Ovest, West Footscray

"Ovest...  Now, why does that seem so familiar?"  I couldn't pick it.  Then it dawned on me - it's the name of Footscray Hospital's cafeteria!  As a friend said on Facebook yesterday, let's hope the name is the only thing the Ovests have in common!

But anyway, let's rewind.  This post is not about "hospital Ovest"; it's about "new upmarket pizzeria Ovest", which just opened last night in Barkly Street, West Footscray.

This is a partnership between Alex and Kate Rogers of Seddon's Sourdough Kitchen and Ben Sisley, ex-Mr Wolf, the Karen Martini-owned pizzeria in St Kilda.  It is patently obvious they know what they are doing.  Ovest has arrived fully formed, like some sort of incarnated being - at least from what we saw last night, there is no messy infancy here.

$18

Loved this bresaola (air-dried beef) with huge fresh figs, vincotto, fresh mozz and rocket.  The bread is of course from Alex's other business, Sourdough Kitchen.  All the flour there and all the flour here is certified organic.

$12

Zucchini fritters were gorgeous, with a non-oily breadcrumb-y crust just clinging to surprisingly juicy zucchini fingers.  A good swizzle through some "truffle mayo" and they were even better.

$21

Look at that gorgeous thing, just rippling with prawns and tommies!  I've always been a bit unexcited by fancy pizza joints as they seem dear for what you get.  Twenty-odd dollars for dough and a smattering of toppings - but when the pizza is this good, it feels worth it.

$12

Plus, Ovest's pizzas are big - if you have starters, you probably only need one between two.  If you want to be extra greedy, get a side like this lovely coleslaw with cabbage, pear, radish and lemon.

If you want to bypass the pizza, there's a tuna nicoise that looks the business, as well as pork and veal lasagne, cannelloni, and a daily roast special.  The kids menu is good value and a smart addition to a family-heavy area - your choice of lasagne, two pizzas or cannelloni plus ice-cream scoop for $12.  There is gluten-free pizza for $1 extra.

Ovest were almost full on opening night last night, which had not been publicised widely, so I would imagine they are only going to get even busier.  Queues in WeFo - who would have thought?

And as for "hospital Ovest"?  For all I know, they do a brilliant Friday lasagne special.  If you have a hot tip there - let me know!

Ovest
572 Barkly St, West Footscray
9687 7766
ovestwest.com.au

Pizza non pazza at La Cannella

"I'd like to book a table for eight, please - five kids in total."

"Great!  We'll put you in the back room, upstairs."

Cue visions of a cobwebbed seclusion room for breeders and their spawn.  I imagined having to traverse this lovely neighbourhood bistro to "the back room", dragging my snotty children as diners looked on like smug business class passengers do as you stumble through to economy, head bowed.  What awaited us "upstairs"?  Boxes of napkins for seats and the only music the tinkle of a flushing toilet below?

Imagine my delight when this is what I discovered La Cannella meant by "the upstairs back room".

The stairs in question are only two or three and mean that your group can have relative seclusion, meaning that if you have kids with you, you may actually find dinner a relaxing experience.

This little pizzeria is tucked away in a gorgeous part of Kensington, nestled among big old trees.  They're open Wednesday to Sunday evenings (live music Sundays from 4 pm!)

Now, not only will the lovely staff bring the kids unbreakable cups, allow them to play with the animals in the old fireplace (not as Victorian as it sounds) and ply them with colouring books, as well as delicious pizza, the big drawcard here is the "make your own pizza" activity for kids.

Littlies get a mini ball of dough and pizza tray and can then squish, squeeze, stretch and smoosh to their heart's content...

Roast garlic focaccia, $8.50

...while parents can high five it over the table while reaching for a piece of this awesome foccaccia, each piece studded with a juicy, caramelised garlic clove.

The "kids - we get it" approach continues with kids' pizzas for $8.50 each, with anything you want on them.  Saffron only wants pesto and artichoke?  You got it.  Ham and cheese, hold the tears?  No sweat.  (No Aussie tinned pineapple though!)

Melanzano (eggplant, passata, ricotta, pesto), $19

Grown-up pizzas are generously sized.  With six out of twelve pizzas vegetarian and gluten-free bases available, there's something for everyone.  This eggplant number got the thumbs up.

Rustica (scamorza, caramelised onion, potato, rosemary), $19

At first I found the chunky potato on my "Rustica" odd, as I had been expecting thinly sliced, but combined with silky sweet onion and a top-notch base, it won me over in the end.  I'd love to check out their recent special, the Yabbie Dabba Do, with yabbies, marscapone and chives.

