Despite having learned (in college, of course – go liberal arts!) that the failure of utilitarianism is our inability to measure interpersonal utility, I’m still a big believer in cost-benefit analysis.
So on Saturday, when Jon insisted we go to Brixton to have lunch at the much-lauded pizzeria, Franco Manca, I weighed the pros and cons:
Pros: (1) Feed my pizza craving that’s been intensifying the closer we get to going to NY for Christmas; and (2) experience a place serving “perfect pizzas” (according to the 2008 TimeOut Eating and Drinking Awards) and that’s been compared favorably to Florence’s Il Pizzaiolo by the Guardian. Not to mention it’s beloved of many a high-standard food blogger
Cons: (1) Schlepp to Brixton. (2) In the freezing cold (as in, I actually saw snow on Saturday morning. Fellow Londoners, you know what I’m talking about).
Left to my own devices, I would have stayed home. Luckily, Jon weighed the pros and cons differently (see, that interpersonal utility problem in action!), so off we went to Brixton.
The good news is that the pizzeria is about three minutes’ walk from Brixton tube station. The bad news is that we’re not the only ones interested in eating at Franco Manca, and the covered market in which the pizzeria sits is *not* heated.
So we queued for 45 minutes in the cold, just to snag a table that’s also – argh – in the cold.
Happily, the pizzas were, in fact, very good. The menu is simple: choose from one of six pizzas (seven if you count the daily special), and a beverage. Everything is inexpensively priced despite the high-quality, pedigreed ingredients.
I opted for a white pizza (no sauce) “with pork,” ricotta and mozzarella. The pork was, of course, casing-free Brindisa chorizo. Spicy and smoky – maybe a tad too tangy as a pizza topping, but well balanced by the nutty, creamy fresh ricotta and gooey mozzarella. And the pizza dough – it’s hot, springy and aromatic like no other pizza crust I’ve enjoyed before. Much more like a naan than a crispy-bottomed NY slice.
And for lovers of the salty tang of anchovies, Franco Manca’s neapolitan is the way to go. In this one, the sweet, juicy tomato sauce and the creamy mozzarella mellowed out the anchovies.
Service was fast and efficient, but always friendly. The pizzas take less than a minute to cook in the super-special pizza oven, so we were served within five minutes of sitting down. I don’t want to tell you how quickly we gobbled down our pizzas, but let’s just say we ate fast enough that the cold air didn’t have time to congeal the cheese.
The most expensive pizza on the menu costs £5.60, and glasses of wine are £1.20 a pop. Amazingly, two pizzas, two glasses of wine and a shot of Monmouth Coffee espresso set us back just £16 with service. But I guess they don’t have to pay for heat, so maybe that explains the low prices.
Despite the schlepp, the long wait and the cold, the pizzas were worth it, but barely. I’ll definitely wait for spring before I venture down there again.
Franco Manca, Unit 4, Market Row, SW9 8LD; 0207 738 3021; closest tube station: Brixton. Open only when the market is open (i.e., closed Saturday night and Sundays).
Thanks for the ping…you had me on tenterhooks until the end – will it be worth it or won’t it??
Glad you did like it (enough) in the end. However, I fear it has become so hyped-up lately that i. it will find it harder to live up to expectation than ever before and ii. those queues.
It also seems that Londoners are far more impressed by FM than Americans. But in our defence, what are the alternatives? (Pizza Hut/Domino’s/even Papa Johns!?)
Food Snob – It would’ve been more of a slam dunk had either the queue been shorter or the weather been warmer. I’d also say Americans is probably not an accurate category of comparison to the specific one of Londoners (i.e., one is a large country and the other is a city), but point taken.
For example, I could imagine how New Yorkers, while probably still impressed with FM, would be less impressed than Londoners. The NY slice is a classic, ubiquitous in the Tri-State area, and *very* different from the “authentic” Neapolitan pizzas served by FM. And you always prefer what you grew up with, I think, unless you grow up with Dominos, as you say. (I actually think Pizza Hut has developed its own species of pizza such that it’s in a category all its own, for better or worse).
I did ruthlessly generalise there. Sorry.
Appreciate your point.
Pizza Hut had indeed (d?)evolved into another animal almost entirely.
FYI, Donna Margarita is somewhere I have heard good things about. It appears there is a whole school of Londoners that champion it above FM. But again, I believe it is the Neapolitan breed of pizza they serve.
