A co-founder of Capitano, a co-owner of The Pinnacle, and now, one half of the team behind Fitzroy North’s favourite spot for red-hot slices: Michael Bascetta has teamed up with Pizzeria Magma chef Matilde Razzoli to take over Fitzroy North’s beloved corner pizza shop.
Hot new things? There are a couple of those in the mix, too. Razzoli’s springy spin on the mushroom pizza sees mushroom, mozzarella, parmesan cream and a zippy gremolata duke it out on top of the dough, then there’s a no-nonsense capricciosa doing exactly what it should, plus, in a first for the venue, a tight edit of three pasta dishes.
A lamb ragu. It’s gotta be there. Something for the vegetarians in the house? Spinach and ricotta join in on the fun within a bowl of green ravioli. The real showstopper here, though, looks like the carrettiera. This one is wood-fired for that baked-in garlicky, tomatoey flavour, and ’nduja is optional but encouraged for anyone looking to spice up their life.
The new chapter for Magma still feels familiar where it should. Most importantly, the Menta – the pizza with two types of cheese, plenty of eggplant and a light showering of chilli – stays, as does the recipe for the dough that so many adore on the St Georges Road strip. There’s no debate around the reputation Magma’s outgoing owner Jean-Paul Aziz has built, not least for his exceptional, Neapolitan-style pizza, and Bascetta and Razzoli are keen to uphold the legacy.
“JP has built something genuinely special here – a place that’s diverse, affordable, family-friendly and full of character,” says Bascetta. “We’re less than 300 metres down the road at The Pinnacle, so Magma has been our local for a long time. Taking it on isn’t about putting our stamp on it; it’s about being good custodians of a room the neighbourhood already loves.”
Razzoli is excited for what comes next on the menu and for the venue. “I’ve been in Australia about 10 years and looking for the right venue to step into ownership for a while now,” she says. “I’ve cooked here long enough to know what makes it work and having a stake in the business means I get to protect that and build on it at the same time. It’s the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.”
The drinks list has had a rejig, too, with a couple of cocktails leading the new menu: a sherry-forward house Martini and a seasonal Americano program. Wine, meanwhile, is mostly focussed on Australian wines made from Italian varieties.
About the only other change you can expect is an additional inch on your pizza, with the pies going from 11 inches to 12. It’s maximum Magma, back and as excellent as ever from early October.
Pizzeria Magma, 305 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North, pizzeriamagma.com, @pizzeriamagma