World’s Best Pizza Maker: Lisa McAskill chats with Andy Parisi at La Trattoria: In the Adelaide City region of South Australia
The diners at La Trattoria Restaurant have been sampling Andy Parisi's culinary wares for decades. The ‘Tratt’, as it’s known opened in King William Street 30 years ago and Andy has been making pizzas all that time. He's the classic Italian host - a gregarious fellow who often mixes with his patrons and, if time allows his daughter Simone and little grandson Hugo.
And when ten-month-old Hugo has a few more teeth, no doubt he'll be munching away on the pizzas for which Andy has become famous.
In November 2004, Andy flew to New York for the ‘Best of the Best’ Pizza Challenge held in Times Square. At the end of the competition, Andy was crowned the Best Pizza Maker in the world - quite an achievement.
After accepting the award it was back to Adelaide and La Trattoria, where word has spread about his Marinara Pizza - the one that explains the American Plate Award in La Trattoria’s bar.
“The secret of the pizza, as everybody knows is the dough,” explains Andy. “It’s the first phase in the process that my dad taught me.”
Andy arrived in Australia from Sicily with his father Antoni in 1963. The Parisi's came here as pasta makers but soon made the transition to pizza with Antoni establishing the famous Marcellina Pizza Bar in 1967. In 1975 Andy and his brother ventured out on their own to establish La Tratt.
Call in when he’s preparing a pizza and you’ll get to see the master at work. After swirling the pizza base into the air a few times to make it nice and airy Andy then bastes it with oil.
“Then I use a fresh tomato base with basil,” said Andy. “Add salt and pepper and a little garlic of course which I normally spread right through the pizza.
“Add just a touch of cheese, some shrimps, calamari and scallops which gives a bit of taste and then I use some fresh prawns. I set them up in the middle.
Finally, Andy adds a sprinkling of oregano before placing it in the oven. After six minutes inside it's ready for Andy’s final touch - some fresh mussels.
“That's the pizza which won me an award in New York,” Andy proudly announced.
We agree it's worth an award and that’s why Andy's daughter Chantal entered her dad in the World Pizza Challenge. She's often seen working alongside her father at the family's other business, Parisi's on Magill Road. Here, the whole family chips in.
The kids have always been a part of Andy's life with his other daughter, Simone often doing her homework at the restaurant tables at La Tratt in her school days while Dad worked in the kitchen.
Three decades in the kitchen is a long time - so what's secret?
“I love the people, I love the crowd,” smiled Andy. “I love mixing with people and my passion is pizza. I always like to invent things different.”
And that means new toppings for new patrons and old. La Trattoria is at 346 King William Street in Adelaide. Parisi's Cafe is at the top of Magill Road.
La Trattoria
346 King William St
AdelaideParisi's Cafe
613 Magill Road
Magill
