massimo’s in hout bay is back #pizzaisback

Yesterday saw the long and much anticipated re-opening of Massimo’s (ex Pizza Club) in Hout Bay.

I had sadly only had been once,  just before they closed last year, and wrote about my experience here.

I went along to the reopening / #pizzaisback party for friends and Twitter followers on Tuesday night. What a fun night we had and indulged or rather, over indulged in a pizza fest of note.

Massimo churned out a vast selection of pizzas for us to try including:

• Gorgonzola(gorgonzola cheese on a white base – surprisingly delectable)
• Mortadella(garlic butter, goat cheese, mortadella
• Bianca (garlic butter, mozzarella, smoked cheese, pan fried mushrooms, rosemary)
• Napoli (tomato,mozzarella, anchovies,  capers, olives) *I think this was my best but not totally sure
• Pancetta(tomato, mozzarella, pancetta bacon, pan-fried mushrooms)
• …..and his pizza special of the night ‘Porcetta’ – slow roasted pork shards on a bianco pizza (Yum!)

We also sampled a couple of salads and marinated olives which were simply sensational.

The renovations to their new destination are taking a lot longer than expected and fortuitously their old location became available.  So they have set up temporary shop back at Oakhurst farm park (next to Oakhurst Spar) until Oakhurst Barn (opposite) is completed.

They have done a few touch ups and made it feel more like home.

In addition to their stunning and comprehensive range of gourmet and very unusual pizzas, they will be including daily specials of pasta, salads and desserts.

It really is very tough to choose, which is why the Sunday Endless Lunch Feast will be a real winner.

I was particularly interested in the ‘caldarroste’  (roasted chestnuts) that I heard were going to be served.  I couple of weeks back I went through a rather interesting adventure with these furry little buggers in order to make my roasted chestnut soup with fennel. I established from Massimo that the chestnuts need to be roasted over an open flame with holes in the bottom, thereby blackening them and making their shells brittle and easier to peel.

Easier to peel (compared to mine), they certainly were and this is a technique I’m going to adopt going forward.

He served these with mulled wine, his homemade frozen limoncello & bicerin (chocolate liqueur).  Too delicious!

My only wish is that Massimo’s was a little bit closer to home.

These pizzas are made with the finest “fior di latte” mozzarella and stone ground Eureka Mills flour.

Visit the Massimo’s website for more info.

• Location
  Oakhurst Farm Park,
  Main Rd, 7806 Hout Bay, Cape Town
• Contact Massimo’s
  Phone: 073 3901373
• E-mail: info@pizzaclub.co.za
• Opening hours
  open Wednesday to Sunday
  for lunch & dinner