Take a stroll by beloved Lygon Street wine bar Bahama Gold and you might just pick up on the tantalising aromas of pizza. That's courtesy of the sizzling slice magic from acclaimed pizzaiolo Kitisak Iacuzi's pop-up Da Paolo, which has swooped in for an in-house residency that will run indefinitely.
Alongside rivers of Bahama Gold's housemade local and imported vino and Da Paolo's cult pizza pies, the bar will be spinning vinyl sounds every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 5pm until 10pm.
Hailing from Italy's Liguria before moving to Melbourne more than 12 years ago to join Neighbourhood Wine, Iacuzi went on to earn his dough-making stripes at organic bakery All Are Welcome, then Gray and Gray and Pizzeria Magma. His newest venture Da Paolo is named after the pizzeria his father ran in Liguria through the '80s.
"I’m so excited to be back in the Bahama Gold kitchen serving up Da Paolo’s pizzas to Brunswick," shares Iacuzi. "The Neighbourhood Wine team has truly been family to me, taking me under their wing when I first arrived in Melbourne, not speaking a word of English, and igniting my passion in the kitchen."
Pizzas on offer at the Bahama Gold pop-up currently include a marinara with yellow passata, confit cherry tomato, oregano and basil; margherita with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, pecorino and basil; gamberi with local prawns, garlic, parsley and fermented chilli sauce; zucchini wtih stracchino (a traditional young Ligurian soft cheese), capers, marjoram and mint sauce; and Da Paolo's special XO with secret chilli sauce, fior di latte, pickled pineapple and fresh onions.
Yep, we could definitely sink our teeth into one of those bad boys over a sangiovese or two. Each pizza costs between $18 to $24, and there's no need to make a booking – just walk right on in! Visit the Bahama Gold website for more info.
