Sa Roquetta, a Mallorcan inspired pizza made with spicy sobrasada, burrata and honey. | MDB Digital

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Last weekend I was invited to an opening party at the second of two branches of A Gogò Pizzabar in the Old Town in Palma. The Place was buzzing with familiar media faces as well as neighbours, friends and an occasional tourist that just happened to pass by and wanted to see what the fuss was about. I was greeted by the lovely owners Camilla and her husband, offering me a glass of delicious homemade lemonade. We got to try some of the best Roman pizza I have ever had in Palma as well as a delicious Roman snack suppli, similar to the Sicilian arancini.

Camilla and I got talking and I learnt a lot about the difference between the Neapolitan pizza, which somehow got stronger marketing and became more widespread than Roman pizza, which is equally if not more delicious, even though it is made with different proportions of the ingredients and baked in a different way.

I will tell you about the pizza flavours l loved at A Gogò, but first: a little gastronomy lesson…

Suppli vs. Arancini

Supplì Romani are typically oblong-shaped and feature a heart of molten mozzarella. The outer shell, crisped to perfection, encases tomato-flavored rice, often mingled with meat. The signature 'stringy' cheese effect when broken apart, has coined the term “supplì al telefono.”

Conversely, Arancini Siciliani are larger and usually round or cone-shaped. They are traditionally filled with a variety of ingredients such as ragú (minced meat in tomato sauce), peas, and mozzarella. Distinguished by their saffron-infused rice, Arancini are a meal in themselves, reflecting Sicily’s Arab culinary influences.

Pizza Romana vs. Pizza Neapolitana

Originating from Naples, Pizza Neapolitana is celebrated for its tender, puffy crust with a delightful char, a result of its high hydration dough. Typically, the dough contains about 65% water relative to the flour, making it exceptionally soft and moist. This hydration facilitates a quick expansion and char in a scorching 485°C wood-fired oven, where it cooks for no more than 90 seconds. A standard Neapolitan pizza dough ball weighs around 250 grams, perfect for achieving the classic airy edge known as the "cornicione" with minimal but high-quality toppings like San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala.

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In contrast, Pizza Romana is known for its thinner, crispier crust, achieved through a dough with lower hydration, about 55%. This makes the dough tougher and suitable for a longer baking time at a lower temperature of 350°C, generally taking up to 3 minutes. The dough weight for Pizza Romana is typically around 300 grams, allowing it to support a more generous spread of various toppings, leading to a more robust and diverse flavour profile.

We tried about half a dozen different pizzas at A Gogò Pizzabar, and I particularly liked the following two: Umbra pizza made with truffle and sautéed mushrooms and Sa Roquetta, a Mallorcan inspired pizza made with spicy sobrasada, burrata and honey. Both were absolutely delightful, the quality of ingredients and the richness of flavours evident with every bite. Camilla told me that they cater for various diets, including gluten free, vegetarian and so on. Suppli were also super scrumptious, and I would definitely have them again.

THE VERDICT…

I loved both the suppli and the pizzas at A Gogò! I am looking forward to coming back on a regular day and trying the next month’s special pizza (usually made with seasonal ingredients). The place looks lovely and the service was friendly and well organised, even on the super busy opening day.

The place: A Gogò Pizzabar (Carrer de Can Fortuny 5, Palma) // A Gogò Pizzeria, Palma (Travessia d’en Ballester 7, Palma)

Instagram: @agogopizza

Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 7pm –11pm