Pick-up-and-eat pizza is our new favourite pizza
HEAD to Sale waterfront and you’ll discover the true taste of Italy – a taste of Rome, in fact. “Roma è arrivata a Sale!” says the Mano a Bocca website – Rome has arrived in Sale. You can also ditch the cutlery as the Romana-style pizzas served here are pick-up-and-eat, and Mano a Bocca translates as “hand to mouth”.
“Flour, oil and many of the other ingredients are brought in directly from Italy to give Mano a Bocca pizzas a truly authentic flavour”
The thin-crust base has a texture not unlike focaccia, perfect for getting your mitts round. The special dough is made daily using flour and olive oil imported from Italy, then left to prove for 24 hours to get that signature light fluffiness. Flour, oil and many of the other ingredients are brought in directly from Italy to give Mano a Bocca pizzas a truly authentic flavour: think smoked scamorza cheese and cow’s milk fior di latte, Tuscan sausage salsiccia and bresaola cured beef, and red Calabrian piccante chillies – some of which you can order online and pick up from the on-site shop, along with biscotti, balsamic, beers and much more.
Having Italian heritage himself (and having worked for another successful pizza company), Mano a Bocca’s owner William Moxey enlisted the help of artisan pizza expert Marco Fuso to show the team of this new independent the ropes. The pair also devoted many hours to creating a bespoke menu to bring you the Mano a Bocca take on classics like margherita, pepperoni and fiorentina, plus their very own brand-new creations. Common in Rome are bianca bases, without tomato, and here there’s quite a choice, from the speck ham and gorgonzola to the tiger prawns and spinach, and from the zucchini (courgette) to the vegan cavolfiore (cauliflower). Another of the plant-based picks is the broccoli, with vegan mozzarella and, unusually, a butternut squash sauce rather than tomato.
A limited selection of pasta dishes is also available, all oven baked, including rigatoni friarielli, or broccoletti, with gorgonzola, and aubergine-based melanzane parmigiana. Starters include the likes of mushroom bruschetta; sweet treats include tiramisu and a half-healthy figs steeped in syrup and served with mascarpone. To go with this, there’s a dessert wine, or a port if you opt for the Italian cheeseboard. The wine list and fizz, not to mention the beers and ciders, are also all from Italy. Rome street photography and Italian films posters complete the vibe, and there’s a large outside terrace overlooking the Sale Waterside Plaza for those alfresco moments.
Find out more about Mano a Bocca here.
