Pizza perfection has arrived on the Eastern Shore

Mastering pizza is one of those things that is harder than it looks, but the gang who own this joint – which recently opened their third outlet in the east – have got it down to a fine art, writes TasWeekend food reviewer Alix Davis.

LOCAL PIZZA

19 Clarence St, Bellerive

Opening hours Monday-Friday, 7am-3pm; Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, 5pm-8pm; Saturday-Sunday, 8am-3pm, 5pm-8.30pm.

On the menu

Bolognese toastie, $16.50; mushroom toastie, $16.50; BBQ spud focaccia, $12; Mush-hour pizza, $26; Wild Child pizza, $25.

I’m the first to admit that I can be a little fussy about pizza – a thick base is not my idea of a good time. Well, unless I’m actually in Rome, eating Roman-style pizza al taglio, and that certainly hasn’t happened for a while. But the team at Local Pizza know what they’re doing and when I sat down to eat at their recently opened Bellerive location, I was thrilled to be served pizzas that had a thin base, a puffy crust and just the right amount of toppings.

This is the Local Pizza gang’s third outlet (there’s Local Pizza in Berriedale and Ti Ama in Salamanca) and the locals are loving it. I’ve visited for lunch as well as dinner, and the bright space – complete with colourful wall mural and breezy woven light fittings – has been full of people enjoying delicious pizza, panini and toasties.

Local Pizza’s Wild Child pizza is full of porky goodness and features Scottsdale pork sausage, fennel, capers, gorgonzola and jalapenos. Picture: Dearna Bond

The domed pizza oven is brightly tiled in turquoise and the space feels welcoming. I especially love the sink and cutlery station in the dining area – where you can collect your own plates, cutlery and carafes of water as well as wash your hands after a pizza-eating good time.

Our pizzas of choice were the Mush-hour ($26) and the Wild Child ($25), they come in a single size (26cm) and, given it was just the two of us, I was expecting leftovers for lunch the next day. How wrong I was. The Mush-hour was like a slice of the most wonderful garlic bread, except with the bonus of mushrooms and the fruity tang of taleggio cheese (in addition to the house blend of cheese).

A selection of Local Pizza’s delicious focaccias. Picture: Isabella Edwards

As previously mentioned, the base was thin and the crust was puffy and slightly chewy. My husband is not a fan of pizza crusts, which just meant more for me.

Wild Child was full of porky goodness – Scottsdale pork sausage spiked with fennel, strewn with bitey gorgonzola, salty capers and sliced jalapenos (easy for the non-chilli-lovers among us to pick off). Every bit was packed with flavour and we were literally groaning in delight (thankfully we were the last diners there so no one else needed to see that unedifying display). The secret to LP’s crust – made using Tasmanian flour – is the 72-hour ferment – which allows the flavours and the gluten to develop.

Local Pizza’s Bolognese Toastie, which includes wallaby, pork and eggplant bolognese, plus three cheeses, tangy pickles and onion jam. Picture: Isabella Edwards

But pizza isn’t the only thing on offer here – turn up at lunchtime for panini and toasties that are a cut above. We ordered the bolognese toastie ($16.50), which was stuffed with wallaby, pork and eggplant bolognese plus three cheeses, tangy pickles and some onion jam. Phew! It was perfectly toasted, packed with flavour and certainly made for a filling lunch stop. But we didn’t stop there. The mushroom toastie ($16.50) was greater than the sum of its seemingly simple parts – portobello mushrooms, pesto and two types of cheese came together to create a sandwich we were (politely) fighting over. In addition to the toasties, the lunch menu offers Fancy Focaccia at $12 a slice (or slab). We enjoyed the Italian veg option – a slab of fresh focaccia topped with sundried tomatoes, fresh ricotta, olives, grilled eggplant and more. It was like an antipasto platter on bread – fresh, filling and delicious. Our other focaccia was the BBQ Spud – thin slices of potato plus bacon bits, the LP cheese blend and BBQ sauce. This one was served warm and the double carb combo was the perfect antidote to a windy winter’s day.

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Isabella Edwards director Local Hospitality and creative food director Kevin Mok at Local Pizza. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

f you’re craving something sweet, there are plenty of options including freshly made cinnamon scrolls complete with cream cheese frosting ($8), a rich chocolate tart ($8) and classic Pigeon Whole Bakers croissants ($5.50). If you’re already following along on Instagram, you’ll know that the LP crew does a rotating line-up of spectacular sundaes ($10).

If you’ve got room for one of these after two toasted sandwiches and two focaccias (ahem), I salute you!

Local Pizza is licensed for dinner and there are plenty of local beers and wines on offer as well as Italian soft drinks. Coffee and tea are also available throughout the day.

Mastering pizza is one of those things that is harder than it looks, but Local Pizza have got it down to a fine art.

I can’t wait for another visit to try other toppings and hope to work my way through the menu over the next few months. Va bene!