He's a one, innee? Done alright for a former vacuum-cleaner salesman, mind.
His infamy -and his antics- are legendary. Three-time Prime Minister of Italy, owner of AC Milan and of his country's largest media company.
Fraud, corruption, priapic overenthusiasm, abuses of power... for decades he led a gilded life, seemingly irrepressible in his power and influence.
However, the extent to which he has left his mark on Cardiff's menus has hitherto remained unknown.
One vital component in this story has gone untold.
Until now.
The thing that (allegedly) lent him -ahem- 'vigour'.
Today, that secret can be revealed...
The Grazing Shed's 'Bunga Bunga' burger is well known, but now Penarth's Pizza Pronto adds to the intrigue.
Our story begins in Baghdad, which is where Pizza Pronto owner Kev Halborg was attached to the US state department. Every Thursday would be pizza night at the Italian Embassy, hosted by his counterparts. One of that contingent spent time in Berusconi's security team before joining his new detail. He made this soup for for the group one evening and explained that 'The Boss' would often consume it and state that it's what put the lead into his notorious pencil.
Doubtless the numerous non-food-related stories he relayed about 'The Boss' would make for colourful listening- and indeed, reading- but this is a family show...
I have visited Pizza Pronto before, and loved it. The kind of enthusiasm Kev (and chef Simeon) have is infectious, and the food nails its fresh Italian street food brief very, very ably. It's been heartening to see 'The Little Shack That Could' prove so popular that they've hardly been able to believe the demand. And not from the Railway pub at chucking-out time either: the rush hour here is from six, where whole families have caught the Pronto bug. Their commitment to keeping quality high is such that they are constantly under pressure to make fresh dough; unusually, they use only fresh yeast, never dried- and dough only keeps it freshness for a limited time. Or the kind of freshness they are unwilling to compromise, anyway.
(Incidentally, if you ever found yourself with a short for a fresh batch to be made and readied- nip down the gentle slope just to the left, and browse The Bottle Shop's shelves.)
Although it's hardly on my doorstep, I've never left it too long between visits, so an invitation to pop over to try out some of the new menu wasn't going to take too much pondering.
A rather striking antipasti set us off; plump olives, juicy ppeppers and rich sundried tomatoes in a notably fruity, peppery olive oil. A good heft of garlic was just the trick. The freshness just jumps out at you.
Next up- that intriguing soup. Well, given its reputation, it'd be wrong not to. Wouldn't it?
Rich with tomatoes- and incidentally, served scalding hot- this was a hearty mix of garlic, onion, Tuscan beans and oversized fusilli. (Typically, it is served with freshly-baked sourdough for takeaway portions). I make no comment on its reported effects, subsequent to dining. No sirree. It would work very well as a winter warmer but wasn't out of place on a relatively balmy October's evening. It's certainly something you'd look forward to coming home to.
The 'Marmite' pizza is no such thing- sorry to disappoint. But the combination of Simeon's beloved Neapolitan salami and a lacing of balsamic glaze, studded with black olives, might be one of those 'love it/hate it' moments for some. The sweetness makes for a rich mouthful, and on a pizza any larger than Pronto's eight inches, it could well be too much. Too rich, too filling.
The star of the show for many will be the pulled pork pizza. Yes, I know, pulled pork has been done to death; you can buy it pre-packed in every supermarket, it's become ubiquitous to the point of tedium. Yet this is not any old pulled pork, but the first time the all-conquering HangFire Smokehouse have supplied another restaurant. It's safe to say they wouldn't supply any old Tom, Dick or whatnot, given their fanatical attention to detail and to quality control (trust me, I've seen it at first hand in their workshop). So the latest special keeps it simple: a Margherita base flecked with the best pulled pork this side of...well, somewhere a long way away.
'Pizza Pronto presents Pulled Pork Pizza' is a right mouthful. So is this.
Anything with the HangFire Midas touch is going to bring in the custom. And it's rather neat to see one local food success story collaborating with a newer enterprise. Many will go for the pulled pork. But it would be a shame to stop there, as the menu now boasts more and more reasons to drop by. With plans to extend the rear of the shack to make a small al fresco space, and with Simeon's notebook no doubt bursting from his recent Italian trip, things look rosy for Pizza Pronto.
An important note to finish.
The shack is now festooned with the scarlet of British Legion poppies. The idea's a simple one: buy a poppy, staple it to the wooden walls. Given Kev's military background, the motivation is obvious, but they have gone an extra step and pledged that on 11th November (they'll be open 11am-11pm) all profits will go to The Legion.
In this, the 100th anniversary of The Great War, that's a timely reminder of what's important.
(Note: as I attended at the invitation of Pizza Pronto, all food pictured and described was provided free of charge).
Pizza Pronto
The Kiosk
Stanwell Road
Penarth
Vale Of Glamorgan
CF64 3EU
http://www.pizzaprontopenarth.co.uk/
@pizzapenarth
Opening times
Mon – Fri – 7:00AM – 2:00PM
Thur – 5:30PM – 12:00AM
Fri – Sat – 5:30PM – 1:30AM
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