Little Italy Pizza and Pasta, Randwick (14 Dec 2018)

76 Clovelly Rd, Randwick NSW 2031
Phone: 9398 3036
http://littleitalypizzaandpasta.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/littleitalypizzaandpasta1/

Little Italy opens in Randwick

I've been twice now to this pizza shop which has taken over where Pizza Moncur used to be. The first time was when they'd just opened around 8 Dec and I very much enjoyed the Pepperoni Speciale ($15) and the kids enjoyed the Bambini Tomato base with ham & mozzarella ($8). 

Second time visit was a lazy Friday dinner using the 50% discount for first online order. They were getting a bit slammed with dinner orders at the time so it took 20-25 mins longer than expected for the pickup. Hungry family satisfied in the end though. Bambini Tomato base with ham & mozzarella ($8) still a kid favourite. Gamberi - Prawns, mozzarella, oregano, parmesan, chili flakes, garlic, tomato sauce ($21) was nice. Suprema - Tomato base with ham, spicy salami, cabanossi, bacon, mushroom, capsicum, onion, olives, mozzarella, oregano ($21) had a fair amount of topping which challenged the thin base integrity when picking up. Interestingly they don't put pineapple on their supreme pizza. Pepperoni with tomato & capsicum sauce with oregano, mozzarella, chilli flakes ($15) can be ordered as regular, mild or wild. So far have enjoyed the regular with noticeable chilli hum.

I'm still a little confused about the 'SINCE 1967' on their website but I'm enjoying their thin pizza base and tasty toppings. Counter service has been friendly even under the pressure of being busy and managing customers when orders are taking longer than expected. There's some window bench sitting inside and a few tables outside. Pizzas are served in takeaway boxes for dining in but I'm hoping they'll be able to serve on real plates in the future to save on rubbish.

Matteo Downtown: Italian, CBD Sydney (5 Nov 2018)

20 Bond St, Sydney NSW 2000
http://matteosydney.com/
https://www.instagram.com/matteosydney/

A slice of Italy downtown

My first impressions of Matteo Downtown are good. Nice decor and space with high ceiling and lofty light filled casual bar area matched with friendly professional service. Freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oysters ($24 for 6) are thankfully shucked to order as hoped with nice brine and flavour. A wedge of lemon and a small spoon are the only things I can think of that could make it better. Hard to resist the Diavola pizza with san marzano tomato, fior di latte, spicy salami, basil, evoo ($23). There's a good amount of chilli kick in the salami that continues to intensify with each bite so I didn't really need the chilli oil I'd requested. It had a soft base with a wet centre that calls upon a bit of knife and fork action to eat. Menu describes pizzas as naturally risen for 48 hours with lievito madre. I couldn't quite finish all the crust as it was still quite filling. I spy $15 cocktails come with complimentary snacks at their aperitivo hour (Mon-Fri 4-6pm) which sounds like a good deal to check out next.

Lucio Pizzeria, Zetland (16 July 2018)

Shop 34, 2-4 Defries Avenue, Zetland NSW 2017
https://www.luciopizzeria.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/luciopizzeria/

Mondays are for Pizza & Wine

The last time I visited Lucio Pizzeria was just over 9 years ago at the Darlinghurst restaurant. Great to see they're still going strong and have expanded. A lazy dinner outing with the kids is good timing with the $25 Pizza & Wine Monday deal which pretty much means we get a glass of wine for free #winning. Orange and apple juice ($4.50) for the young kids served in takeaway cups to guard against clumsy spills. We enjoyed our Salumi - tomato, mozzarella, mild salami, ham, sausage ($25) and Capricciosa - tomato, mozzarella, mushroom, ham, artichoke, olives ($24) both with a lovely light base with bubbly edges. Tasty toppings with rustic presentation. I would have preferred a more spicy salami on the salumi pizza but the mild salami kept it suitable for the kids. For some extra chilli kick be sure to ask for a bottle of chilli oil although I reckon they could take it up a notch of what I tried. Happy choices were made for the wine of Merlot DOC Friuli Grave 2016 ($10) and Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC Costantini Line 2011 ($11). The yummy Nutella Pizza ($14) was brought out with compliments of Chef Lucio. Not quite sure how he knew I was there as he wasn't in the kitchen that night but perhaps he was checking the Dimmi bookings — sneaky. The extra calories went down well for dessert which I thought we were going to avoid that night hehe.