Racecourse Road’s newest resident, Prego Pizzeria has opened, providing a touch of Rome with stone baked pizza topped with fresh, local ingredients all from its Ascot store. Owner Stefano Bagnoli is passionate about square, stone baked pizzaand insists that it is the best way to enjoy the meal. “This kind of pizza is a new product in Brisbane, which is why I decided to try it. It comes from Rome, my home city, and it’s just in Rome. You can travel around Italy but find it only in Rome,” Stefano said. He has teamed up with experienced restauranteur, Simon Barakat, the name behind Il Verde and The Defiant Duck.

The menu at Prego provides a range of hearty Italian classics, suitable for vegetarians and meat lovers alike. The menu includes salads, antipasto bites, and a lengthy wine list to match. But Stefano doesn’t want to stop there. “I’m an Italian guy, I want everything to be full of food, more flavours. Pasta! Lasagne!” he said. The pizzas are served by the slice; each weighing a generous 300 grams and filled with extravagant toppings. This is a popular method of serving the square pizzas or Pizza al tagilo in Rome, with slices known to be marked per kilogram. The rectangular or square shape of the pizza makes it easier to divide as the customer desires.

Popular choices for Pizza al tagilo include margarita, gamberi and soppressa; with fresh toppings that include plenty of garlic and fresh herbs like chilli, garlic and basil. There are plenty of take home containers available to all those whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs. One of the hidden benefits to the way Prego makes their pizzas is that they are still good the next day. The base is 80% water so it stays just as good when reheated. The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday-Sunday from 11.30am.

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