Nursing a hangover with Neighborhood Pizza, Mount Hawthorn

Thought it might not seem like it to those of you who read my blog, I actually do eat at home/bring my lunch to work more than I dine out. As much as I can obsess over a delicious meal out and about, I often find myself on busy weeks craving a good home cooked meal, or just a simple salad in my pyjamas. Yes, I am one of those people who loves PJs - I'd spend all day in them if it were socially acceptable. I might be wearing them right now as I write this post...

One Saturday night recently I'd been really excited to spend the night in with my boy and do a pizza evening where we cooked our favourites. We actually love making pizza and find it a nice way to cook that doesn't feel like a great deal of work. 

However those plans went out the window when I regressed to my late teens the Friday night before and drank myself into oblivion on cocktails at Laneway Lounge. Needless to say, I was feeling rather sick and sorry for myself the next day! And while Jez could have easily handled the cooking for both of us, we decided why not take a well deserved break after a busy week and get take away instead - something we hardly ever do. After a bit of brainstorming, Neighborhood Pizza was our venue of choice.

We dialled ahead to place our orders after perusing their menu online, then jumped into the car to pick up our food. Being a little piggy, we decided to go for three pizzas so we'd have our lunch (it ended up being breakfast) covered for the next day. Leftover pizza can really hit the spot sometimes!

Our pizza flavours chosen were:

• Buffalo mozzarella, basil and red base ($17.00) with prosciutto added ($4.00)
• Kale, spicy salami, bocconcini, pecorino, a drizzle of chilli oil and bianca base ($23.00)
• Fennel sausage, roasted tomato, parmesan, fresh rocket, pine nuts and red base ($23.00)

The pizzas were on the pricey side, but I was confident the flavours would justify the cost and the entire drive home was a bit of a torture session as my senses inhaled the tempting meal waiting to be eaten.

I would definitely like to dine in at Neighborhood sometime though - the space is really funky; a sparse kind of warehouse that's somewhat cozy but stark at the same time. The staff were friendly, welcoming us and non-stop smiling. But given my shaky state of being, take away was definitely the right choice on that evening!

Starting with the actual structure of the pizza, the base is nice and thin but still has a slightly fluffy centre. It's crisp and well formed, holding together to keep the toppings in place. 

Lucky for us neither of us need gluten free bases because Neighbourhood charge a whopping $6 surcharge for gluten free. I have to say, that's pretty ridiculous in my opinion - I'd planned on bringing my best friend Carly here but if we were to get a couple pizzas between us like we usually do, that's an extra $12. As much as I enjoyed this place, that price is way too high and not in line with what other pizzerias are charging. 

But going back to the pizzas we ordered, I was really impressed with the flavours presented though I would have loved a touch more seasoning on them all. The mozzarella pizza needed a bit more cheese but the other two stood out with their delicious toppings. The fennel sausage was my favourite, with punchy flavour that complimented the sweet roasted tomato. 

The spicy salami and kale was also another well crafted match - the mild chilli flavour tasty and memorable. I loved the crisp kale which had almost become like kale chips from going into the oven. A nice use of this vegetable that complimented the dish rather than just a fad addition. 

All up I thought Neighborhood Pizza was a tasty experience and I do look forward to going back (though not with a friend that needs gluten free bases). I hear their pumpkin, feta and chilli pizza and the sweet potato with maple syrup pizza are the real standouts on their menu - and I do love my carbs on carbs!

It definitely helped nurse my hangover away and bring me back to the land of living. And for breakfast the next day (in my PJs naturally), it was a very welcome sight.