In Short : Mikey’s Pizza delivers New York style pizza that extend beyond the run-of-the-mill pizzas. Pizzas are generous and feature ingredients that involve technique and preparation time. Think confit garlic, salsa verde and sous vide meats. Make America Great Again was our favourite.
I have a lot of respect for folks who keep it local. I witnessed the transformation when The Tuckshop in Glenhaven opened. A tired suburban strip mall had a new lease of life with locals and visitors flocking to the cafe for some of Sydney’s best burgers and coffee. Mikey’s in Killarney Heights hopes to do the same with his outstanding pizzas. Mikey opted for a local suburban shopping strip mall in the leafy suburb on the fringe of the northern beaches.
We spent time talking with Mikey and he has big plans for his pizzeria, but first, he is winning over diners with his pizzas. The space is an ode to his loves of his travels abroad and live music, yet the centrepiece artwork of the restaurant is a giant photo of his dad.
It’s striking, and speaks to the toughness, and can-do attitude that I sense has been imparted from father to son. The space is reminiscent of a diner you would walk into lower Manhattan or across the bridge in Brooklyn, and fittingly the pizzas are a nod to New York style pizzas.
Onto the pizzas then. Mikey passion for food really manifests itself in the pizzas that are placed in front of us. The dough for the pizza has often been proofed for 48 hours. Going back one step, Mikey was exhaustive in sourcing his flour for the dough. He went through myriad of combinations and found a flour, sourced from Italy that gives the dough a light, airy crispy texture. Then, there’s the ingredients. Mikey and his right hand man Thiago exhibit skills with the ingredients that extend well beyond what is expected in a standard pizza. There’s sous vide processes for the meats, confit and pickling that occurs on site.
As you will see with the pizza naming, each one one is cheeky and unconventional, a little like the owner, I’d say. First out of the oven is a Housing Affordability. It’s stacked with mounds of avocado, along with confit garlic, pickled red onion, feta, parmesan and lemon oil. A bite reveals a delicate balance of flavours. I love the addition of the confit garlic and pickled red onion. Along with the feta, it helps balance out richness of the parmesan. We knew after that first slice, that we were in for an afternoon of the best pizza we have had in a years!
Part two of our pizza feast was a Shrooms pizza. While the name is a giveaway, what became apparently clear that was not just mushrooms and some cheese. I loved the Taleggio bechamel that introduced a creamy, luxurious richness flavour. With the subtle earthiness of caramelised mushrooms, and layers of pecorino and mozzarella cheese, it’s just pure gourmet. Hints of almost citrus freshness from the red veined sorrel complete this pizza.
A trifecta of outstanding pizzas was completed with Make America Great Again. For me no pizza outing is complete without a pizza featuring pepperoni. It’s my favourite salami and I enjoyed it for it’s heat and of course it’s meaty flavour. At Mikey’s it’s partnered with pickled red onion, Fior di Latte cheese, Parmesan, and an upland cress. I loved the bubbling of the crust. The flavours were just outstanding. There’s heat, sweetness and acidity and of course cheesy goodness. Although every pizza was outstanding, this my favourite, but I guess we can put it down to my pepperoni bias!
Mikey’s Pizza filled our tummies, yet we walked out without that bloated feeling one may experience with other pizza experiences. We enjoyed the immense work that goes into selecting and preparing the ingredients, long before they are placed on the dough and slid into the oven.
Essentials
Name: Mikey’s Pizza
Address: 3b, 23-25 Tramore Pl, Killarney Heights, 2087
Google Maps : Map
Hours: Tue-Sat: 3pm-9pm, Sunday: 12pm-9pm
Website: www.mikeyspizza.com.au/
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