Etica: Pizza al Taglio

The first thing you’ll notice at Etica: Pizza al Taglio is a model of a Friesian x Hereford dairy cow, suspended from the ceiling by her hind legs.

Origin and ethical food has always informed Etica’s Gilles Street location (the name is literally “ethical” in Italian). At their second venture, owners Federico and Melissa Pisanelli want to promote making an informed choice.

The menu emphasises animal welfare and organic, local and seasonal ingredients. And Pizza al Taglio bucks tradition and trend and serves creative topping combinations.

Pizza al taglio (which means “by the slice”) has a thicker, crisper base and is baked at a lower temperature over a longer period. The Pisanellis’ pies are cooked in a rectangular pan in an electric Moretti oven imported from Italy. Customers choose the size of their slice, which is priced according to weight.

Toppings change daily but are always simple; think smoked fior de latte, roasted leek and olive tapenade; mixed mushroom with miso mayonnaise and tomato; and smoked kingfish with ginger, orange and whipped ricotta, alongside a more traditional margherita.

There’s also “pizza panini” for on-the-go lunches; pastries from Abbots & Kinney (made specially for Etica); and D’Angelo Coffee. A tight beer and wine list is made up of local and Italian small-batch producers.

The venue has been designed to emulate an abattoir with glass walls – transparency is the key here. The glass windows also capitalise on light filtering through from the south-facing facade. The team used only South Australian materials to build the space, including slate from the Clare Valley and tiles from Kanmantoo.