South Africa's top pizzerias

There are pizza joints everywhere but how many offer anything beyond mediocre? Kim Maxwell enlisted the expert help of Charlotte Pregnolato, Tracy Gielink and Andrea Burgener to find out which ones make the cut.

 

We can all name a good pizzeria, right? Not quite. From a purist perspective, most South African pizzas veer away from traditional styles. Too many are clogged with cheese, lacking in puréed tomato and piled with anything from pineapple or bananas to peppadews. Customer requests have contributed to the problem.

We have Guinness World Records listings for the largest pizza (Norwood Pick n Pay Hypermarket in 1990) and the longest pizza delivery (Butler's pizza from Cape Town to Sydney in 2001). So when an independent Cape Town venue displayed boards announcing "voted number one in the Western Cape" and a menu claiming to be Italian, we looked for evidence among figs, peppadews and avocado. The thin base pizza wasn't bad but we drew the line at a topping of chicken mayonnaise!

Varied toppings may be tasty, but do they belong? Even South Africa's Italian pizzerias submit to requests for American toppings to an extent - smoked salmon and capers appear on pizzas in Italy too. But the pizza of Naples has been the archetype for over a century, so we looked for traditional Neapolitan elements - or ingredients as close to them as possible. We originally set out to identify the country's 25 best pizzerias, but found only 16 worthy of mention, knocking out pizzerias with multiple branches (inconsistent quality) and focusing on owner-run Italian venues. Smaller menus shone with quality toppings such as Parma ham, coppa and anchovies. We underwent a learning curve about what good pizza can be.

South African Percy Mosedie trained at a Naples pizza school to understand classic pizza traditions. How sad that 23 years later, at Lapa Fo', he only makes pizza with buffalo mozzarella used sparsely if Italian customers request it in advance. He switched to more cheese and heavier toppings after ongoing local complaints.

Contributor Charlotte Pregnolato likens pizza to a comfortable date: relaxed, familiar and not particularly exciting, yet exceeding expectations every so often. One of those times was sampling a "test" pizza served at Knysna's Île de Pain, where pizza will be launched during 2009, and where co-owners Liezie Mulder and master baker Markus Farbinger shared pizza memories and discussed criteria. The dough is all-important - quality flour, suitably fermented and baked quickly in a very hot oven to create a crust with wood-singed edges and a soft centre. The mozzarella, if Italian-style, should melt into the crust rather than congealing on top. Finally, the sauce, ripe with herb and tomato flavours, should be able to carry the dish without myriad toppings.

Global eating directions tend towards simpler food that isn't messed with. Our pizza triumphs supported the mantra: great ingredients have no substitute. It's amazing how a basil leaf lifts a basic Margherita. On the Garden Route, we overheard the following remark: "It's pizza. How can you mess that up?" What a disservice to the springy base topped with puréed tomato and torn mozzarella strips originating in Naples.

Our complaints? Peculiar bases, bulk mozzarella that cools to gelatinous elastic (give us the option of paying extra for mozzarella balls in water), too many fusion toppings and toppings loaded so generously that bases became soggy. Dough made with Italian OO flour made us happy (some local venues mix Italian and cake flour) while hot wood-burning ovens ensured puffy charred crusts. One Gauteng venue cooked its crust and re-cooked it with toppings to create something resembling Jewish matzos. Buffalo mozzarella was largely absent in KZN, but in Cape Town we were encouraged to see local mozzarella in water and Italian imports offered as extras.

Our taste-testers had this directive: the more traditionally Neapolitan the pizza the better, with a good ratio of tomato to mozzarella essential - and have the courage to order the Margherita adorned only with fresh basil leaves. To a woman, we found this the most effective route to show up flaws or find pizza nirvana.

Our best SA pizzas follow Neapolitan traditions
The Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana offers training courses in the USA in authentic Neapolitan pizza-making. Authentic pizza is formed by hand to a 35cm diameter and 3mm thickness, with an elevated crust of 1-2cm thick (comparatively, Roman pizzas are thinner with less pronounced crusts). Baked crispy at blistering heat in a wood-burning oven, the pizza is retrieved with a paddle. Proper ingredients are key: strong Italian wheat flour (O or OO flour has higher protein content), natural yeast, salt and water form the base. Tinned San Marzano plum tomatoes grown on volcanic plains near Mount Vesuvius are puréed raw with extra virgin olive oil, oregano and buffalo mozzarella from Campana. Neapolitan pizza can incorporate fior di latte (cow's milk mozzarella) and fresh basil leaves. The pizza should be malleable and easily folded. Soft in the centre, the red of the tomato stands out. In Pizza Margherita, white mozzarella should appear in patches on the red with a few green basil leaves.

