To-die-for wood fired pizzas and thrifty
specials? (Lazer) pigs might fly after all!
The combination of beer
and pizza has taken over Collingwood in a big way, thanks in no small part to
the recent opening of both LazerPig and
Forester’s Hall. While the
latter is all about its monstrous array of craft beer, with pizza being
something of a sideshow, LazerPig looks
set to become a cult hero with its divine pizzas and the most generous
happy-hour in town (equal to that of local neighbour and partner in crime The Grace Darling Hotel).
One might be forgiven
for feeling confused by what LazerPig is,
or indeed by what it does. Is it a pub? Is it a sort of
disco? Is it a trippy pizzeria that does not quite know whether it is
living in the past or the future? In reality, it is all of these things,
and so much more besides.
The blackened façade of
the building conceals a juxtaposed world full of disco balls, a smoke machine,
quirky trinkets, taxidermy, stained-glass windows and oldy-worldy traditional
pizzeria tablecloths. The smallish bar, cosy fireplace and surrounding
space is all darkened, unpolished wooden floorboards which confuse and delight
in that they tell of a proper pub, rather than a typical sophisticated bar or
pizzeria. A separate dining room, replete with an open view of the busy
kitchen, flanks to one side, thereby completing the joyously disjointed
picture.
On tap, there is plenty
to choose from. It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Coopers Best Extra Stout; a brew that I have requested that The Grace Darling Hotel add to its tap
list since my very first visit there back in 2013. Fellow Coopers Stout fans may rejoice in that
it is offered here, and between 4pm and 7pm, it is included in the happy
hour. Mmmm…. $5 pints…!
Not a stout drinker? I shan’t hold it against you, and neither will
the folks at LazerPig. From
the keg they also provide beers from Moon
Dog, 4 Pines, Temple Brewing and a cloudy apple cider from St. Ronan’s. There are a few simple cocktails, an appropriate if not rudimentary
wine list and acute Mondayitis sufferers can chase away the early week blues
with $5 tumblers of Sailor Jerry punch.
On the pizza front, the
ethos here seems to be “less is more;” in terms of each pizza's array of
toppings. Most options are modern takes on classic Napoli-style pizzas;
the Italian way, of course, being that no more than three ingredients complete
the picture. Portion sizes and toppings are equally generous.
Moreover, all pizzas are wood-fired, with the dough made in house (using
five-year old sourdough culture*); the process for which takes eleven hours. In the end, the base is seen to be as
important as what goes on it; as you bite into the crisp and voluptuous crust
you will never look at pizza crusts the same way again.
Thus far, the “Prawn
Fraser” (pictured above) has proven to be the most deeply satisfying.
Garlicky, spicy and topped with huge, melt-in-your-mouth prawns (the variety is
not specified but no matter); this one is sure to please anyone who loves the
utterly guilty, shameful pleasure of enjoying seafood pizza.
Paired with Coopers Best Extra Stout, “The Prawn Fraser” proved to be a true
orchestration of flavour, with the pair playing off each other as magnificently
as Metallica did with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The beer and pizza amplified one
another; garlic and bready sweetness went head to head with burnt malt-forward
intensity. The prawns did well in balancing and somehow accentuating the coffee
bitterness of the beer, meanwhile, the rich tomato sauce and the addition of
optional chilli oil* provided a glorious backdrop to the whole taste
experience.
Other pizza options
include “The Prosciutto;" a devilishly delightful delving into two classic
Italian ingredients: prosciutto, of course, and the silken, textural delight
that is buffalo mozzarella. Your lacto-vegetarian friends are not
forgotten about thanks to “The Fun Guy”* and the basil and cheese top-heavy “Il
Classico.” And if all that fails to satisfy (which I doubt will be an
issue), there is antipasto, a "catch of the day" and salads to be
had.
LazerPig is a great place to visit at any time of the day or
week. During lunchtime the soundtrack revolves around 70s rock n’ roll
and punk, before the DJ hits the decks at 6pm to deliver disco tunes all night
long. The Collingwood drinking scene only keeps getting better and
better, and the sight of not a single discarded pizza crust has me believing
that pigs might one day fly.
* …And the “Pun of the
Year” Award goes to…
* Staff provide a
bottle of chilli oil for the table
* Five-year old
sourdough culture fact provided by Broadsheet
Melbourne's LazerPig review,
which can be found here.
LazerPig
9-11 Peel St
Collingwood
Vic 3066
(03) 9417 1177
Email:
enquiries@lazerpig.com.au
Website: www.lazerpig.com.au
Opening Hours
Mon: 4pm-late
Tue-Fri:
12noon-late
Sat-Sun: 2pm-late
Nearest Tram
Stops
From City: Stop
15 – Smith St (as the tram turns left after Gertrude St)
From Bundoora:
Stop 16 – Peel St
From the corner of Smith and Peel St, head down the
hill on the opposite side of the road from The
Grace Darlking Hotel. The venue is on the corner of the next block.
Specials
Happy Hour: Mon-Sun – 4pm-7pm (Coopers pints are
a fiver)
Lunch Special: No pizza over $15
Monday Pizza Party: $6 pints all night, no pizza
over $15 and Sailor Jerry rum punch
tumblers at $5
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