Napoli, Adelaide: pizza the action
For unpretentious Italian food at fair prices and exceptional Neapolitan pizza, you can’t beat Napoli in Adelaide.
We’re talking World’s 50 Best Restaurants. We’re talking the winner this year, Italian restaurant Osteria Francescana. We’re talking two Adelaide wine couples. We’re talking about the day they all get to Modena in anticipation of dinner at Francescana, booked months in advance, only to get a call that afternoon to tell them the reservation no longer exists. We’re talking in a suburban Adelaide trattoria: Napoli. And we agree: we’d rather be here where the hospitality is real, the food down-to-earth and the chef is in the house, not on tour promoting his ideas.
The pitch: A simple, family-run suburban restaurant with high food values and a focus on pizza that comes out of a wood oven.
The reality: Ten minutes from the CBD and we’re suddenly in Italy. No, not a stylish Milanese hot spot. No, we’re in everyday, not particularly glamorous, real Italy. The decor’s nothing special; the music is Italian pop, the accents are strong, the welcome real. Take a seat, your choice; despite booking, we’re the only ones here, and that’s a tragedy. Standing in front of the wood oven is a chap we recognise from another time, another restaurant (Etica). And the pizza there was memorable.
The cuisine: On the specials chalkboard are words that should tickle any food lover’s fancy: capretto; coniglio. But the reason we’ve driven out to Henley Beach Road in the first place? Ettore Bertonati’s pizza. Real pizza is a profound motivational force. It’s about the right dough; time for that dough to mature; manual skills in manipulating the stuff and the right equipment for cooking it. And the gastronomic smarts to adhere to that golden rule of Italian cucina: E difficile essere semplici.
Highlights: Napoli’s dough has marvellous flavour development and a beautiful, light, slightly chewy texture. It leaves you feeling so good. Bertonati’s pizza leans to the Neapolitan style of soft — without being too wet — at the centre. He gets away with it. I’ll go out on a limb and say the pizza here is among Australia’s best. Tonight, it’s the Napoli: San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, anchovies, black olives, garlic, capers, herbs (dried oregano and fresh basil). Perfect. And the Diavola: same hand-crushed Italian tomato, fior di latte, hot salami, dried chilli. And if the host offers house-made chilli oil, accept. At $22.50, that special of goat due moda — two ways — is insane: porcini-braised and slightly creamy; and wood-oven roasted in red wine with subtle spices. The same price for a pile of spaghetti, mussels, pipis and cherry tomatoes in lovely white-wine cooking juices is superb value too. As are the wines; I’m reliably informed the Feudi di San Gregorio Rubrato Aglianico 2012, at $49, is an invitation to drink well on a budget.
Lowlights: Where on earth are the customers? Adelaide, c’mon, let’s give this joint some vibe. And while not a lowlight, I’d probably not bother with desserts — affogato and limoncello pannacotta. Fair examples of standards, but that’s it.
Will I need a food dictionary? Doubt it.
The damage: Modest. Exceptional value, in fact.
In summary: Unpretentious, quality Italian food at fair prices, and quite exceptional, real, Neapolitan pizza.
napolipizzeria.com.au