Three official Neapolitan variations include Pizza Marinara (the topping sauce includes tinned tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil), Margherita (tinned tomato and extra-virgin olive oil with mozzarella strips and basil leaves) or Margherita Extra (tinned tomato and extra-virgin olive oil with torn buffalo mozzarella strips and basil leaves).

MELONCINO
V&A Waterfront. Tel 021 419 5558. Lunch and
dinner daily. Pizzas R69 - R85. Wheelchair access. Takeaways.
Don't be put off by the overtly trendy vibe. This is the home of Cape Town's best pizza: the Caldo (hot) Napoletana (R85). Italian flour creates this gently swelling Neapolitan base with a pronounced crust and perfect tomato/cheese ratio. Italian tinned tomato purée, basil, imported buffalo mozzarella and blistered cherry tomatoes complete the delight. Co-owner Paolo Carrara models the pizzas on his father's Roman establishments. You'll pay more, but pizzas here punch above their weight. Meloncino's standard pizzas use thinner Roman bases with quality local mozzarella and salsiccia or imports. Diners requesting a tomato base for cheeseonly options are accommodated.
Wines: Diners Club Platinum list, plenty by glass or bottle. Corkage R25.

MAGICA ROMA
Pinelands. Tel 021 531 1489. Lunch and dinner
weekdays, dinner Sat. Pizzas R45 - R72.
No wheelchairs. Takeaways.
Menus are only a starting point in Ezio de Biaggi and Franco Zezia's popular venue. So, as a diner looking to busy waiters for help, not being prompted with imported topping extras (pancetta, porcini) was unfortunate when struggling to make authentic pizza choices. It's good that Italian tinned tomato sauce and local mozzarella are standard on thin, wood-fired pizzas. But the dough lacks seasoning and dried oregano doesn't honour a Margherita - I had the sense to add imported buffalo mozzarella (R20 extra) and request basil leaves (no charge). These pizzas are tasty but not to the standard of the restaurant's cooked dishes.
Wines: varied, well-priced SA and Italian options. Corkage R30.

LIMONCELLO
Gardens. Tel 021 461 5100. Lunch weekdays, dinner
daily. Pizzas R52 - R80. No wheelchairs. Takeaways. Naples is stamped into Luca Castiglione's tattooed arms and accent, and purists will covet delicious pizzas almost devoid of non-Italian variations. Quality local mozzarella and fior de latte (cow's milk) result in gooey-centred deliciousness. Somewhere between Rome and Naples in charred base dimensions, the Cecelia tastily combines fresh tomato worked into a pulpy tinned topping with basil and fried aubergine, while Mezzanotte delivers the creaminess of fior de latte with the right touch of puréed tomato plus Parma ham. It's worth returning for the Margherita (called Filetto) upgraded with fior de latte (R10 extra) on the standard tinned tomato and basil base.
Wines: small but well-priced. Corkage R25.

NONNA LINA
Gardens. Tel 021 424 4966. Lunch and dinner Tues to
Sat, Mon dinner. Pizzas R44 - R68. No wheelchairs. Takeaways.
Antonello Scamuzzi acknowledges that pizzas have evolved in Italy too, hence modern pizza fans can order a "Messicana" with bolognaise sauce and jalapenos. When South Africans knock his minimal toppings, he encourages them to try it "the simple Italian way". Italian flour and tinned tomatoes, oregano and olive oil as a base mean his pizzas are very worthy, although they need more tomato around the edges to make the crackly crust less dry. Pluses are Italian toppings (pancetta, porcini, anchovies) and adding fresh basil to a Margherita at no charge. Regulars enjoy the Nonna Lina with rocket, Parma ham and shaved pecorino.
Wines: pizza-friendly Italian and SA wines. Corkage R30.

RISTORANTE POSTICINO
Sea Point. Tel 021 439 4014. Lunch and dinner daily.
Pizzas R34 - R69. No wheelchairs. Takeaways.
Pizzas from Enrico De Sienna and Gioacchino Gasparre are decently dependable without being brilliant. In a cosy venue that is a little too grubby, a thin base (local flour) and imported tinned tomato purée partner local mozzarella. Amidst some SA-style options, the range of imported coppa, salami and anchovies bolstering the pizza "extras" category is redeeming and a Parma ham pizza satisfies. A diner can be forgiving about too much cheese to tomato on a Margherita, but when a request is made for fresh basil, it is rather worrying that an Italian restaurant doesn't have any.
Wines: well-priced but very limited. Corkage R25.

