*I was invited to dine at Trecento as a guest, however all opinions are my own.
I headed to newly opened pizzeria, Trecento, in Manuka for their media launch a few weeks ago. The first thing I noticed was the inside was very small – fitting maybe 20 people. But there are plans for several outdoor tables and outdoor heaters. We were greeted with a delicious looking grazing table of cured meats, pickled vegetables, breads and cheeses laid out for us in the middle of the eatery. Trecento offers antipasto (minimum of two people) at $16 per person.
Trecento (meaning 300) uses a 300 year old Milanese family recipe to make their dough. The pizzas are made by Master Pizza Makers certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, which regulates the verity of Neapolitan pizza, world-wide.
The first of several pizzas we tried – the Diavola had some sliced cacciatore (hot salami), tomato, fior di latte and basil on top. I very much liked the minimal toppings. The pizza dough had a lovely puffed up chewy yet fluffy crust (which I finished – I usually leave the crusts!), but we thought the pizza base was rather thin and/or the toppings were too wet as they slid off when you tried to pick up a slice. So much so, that staff brought out a spoons to scoop the toppings back on! Other than that, we enjoyed the pizzas and the variety on offer.
We also got to try the primavera (fior di latte, parmesan, rocket, prosciutto, cherry tomato and shaved grana padano), margherita (tomato, fior di latte, parmesan and basil), ortolana (fior di latte, parmesan, champignon, basil, eggplant and capsicum) and the porcini (fior di latte, parmesan, champignon, and basil). Pizzas range from $17 – $24.
The gamberi pizza with fior di latte, tomato, prawn, chilli and basil was meant to be spicy but we found it was very very mild, so you might need to ask for extra chilli if you want more heat.
The tortellini di granchio swimmer crab tortellini was quite bland on its own, but went well with the bisque foam and asparagus puree. We also tried the chicken risotto with truffle which tasted fantastic but I forgot to take photos of it.
My favourite of the pastas was the gnocchi with roasted pumpkin, parmesan, hazelnut, sage and burnt butter sauce. I honestly thought they looked like scallops at first until the waiter announced the dish. I love freshly made gnocchi and this did not disappoint.
I took a shot of the thin beef carpaccio but it had all been eaten the next time I glanced over.
We were happy to see the Dolcezza pizza on the menu – a Nutella pizza! This got everyone scrambling towards the oven to wait for their piece.
The Nutella pizza was first dusted with icing sugar, and then sprinkled with pistachio crumbs.
Apart from the Dolcezza, there was also a ricotta cheesecake and a chocolate brulee on the dessert menu. I loved the thick biscuit base of the cheesecake which came served with strawberries, rhubarb and ginger beer sorbet.
The chocolate brulee reminded me of chocolate pudding as it was cold, thick and very creamy – almost custard-like. Very morish. It came served with pistachio biscotti and poached cherries.
Since this outing, I’ve noticed the menu has been updated to include a three course ($50) and four course ($65) Chef’s menu which can also be paired with matching wines for an additional cost. A big thanks to Trecento for having us!
Trecento Wood Fired Pizzeria
33 Manuka Terrace, Griffith (above Coles)
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Note the Sunday menu is a shorter version of the regular menu.
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