11 Inch Pizza

5B, 353–359 Little Collins Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000
http://www.pizzamelbournecbd.com.au/

Chris loves pizza. I like pizza as friend, and that’s something Chris will probably never reconcile himself to, much in the same way I get offended over his relative indifference for potatoes. That said, I would happily agree to a pizza date, this time at 11 Inch Pizza, which I have neglected for a long time because I couldn’t work out if it was dine-in or take-away.

Turns out it was both dine-in and take-away, but it’s a close thing. The size of the generously named pizzeria is barely large enough to pass off as a coffee pit-stop, even by Melbourne standards. I was glad to have chosen now of all times to visit, as no amount of heating would’ve made the door-less restaurant comfortable in winter.

The menu selection is small, but it features both traditional and modernised pizzas. However it was the special – Pork and Fennel, Sausage, Salami, Chilli and Basil ($18.9) – that won me over.

Deliciously robust and spicy, the pizza boasted a thin, crisp base and chunky toppings. The pork sausage was coarse and seasoned with a generous amount of fennel, whilst the spicy pepperoni gave each bite a fiery kick.

The choices of side dishes were limited to a few salads, so we supplemented our meal with a Garlic Focaccia ($8). After a bite or two, I realised that this was basically garlic bread, except way better. Unlike the pizza, the bread here was sweet and doughy, piled high with burnished cheese and liberal amounts of garlic and oregano. It was the ultimate in carbs.

As great as the pizza at 11 Inch tasted, I did find myself missing the puffy crusts of traditional Italian pizzas. With that said though, our pizza was definitely great – quality ingredients combined thoughtfully on a crisp base. It all comes down to how fussy your love for pizza is, I imagine.

Rating: 13/20 – are the pizzas actually 11 inches?
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.