If a full 11inch pizza seems too heavy for an individual's lunch or afternoon snack, here is an option lighter on the wallet and the tummy.
Fabbrica, at City Centre, has come up with a set course meal that serves smaller sizes of the best-selling pizzas on its menu, along with an antipasti and a beverage.
"There are several corporate firms nearby from where people might want to drop by for late lunch. Our Pizza Pranzo (lunch pizza) will be on offer from 12noon to 6pm on weekdays,” said Raghav Kapoor, one of the three partners of Fabbrica.
“Sometimes people want a quick lunch and have a budget in mind. The idea was to offer them a smaller piza with a side or a salad as a filling lunch at an affordable price. An 11 inch pizza plus a side from the menu would cost over Rs 1000,” said Naman Dhandhania, another partner.
The antipasti section has a choice among a soup, a salad and a snack. Among pizzas, there are four options for vegetarians and two for non-vegetarians to choose from. The beverage selection has lemonade, beer and mojito. The bill comes to Rs 733 and Rs 838 respectively.
There is a scaled down menu minus drinks, and with less options in antipasti and pizza, which costs Rs 471 and Rs 576 respectively for the vegetarian and non-vegetarian selection respectively.
For starters
The Fabbrica story had taken off on a pasta night in Singapore when two college friends convinced themselves that they could pull off the dish better than what they had been served. Naman had been to Italy and loved authentic Italian food. He loved to cook and could make out the ingredients on tasting a dish while Raghav Kapoor had a head for the operations side of an enterprise.
Once they left college, they cut their teeth with Alla Bella Mozzarella in Ballygunge in 2015. Six years ago, Fabbrica della Pizza was born in Allenby Road in south Calutta. The Neapolitan pizzeria made a mark by letting customers customise their pizza by chosing the bread, the sauce and the toppings.
Subsequently, the name was shortened to Fabbrica (meaning factory or workshop) in 2019 and an osteria opened by the name at City Centre in 2020. “We call it an osteria, and not a ristorante, as the menu is quite compact,” Naman explained.
Within 20 days of its opening, lockdown was imposed and they had to wait till 2021 for the actual start. “It took us nine to 10 months to hit top gear. Last December, we got our alcohol licence,” said Raghav.
“Our specialisation is Neapolitan pizza, with raised puffy crust, lower soggy centre, and soft and chewy dough, though we make raviolis, pastas and soups too. Our pizzas and pastas sell equally well. Among the pizzas, my favourite is the most traditional of them all -Margherita - though it is among the lowest priced ones,” Raghav said.
“Neapolitan pizzas, typical of Naples, are very different from the American thin-crust one or even the two other styles in Italy - the Roman, crispy and thin crust, and the Sicilian pizza, with thicker crust,” explained Naman, naming Pollo Piccante from the Pizza Pranzo menu as his favourite pizza. “Unlike Margherita, which is traditional, this is cooked in our signature style. It has a base of pesto, not the conventional tomato. Caramelised onion, slow cooked over a couple of hours, adds sweetness and crunchiness to the pizza. It also has Jalapenos and roasted chicken, topped with feta cheese. There is a balance of saltiness and sweetness and a little umami coming from the pesto. That's why it is one of our bestsellers.”
Since July, live music is being played on Saturdays. “One can enjoy an evening of music, pizza and cocktail from 7.30pm. We are calling it Rubami La Notte (Steal my night away),” Raghav said.