Alfredo Repole

Born:

Napoli, Italy.

History:

I was born in Napoli Italy which is a place steeped in tradition, especially when it comes to food and enjoying meals with family and friends. 

At only 11 years of age, I started my first job in a real, authentic Italian restaurant which made me appreciate the Italian tradition of pizza making. As time went on, so too did my love for creating authentic Neapolitan pizza. 

For the next few years and well into my teens and twenties I started to perfect the art of pizza making and continuously searched for how to improve my techniques and build on flavour, while staying true to tradition. Thus, many years later, evolving into a master pizza maker. 

I started in Australia with only a dream, of one day owning my own well-known pizza establishment and Italian restaurant. With only $20 in my account when I got here, I started making that dream come to life. I saved for years, going without much of the things I desired to make this dream come true, and along the way I met my beautiful wife, Shanuki. We then started to build that dream together. Very quickly, Shanuki and I started to create the base we needed to invest in our very first restaurant and that is when Pizzeria Da Alfredo in Glebe was born. 

The success came very quickly, and it seemed like the public were very interested in learning all about real authentic Neapolitan Pizza. In short, I believed in the product, made it in the way the generations before had taught me to make it and it worked. 

Pizzeria Da Alfredo’s is far more than just a simple or commercial Pizzeria. For me this is the heart and soul that beats inside me, with a desire to demonstrate what a real, authentic Neapolitan kitchen is all about. 

Now I want to expand on this and show my patrons the best, authentic pizza I can make. 

My passion lies in creating from my heart and having the patron understand where this passion comes from, in the hope that they too can experience the real taste of Napoli. 

Have you always wanted to be a Chef? 

Yes, since I was 11 years old, I was mesmerised by the smells that filled the air from the neighbourhood kitchens that were making the fresh Neapolitan sauces, along with the delicious smells of freshly baked bread in traditional Italian wood fire ovens. 

From that point on, I knew that the kitchen is where I could create and make people happy. 

How would you define your style? 

Authentic Neapolitan Style Pizza. 

What is your feature flavour these days? 

Gorgonzola cream, prosciutto, truffle paste and porcini. 

Obsessive compulsive about? 

Following my Neapolitan heritage and staying true to tradition. Also, keeping pineapple and chicken off of my pizzas! 

Your greatest culinary inspirations/influences: 

My first inspiration came from my home town of Napoli, where I was very influenced by Chef, Aurelia Schporza – my first boss and owner of Pizzeria Cumana, which is very well-known in Napoli and spans over 3 generations. I spent 4 years with him. 

I then moved onto another great inspirational restaurant in Napoli, La Chamade. A more formal and very well renowned restaurant in Napoli which was the first to create the 1-metre pizza in Napoli.

 What do you love about this business? 

The fact that I can bring family and friends together in my restaurant and show them the beauty of tradition through my pizzas. 

An ingredient you can’t live without? 

Tomatoes. 

Most ‘eyebrow raising’ menu item? 

1. Our well known, 2-metre Pizza. 
2. Angioletti con Nutella (direct translation: fried little angels with Nutella). 
3. Swordfish Carpaccio: thinly sliced Swordfish, marinated in olive oil and lemon, served on a bed of rocket, topped with capers and boiled potatoes. 

Signature dish: 

Pizza Fritta and Montara Genovese: three deep fried pizza dough balls, served with Genovese Sauce (Beef white Ragú).