Savoy cabbage salad, $8.50

Big love for this clean and refreshing shaved Savoy cabbage salad with parmesan, lemon, pepper and mint - gorgeous!

Fish of the day, $25

La Cannella also do daily-changing mains like slow-roasted pork belly, veal saltimbocca and gnocchi, perhaps baked with blue cheese.  This blue grenadier was delicate, fresh and lovely.

Dinner done, the kids' dough creations are returned to them, dusted in cinnamon and icing sugar!

Dessert pizza, $9.50

...leaving surprisingly non-frazzled parents to enjoy ZEE BEST dessert pizza with luscious poached pears and a scandalous amount of molten dark chocolate.  Fifty shades of yum.

Coffee roasted by Flemington's STREAT (formerly the Social Roasting Company) tops off a dinner that has managed to please everyone - parents, kids and, in our child-centred world, the oft-forgotten other diners.  With genuine, switched-on service, La Cannella make it seem almost easy.

Thanks for the lovely company, M, B, C, E and F!

La Cannella (Facebook)

43 Epsom Road, Kensington

Phone:  9939 7241

Open:  Wed-Sat from 5.30 pm, Sundays from 4 pm


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Italy 528

Isn't it remarkable the way in which Italy and her cuisine has entwined itself with Australian food?  Pizza, pasta and that most Australian of dishes, the chicken parma.  I do love a greasy Friday night pizza but sometimes it is best to remember that authentic Italian pizza is a separate delight altogether.

Italy 528 is a specialist pizzeria, turning out pizze, salads and antipasti under a sepia-toned image of Rome's Spanish steps.

The day was Mothers' Day, and Italy 528 do a lovely Bellini, perfect for lunchtime tippling - if only so you can have four, rather than two.  They're a sort of champagne cocktail with peach nectar and Prosecco.

Pizzas clock in at around $20.  They're quite sizeable and are cooked in a wood-fired oven to produce bendy, bubbled bases.

Pizza della Nonna, $13

I never like mentioning freebies, but this was such a nice gesture I have to.  As it was Mothers' Day, every table (not just us) got a pizza della Nonna, or Grandma's pizza.  The tomato sauce was super thick and rich with real homemade flavour.

Pizza Reginella (San Daniele prosciutto, buffalo mozz and rocket), $23

Love the combo of salty, pleasantly wizened strips of prosciutto with almost acrid fresh rocket.  Unlucky for me, all the shards of fresh mozzarella were eaten by the proprietor of this pizza.  West 48 have recently occasionally had a great special of a huge fresh mozzarella ball with tomatoes and bread.  The cheese is so incredibly sweet - you could eat it with chocolate sauce as a dessert.

Pizza Boscaiola (fontina, fior de latte, porcini and portobello), $20

This was my pick, and while I am a huge fungi-phile I found this slow going.  It was just a bit monotonous, but would be great if you were sharing.

Pizza Soppressa (Soppressa, olives, provolone, fior de latte), $20

This worked perfectly, the premium salami crisping up at the edges and exuding lovely umami oils.

Pizza Diavola (hot salami), $19

This was my sister's.  We have an unofficial tradition of me ordering odd things while she sticks to the classics.  I have a memory of me always ordering pistachio gelato or something else unusual to try to be different while she got chocolate, and then me inevitably wheedling her out of half of her bowl because I didn't like my experimental flavour.  True to form, her one-ingredient, super-simple pizza was excellent and my mushroom version, despite being draped in truffle oil, paled in comparison.

Pizza Napoletana (anchovies, capers, olives), $19

A classic in every sense - the flavours of southern Italy done simply and perfectly.

Pizza Pugliese (smoked buffalo mozz, onions, anchovies), $20

Also an apparently southern taste - from Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot, the best pizza of the day was this smoky, sweet and intense combo of smoked cheese, melty onions and anchovies.  Best pizza, worst photo - what you gonna do.

It feels very authentic here, from the Italian mama overseeing service right down to Felce Azzurra soap in the (spotless) bathroom and good espresso with Italian sugar packets.

The best, best tip, I think, is their Pizza A Giro for lunch on the last Sunday of the month.  For a mere $30 you get all the top-notch pizza you can eat, I believe in the sense that they bring them out and you take a slice, until you can eat no more - plus wine, coffee and home-made biscotti.  What a great way to try a little bit of everything - and no need to steal your sister's pizza.

Italy 528 (Facebook)

528 Mt Alexander Road, Ascot Vale

Phone:  9372 7528

Hours:  Tues-Sat 6pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-3pm


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Little Tripoli in Altona

When I first moved to Footscray, I had been working in Thornbury and had spent many a lunchtime stuffing myself full of Lebanese pizza from nearby High Street and beyond.  One of my first tasks was to find the local Lebanese bakery, if there was indeed one.  Much fruitless Googling ensued until I finally came across a promising link on Google Maps to "The Circle" in Altona.

