STARTER

Progressively, my humble pin board has evolved into what is now a shrine to Melbourne food culture. Displaying business cards from cafes, restaurants and bars from all over postcode 3000, it has come to successfully represent the culinary love affair I have with the wonderful city I call home. It is my hope, through this blog, to circumnavigate my pin board and share with you my own ‘Foodies’ Guide to Melbourne’. For each business card, I hope to reflect on the culinary experience it represents. Through each post, you will be able to experience with me both the triumphs and (sometimes) the tribulations as I relive them and hopefully, be influenced by them in your own dining decisions. With any luck, my pin board will serve a purpose far greater than the Spice Girl collectable photos it was acquired for. So without further ado, let the pin board degustation begin!

Bon appetit, your starter is served: L’uccellino.

20 Ballarat Street Yarraville ph: 9689 9788

www.luccellino.com.au

Having dinner at L’uccellino before seeing a movie at the Sun Theatre in Yarraville has become somewhat of a ritual for my boyfriend and I. With an interior that is simple yet rustic in design, the restaurant is situated on food and night life hot spot – Ballarat Street. L’uccellino offers the kind of pizza that can send you on a mental trip to Italy. The thin crust pizzas boast quality, not quantity – something I value dearly when it comes to pizza.
As a side, we can’t go past the fior di latte, tomato and basil salad, dressed simply with olive oil. While so simple, the salad tastes absolutely magnificent, especially with some pizza crust dipped in the remaining extra virgin olive oil! On our last visit before seeing 127 Hours (an experience worth a blog entry within itself!), we ordered the salad and two pizzas;

• 'Pizza for a friend’ – in bianco, fior di latte, roasted pumpkin, pinenuts, rocket & goats cheese

• 'Salsiccia’ – tomato, fior di latte, salsiccia, peas, red onion & parmigiana

As always, Pizza for a friend didn’t fail to please – the combination of pumpkin and goats cheese always a winner. While Salsiccia was definitely enjoyable, I wouldn’t rate it the best sausage pizza I’ve ever had (did someone say Badabing?). On previous occasions we’ve ordered ‘Alla moda di Guiseppe’, ‘Number 26’ and ‘Romana’ - all highly recommended. The service on our last visit, though present, was not personal. Sitting in the window seat, we were often forgotten. Nevertheless, we will continue to return for that quick trip to Italy before heading to the Sun Theatre for one of those to-die-for home-made choc-tops. While I wouldn’t rate their pizzas as the best in Melbourne, the pizzas at L’uccellino are definitely contenders and a must before seeing a movie in one of the Sun’s art-deco cinemas.