We all remember where we were on that tragic day Signorelli’s closed down. I had actually turned up at their restaurant to do a review only to find a note on the door breaking the horrible news.

It was a hard thing to stomach, as I had many fond memories of my friend and I heading down Burleigh Street to visit. It truly felt like a part of The Grafton Centre had died and I have rarely had a reason to pop back since.

Luckily, from the ashes of Signorelli’s comes ‘La Piazza Street Food’. An Italian pizza van that used to do the cafeteria inside the Grafton Centre for Signorelli’s. The menu isn’t exactly the same but offers something different from the copious amounts of Neapolitan pizza in Cambridge – Roman sourdough pala.

This is the style of pizza popularised by its rectangle shape, soft fluffy base, and large crispy edges. I remember these bad boys tempting me from behind the glass display in Signorelli’s. I had always wanted to try one, as they looked incredible. I won’t miss this chance again!

I caught wind that they were going to be at the recently renewed Brewery Tap in Waterbeach, now called “The Taps”. Since reopening, the team has started doing food vans in their car park.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get their usual food van during my visit but instead a pop up tent. This meant the menu was limited somewhat but it still had their classic pizzas. Prices looked steep, especially considering it is a food van and outside of Cambridge. A medium came to £15 (30cm by 30cm) and a “family sized” pizza (40cm by 30cm) came to £21.

Despite that, I ordered both 😂

The pizza is cooked in a bakery oven and takes about 10-15 minutes to prepare.

Medium sausage pizza

We started with a medium sausage pizza. This came presented in a cardboard pizza box in 8 slices.

One of the strongest things about a Roman sourdough pala pizza is the texture. The base was so fluffy, like nothing I have seen from a pizza in Cambridge before. Looking at the base, it looked like flatbread with extra volume and softness. The skin was nice and crispy, adding a subtle crunch that made the bite complete.

Let’s talk cheese. The base was absolutely swimming in it! This is a cheese lovers paradise with some of the stringiest cheeses I have ever seen on a pizza.

Both the cheese and the sausage were mild and inoffensive but it seemed to work well together rather than fighting for your attention. The sausage seemed to be a type of Italian Bergamasca sausage.

Family sized pepperoni pizza

This monster was a real sight to behold. As with the sausage pizza above, it has copious amounts of cheese with the trade mark fluffy base with crispy edges. The pepperoni did a better job at standing out than the sausage with a more distinctive flavour. I’m not sure it would be big enough to satisfy my family but it was great to have an option for an extra large pizza all to myself 😂

Arancini

We signed off with some arancini, a popular Italian dish made from a rice ball with breadcrumb skin. It was a nice touch to have on the menu and added something a little different.

Conclusion

La Piazza Street Food offers something not found in many places around Cambridge, with a different take on Italian pizza that I find as refreshing as it is indulgent. Expect lots of cheese, soft fluffy bases, and the opportunity to order monstrous portions. Any pizza fan is going to love it and it’s great to have a piece of Signorelli’s back again. Ingredients are mild but work together well. Prices may put some people off but you cannot argue with pizza cheese that strings like something from a cartoon 😂

I look forward to hearing people’s thoughts in the Cambridge Foodies community.

Thanks for reading