Giuseppe Mascoli: Franco Manca owner and Market Row entrepreneur

[editor]

Interesting article in the Telegraph about a man who could perhaps be best described as the 'Don of Market Row'.

Numeric talent and a passion for economics brought Mascoli to London and eventually a job as assistant lecturer at the London School of Economics. In 2002 he ventured into hospitality, buying a 1720 townhouse in Soho with “former poacher” Tom Bantock and turning it into Blacks, an atmospheric dining and drinking club recalling Georgian manners, rogue-ishness and rakery.

Yet Mascoli’s Brixton endeavour on the other hand retains its original charming naivety. He has linked up with more partners, including a former Pizza Express executive, David Page (“Our pizzas are cheaper, and organic!” Mascoli crows,) and a highly efficient managing director, Nabil Mankarios.

They have opened three further Franco Mancas in London, in Chiswick, Battersea and at Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodandd...uth-Giuseppe-Mascoli-Brixtons-pizza-king.html

 

[grit]

Best pizza I've had in London, and extremely cheap when compared with the alternatives.

 

[gabi]

An ex-gf of mine was one of his first waitresses, working there while learning to write. now i think shes a fairly successful writer. prolly best for this fella i dont post some of the drafts she sent me of her tales not quite along the lines of this puff piece anyway.

 

[TruXta]

Puff is the word.

 

[zenie]

Love it love it love it. Need pizza dinner there again soon

 

[TruXta]

It's very good, but it's not quite as otherwordly as some journos and bloggers have made it out to be.

 

[gabi]

i always feel a kinda sense of pity for people who queue for a restaurant. particularly in brixton. not exactly a lack of other options.

 

[TruXta]

i always feel a kinda sense of pity for people who queue for a restaurant. particularly in brixton. not exactly a lack of other options.

Maybe other people have different or more discerning tastes than you? How about that?

 

[gabi]

Maybe other people have different or more discerning tastes than you? How about that?

Possibly. Never really been a fan of a herd mentality though, but each to their own.

Go four doors down and you'll get better food, but hey - i spose if theres a row of smug couples with McClaren prams wielding nigel slater guardian reviews freezing their nuts off, then the food must be fucking good. But what do I know. Are your tastes more discerning do you think?

 

[TruXta]

Possibly. Never really been a fan of a herd mentality though, but each to their own.

Go four doors down and you'll get better food, but hey - i spose if theres a row of smug couples with McClaren prams wielding nigel slater guardian reviews freezing their nuts off, then the food must be fucking good. But what do I know. Are your tastes more discerning do you think?

Herd mentality? So because a restaurant serves good food the punters are following the herd?

What are you smoking, and can I please have some?

 

[leanderman]

I'll say it again, Mascoli is the biggest driver of gentrification in Brixton.

The queues are quick - and worth it, however.

 

[gabi]

What are you smoking, and can I please have some?

'Wood-fired' pizzas my friend. Form an orderly queue.

 

[TruXta]

'Wood-fired' pizzas my friend. Form an orderly queue.

Oh those. I've got those, but thanks.

 

[editor]

The pizzas really are fantastic but I've kinda reached the point where I don't want to feed the machine any more money. Not that they're going to miss my cash, mind.

 

[Chilavert]

Really good pizzas, but I refuse to queue to sit in Market Row. Ideal for a weekday lunch if I'm off work though.

 

[Rushy]

^^ This.

 

[TruXta]

I rarely bother with queues myself, but if it's worth it it's worth it. Can't remember the last time I queued anywhere in BV/MR tho - as Gabi said there's plenty down the road.

 

[Gramsci]

This was first on the March thread. Here is my post from that thread about the article:

There is something about the Telegraph article I do not like. Its not all the journalists fault. Unless the journo has misrepresented Giuseppe Mascoli. The article looks like its based on interview with him.

Today it keeps its ethnic feel – just – but the queues for what many still describe as the best pizza in London encouraged others, often with Mascoli’s help, to approach the market landlords and open cafes, restaurants and shops.
Mascoli is seen by many as the market’s monarch but he laughs, a little embarrassed, at the reference.

Makes it sound like he is in charge of what happens in the market. If this is accurate portrayal of Mascoli and what he thinks of the market I find it unpleasant to read.

Market Row never was purely Afro Caribbean. I really hope the journalist did not get that idea from Mascoli. Though it sounds like the journo did:

Mascoli was one of the first Europeans to 'invade’ the exclusively Afro-Caribbean market

I find that sentence inflammatory and offensive. As well as 100% wrong. There were units in the market with white tenants since I have been in Brixton.There has always been white people living in Brixton as well as Afro Carribean. Is it that the white people who have lived in Brixton all these years do no count as they are not thrusting entrepreneurs bringing culinary sophistication to Brixton?

A lot of the cheaper shops were run by white people. Its the shops selling cheaper goods that have been gradually pushed out.

Perhaps to downmarket to be noticed by the likes of entrepreneurs like Mascoli ?

 

[leanderman]

I rarely bother with queues myself, but if it's worth it it's worth it. Can't remember the last time I queued anywhere in BV/MR tho - as Gabi said there's plenty down the road.

The pizzas really are fantastic but I've kinda reached the point where I don't want to feed the machine any more money. Not that they're going to miss my cash, mind.

This is a good point: Mascoli seems to have a bit of a lock on that stretch of Market Row: Franco Manca, Bukowski's and Wild Caper, with his partner.

Then there are the other two (?) Franco Mancas and his private member's club in Soho, Black's.

The boy done good.

 

[fortyplus]

I used to like the calzone at the old Francos.

 

[TruXta]

Oh those are his too? Didn't clock that.

 

[killer b]

a row of smug couples with McClaren prams

definitely a mark of the bourgeois cunt, a maclaren pram.

 

[leanderman]

I used to like the calzone at the old Francos.

Mascoli did that too for the first few weeks. Then dropped it.

 

[leanderman]

definitely a mark of the bourgeois cunt, a maclaren pram.

I think wealthy types moved on from Maclaren prams some time ago.

 

[Thimble Queen]

I really don't get the use of the word invade in the article. Is the writer trying to piss people off? If tongue in cheek then it's s justfucking poor.

 

[killer b]

I think wealthy types moved on from Maclaren prams some time ago.

yer, that's kind of the point i were making.

 

[leanderman]

yer, that's kind of the point i were making.

sure. i never understand these face symbol things

 

[killer b]

most of them signify sarcasm fwiw.

 

[Gramsci]

I think wealthy types moved on from Maclaren prams some time ago.

They do not push them the filipino does. I was over at Notting Hill a few weeks ago trying to deliver something. Had to wait. It was about 11.30am. The small street of terraced houses I noticed and the street seemed to be solely occupied by filipinos. Pushing prams, walking the dog, cleaning the windows and carrying the shopping.

The wealthy do not do these chores unless they have to.

 

[oryx]

I used to like the calzone at the old Francos.

Did that have some link with Eco on Clapham High Street (not specifically asking you, fortyplus, just generally!). Always thought they did.

It always makes me laugh when someone refers to, as in this article, 'the best pizza in London' (or coffee, or fish and chips, or whatever). As if they've tasted every sample of the item in question available in London!

Good comment at the end re the late lamented Castello in the Elephant - used to love that place.