Cristina De Almeida prides herself on the authenticity of her pizza making process and believes it’s a difference you can taste in every pizza at her restaurant Piccola Rossa in Edenvale.
Small wonder than that the establishment has taken the sixth spot in this year’s Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge with the other restaurant in the Rossa group – Osteria Rossa in Bedfordview which is headed up by De Almeida’s sister Claudia Lau – coming in second place.
Says a delighted De Almeida: “I am really so proud of how far we have come. We entered the inaugural competition in 2021 and had to drop out halfway through when we suddenly had to find new premises. Luckily we found our new home and, although it has taken time to get customers to know we are still open two years later, we have gone from strength-to-strength.
“We have now placed Top 10 two years in a row (up from No 8 last year) and this is all thanks to my incredible team. Although I did not beat my sister this year I am so happy of her achievement and will definitely be looking at going head-to-head next year with her. Bring it on! However, I also have to pay tribute to our loyal customers.”
Has Rossa’s success in the annual competition had an impact on business?
“Most definitely,” says De Almeida. “People heard about the competition on the radio or read about it online or in the paper and have wanted to try the venues that had placed in the Top 10. Both Claudia and I had lots of new faces coming in to try our pizzas and see if they were worthy of all the fuss. People like to try new places they haven’t heard of or been to before, so it’s been wonderful having them travel from neighbouring areas to compare us to their favourite local.”
Osteria Rossa has been in operation since 2009 while Piccola Rossa has been serving up pizzas and other Italian fare since it opened its doors in 2014 before moving to new premises in 2021.
Both establishments pride themselves on making authentic Italian food, using only the freshest ingredients.
Says De Almeida: “Rossa’s pizzas are different from anything else in the market. It has no crust and is made with only the best ingredients – dough, tomato, cheese and a choice of toppings. The secret to our pizza’s success lies in its dough. We use only four ingredients – 00 pizza flour, fresh yeast, salt and water and then a 72-hour cold rise process that allows the dough to mature for three days before being used. The result is a pizza that is pure goodness from edge to edge. It is light, airy and has a unique texture that customers cannot get enough of, which is why we have made our pizzas the centrepiece of our menu.”
She stresses that they are passionate about authenticity, quality and taste.
“We source all our ingredients – from the mozzarella cheese to the homemade pancetta – from local and international artisanal suppliers and everything in the restaurant is carefully selected to ensure that customers have the best possible dining experience.”
When asked about Rossa’s bestseller, she says it’s the Grande-size pizzas, which she describes as 600mm long and 400mm wide and enough for six people to share.
“Customers love it, because they can choose up to four different toppings so there are no arguments if someone wants pineapple.”
The Top 10 in this year’s Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge are:
- Gino’s (Robertsham, Johannesburg)
- Osteria Rossa (Bedfordview, Johannesburg)
- Gino’s (Stellenbosch)
- Ferdinando’s Pizza (Observatory, Cape Town)
- Mooiuitsig Kombuis (Groot Brakrivier)
- Piccola Rossa (Edenvale, Johannesburg)
- Corlies Italian (Somerset West)
- Julia’s Eatalian (Potchefstroom)
- Lucio’s Pizzeria (Northcliff, Johannesburg)
- Enzo Pizzeria Trattoria (Scottburgh, KZN)
Piccolo Rossa, Shop 24, Glen Curve Shopping Centre, Elm St, Marais Steyn Park, Dower Glen, Edenvale. Tel: 011-022-1075
Osteria Rossa, Bedford Village, Cnr Van Buuren/Nicol Roads, Bedfordview.
Tel: 011 455 5912
Social media details:
- Website: https://www.myrossa.co.za/
- Facebook: rossarestaurants
- Instagram: @ rossa_restaurants
- Website: https://www.boekenhoutskloof.co.za/porcupine-ridge/
