When you win the best pizza in the world award, people will come and try and critique. I suppose it's difficult when you aren't the one actually cooking in the kitchen and your reputation relies on your subordinates to carry across the skill. Either way I'm sure business is fine. I've had plenty a good pizza in Melbourne, Italy, UK and USA in particular. I can't say I've eaten where the world's best is. He wasn't there during the evening I visited the mothership in Brunswick.
- Fiori di Zucca (zucchini flower stuffed with buffalo ricotta, spanner crab & chilli) $19 - very large flowers in a nice salty batter. The filling seemed to be plain ricotta without any detectable crab flavour nor chilli. It was disappointing for that;
- Margherita verace (San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, basil & EVOO) $22 - the specific world winner allowed the mildly chewy crust with some smoky flavour get cleanly sampled. The passata and cheese were ok but perhaps I prefer it a bit more seasoned. The basil added good contrast;
- Frutti di mare (San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, mussels, prawns, clams, scallops & rocket) $29 - this was a more seasoned version due to the topping of a good amount of quality seafood, exemplified most by some juicy crunchy prawns and two large soft scallops;
- Calzone with figs & mascarpone $11 - a dessert sleeper with a core of sweet rich hot fig and the cheese around the sides. I think the inside should have been mixed better but was still a good finish to the meal.
Like most gourmet pizzerias in Melbourne the quality is definitely there. It wasn't my favourite pizza place in the world but the chef that evening wasn't the winner, so I guess that wouldn't be expected either. Nonetheless the food is still worthy of pizza night out.