GARDEN ROUTE

FRANKO'S PIZZA
Plettenberg Bay. Tel 044 533 3693. Lunch and dinner
Tues to Sat. Pizzas R32 - R49. Wheelchair access. Takeaways. Usually a menu featuring toppings like peppadews and chicken would send me running. Yet despite breaking traditional rules - using an electric pizza oven, making a combined rye and wheat flour crust and topping it with imported Italian sauce - the quality mozzarella used creates a surprisingly tasty, well-textured Margherita. The homemade herb and fresh pepper sauce served at the table is also a delicious twist on traditional pizza condiments. Order at the counter then relax under the
covered sidewalk patio - it's comfortable but not fancy.

Wines: two by-the-glass options or order bottles from the well-stocked bar in the adjacent Franko's Kitchen.Corkage R25.

TRATTORIA DA VINCI
Sedgefield. Tel 044 343 1867. Dinner Mon to Sat.
Pizzas R45 - R68. Wheelchair access. No takeaways. Captivating scents from the wood-fired oven greet guests entering the Baletta family's old-fashioned trattoria complete with a grape arbour over the outdoor sidewalk patio. Taking no shortcuts, Steve Baletta achieves authentic Italian flavours by making his own Napolitano sauce from imported tomatoes and homegrown herbs topped with quality Italian-style mozzarella. Since everything is made in-house, patience is required. The best bets are Italian pizza options named after family members. The Stephano, using fresh tomato and basil and imported Italian anchovies and capers, is the Garden Route's best pizza option.
Wines: short but reasonably priced list with Platter's ratings. Corkage R20.

KWAZULU-NATAL

AL FIRENZE
La Lucia. Tel 031 572 5559. Lunch and dinner Tues to
Sun. Pizzas R45 - R70. Wheelchair access. Takeaways.
Nestled in suburbia, this relaxed, no-frills restaurant with non-committal waiters is good for basic pizzas in a neighbourhood setting but no more than that. Bases are perfectly thin although a tasty tomato sauce of good consistency is marred by excessive garlic. The
Napoletana with capers, anchovies, oregano and olives is a signature. Further toppings offer the right ratio and quality, but Italian choices are limited to the likes of salami, artichokes, olives, capers and anchovies. Parma ham is only on request.
Wines: good selection with reasonable mark-ups. Corkage R25.

LA CASA NOSTRA
Umdloti. Tel 031 568 1996 Lunch Wed to Sun, dinner
Tues to Sun. Pizzas R54 - R99. Wheelchair access. No
takeaways in season.
Encompassing all that is quintessentially Italian, from checked tablecloths to happy families, La Casa Nostra may be casual but the pizzas are serious. A feather-light base (rolled by machine) has a puffy rim blistered from the wood-fired oven. They claim the key is their Neapolitan sauce made with Italian tomatoes. The Siciliana with capers, anchovies and olives is a signature. And although not on the menu, efficient waiters can make a pizza with Parma ham, rocket and fresh cherry tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Calzone pizzas also available.
Wines: a wide selection, although some categories are limited. Corkage R35.

LA LAMPARA
Balgowan, Midlands. Tel 033 234 4225. Lunch Thurs to Sun, dinner Thurs to Sat. Pizzas R49 - R89. Wheelchair access. Takeaways.
You can almost imagine being in Tuscany. Rosemary and jasmine grow along pathways of a restaurant housed in an old dairy. You'll fi nd owner Pino Canderle hand-rolling bases in front of the pizza oven. Cooked to perfection with a thin centre and gently puff ed, crispy crust from stoneground fl our, each pizza is a harmonious blend of tinned Italian and fresh tomato sauce that holds its own against restrained amounts of mozzarella and toppings. Fresh regional ingredients complement imported Parma, artichokes and olive oil.
WINES: bottles on display have broad appeal to palates and pockets. Half-bottle options too. Corkage R25.

