AUSTRALIAN GOOD FOOD GUIDE - Home of the Chef Hat Awards

Carlo Povegliano

Carlo Povegliano Born: 

Treviso, Italy. 

History: 

I was born in Treviso (in the Veneto region), a small town about half an hour north of Venice. It was here that I grew up with the tantalising flavours of traditional Italian pizza and it was here that I trained and worked as a ‘Pizzaiolo,’ – a Pizza Chef. I migrated to Australia in 2011 to be with my Australian wife. I had the dream to bring authentic Italian pizza and wood fired metre long pizzas to Brisbane. I worked for five and a half years at a famous pizzeria in Teneriffe, Brisbane before opening Pizzalunga in 2016 and realising my dream. 

Have you always wanted to be a Chef? 

No, but I always loved being in the kitchen. I developed a passion for cooking when I was little, helping my Mum in the kitchen. As an adult, I realised I should turn this passion into a career. 

How would you define your style? 

Authentic, traditional Italian (Veneto region) cuisine. 

What is your feature flavour these days? 

The Carlo Pizza – mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, spicy salami, olives and fresh tomatoes. 

Obsessive compulsive about? 

Quality and staying true to tradition. 

Your greatest culinary inspirations/influences: 

Pino – my boss during the time when I was working in Italy. 

What do you love about this business? 

Seeing the faces of customers enjoying their meals and seeing the faces of children as they watch me cook. I love knowing that I am inspiring a love of cooking to the younger generations. 

An ingredient you can’t live without?

Mushrooms. 

Most ‘eyebrow raising’ menu item? 

The Contadina Pizza – mozzarella, mushrooms, ham, sausage and egg. 

Signature dish: 

Pizzalunga – metre long, wood fired pizzas. 

Pizzalunga da Carlo

Pizzalunga da Carlo

When a craving for pizza strikes in the suburbs of North Brisbane, head to Aspinall Street in Nundah where Pizzalunga da Carlo appears like a beacon for hungry souls desperate for an Italian fix. This is not any ordinary pizza either, Venetian style flavour is pulled fresh from a large woodfire oven, bubbling with temptation on its way to a blend of foodies out for strictly, authentic Italian, surprised walk-ins and grinning locals. An accessible wine list offers a strong mixture of Italian and Australian choices ready to please beside a menu that pays tribute to the traditional pizza in all its forms. Opt for the Nundah, with mozzarella, spinach, ricotta and pancetta, or for the whole party, invest in a one metre Pizzalunga and decide on four flavours for your pizza masterpiece.

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