A Visit To Nonna’s For Pizza

the Review By. The Lord Kempson Ari weYulu

@ZambiazHarshTag @KempsonAri

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here’s an old Italian adage that stipulates that everyone’s grandmother (in Italy) can cook. It is indeed true the world over that everybody claims their mother and grandmother is the best cook.  However when it comes to pizza (which is of Italian descent), who makes the best pizza is not up for discussion. That is the reason the Italian flag is clearly printed on pizza boxes (unless it’s a fugazi of course or made by a fast food chain). You no longer have to spend top Lira/Euro to get a taste of Italian cuisine. Authentic Italian in its full green, white and red is now a drive away.

Whether its pasta, ravioli or indeed pizza dough, fresh ingredients made from scratch as per tradition is indeed the distinguishing characteristic of Italian cuisine. This tradition is alive and well and practiced to the minutest of details, even the coffee is brewed with a stove top coffee maker (releasing the coffee’s full flavour). All these elements are in the waft of fragrant aromas and greet you as soon as you walk into Nonna’s Pizzeria, and hits your heart like a fat pizza pie. Nonna is Italian for old Italian woman/grandmother who is cute and can cook, and Franca Rocci (who has been in Zambia for 45 years) is the nonna who serves the most delicious Italian food you can ever think of and also owns and manages Nonna’s. The service is impeccable and what an outstanding job her crew does in ensuring everything is ala dente. 

Besides seafood being delicious and part of many culinary repertories, it is also one of many litmus tests of a restaurants substance. I ordered something different from the usual, and the Mare e Monti (sea & mountain) pizza did not disappoint. The presentation of the pizza indeed depicts a picturesque image of the sea & mountain, which transcends mere cuisine and evokes culinary couture. I could taste the freshness of the deep in the mussels that were arranged on the pizza like shells on the beach.  The filling of the sauce with chunks of ham and prawns just melts in your mouth and the mozzarella is just right.  The freshly made traditional thin crust is the base on which all these components sit, without the sogginess or oiliness you get from substandard pizzas. The Pizza is simply bellissimo.   

Where is this pizzeria with extra sauce you ask? In the “Little Italy” courtyard of Foxdale Court next to the gelato spot Gigibonta, open from 11am - 9pm every day. You can also take home a jar or two of homemade Italian pasta sauce to test you Italian cooking skills. Don’t miss out on the Sunday brunches that start at 10am and ends at 2pm, pepperoni pizza at K50 per person, K30 for children (7-12 years), and children under 6 years eat free. Dial +260969459359 or +260973485324 or +260973485327 to get yourself a slice of authentic Italian pizza.

All the items on the menu are bellissimo and fit for a culinary don such as me. Bravo Nonna, it’s a 5ive Forks experience, please pass me another slice of pizza please. Grazie mille!