At Thornbury’s Pizza Elettrica, you’ll find 15-inch pies with minimal toppings and blistered crusts, made using New York-style 36-hour fermented dough. The thin-crust pizzas are the work of Andrew Winson, who owns the shop with Ainhoa Barriola Fontana.

“They’re not perfectly round or Italian-looking,” Winson tells Broadsheet of New York-style pizzas. “[They’re] quite rustic and gnarly – they are their own thing.”

Pizzeria Elettrica has a tight menu with seven pizzas and no by-the-slice option. Toppings, as they are on the US East Coast, are kept minimal, but you can add extras including olives, ham, anchovies and yes, even the ever-divisive pineapple.

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Photography: Ashley Ludkin

Whole pies include the Classica, with a tomato base, mozzarella, fresh basil and shaved pecorino romano; and the Peppi, with pepperoni and shaved grana padano.

Winson hopes to include New Haven-style pizza (a charred Neapolitan-esque pie) – or “apizza” as New Haven-locals say – in the future. For now, he offers two pizzas made on the same New York-style dough as the rest of the offering, but with toppings inspired by the Connecticut city.

Pizza Elettrica’s New Haven-style tomato pie is a plain red sauce pizza with shaved pecorino romano on top. And the cheese and onion, with shaved onion pecorino romano, sherry vinegar and chives, is Pizza Elettrica’s version of a New Haven white clam pie, which typically comes with oregano, grated cheese, garlic and littleneck clams.



Photography: Ashley Ludkin

As for sides, there’s a cheesy and herby garlic calzone; mixed greens with pecorino romano and Italian dressing; and olives from Mount Zero. Jalapeno ranch and cola barbeque sauces are on hand for crust dipping. Desserts are changing but have included flan and amaretto tiramisu.

To drink, there are local and Mexican beers, Mexican Coca Cola and a small selection of local wines available by the bottle or glass.



Photography: Ashley Ludkin

Winson, a former brewer at the now-closed Deeds, discovered a love for pizza-making at home during Melbourne lockdowns. He taught himself on an Ooni gas oven and after two years of homemade pizzas, started working at Pizza Shop in Clifton Hill. That’s where he learnt to make pizzas as he now does at Pizza Elettrica – in an electric oven (hence the name).

The retro fit-out leans heavily into the New York influence, with a colour scheme that brings in the pale orange and blue of the plastic seats found in New York subway cars. Pizzas are available for takeaway, but the team also encourages people to dine in. “We wanted to create a fun place where people can eat nice pizza, feel comfortable and hang out,” says Winson.

Pizza Elettrica
167 Darebin Road, Thornbury
0394551637

Hours:
Wed to Fri 5pm–10pm
Sat & Sun 4pm–10pm

[@pizzaelettrica] (https://www.instagram.com/pizzaelettrica)