So one morning I navigated hesitantly under the West Gate and down Blackshaws Road until I came across this little oasis in the backstreets, a hub of the Lebanese community and a treasure trove of good food.

Starting at one end, Al Ameena butcher for lamb cutlets (the nice rack-of-lamb sort) for $20/kg.  Other butchers, TAKE NOTE!  It is bloody outrageous the $50/kg I have seen charged elsewhere.  Kenny also gives Al Ameena's halal hot dogs a big thumbs up.

International Foods is a simply fantastic Lebanese and continental supermarket.  One half of the shop is fruit and veg, the other is a very well-stocked and well-organised dry goods section, complete with aisles.

I could quite happily spend a good hour in here.  Tahini in all grades and sizes, kitsch Eastern European chocolates, obscure Polish jams.  I even used to buy bargain pomegranate juice here from Azerbaijan.

Love this - just as "regular" supermarkets have a choice between Tip Top, Sunblest, Helga's etc, here you can choose your favourite Lebanese bread.  I personally like Kadamani or A1.

The chiller cabinets have all sorts of Middle Eastern cheeses including shanklish, a kind of aged feta rolled in herbs, haloumi and bargain yoghurt.  Behind the counter the pine nuts are great value (or as good value as pine nuts can be).  Recently International Foods have started selling pastries from the venerable Balha's of Sydney Road but the day I went they looked a bit tired.  Stay tuned for a great local baklava shop.

Yes yes yes, the Holy Grail, the Lebanese pizza shop!  I actually haven't been back to this one that much after discovering Amanie's in St Albans and they have evidently undergone some changes.  There used to be a fish and chips/hamburger station in here too but that has been removed.

I have to say, I prefer it gone.  Who needs a floppy hamburger when you have all this goodness to choose from?  A good Lebanese pizza shop should have a small range of its offerings out, which are pies or flat "pizzas" folded into various shapes.  These are then tossed into the long, flat oven which is absolutely searing in temperature, as evidenced by the mere 60 seconds it takes to have your choice heated up.

I highly recommend the kaak here, which is an almost bagel-like, sesame-seed encrusted roll filled with grated haloumi (you can see them in the picture above, at the front, in a little stack).  A no less tasty but much less decadent option is the plain spinach, which this bakery do a great version of.  The spinach is fresh and cooked with onion, allspice and perhaps sumac to make a fabulously tangy and healthy snack.

Last stop is Fruit Fiesta for gorgeous fruit and veg and a range of continental dry goods.  There's a little cafe in the strip too called "Inner Circle" which I think is cute.  It's the kind of place where everyone knows everybody and you feel compelled to take your empty cup back to the counter, just as everyone else does.

 

The coffee is unspectacular - get one from Spotswood on the way home, but first pull into Victoria Sweets which is just on Blackshaws Road.

When the Lebanese do something, they do it 110%.  More glitz!  More tulle!  I love it - it's so OTT.  Balha's in Sydney Road is the same, all glinty gold and the sweets displayed on enormous pedastals.

Everything is sold by weight, so start by asking for the type of container you wish to fill, whether a small box or a huge circular plastic plate to keep.  Finding which type of baklava you like is trial and error.  Greek baklava is very syrupy and almost soggy, whereas Lebanese can veer towards being too dry depending on the shop and the variety.

Phwoar, check out the chocolate baklava on the right side of the photo!  One of my favourite Lebanese sweets is znoud.  They are fat spring rolls filled with clotted cream, deep fried, soaked in sugar syrup and dolloped with more cream.  Holy heart attack!

Here we have my favourite variety of baklava - triangular in shape and filled with a pine nut/cashew mixture (not sure but that is what it tastes like).  On the left is harisa which is a dense cake of semolina.  These were not up to Victoria Sweets' normal standards - the syrup had far too much rosewater for my taste.

Top marks though to this freebie shortbread I scored, stuffed with date paste.  It had that perfect shortbready moist/dry thing going on with sweet, thick date paste in the middle.  Does anyone (yasmeen?) know if this is maamoul or not?  If so, I might be a convert as I normally dislike the more traditional date-stuffed pastries that I associate with this name.

I hope you enjoy exploring The Circle.  Rayna recently lamented the lack of independent shops in the newer outer suburbs.  I agree; nothing depresses me more than row after row of franchises.  I love these unique shopping strips which have developed autonomously over time.  Most of the shoppers here are older people - I hope that the young people in the area continue to keep The Circle alive.

Find a map to The Circle here.