Fatto a Mano has reopened in Church Road, Hove, after a refresh and it hasn’t taken long for the crowds to flock back to the popular pizzeria.
After all, Fatto a Mano is something of a Brighton and Hove success story, with the first branch opening by Preston Circus, in London Road, Brighton, in 2015.
The second Brighton branch is in Gloucester Road and, as well as the Hove restaurant, there are two more in London – in Covent Garden and King’s Cross.
The secret to that success? It’s partly down the dough which is soft and pillowy and made fresh each day. Fatto a Mano is the Italian for hand-made.
But the real recipe is something more – a mix of authentic and affordable Neapolitan pizza, made with fresh ingredients, combined with friendly service.
I tried out the newly refurbished Church Road branch and started with the parmigiana melanzana while my friend went for the porcini mushroom arancini.
Having made the former a few times, I know how easy it is to bodge the aubergines or allow the tomatoes to overpower the dish.
No such misfortune at Fatto a Mano where the eggplant was perfect and the balance of mozzarella as well as parmesan cheese proved delightful and the basil gave it a fresh lift.
We sampled each other’s choices. The arancini were not the usual orange colour that gives the Italian rice balls their name but coated in black panko breadcrumbs, giving a drier surface texture.
The panko coating helped keep the contents – including the porcini and taleggio cheese – suitably moist and packed with flavour.
Our main course choices were an ’nduja pizza and the special, the Margherita Sbagliata, or Mistaken Margherita, recreated in Hove after an inspirational visit to Franco Pepe.
Pepe is an Italian award-winning pizzaiolo, internationally acclaimed as one of the best in the world, based just outside Naples, the home of pizza.
The most popular pizza made by the 60-year-old is the Margherita Sbagliata, with mozzarella as the base. When it comes out of the oven, the pizza is garnished with an uncooked fresh tomato sauce and a basil sauce.
As someone who rarely opts for margherita, preferring something at least a little less bland, it was a pleasant surprise to taste so much fresh flavour packed into the vibrantly coloured garnish.
My friend’s choice didn’t disappoint. The topping included not just the fiery ’nduja itself but some spicy spianata – a type of salami – and rounded with roasted peppers and a basil lift.
Our wine was the Primitivo Conviviale, neither the cheapest nor most expensive wine on the list. This red from Puglia was soft, rich and fruity and proved to be the perfect complement.
My friend picked the tiramisu to follow. It was easy to imagine Gregg Wallace, the sweet-toothed judge on the TV cooking competition Masterchef, grinning with delight because it tasted great.
I went for the gelato sandwich. I’ve had it on previous visits – before the refurb – and the biscuity hazelnutty choc-ice remains a firm favourite. It’s my kind of palate cleanser.
Frangelico digestifs rounded off a delightful meal and a lovely evening, with charming service. The staff seemed to ooze pride in Fatto a Mano and it’s not hard to see why.
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At first glance I thought it was a Margherita Mussolini!
I looked in again after reading this and was saddened to find that the original shop name, uncovered from the front when the building was re-done some years ago, is no longer displayed in the basement corridor.
I certainly won’t be going to that dump of a pizza place. Worse toppings choices ever lol
The words Aubergine and Eggplant in the same sentence is unbelievable Frank