Catch-A-Fire Pizza truck partners with local breweries

For 15 years, Jeff Ledford ran some of the finest restaurants in Cincinnati. But in February, he and his wife Melissa turned a culinary dream into a reality when they opened their food truck, Catch-A-Fire Pizza.
 
Jeff has a degree from Cincinnati State’s Midwest Culinary Institute, and trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and Napa Valley. Besides fine dining, he’s also worked in catering.
 
The truck is a 26-foot mobile kitchen that features a wood-fired oven that reaches temperatures of up to 800 degrees. The Ledfords use fresh ingredients and are very selective about the flour, cheese, sauce and toppings they use on their pizzas, Jeff says.
 
“We wanted to bring our product, our passion and our philosophy of food and beverage to people, which is a very gratifying experience,” he says.
 
Catch-A-Fire’s best-seller is the Cornerstone, which is a pepperoni pizza topped with a fire-roasted red sauce and a five-cheese blend. The truck also features specials that rotate regularly to keep the food interesting.
 
The Ledfords are passionate about food and beverage and appreciate craft beer, so they decided to partner with a few local breweries. Catch-A-Fire can be found at Rivertown Brewing, and they’ve done events at Mt. Carmel Brewing Company and Listermann Brewing.
 
“Pizza and beer are like ketchup and French fries—it’s a great combination everyone knows,” Jeff says. “Lots of breweries have taprooms, but they’re not able to offer food, which is where we come in.”
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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