Al Albero Fitzroy North
As a great mathematician once put:
(m + t)L = TW
Monday plus Tuesday multiplied by the universal constant Laziness equals Takeaway on Wednesdays. And tonight it was time to try out the new pizza place just up from Danny’s Burgers on St George’s Rd.
Al Albero has been open barely a fortnight, but judging by tonight’s standards it’ll be around for a very long time to come.
The pizza was exceptionally good.
Treading an unusual but inspired line between thincrust and deep-pan, the dough was both light and substantial, crispy without any of that deep-fried flavor you get at a domino’s or similarly inferior pizza chain. (The chef keeps his off-cuts to turn into sourdough which he says goes for $3 a loaf.) And toppings-wise the philosophy is very much a case less is more.
We had half portabello mushroom, meredith feta and fresh thyme and half salami, olive, chilli and mozzarella, both on a base of tomato sauce which was as rich as it was abundant (which is exactly how I like it!) Both halves were superb - especially the former - but I’ll be doing my best to resist the temptation to repeat my order when I head back again. The slow-cooked lamb sounds particularly tantalizing.
Al Albero is not just a cut above the rest of the takeaway currently on offer in Fitzroy North, it is a destination in its own right. (Although, as it doesn’t have any seating, your best bet will be to grab a six pack from Piedimonte’s and head over to Edinburgh gardens for a picnic.) Pizza tends to fall into one of two very distinct and equally unsatisfactory categories in my experience. Either it is big, cheap and dirty or insubstantial, fancy and unjustifiably expensive. The pizza at Al Albero is both and neither. It is stout and refined, and at $15 for a large pizza which provides more than enough for two it is also a real bargain.
Rating: crustalicious
James
