REVIEW: My Slice, Brighton
We see a lot of Neapolitan style pizza in the UK but less of Roman Al Taglio, which is baked in large rectangular trays and sold by the slice or even by the weight. It's thicker and more rigid than Neapolitan, more like a fine focaccia, but still absolutely delicious for lunch on the fly. The "Michelangelo of pizza", Gabriele Bonci is one of the best - when in Rome, do as the Romans do and head to Pizzarium, trust me. You'll also commonly see Scrocchiarella which is another type of Roman pizza that is very thin and crisp and I think this is the style My Slice have gone with.
Now, pizza is all about the dough which is a live beast. Great dough is full of flavour, vibrancy and character. Eating it makes you feel good, it's the classic comfort food. But great dough needs to be fresh and you need a truckload of skill to craft it well.
But here the bases are ludicrously thin, with hardly any air and the reheating process dries the base out further. (The gluten free options were thinner still at literally 2mm thick! Great if you are on a diet.) It lacks any sort of personality really, it just exists as a crisp carrier to the topping. Scrocchiarella bases are fine if you are enjoying full pizzas but for a decent feed by the slice, you would need a few for a satisfying lunch. I personally think al taglio is more suited to the thin focaccia style; easy to eat on the go, satisfying and as much as I hate the term, has great mouth feel.
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| gluten-free bases - oh dear |
To be fair, the kitchen set up at Cranbourne Street would make it impossible to make the dough on site, so it comes as no surprise that it is actually made and part-baked in Italy, blast frozen and delivered to Brighton. I'm sure the dough is probably perfectly fine, but I imagine the freezing and re-baking process must affect the result. It just doesn't compare to the texture and taste of al taglio I've eaten in Italy, and I've eaten A LOT! Also, not making the fundamental part of your product yourself is rather puzzling. (Far better if you fancy a trip to Hove and want to try an al taglio-ish style, is at baking heavyweights Sugar Dough - soon to have a Brighton location.)
Anyway, base aside I was pleased to see the classic potato and rosemary on offer and toppings all looked quite nice and fresh. There are also salads and some sweet muffins and flapjacks for sale too.
As an alternative to a sarnie when you are shopping I would say pop in and give them a go, it's affordable and pleasant enough.
The location, right by Churchill Square shopping centre may well prove be their saviour as the footfall alone will keep them in the black I'm sure. But for me, no, it doesn't make me nostalgic for a taste of home at all.
https://www.facebook.com/myslicepizzabrighton
Anyway, base aside I was pleased to see the classic potato and rosemary on offer and toppings all looked quite nice and fresh. There are also salads and some sweet muffins and flapjacks for sale too.
As an alternative to a sarnie when you are shopping I would say pop in and give them a go, it's affordable and pleasant enough.
The location, right by Churchill Square shopping centre may well prove be their saviour as the footfall alone will keep them in the black I'm sure. But for me, no, it doesn't make me nostalgic for a taste of home at all.
Cranbourne Street, Brighton
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