REMO'S
Mount Edgecombe, North Coast. Tel 031 539 5955. Lunch daily, dinner Thurs to Sat. Pizzas R52 - R78. Wheelchair access. Takeaways.
Quality is key for Renzo Scribante and Jonathan Bryan. Dough boosted with white wine and extra virgin olive oil is transformed into a delectably thin base with small, crisp crust, and quality local mozzarella doesn't overwhelm the sauce of tinned Italian tomatoes and fresh herbs. KZN's best pizza is the Con Salsicce with homemade cotechino sausage (made from a whole pig in Renzo's family cellar), red onion jam, fontina and fresh sage. Wines: glass and carafe quaffers backed by a respectable SA contingent. Corkage R30.

JOZI AND PRETORIA

CORNUTI
Illovo. Tel 011 268 6684. Pizzas R55 - R95. Lunch and dinner daily. No wheelchairs. Takeaways.
Cornuti has a 20-year pedigree in super-thin pizza bases. The chic, revamped venue offers an encyclopaedic list, from traditional (including buffalo mozzarella, Parma and porcini) to ultra-fusiony, such as their Thai prawn pizza. Stoneground flour in their base is a plus, though on some days it is so thin, crisp and almost yeast-free that a disconcerting matzos-like texture reigns. The generous, flavoursome cooked tomato base is a strong point. My gripe with the Margherita is the use of dried oregano (they graciously substitute traditional fresh basil at no charge).
Wines: large, varied range, seven by the glass options. Corkage R50.

IL GIARDINO
Milpark. Tel 011 482 4978. Lunch and dinner Tues to Sat, lunch Sun and Mon. Pizzas R39 - R120. No wheelchairs. Takeaways.
A super-stylish restaurant with a short pizza list offering mainly traditional toppings. Happily only a few Americanisms (such as the Mexicana) have been thrown in because of customer pressure. Loads of flavour, ample tomato in the form of a cooked Napoletana sauce, and quality extras are the best features here. The Prosciutto di Parma and Buffalo Mozzarella Special are winners. The base, though, is a work in progress: superthin it may be, but light it ain't. Perhaps extra proving is needed, or a hotter oven?
Wines: list currently under expansion to include many by the glass. Corkage R50.

LAPA FO'
Emmarentia. Tel 011 486 2651. Lunch and dinner Tues to Sun. Pizzas R49 - R84. No wheelchairs. Takeaways. Longtime pizza guru Percy Mosedie trained in Naples, and is obsessed with the perfect base and crust: the swelling rim of his pizzas, all blackened blisters and flaky bubbles, is glorious. For a perfect dough, he even dechlorinates Joburg water! The menu offers traditional and surreal combos such as smoked salmon, brie, cranberry salsa and avocado, which seem far too undignified for his beautiful base. Why deviate, when the perfect Margherita (San Marzano tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, fior de latte mozzarella, basil leaves) wins every time?
Wines: two reds and two whites, ever changing, all available by the glass. Corkage R25.

POMODORO
Morningside. Tel 011 803 6554. Lunch and dinner Tues
to Sat. Sun lunch. Pizzas R47 - R79. No wheelchairs. Takeaways.
An elegant restaurant with matching glam, minimalist pizzas: super-thin, airy crisp base and the lightest touch with almost entirely traditional toppings (best quality in the city) from a refreshingly short menu. The fresh tomato layer is subtle but flavoursome, the mozzarella the creamiest ever. Unlike most places, soft white fior de latte mozzarella is standard, with imported buffalo mozzarella (R40) on request. Italian co-owner Stefano Mas had his pizza training in one of Naples' best pizzerias. It's why Jozi's best pizza has to be the Parma e Rucola, scattered with wafer-thin Parma and organic rocket after cooking.
Wines: small, mainly local range with low mark-ups. Many offered by the glass. Corkage R40.

SALE E PEPE DA GIOVANNI
Morningside. Tel 011 883 7020. Lunch and dinner, Mon to Sun. Pizzas R59.50 to R89.50. Wheelchair access. Takeaways.
Respected old-timer Giovanni Lecca offers a traditional pizza menu in a chic eatery. Though on a bad day the fairly thin base can be too dense and unrisen around the edges, it's good more often than not. The cooked tomato topping is quite heavily seasoned and herby (almost ragout-like in taste), which makes their pizzas incredibly delicious but perhaps frowned on by purists. Tomato is liberal and the mozzarella ratio is thankfully sparse. A deli counter provides pizza topping extras like imported coppa, Parma, salami and fior de latte mozzarella.
Wines: extensive winelist, with a Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay by the glass. Corkage R30.