would ruin the crust’s integrity.<\/p>\n

The dough is made every morning, then fermented overnight, balled, proofed and held before it goes into the Italian stone conveyor oven (made in Italy) at 725 degrees.<\/p>\n

“A ton of research was done,” said McEnery. “There’s a lot of technology behind it.”<\/p>\n

\"Piccolo<\/p>\n

Piccolo Buco is known for its Neapolitan-style pizza with a heavenly and cloudlike, tall and substantial three-ingredient crust.<\/p>\n

A dozen pizzas (four each of red, yellow and white) are offered, from classic margherita and charred pepperoni to carbonara and vegan.<\/p>\n

The fungo (with wild mushrooms, black garlic, Parmesan fonduta, fresh basil and white truffle oil) was a table favorite as was the spicy Calabrian sausage.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere on Piccolo Buco’s menu …\"Piccolo<\/p>\n

Piccolo Buco’s four-cheese arancini features Calabrian sausage.<\/p>\n

And while pizza is the star (as it should be), the rest of the menu is just as impressive \u2014 antipasti & soup, appetizer salads, handcrafted pastas, main dishes and desserts.<\/p>\n

Think hand-rolled three-finger cavatelli, cacio e pepe, pappardelle with short rib bolognese, Norwegian salmon, Roman classics and more.<\/p>\n

We began with Mama Luca’s meatballs, four cheese arancini suppli\u00a0and Piccolo chopped salad, before ending with a gelato trio \u2014 choices we would make over and over. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This pinot grigio and chianti are made exclusively by Italian winemakers for Piccolo Buco.<\/p>\n

Toasted Sardinian sandwiches on house-made artisan bread are featured at lunch (served until 3:30 p.m.) Happy hour (with select $15 pizzas, $8 wine by the glass, $8 cocktails, and $5 drafts) is available from 2-5:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday.<\/p>\n

Like at Cooper’s Hawk, dishes have intentional wine pairing recommendations.<\/p>\n

The list features wines made exclusively for Piccolo Buco from Italian winemakers, along with signature selections from Cooper’s Hawk.<\/p>\n

Indoor and outdoor dining is available.<\/p>\n

“This is very unique,” McEnery said. “It’s something special.”<\/p>\n

Check it out at22800 Via Villagio, Unit 101, in Coconut Point, Estero; open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; call (239) 396-4442 for reservations and information; piccolobuco.coopershawk.com<\/a> or follow on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at\u00a0rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Please support local community journalism and stay informed about Southwest Florida news by subscribing to\u00a0The News-Press<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Naples Daily News<\/a>; download the free\u00a0News-Press<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Naples Daily News app<\/a>, and sign up for daily briefing email newsletter, food & dining and growth & development newsletters\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Piccolo Buco by Cooper’s Hawk brings extraordinary pizza to SW Florida<\/a><\/p>\n