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Francos/Ecos????

thehunger said:
The big challenge will be the fresh clam pizza, for those who like seafood... we'll put them on the pizza whole, and they'll open and cook in the searing heat. Chef Marzio wants to add fresh sea urchins to finish it off - but I had to remind him this is Franco Manca, not the Dorchester. We won't be cheap and cheerful for long if we splurge on highly expensive add-ons. The point is, he has your best interests at heart and much faith in the refined tastebuds of Brixton's pizza afficionados.
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Hiya - I'm surprised you're not doing a seafood one ? Not my favourite, but I know lots of people like it & I went to Naples recently & eat in a pizzeria where my mates had seafood pizza, it was delicious ! It had cockles & mussels & prawns on it. You've got the fishmongers in the market so I would have thought it would be cheap for you to do it ? anyway, just a suggestion. :)
 
I always dreamed that if an enlightened company (or council) took charge of that bit of the market, it could stay open at night (ie past 5pm) and provide indoor dining spaces for many similar places, all serving great food and not paying so much rent that they were forced out.
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Yeh, that was a pet dream of mine too :cool: It's a vastly under utilised space. Let's hope the hours are extended.

Slightly off topic now that the subject's moved on, however, I recall when Eco's in Clapham opened and I'm sure we were told it was connected with Franco's (as was). Can anyone corroborate?
 
Where in the market is it? I'venever seen it and I should know all of the market. Brixton Village (formerly Granville Arcade)?
 
It's where Ecco used to be. It's just by the entrance to the market off the little road between Electric Ave and Coldharbour, just by the shoe/keycutting place.
 
Did that article drive anyone else nuts?

It's good pizza, in Brixton

I'm English and can get my head around the idea of this sort of pizza

And the guy came across as a bit of a twat in the article, but fair play to him, it might have been the salesman in him

:)
 
christonabike said:
It's good pizza, in Brixton
I'm English and can get my head around the idea of this sort of pizza
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It's a lot more than good. It's the real Neapolitan deal - which is no mean feat.
For once this article isn't over doing it - it's one of the best I've tasted outside of Naples.

I definitely recommend you go and get your head round it ;)
 
I've been about a month or more ago, before the press got involved. The guy has some good contacts to get so much of it

That's why I put what I did, I wouldn't have commented on it otherwise. I was commenting on the patronising tone of some of the folks in the article

Pizza, mmmm

Cheers

:)
 
It's great pizza to be fair and they fully deserve their success. They've done well in expanding the premises and keeping the prices down.

But part of me still misses Franco and his welcoming blend of cockney-italinogeezerness.
 
tarannau said:
It's where Ecco used to be. It's just by the entrance to the market off the little road between Electric Ave and Coldharbour, just by the shoe/keycutting place.
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Hmm, ta but can't think of anything like that being there. You mean near the shop on the corner of Electric Lane and Electric Avenue which sells candles to frighten away the devil etc?

map
 
No, nor can I. Might manage a visit on Saturday if I'm about, and it's open. Cheers.
 
Go early is all the advice I'll give. It gets full enough normally, and that's without the 4 page gushing 'best pizza in Britain?' article in the poncing Food Monthly.
:)
 
I love Franco Manca and agree that it's the best pizza I've had in Britain but that article really made me laugh.

Franco Manca also won the Time Out Best Cheap Eats Award 2008, so expect hordes of people for the next few weeks.
 
I went there yesterday - it was alright - it is just pizza though.
There was a mobile phone lout who spoilt my fun as well.
 
We dropped by on Saturday at about 1:15. Fortunately we knew it would be busy 'cos of all the media coverage so were not too surprised to see a queue of about 50 people stretching out onto Electric Lane.

We went elsewhere, but will manage it eventually. Looked pretty good, but the proof is in the pudding.
 
tarannau said:
But part of me still misses Franco and his welcoming blend of cockney-italinogeezerness.
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Is he the guy who used to serve there in the old Franco/Eco days? Cos if so, he was back serving a couple of Saturdays ago.
 
Left Turn Clyde said:
I went there yesterday - it was alright - it is just pizza though.
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Must say I am somewhat in agreement. I went long before all the hype started as well.

I like it - it's very nice - it's cheap - but it is just pizza.

I sincerely hope that hoardes of foodie tossers do not descend on the place for long making it impossible for ordinary local folks (like our good selves) to get a nice pizza :(
 
Mrs Miggins said:
I sincerely hope that hoardes of foodie tossers do not descend on the place for long making it impossible for ordinary local folks (like our good selves) to get a nice pizza :(
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Mate of mine in a Somerset village had their local featured in some Grauniad 10 best country gastropubs thing.
Said they couldn't get Sunday lunch there for about 2 months & even quiet pint was unbearable due to the 'types' that had descended!
 
Pie 1 said:
Mate of mine in a Somerset village had their local featured in some Grauniad 10 best country gastropubs thing.
Said they couldn't get Sunday lunch there for about 2 months & even quiet pint was unbearable due to the 'types' that had descended!
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Hmmmm....very good for business I suppose but seriously annoying for the locals. Perhaps I'll wait till after xmas before I visit again!!
 
Mrs Miggins said:
Hmmmm....very good for business I suppose but seriously annoying for the locals.
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Yeah, they couple who run the place were a bit torn by the end of it apparently, obviously it was great for business, but it'd also taken them quite a bit to get the locals trust/respect (which they had done) when they bought the place & poshed it up in the 1st place.
Then they were seen as having inviting hordes of Guardian town tits down, even though they had nothing to do with the piece :D
 
Why?
The people who go to Franco Mancas already are exactly the kind of people who read Observer Food Monthly, me included.
 
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