The longer I write this blog, the more that it feels like it’s a means of documenting Cardiff’s culinary history.
On these pages are reviews of tons of restaurants which have shuttered their doors over the last decade, and accounts of the early enterprises of some of the country’s most celebrated chefs.
One chef whose career I’ve recorded in the pages of this blog is pizza maestro Tony Frawley.
From his first Anatoni’s restaurant in Lakeside, where he pioneered Neapolitan pizzas in Cardiff, to a rebrand to Da Mara and move to Albany Road, a subsequent short hop to Anatoni’s on Wellfield Road, and a return journey to Scaramantica in the same Albany Road venue, Tony’s journey has been more meandering than most.
After parting company with Scaramantica in early 2022, Tony spent time cooking at pizzerias in London before his inevitable return home to Cardiff.
He’s now resurrected the much-missed Anatoni’s for the third time, this time in the form of 591 by Anatoni’s, on the former site of the Dough Thrower in Victoria Park. The makeover from its previous incarnation has been very subtle.
591 by Anatoni’s menu focuses on Neapolitan pizzas with a handful of starters and desserts bookending the main event - it’s where Tony’s heart has always been, laser focused on pizza.
And, according to the man himself, the pizza oven at this newest venue is the finest bit of kit that he’s worked with. It shows, from the first mouthful of the meal.
Garlic bread was so much more than the stodgy filler it so often is. A puffy tyre of light and soft pizza bread was filled with an ooze of addictive garlic butter.
Light, soft and decadent, it’s a killer dish for a mere £3.50. And if you want, there’s the option to customise it with ’nduja or buffalo mozzarella too.
Bruschetta (£5.95) was excellent too – gorgeously light sourdough pizza bread, with a delicate chew, was topped with a beautifully balanced combination of sweet vine tomatoes dressed with vinegar, oil, basil, onion and garlic.
We tried a few of the deep-fried starters too and both were great.
Whopping golden whitebait (£4.50) were zhushed up nicely with a squeeze of lemon and a dip in tangy thousand island sauce.
Calamari (£6.50) were the right combination of tender and crisp and served with more of that lovely dip.
Finally, a mound of skinny chips (£3.50) was wolfed down by our mates’ kids. I managed to pilfer one and can confirm that they hit the mark.
Onto the pizzas, and it’s worth flagging just how good the key components are. A beautifully leopard spotted rim encased a soft and airy interior with a delicate chew. It’s the kind of pizza crust you could eat all day long without feeling bloated. Light and fruity San Marzano tomato sauce and and a creamy ooze of fior di latte cheese were all on point too.
Both the kids demolished their margheritas (£10.95) that were dressed with a couple of leaves of fragrant basil - a resounding success for the most dedicated pizza purists amongst us.
Another perennial favourite, the Santa Anna (£13), was on fine form too. It was topped creamy whipped mascarpone and sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes that balanced the fiery heat of ’nduja sausage.
Last up, a Sophia Loren (£13) successfully combined spinach, mushrooms and garlic with the added luxury of a runny-yolked egg and the savoury funk of pecorino romano shavings.
It’s great to see Tony Frawley back in Cardiff cooking pizzas which are as good as any I’ve ever eaten in the city. The only tiny tear I have to shed is that he’s now cooking on the opposite side of the city to where I live.
After a break for Christmas, 591 by Anatoni’s will reopen on Wednesday 10 January with a slightly expanded menu and an alcohol licence. Whichever part of Cardiff you’re based in, I’d highly recommend checking out their exemplary Neapolitan pizzas.
The Details:
Address - 591 by Anatoni's, 591A Cowbridge Rd E, Cardiff CF5 1BE
Telephone - 07882016735
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