5 /5 Dean Owens: We were taking in every piece of sensory joy while traversing the alleyways and small side streets between the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina and the Pantheon in Rome when we came upon a small restaurant just opening for the day’s trading. The owner was a medium-build man with white hair and a huge personality who passionately loved every flavour he created. This memory is the ultimate experience my wife and I reflect on when we reminisce about our time in Rome.
Walking into Zi Teresa was like walking straight back into that little ristorante in Italy. The deep, perfected aromas instantly transported us several thousand kilometres, and suddenly we were back in Rome again. My wife had chosen this place because she was craving good pizza. It was a promising start.
There was a lovely, smiling older lady greeting customers and serving the two couples already seated at the modest tables among the well-loved décor. She directed us to our seats, brought menus, and we were amazed by the value.
We quickly selected garlic bread and a pizza—the Zi Teresa. As we watched the steady stream of happy patrons coming in for their pizza, many of whom were clearly regulars, the animated conversations between the owner and his assistant were fun to watch. There was even a moment of elevated volume when the owner needed a family-sized serving plate and it didn’t arrive as quickly as he wanted.
There are restaurants that sell garbage that comes in frozen, no better than the horrible rubbish from a supermarket. In fact, some places literally serve supermarket garlic bread as their own. The flavour is disgusting. The garlic bread we received here, however, had a perfectly crispy crust and was incredibly flavour-filled. Wow.
When the pie arrived, it was an aromatic masterpiece that again transported us to Italy. It wasn’t the doughy, saucy, mass-produced rubbish so many believe is pizza. No—this was different, and incredibly refreshing to see.
We devoured the beautiful flavours and finished a family-sized pizza by ourselves—it was that good. The crust had a real, complementary flavour that accentuated the toppings. At lesser pizzerias, the crust is just a bland vessel for what’s on top. Not with this masterpiece. There was real flavour depth—nothing less than magnificent.
Amazingly, the value only built upon the wonderful experience.
As we departed, the owner was seated outside with a lovely couple who were long-time regulars. We had a great conversation, and you could see the passion for creating amazing food in Angelo’s stories and words.
Without a doubt, we will return—sooner rather than later.
List 15 Budget-Friendly Restaurants Near You in Hornsby, NSW (part 2)