Both your most recent reviews have involved a trek out of down in source of food – true dedication – but I do tend to agree that such an effort makes you weigh up the cost-benefit analysis much more closely! On a cold day there is a lot to be said for the Indian restaurant around the corner – although of course that does not make such an exciting blog to read!
I’ve been wondering if FM is worth the trek, so thanks for this! (Did you see the recent writeup in Bloomberg?) I have to admit: Brixton scares me, so I haven’t been eager to head down there.
Why does Brixton scare you if you’ve not been there? It full of interesting people. I can’t stand people who are afraid of Brixton. Stay at home or go to Primrose Hill and have a cup cake for £5.
GK: I live sort of betwixt those two, but I would hate to think myself an out-of-towner.
NYiL: I have heard those queues are filled with City workers (Saturday being their one chance to test Mr. Vine’s recommendation).
GC: Yes, I do seem to be on a South London kick. I’ve been eating at Zone 1 London spots (e.g., Tierra Brindisa, Modern Pantry again), but for no articulable reason, I haven’t felt like writing about them.
NYiL: I’ve been to Brixton twice now, and while it’s not the most picturesque part of London, it’s super lively. After our pizza, Jon and I did some shopping in the big outdoor market there, and I snagged a six large granny smiths for only £1 (useful for Thanksgiving pie!) and eight pig trotters for £5. Good stuff.
Food Snob: On Saturday, there were indeed a nice mix of people in terms of age, income level (assuming clothing as a proxy). Pizza is one of those foods everyone can get excited about.
Dare I say that I just like plain cheese and tomatoes with some red chili flakes ?
how’d the pig trotters turn out?
if you liked the naan-like crust, the next time you’re in the San Francisco you’ll have to check out the indian pizza joint in the Mission. Self appointed “Best Indian Pizza in SF” and it is mighty tasty!
Loving Annie: I like simple toppings, too. Nothing scares me more than those “Californian Pizza Kitchen” combos, which, sadly, I used to eat late at night at work because they were the fastest delivery on the Seamless Web system.
Jane: The pig trotters turned out lovely after the multiple hours of braising and picking out bones and cartilage. We’ve got tons of gelatinous pig goodness stored away in our freezer, ready to meatify any dish.
Also, there was this place in DC called “Naan and Beyond” that would create the most excellent wrap sandwiches using fresh-baked naan. So I love the idea of trying a naan pizza, and I’ll check out your rec next time I’m in the Mission.
Happy Thanksgiving.
mmmmmmm.yumma lumma xo
ohhh dear. this looks fantabulous. and with descriptions like ‘spongy’ and ‘aromatic,’ i am absolutely ravenous. i’d willingly endure your cons (particularly the schlepping in the snow bit) to have a slice of yummy pizza in shabby cool brixton.
*sigh.*
kittypackard – DOC pizza has been spreading across the globe, so I’m sure you’ll find an equivalent near you soon enough without hauling yourself to London. : )
I have lived in London for over 8 years now and still haven’t found a good pizza place. Lots of recommendation by friends, but they inevitably turn out mediocre.
I might try these pizzas, but the toppings look a bit….hmm, I don’t know, they look a bit cheap and very fatty. But if I am ever in Brixton (doubt it, though)….
The best pizza ever I had in Rovinj and Mykonos (forgot the name of the first, the second one is called Bandana. Not to be missed. Pizzas out of this world. There is nothing like that in London and I doubt there ever will be. Unless Mr. Bandana opens up here.).
[…] November 2008: We paid our final visit to Paris for 2008 and fell in love with neo-bistro Itineraires. Although the much-hyped Bistro Paul Bert was disappointing, we did find a gem of a hotel in the same neighborhood — the Grand Hotel Francais, where the irrepressible master hotelier, Syad, makes every stay a real pleasure. Missing the beauties of Paris, I visited Le Cassoulet in Croydon and met a ton of food bloggers baking macarons at L’Atelier des Chefs. Then, feeling homesick and a little masochistic, I froze my ass off to get some pizza at Franco Manca in Brixton. […]
Franco Manca is one of the best Pizzerie in London! I like his pizza!!
@maya… toppings are definitely not cheap… slightly fatty maybe but high grade.. best pizza I’ve ever eaten and I’ve been all over Italy and the States… it’s all in the dough recipe imo
I venture there every time I’m in London without fail