Experience pizza made properly with Rocco DeAngelis; a passionate crust connoisseur who made it his mission to defy the belief that pizza is junk. With great success, Rocco Pizza has grown to become one of Adelaide’s greatest Italian treasures. Customers can experience a diverse range of flavours made from fresh, preservative-free ingredients sourced from the best growers and suppliers in SA. But forget about ham and pineapple—Rocco’s high-standards exclude both items from the menu.

In addition to the delicious food, the service at Rocco’s is simply unrivalled. He’ll make you feel like a member of his own famiglia as he speaks with a warming enthusiasm that will grow your appreciation for premium pizza. He openly shares the processes and methods behind production, along with his own journey jumping from a comfortable lifestyle to pursue his passion.

The team at Rocco Pizza believe that good things come to those who wait, and in this case, we’re talking about a 3-day fermenting process that results in a gastronomical experience like no other. During fermentation, good bacteria slowly eats away at the gluten and sugar in the dough to bring out fresh tangy flavours accompanied by a myriad of health benefits that leave you feeling good, and hungry for more. Even those with intolerances can enjoy the menu without any rude repercussions!

By the end of your dining experience, you’ll have learnt how the dough is made, where the ingredients are sourced, and what it takes to formulate the perfect combination of crispy, creamy, flavoursome and fresh. Better yet, customers can watch the journey of pizza to plate as the team make your dish right before your eyes in the modern open kitchen. Rocco drew his cooking techniques straight off the streets of his home-town in Rome. He combined these traditional methods with the ancient art of Sourdough, which was learnt and refined over a two-decade period of travelling across multiple continents.

Pizzas are cooked at around 400 degrees in what Rocco affectionally calls the Ferrari of ovens. It contains 3 fires, and a rotating cooking floor to achieve that perfect crisp. The menu is filled with a selection of Italian flavours that have been carefully combined to excite even the pickiest of palates. We tried a variation of three savoury pizzas: Magherita Classica (no. 2), La Magnifica Soppressa (no. 10), and Atomica (no. 11). Each pizza was wildly different from the last, so it’s worth mixing and sharing to avoid missing out.

A particular favourite was La Magnifica Soppressa, which was topped with southern Italian soppressa Salame, Italian crushed tomato, marinated mushroom, black olives, roasted red peppers and fior di latte mozzarella. Every ingredient has been marinated, infused or roasted to Italian perfection, with a fantastic combination of textures to make every bite an experience. The Atomica was also a great way to finish our savoury selection; boasting fresh rocket and hot soppressa salame that packed a welcome punch. We also recommend visitors try the Proscuitto e Burrata, which features their house-made Burrata Cream of Mozzarella—a soft and indulgent cheese with a buttery texture that perfectly complements the salty Proscuitto topping and rich tomato base.

To end our feast at Rocco Pizza in style, we had the house favourite: the dessert pizza (no.5). It’s entrenched in decadent Belgian chocolate and oozing berries, with a heavy dressing of Nutella. This one is listed on the menu as life-changing, and we can give confident confirmation that after demolishing a slice (or two), we walked away much better people. The menu also incorporates some vegan friendly options that are made equally as delicious to cater to all pizza lovers!

Make sure you keep an eye out for Rocco’s next Sourdough master class if you want to learn all the tricks of the trade. Better yet, simply drop by between Wednesdays and Mondays for a degustation experience that’s good for the heart, soul, and the stomach. The restaurant is located on Findon Road in Kidman Park.

Words by Kimberley Goodman

WHERE: 336 Findon Rd, Kidman Park