When you walk into the doors of Mid City’s new restaurant Rocca Pizzeria, one of the first things you see is a life-size painting of Ray Charles on the wall. Nothing encapsulates the location better than the musical legend known as “The Genius.”
Rocca Pizzeria opened on Jan. 25. Co-Founder and CEO Ozzie Fernandez, who is also the CEO of LIT Pizza and Izzo’s Illegal Burritos, said he decided to open the pizzeria in the Capital city so he could elevate the quality of pizza in Baton Rouge. Fernandez said he brought a little of Naples, Italy, to Baton Rouge at 3897 Government St.
“We’re a Neapolitan-style pizzeria with a wood-fire oven,” Fernandez said. “We imported it from Italy so our style is traditionally what you would find in Naples, Italy, and really, that makes us stand out.”
Fernandez described the pizzeria style as modern-rustic decor with an open kitchen and the imported wood-fire oven as its focal point. The wood decor and yellow lighting give off a warm, welcoming vibe to all of its customers. While Fernandez said the restaurant is family-oriented, it sees an influx of couples, students and groups just looking for a nice place to hang out and eat authentic Italian food.
Pizza is not Rocca’s only specialty. For both its lunch and dinner services, the kitchen prepares a multitude of pizza and antipasti plates, which are small plates that can be used for sharing. Plates include, but are not limited to, garlic knots, meatballs and Brussels sprouts. These small plates encourage a sharing concept for large groups. Two or three small plates and a pizza or two for the table allows for a feel-good meal in the company of friends.
“I felt like the city needed a wood-fire Neapolitan-style pizzeria, and so I was able to expand the menu and collaborate with some local organic farms,” Fernandez said. “We’re really trying to bring in as much local products as we can and feature those great businesses on our menu to really elevate pizzas in Baton Rouge to a higher degree.”
Fernandez said the attention to authenticity is a special quality of Rocca. He said featuring local products from farm to table and having a kitchen that cooks mainly from scratch is something really different. The pure meats and imported cheeses leave no gray area and add so much to the flavor. Fernandez’s love for pizza is why he brought a style of pizza commonly found in large cities to a city like Baton Rouge.
Rocca Pizzeria opened Jan. 25, making it one of the newer eating spots in the city. Fernandez credits their early success to the ambiance, decor, open kitchen and Neapolitan-style pizza, proving every day that quality matters.
“I think it’s a fun and great atmosphere,” Fernandez said. “It’s for couples, families and anyone looking for a great meal.”

Gallery • 4 Photos

Caleb Bourque

A prosciutto pizza sits with an aperol spritz at Rocca Pizzeria on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018.