Flatbread & Fiddlehead

For a few months, the sign proclaiming “Beer and Pizza” over the door of 6305 Shelburne Road was only half true. While Fiddlehead Brewing [1] opened in January, the owner of flatbread eatery Folino’s Pizza [2] was still putting the finishing touches on his wood-fired pizzeria.

Last week, John Koerner finally fired up the oven and threw open the doors of Folino’s [3], a 2000-square-foot, 18-seat space adjacent to Fiddlehead.

Part of his vision was keeping service minimal and the vibe relaxed: Customers order their flatbreads at a long counter and watch the pie take shape before it’s slid into the 800-degree oven, from which it emerges blistered and bubbling three minutes later. Then they can carry the pie back to their table and grab a drink or salad from a nearby refrigerator.

Sharing the menu with the standard cheese, Margherita and pepperoni pies are some imaginative combos: bacon and leeks; curry shrimp and Italian lettuce; scallops, bacon and lemon zest. For now, an iceberg-wedge salad with buttermilk ranch dressing is the sole non-flatbread option, and customers can grab chilled glasses from the fridge in which to pour their own beer or wine. Koerner quips that Folino’s is “BYOF” — bring your own Fiddlehead growler from next door. There’s wine across the street at Shelburne Vineyard, too.