as i mentioned on monday, after my veganuary journey i have decided to continue cooking vegan at home, while "treating" myself to a vegetarian meal out every now and then. the first instalment of this particular line of treatment came about at the weekend when i met up with katy to sample made in italy's newest refurb and menu iteration on the king's road. no-one does pizza quite like the italians, so this was one place i was not willing to forgo good old fashioned mozzarella for the sake of a vegan alternative (which they do offer now, as part of the refurb, but after the zizzi's experience i am not keen to try again any time soon). the made in italy group's owners also own a cheese parlour in battersea, where they ensure that only the best quality cheeses are produced, and make it into their restaurants. knowing that, there was no way i was not going to give their menu my full attention.
it was absolutely atrocious weather the day we had our reservation, but inside the restaurant it was warm and cosy. the main dining room was split across two levels, with the kitchen another level below again, and we were sat in the front of the restaurant - right by the busy door, where we got to do a lot of people watching as the room began to get fuller and busier the longer we sat there. seeing the familiar markings of the deliveroo couriers popping in and out was a nice touch, knowing that people who couldn't get reservations were still keen to have their meals ordered says a lot about a place, i think.
the menu is extensive, and has everything you could want out of a traditional italian restaurant - and more. the new concept menu has been created by the restaurant chain's executive pizza chef - a man renowned for his expertise in yeast. his new range of pizza bases consist of a multigrain, classic neopolotan, wheat and gluten free, with a changing monthly special to boot. no matter which base you choose, you know the seasonal menu will only include the very finest in italian ingredients. you can also have faith in the selection of toppings, as each menu item has been created by the team in their special pizza laboratory to ensure that every bite is better than the last.
of course, we didn't start with pizza, no no. we lead up to that - it was to be the piest de resistance of the meal. instead, i started with a pasta. i chose a ricotta and spinach ravioli in butter and sage sauce (£10.50), and it was absolutely divine. i tried to share it with katy, but i actually didn't want to because it was too tasty that i wanted it all to myself! i don't eat butter - even before i cut out dairy, because i usually get a funny belly from something so oily, but no. not this time. this time was nothing but delicious good luck. i ran out of pasta, and had to be that person who mops up the sauce on their plate with a bit of crusty bread. was i ashamed? was i heck. 10/10 would do that again.
when it came to deciding on which pizza to have, i was stuck. there were soooo many veggie options to choose from, which was great, but it made my decision a lot harder! originally, i was just going to go with my fave of all the pizzas - the margherita, but with the ortolana (tomato sauce, mozzarella, grilled courgetts, mushrooms, sun blush tomatoes and pesto) and la parmigiana crying out to me, i had a change of heart. katy went for the ortolana (£9.95) and i chose the other - with mozzarella, aubergine parmigiana and parmesan shavings (£11.95), and we planned to share so we got the best of both worlds. and myyyyyy oh my, how our worlds were moved by those pizza. we both went for the original neopolitana dough base, which meant the crusts were so light and fluffy, with an incredibly smoky flavour running through them. the parmigiana was rich in flavour and so juicy, which gave the pizza that authentic soupy texture, and deciding to forgo the vegan option was easily the best decision i'd made that day. i couldn't finish it, mind, but i really, really wanted to.
we were stuffed, but willing to commit to our duty and order a dessert, too. and a cocktail, once we'd finished our wine, because we didn't want to leave any stone unturned. we chose the cannoli option to share, which effectively meant i had five types of cheese in that one meal alone. i regret none of them. the sweet cannoli shells were super hard to smash open, but once we did, the sweet and creamy ricotta and pistachio centres didn't stand a chance. we devoured the crunchy little pastries in only a few bites, and left the restaurant wholly satisfied with our little outing.
i know i was right to save my non-vegan eating out for infrequent occasions, because there's no way i could eat like that all the time anymore. something about saving up those meals makes them feel very special, and not something to be taken for granted. which, i think, is a really nice way to look at consumption in general; everything in moderation.
*we were guests of made in italy's, but all thoughts are mine.
