EAT: +39 PIZZERIA, TOORAK
Once upon a time, long before any other Melbourne pizzeria had jumped on the trend, the words 'thin and crispy, doughy pizza perfection' were pretty much synonymous with +39 Pizzeria.
It was my first few visits to +39 Pizzeria during early uni days that opened my taste buds to the world of pizza beyond greasy takeaway. Years on and +39 continues to serve some of the best pizzas in all of Melbourne and have recently expanded their CBD roots to open up shop in Toorak.
We kicked off our meal with the degustazione mista; a selection of Italian cured meats and cheeses served with pickles, truffle honey and housemade red onion jam. A sight to behold, the antipasto and cheese spread was both a delightful feast for the eyes (and camera) and more importantly, the taste buds. The selection of cheeses and cured meats highlighted the impeccable quality of their produce.
Seafood pasta/gnocchi dishes typically sound so good on paper but more often than not disappoint when they turn out to be bland. This was far from the case for +39 Pizzeria's Blue Swimmer crab gnocchi. The flavoursome bisque combined beautifully with aromas from the fresh herbs, garlic and sweet tomatoes, ensuring that there were no boring bites. Spot on in the texture department, the house made gnocchi was sensationally light and pillowy soft. The crab did add to the presentation but it also meant having to work hard for the food...
No visit to +39 Pizzeria would be complete without a pizza order. No different to the other pizzas I have tried from the CBD location, the soft, doughy and crispy base was pizza perfection. Rich indulgence was at an all time high with a very healthy dose of oozy, melted cheese, mushrooms and a fragrant hit of truffle.
Dessert came in the form of salted caramel pannacotta. The pannacotta was thicker than usual but still had a silky smooth consistency. The vanilla flavouring was delightfully potent and distinct. Topped off with a thick coating of intensely sweet caramel, the almonds were a necessary addition to help rein back the sweetness. With my low tolerance for overly sweet desserts, some more almonds would not have gone astray.
Much like the CBD eatery, +39 Pizzeria, the Toorak edition, also dishes up an absolutely delizioso Italiano spread with the same great quality pizzas we know and love. The only difference? Location. Them lucky southeastern side folks...
+39 Pizzeria
517 Malvern Rd,
Toorak, Victoria, 3142.
(03) 9826 8815
Disclosure: I visited +39 Pizzeria as a guest of the restaurant and iD Collective. The opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my experience and observations made during the time of my visit.