Chef Andrea
Italian food is the most popular cuisine on the planet,
according to those who keep the statistics of these kinds of things, and you
can’t go looking into Italian food without looking at pizza.
There are many examples of flat bread with toppings, which go back thousands
of years, such as the Alsatian Flammkuchen and the German Zwiebelkuchen, but
it has been the Italians who have mastered this dish, elevating it to the
gourmet level that can be found in the better pizza parlors anywhere in the
world.
Margherita
About five months ago, the Forno Pizza oven was built in
the corner of Dicey Reilly’s Terrace on Second Road. For those who are
unsure of the location of Dicey Reilly’s, it is part of the Marriott Resort
and Spa and is underneath their Garden Café.
It had been decided at management level that if they were to have a
dedicated pizza outlet, then it would have to make genuine pizzas, and that
requires a genuine pizza oven.
Towards that aim they sought the expertise of Italian chef Andrea Brunello,
a third generation pizza chef! What also distinguishes Andrea is that not
only does he make pizzas, but he also makes the pizza oven they are cooked
in. Traditional pizza ovens are wood-fired and chef Andrea builds his own,
following the traditions instilled in him by his forebears.
The best known pizzas outside of Italy are the Marinara
and the Margherita. The Marinara is the older of the two and has a topping
of tomato, oregano, garlic and olive oil. It was named “Marinara” because it
was traditionally the food prepared by “la Marinara”, the seaman’s wife, for
her seafaring husband when he returned from fishing trips in the Bay of
Naples.
The second, the Margherita, is one of legends and involves Raffaele
Esposito, who worked at “Pizzeria di Pietro,” established in 1880. The tale
holds that in 1889, he baked three different pizzas for the visit of King
Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy. The Queen’s favorite was a pizza
evoking the colors of the Italian flag - green (basil leaves), white
(mozzarella), and red (tomatoes), and the pizza was then named after her. So
think about Queen Margherita next time you are looking at a pizza menu.
The Dining Out team included two children, and with 70
pizzas to choose from, all tastes were catered for.
Being part of Dicey Reilly’s, diners have the choice of either al fresco on
the terrace, or indoors in the air-conditioned pub with televised sports, or
even around the pool.
Take your time with the menu, it is packed. Groups include “Classics” with
21 pizzas covering Margherita to Quattro Formaggi ranging from B. 280 to B.
540. The next group comes under the heading of Truffle with the individual
pizzas named after up-market super cars, such as Ferrari, with tomato,
mozzarella, parma ham, black truffle paste, porcini mushrooms and smoked
cheese.
The next grouping is labelled With A Twist and covers the
offshoots of classical pizzas such as Lasagna, Calzone, Pizza rolls,
Ciabatta and Fagostino. Next up are Giant Pizzas, then 21 of Andrea’s
Specials (B. 340-690) including a Popeye (with spinach of course), then
Pizzas for Presidents, Ocean Pizzas and Dessert pizzas.
The children chose a Margherita and a Hawaii, whilst I had a Four Cheese
(Quattro Formaggi). We were all more than satisfied but three were too much
and take-home packs were needed! It was pizzas for dinner and we re-lived
the great tastes at home.
We certainly enjoyed Andrea’s Forno Pizza, and good service from pub manager
K. Winit. Be aware that these are not small pizzas, and Andrea does not
stint on the ingredients. Definitely a class above the usual pizza around
town. Yes, pizzas to go, too.
We went on a Sunday and Dicey Reilly’s also has a carvery from noon until 4
p.m. at B. 350 net, if you don’t want pizza!
Dicey Reilly’s Pub and Eatery (beneath the Marriott’s Garden Café), 218
Second Road, Pattaya. Open seven days, 12 noon until last pizza order 10.30
p.m. Secure parking in the Royal Garden Plaza car park (but remember to get
your parking ticket validated before leaving the pub), telephone 084 653
5005.
