Gradi @ Crown

Life is all about balance, right? While I don’t normally hang out at Crown, I will make an exception when pizza is involved.

So I recently found myself at Gradi Crown, the latest outpost from Johnny Di Franceso - whose empire is expanding like one of the chef’s gong-winning pizza crusts.

After Di Francesco opened 400 Gradi in East Brunswick a few years ago, he soon built a reputation for his Napoli-style pizzas, cooked to 400 degrees in the restaurant’s custom build wood-fired ovens. Rumours of Di Francesco’s excellence were confirmed when his margherita pizza took out the top gong at the world pizza awards last year.

Since then, the chef’s been busy: he’s opened 90 Secondi in the Docklands, Gradi at Crown, with an Essendon location in the works.

As befits its surroundings, Gradi Crown is a big bustling place with a deli counter featuring hanging cuts of meat, while over to the right those famed wood-ovens blaze. I visit on a cold Thursday evening and the place is chockers.

The mainly Italian staff are always friendly, though service can be perfunctory. But you’re not here for the silver service, you’re here for the pizza. It does not disappoint.

But before you get there, you might want to peruse a considered list of cheeses, salami and prosciutto. There’s also a decent selection of Italian wines and beers.

My pick is the secretum prosciutto crudo ($16.5 for 30g), aged 30 months to achieve a mildly spiced flavour and melt-in-your-mouth consistency. I could have scoffed an entire leg of the stuff. The beef capaccio is less successful.

Moving on, my dining partner and I go for the Caserta (San Marzano tomato, buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto di parma 18th, rocket $28), partly because I like ordering food that sounds like my last name.

Soon enough a huge bubbling disc of a pizza arrived, topped with a forest of rocket. It looked and smelt a treat. Forgoing the politely placed utensils by pal and I tucked in with fingers and aplomb. For me, nothing beats the chewy, salty texty a wood oven gives pizza, and Gradi takes it to another level with high-end ingredients. Happiness is a warm pizza slice.

And Gradi is now my favourite thing about Crown.

Gradi Crown is open every day from 11.30am to midnight

Gardi @ Crown
Shop 25, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank
gradicrown.com.au