''GEEZ, LUCKY WE BOOKED,'' I said, looking with satisfaction at the packed Cantina Centrale, a new upstairs-downstairs, wood-fired pizzeria by the team from Northcote's Cafe Bedda. The joint was jumping. A rival photographer was taking pics out front; every bentwood chair was occupied, the locals clearly delighted with their new hangout; thin-crust pizzas dotted the dark-wood tables; and the red wine was flowing.

So it was a drag that, despite booking for 8pm, we weren't seated till 8.40pm and our orders not taken until 9pm. Ah well, early days, and CC must be forgiven but it did highlight the seeming inexperience of the staff, delightful and bubbly as they were.

Cantina Centrale is part of Melbourne's latest pizza pandemic, spawning a host of recent openings - the ''fifth wave'' pizza revolution, perhaps? Remo Nicolini has two places in the works; Chris Lucas' Baby has just opened; Jimmi Jamz opened in Brunswick days ago; Feldman's in Fitzroy and Kaprica in Carlton both opened a month ago; and The Way to San Jose in McKinnon, at three months old, seems like a veteran.

Cantina, a 70-seater, is headed by Hugo Diaz and Patrick Ciccaldo, with a menu that spans Italy, from its top to its heel, and a focus on the mainstream rather than strictly regional.

The rustic pizzas loosely follow the Neapolitan style, the dough made with minimal yeast and strong ''00'' flour and allowed to prove overnight. Fired fast in the 400C oven, the result is a thin, crunchy base with a thick, bubbled crust.

Toppings are deliberately minimal - like, really minimal (five prawns on the Gamberi), with a wide outside band of crust intentionally left free of ingredients.

Two pizzas are named after the owners, the Signor Hugo (with porcini and gorgonzola), and the Santo Pasquale, with a few knobbly pieces of pork and fennel sausage, asiago and mozzarella cheese and chicory - the Pasquale was tasty, the base a little burnt and perhaps a bit too crisp for my taste .

The Gamberi was good - tomatoey, and with bocconcini and basil, although light on the prawns.

Diaz makes the pasta dishes from scratch, such as ravioli filled with gorgonzola, parmesan and ricotta, served with a decent slosh of extra-virgin olive oil, cherry tomatoes, marjoram and black pepper. The greens change, but when I visited they were ''peas and broad beans'', although only the peas arrived.

With its exposed-brick walls, branded crockery and homely dome of the wood oven, Cantina will do well in Mont Albert. It's casual, good for families and as it fine-tunes and grows in confidence, is set to be a stayer.

Do … Expect ultra-thin, crisp bases
Don't … Forget to book
Dish … Wood-fired pizzas; I liked the Santo Pasquale
Vibe … Buzzy - and with big love from the neighbourhood
Prices … Pizzas, $8-$20; pastas, $22-$23; desserts, $11.50

Cantina Centrale
Where 11 Hamilton Street, Mont Albert, 9890 4836
Cards MC V eftpos;
Licensed
Open Tues-Sun, 5.30-10pm
Website cantinacentrale.com
Cuisine Pizzeria/Italian

nrousseau@theage.com.au