Antica Forma is Italian for “antique form,” or, “the old way,” which applies to how pizza is prepared at Antica Forma Wood Fired Neapolitan Pizza & Pasta, at 267 N. Main St. in downtown Moab.

Israel Tilta stands in front of Antica Forma’s wood fire oven

It’s the stone hearth in wood-fired ovens that give the slightly charred bottom crust that unique and delicious flavor, said restaurant co-owner Brock Smith.

Smith owns the restaurant along with his father Jody Smith and friend Israel Tilta. The trio opened their first Antica Forma restaurant in Vernal in 2013, and added the Moab location in 2018. Jody Smith runs the restaurant in Vernal, while both Brock and Tilta can be found preparing food at the Moab location six days a week.

The menu includes a wide selection of personal pizzas and pasta entrees, such as Lasagna Alla Bolognese, Pollo ala Parmigiana, and Fettuccini Alfredo. Both the pizza dough and the mozzarella cheese are made fresh in-house.

All pizzas are personal thin-crusted 11-inch round pies – with six slices per pizza.

“One thing that makes the pizza different than typical American pizza is that the toppings are not piled on,” Brock said. “We limit the toppings to three – we want the flavor of our pizza to come through so you can taste each bite for what it is. Italian tourists who come through comment on how close it is to what they have back home.”

Examples of toppings include Pecorino Romano, Italian salami, Italian ham, mushrooms, artichokes, organic pepperoni, eggplant, zucchini, spinach, and roasted peppers.

Brock said his personal favorite is the Pistachio pizza, topped with pistachio pesto, Italian sausage and homemade mozzarella.

Fresh mozzarella made in house

Antica Forma also serves paninis made on homemade artisan bread. There’s a kids’ menu, as well.

The restaurant offers an impressive selection of salads. For example, you’ll find the Primavera with baby spring mix, candied pecans, apple slices, and Havarti cheese with roasted tomato dressing. Or, consider the Napoli with fresh spinach, apple, roasted walnuts, dried figs, and shaved porporino cheese with balsamic dressing. All the salad dressings are made in-house.

Antica Forma is popular with both tourists and Moab residents – including a local family who is gluten-intolerant and come for the restaurant’s gluten-free pizzas, Brock said.

“The locals are in here just as much,” as the tourists, he added. “I have a couple in here every Friday for date night.”

Antica Forma is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the winter, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day in the summer. To check out their full menu, visit: www.anticaforma.com