Belvedere Restaurant takes a look at pizza on its national holiday

The humble pizza celebrates its national day of recognition on February 9 and in that spirit, the restaurant's maitre d Maria Bianchini sat down with The Area News to discuss.

"Pizza has changed so much over the years," she said.

"Traditional Italian pizzas would never have had pineapple and were something closer to a Margarita.

"You would never have had a something like a Peri Peri, a Hawaiian or an Australian," she said.

"But that's the wonderful thing about pizza, the fact it can change and appeal to all tastes.

"One of the oddest pizzas I ever tried was sweet chilli, prawns and sour cream. But to be honest I actually quite liked it," she said.

She lists Belvedere's most popular pizzas as the Belvedere Special, the Capricciosa, the Ortolano, and the gourmet 'Sleeps with the Fishes'.

"The Special is probably our most popular and has a bit of everything on it," she said.

"Our Capricciosa is an all out favourite, while our Ortolano is a popular vegetarian option.

"One I think is quite special and that everyone should try is our 'Sleeps with the Fishes'.

"The base is cooked and tomato sugo is added while fresh seafood is seared and scattered over the top," she said.

And what's her secret to a great pizza?

"You need a good base - that's the first thing," she said.

"The second is you need fresh ingredients and the right ingredients depending on what you're making."

Belvedere Pizza and Gelati restaurant was the first Italian eatery in Griffith and among the earliest pizzerias in Australia, established in 1969.

It was named after a town in the province of Treviso in the Veneto region.

Currently owned by Maria Sergi, the outlet has been in many hands over the years but Ms Bianchini says its popularity has always stayed consistent.

"It's grown a lot over the years," she said.

"Realistically we probably do need a larger outlet but if we did that, how would anyone be able to find us? This location is iconic.

"Everyone knows where we are and what we are about," she said.

"I think we've also become such a multicultural operation, with a team that works so well together it is like family.

"I think that also extends to the customers; everyone knows where we are and what we are about," she said.