Although purists may think that authentic Italian is the only Italian, those who are a bit more adaptable may deduce that the variety of Italian offerings we are exposed to is actually a positive thing, indicating how much people love Italian cuisine and culture.

This progressive way of thinking is similarly adopted by the owners of Shop 225 Pizzeria in Pascoe Vale South, where they serve honest, traditional Italian food made with love.

Co-owners Lorenzo Tron and Roberto Davoli opened their humble restaurant in 2016, with their aim being to create food that their whole family can enjoy, no matter their dietary intolerances.

Within each family, some members are either vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or lactose-intolerant, thus making it difficult for everyone to eat together often. Seeking to eliminate this dietary divide, Lorenzo and Roberto decided to create their own pizza base that everyone in their family can eat. And thus was born one of the few restaurants in Melbourne that serves vegan and gluten-free friendly pizza.

Aware of the abundance of Italian restaurants throughout Melbourne, and the rarity of Italian migrants to be restricted in their pizza and pasta intake, Lorenzo and Roberto stay true to themselves and their families, and are not fazed by the apparent ‘competition’; instead, they choose to see them as friends in the industry, each of whom has a unique product and offering.

This level of compassion towards others is additionally demonstrated through their food. Solely focusing on pizza and pasta, only a few salads, antipasti and desserts also make the menu. A small selection of alcoholic drinks are available to order, as are Italian-imported sodas.

Speaking with Lorenzo, his passion for sourcing high quality ingredients from both local Victorian suppliers and from Italy is evident in his explanation of his previous work-life in Italy, where his job was to work with suppliers within the hospitality industry. Maintaining this healthy working relationship at Shop 225 Pizzeria, Lorenzo and Roberto ensure that they meet every single supplier from whom they source their products, even if it means taking extended research trips throughout Italy to find the right ones.

Starting with the drinks, you haven’t tasted a truly pure Aranciata or Chinotto until you have tried those produced by Lurisia. All made from fruits, these sodas have a distinctly sweet flavour that tastes natural rather than processed.

Arriving at the Pizze menu, a long list of options are available to choose from, each given an Italian name, and each listing a different selection of toppings. Many of the pizza names are accompanied by letters ‘VGO’, indicating that they are made using a vegan pizza base, with toppings also available as vegan upon request. (They even make their own vegan cheese!) The Zio Pino is a staff favourite, identifying as a vegan pizza base with vegetarian toppings. Topped with Stracciatella cheese (not vegan), mushrooms, parsley, grana padano (not vegan) and truffle oil, this pizza is deliciously addictive thanks to the abundance of cheese melted on top, and the well controlled use of truffle oil that enhances the intensity of flavours throughout.

Il Dottore is another recommended pizza, mainly because of the house made Calabrian sausage that tops the vegan-friendly base, made by Lorenzo’s mother-in-law. Moreishly moist and decadently rich in flavour, the sausage literally melts into the rest of the pizza, alongside Pomodoro, fior di latte and Italian porcini mushrooms. Again, the fine tuned balance of seasoning and flavour for this pizza is extremely impressive.

As you may have gathered, Shop 225 Pizzeria are experts when it comes to pizza dough, whether it be non-vegan, vegan or gluten-intolerant-friendly. The dough is made from stone milled flour, sourced from the Italian brand, Petra.

Lorenzo claims to be the largest consumer of Petra flour, alongsideBrunetti’s and D.O.C. Pizzeria. And we believe him. The chemical elements within this particular flour make it highly and easily digestible, thus deemed appropriate for gluten-intolerances.

Left to leaven for 72 hours, this dough becomes the ideal vehicle on which to carry pizza toppings. Its solid texture enables it to hold the wet sauces and toppings without becoming soggy in the centre of the pizza, whilst its flexibility allows you to fold a piece in your hands before taking a highly anticipated bite.

The borders of the pizza are highly important for Lorenzo, needing to remain light, airy and puffy all the way around, and dotted with char marks to satisfy the aesthetics and the woodfired flavours by which traditional Italian pizzas are recognised.

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Author: F.E.E.D.
source: http://www.feedblogspot.com/shop225-pizzeria-pascoe-vale-south/

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