Joseph Monteiro likes to cook for crowds. For the past six years he has been the executive chef at the Atlantic Fish and Chop House, but his culinary skills began as a boy growing up in New Jersey where he helped his mother prepare meals for their large extended family. And now he is expanding his culinary reach by opening a Neapolitan style pizza kitchen in Edgartown. He is also finalizing his Wash Ashore beer with partner John Clift, who owns Vintage MV Wine and Spirits next door.

Owner Joe Monteiro, executive chef at the Atlantic, missed his New Jersey pizza roots. — Mark Lovewell

Pizza di Napoli opened last Tuesday in Nevin Square and Mr. Monteiro hopes the first batch of Wash Ashore Buddha Pale Ale will be ready in mid April. He described the ale as crisp with citrus notes and a touch of bitterness. He plans to make the pizza dough with his beer once it’s ready. Right now the crust is made with Shipyard beer and roasted garlic. The pies are then topped with a San Marzano tomato sauce, cheese and imported meats, and cooked in a high-heat slate oven. Cooked between 650 and 680 degrees Fahrenheit, the bottom of the pizza chars, giving it a noticable crunch and taste.

“[The scorching] gives the pizza a different flavor, a different nuttiness to it,” Mr. Monteiro said. “It’s a more rustic and Neapolitan type of pizzeria.”

While Mr. Monteiro is the brains behind the operation and developed the menu, chef John Tau is the hands on pizza maker.

“It’s his show,” Mr. Monteiro said. “I came up with the recipes, gave him the reigns and let him run with it.”

The open-air kitchen takes up half of the shop. Separated by a thin counter, customers can see how the sausage is made, or rather watch Mr. Tau place the sausage on the Carne pizza. Mr. Tau has worked at many Island restaurants for the last seven years, but this is his first time making pizza. He sprinkles the dough with cornmeal, shapes it into an irregular circle and liberally spreads the toppings. He likes making the Americana pizza, which is topped with anchovies, capers, mozzarella and parsley.

Lunch is ready and it's cheesy. — Mark Lovewell

While the whole pies are made to order, customers can also choose to have a slice of pepperoni, cheese or the specialty pizza. The first customer to order a specialty pizza slice determines the slice of the day.

“If you come in early in the day you can try literally any pizza you want,” Mr. Tau said.

Mr. Monteiro’s creativity is apparent in the specialty pizzas. The Donaroma, named in honor of Michael Donaroma, is a vegan pizza with mushrooms, roasted peppers, basil and arugula.

“He’s comes into the Atlantic all the time and likes a certain pie and he’s been a great customer of ours for years and I just wanted to make a pizza in his honor,” said Mr. Monteiro.

The 02539, named after the Edgartown zip code, is heavy with seafood featuring shrimp, scallops and clams. Brunch is a breakfast pizza with potato, pancetta, egg and ricotta.

Specialty pizzas are also given creative names. — Mark Lovewell

On their busiest day so far, Mr. Tau estimated they sold about 50 pizzas and he already has a few established regulars.

The small space is decorated with objects from Mr. Monteiro’s home. Heavy copper pots he bought at auction hang in the windows and a pile of books sits under a table that holds Parmesan cheese, oregano, hot pepper flakes and a glass dispenser of cucumber water.

Outside the shop, a bright orange bike leans against the wall. It has a wooden platform attached to the back to carry pizza boxes.

“That’s the prototype for our delivery service,” said Mr. Monteiro. They plan to operate a micro delivery service to all of downtown Edgartown by bicycle.

A prototype bottle of Wash Ashore beer also sits on the counter of Pizza di Napoli. Once brewed, Mr. Monteiro and Mr. Clift plan to sell the beer at package stores and restaurants around the Island. Mr. Monteiro pictures the pizzeria as a place people can grab a pie and then spread out a blanket in Nevin Square for a picnic. Customers who choose to eat their slices in the shop lean against the counter, chatting with the chef.

“Really, for all projects, if you can’t have fun, you shouldn’t be doing it,” Mr. Monteiro said.

Pizza di Napoli is located in Nevin Square in Edgartown.