Pezzo
88 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Fast Food
$$
Food
- Hawker
- Shepherd
- No. 5
- Meatballs
- Arancini
- Chips
The Good
Our favourite Pezzo would’ve been the Hawker. The generous slice of roast pork within was spot on, so tender and succulent. The porky flavour was well accompanied by the beautiful tangy sensation of the sauerkraut. With a tinge of spice from the mustard, this was definitely the best tasting of the bunch.
The Mediocre
We also enjoyed the Shepherd, though this was less remarkable. The lamb shoulder should’ve been the highlight, though it was undeniably tougher than expected in some bits. The seasoning could’ve been much bolder to bring out the lamb flavours, while the onions and potatoes similarly failed to excite the tastebduds.
All the Pezzo’s were served in a bread pocket that was supposedly a 48-hr sourdough. Despite this premise, the bread felt a tad underwhelming.It’s outer was far too chewy and lacking in crispness, while the inner was hard and needed more yeast flavour.
Our sides certainly failed to impress. The meatballs were altogether too bready and mushy, while the cheesy Arancini were sorely missing any sort of seasoning or flavour. The chips didn’t fare much better either and were universally bland.
The Bad
The No.5 was probably the worst of all our Pezzos. Despite being soft and beautifully tender, the calamari was tragically under seasoned and lacking in flavour. Drowning the pocket in a mayo-tartare-esque sauce really didn’t help the cause and made it a creamy messy. The occasional slice of grilled zucchini did little to mix up the textural diversity. A dash of vinegar to provide acidity, less sauce and more crunch is definitely needed to spice this one up!
The Verdict
We really wanted to like Pezzo. The concept of a 48hr fermented dough, stuffed with traditional Italian ingredients is something that would undoubtedly make us jump out of bed for.
Despite having the Grossi name behind this brand new venture, it really is too bad that neither the dough, nor the stuffings, hit it’s mark.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
With Miznon just a few blocks away serving up some top-notch, flawless though admittedly different Pita Pockets, it’s rather disappointing not being able to recommend, and next to impossible to think of any reason for stopping by at Pezzo.
Penguineats dined complimentary of Pezzo.