Boss Pizzeria

When Daniel Barrese and Johnny Logue took over Boss Pizzeria in September 2015, the first thing they did was close for renovations. The tiny restaurant was just 18 months old and had a beautiful fit-out – but it didn’t suit their expert pizza-making flow.

Between them, the duo has close to 40 years of experience in the industry. Barrese trained with the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana in Italy and later tossed dough at Ladro, Il Pizzaiolo and Firechief. Logue’s CV includes stints at Saltimbocca, Il Forno and Da Massimo, plus his own mobile wood-fired pizza business, Pizza Via.

It should come as no surprise that Boss has something of a purist streak, then. The tomatoes are San Marzano, the flour is “00” quality and the toppings are simple. The only detour from this mission is the optional gluten-free bases.

Classics such as Margherita and quattro formaggi (four cheese) are listed under the heading “From the Old Country”. Move on to “From the Delicatessen” to find more substantial choices topped with salami, pork sausage, pancetta and prosciutto. “From Grandfather’s Garden” reps classic Italian veggies such as eggplant, mushrooms and cavolo nero.

No real Italians could run a restaurant that only serves mains, and the same is true at Boss. Apart from salads, starters and seafood, there’s tiramisu, zeppole (Italian doughnuts) and intense stovetop coffee to finish. The brief drinks list is all about drinkability, from light chianti to Stone & Wood’s Pacific Ale. BYO wine is $5 per bottle.