The Top Pizzas In Toronto - Redux Part Two

Okay! We are back.

Before we continue I feel some housekeeping is in order. Since I published my original lists back in February/March 2019 some a-doin's have transpired. #33 on that list, east coast and SNES featuring Summerhill spot Yeah Yeahs closed down in November. Likewise #21, Big House, closed right as my list published (I knew about that at the time). Meanwhile True True (#24) reinvented itself as a fancy diner type place, so they're still an operating restaurant just one that doesn't offer enough of a pizza option to qualify. Same with ViVetha Bistro (#40), which was experimenting with pizza at that time but have since abandoned it for their regular menu. Castro's Lounge (#56) in the Beaches have also ditched pizza for other options.

Olympic 76 (#62) on Gloucester Street has closed after over 40 years in business, another victim of the rampant and rapid condoization of downtown Toronto (yeah I know that's not a word... don't care). Finally, Birky's Bar (#67) also seems to have closed, according to Google at least. I'm rarely in Parkdale however, so if they are indeed still operating feel free to let me know.

Anyway! Lets finish this off.


Big Slice (Dufferin-St. Clair): B (Rk: 54)
1154 St. Clair Avenue West

Although I've spent the past seven years (the majority of my adult life) residing out in the East End of Toronto, deep down I'll always be a downtown kid. My high school was maybe a twenty minute walk from the bustling stretch of Yonge Street between College and Queen, and while I was never an Eaton Centre mallrat or anything I was definitely around there enough to experience the now legend that was Big Slice at Gerrard and Yonge. The long 2am lines, the scent of oily grease baked into the tiled walls, the dirty napkins and spilled sauce on tables from folks too drunk to clean it up. Nostalgia is a preciously weird, funny thing.

That location shut down only a few years ago for condos (of freaking course) but they always had a second location on St. Clair, which I'd never tried until this sequel pizza quest. Though my memory is hazy (I was probably a teenager when I last had it), I recall the Gerrard/Yonge Big Slice being a soft, wider, much greasier slice. This St. Clair one has more crisp to it, more cheese yet much less of that oilyness (though still a lot). There isn't much tomato sauce here but the toppings are pleasant enough and the texture (a nice subtle crunch before the crust) really makes this work. It's a basic, big slice (ha) done simple and executed well. 


Motorino Citto: B (Rk: 49)
466 Adelaide Street East

Mottorino restaurants are a small-ish group of fancy-ish Italian dishes that recently opened a location in downtown Toronto (they have other vaguely different versions in Vaughan and King City). I went in on a cold Wednesday evening, delighted to see the the male staff uniform was a black shirt with a vivid red bowtie. Like I was in a photo negative of a classic old school restaurant. 

The pizza here is another wood-fired offering and while tasty, has some minor flaws that leave it lacking. The toppings were quite nice and flavourful: a drizzled sweet truffle honey prominent but not overly dominating, solid smattering of goat cheese (always a winner), and an Nduja sausage while not as pow! as I prefer, had enjoyably crumbly texture. The mozzarella cheese, however, tasted more for texture and was barely a flavour factor, as were the caramelized onions that were just so thin and scarce (a shame since that sweetness would've paired well with the sausage). A good pizza, sure, but mediocre when compared with some of this city's best (particularly its best wood-fired).  


Nodo Leslieville: B (Rk: 46)
1192 Queen Street East

Another attempt to break the "Curzon Curse", 'Nodo' is mini-chain of restaurants throughout the GTA that opened a location on Queen East this past autumn. I went in on a super rainy Saturday (my timing is impeccable) and elected on one of the "chef's creations": a version of a spicy Hawaiian with prosciutto cotto, spiced smoked pineapple and a green chili oil with mozzarella and tomato sauce. 

Giving any of those toppings such distinctive description is extremely generous. The pineapple had neither spice or smokiness and the chili oil was more of a barely noticeable smattering of chili bits about the pizza. Indeed even the sauce itself was treated more as a topping than a crucial foundation of this pie, leading this creation to be incredibly overpowered by cheese and bread. Flavour-wise it's quite rich (the cheese) and the texture soft but very chewy (especially once it cools). The combination works in theory but beyond the plentiful amount of ham there just isn't enough of anything to be a strong enough presence. I mean, the sauce is flavourful but where is it? A very strange entry... solid but a minor disappointment, frankly.
 

Leslie Jones: B (Rk: 42)
1182 Queen Street East

No, not the comedian.

The restaurant Leslie Jones (named after the nearby streets surely) is located on a quiet little stretch of Queen East featuring a few of my very favourite pizzas. This pie isn't quite up to that level, but where it succeeds is completely by uniqueness. The vibe inside is remarkable: small and somewhat cluttered but absolutely gorgeous. Filled with random couches, tables and chairs, you feel like you're inside somebody's living room/kitchen where they just happen to also run a restaurant. 

The pizza carries that sensibility with it, tasting like something an experienced cooking friend whipped up at home while using premium supermarket ingredients. A very crispy dough and crust, like thin pita baked in any conventional oven. There's a crunch that makes it crumble on the outer edges, but it's not burned and in the centre the thin foundation impressively holds the heavy amount of toppings. This thing was damn loaded with those: rich ham, sausage slices, juicy caramelized onions and well seasoned chicken, all held together by a sweet fresh tomato sauce definitely made in house. The quality is excellent. My only issues are that there was just so much quantity of toppings that they got in each others way fighting for supremacy, and the crust resembling cracker texture more than bread is interesting but not quite my thing. Still, it reheats well and is rather charming, equally in food and atmosphere. Fine stuff.


Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza (Old Mill): B+ (Rk: 39)
1 Old Mill Drive

What makes the very best wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas so good is how their flavours and textures all blend together symphonically. The ones that achieve this are at the summit of my list. The ones that are lacking that seamless cohesion, while still varying degrees of tasty, have noticeable unevenness that drop them down.

To be fair, I don't think I've ever had a truly bad Neapolitan pizza. They surely exist all over the place, but in my travels the worst ones are just sorta bland. Goodfellas, at the base camp of its ingredients, certainly is not bland, yet it lacks that excitment or interest factor compared to the best of the best. There's good authentic sauce, nicely buttery mozzarella cheese and the speck slices on top (a smoked prosciutto, if any of you don't know. Frankly I had to look it up again myself) dissolve in your mouth with flavour. The speck steals the show, as while every other element is merely quite good, it individually reaches that summit I just mentioned. And there it is, while terrific pizza, Goodfellas is like a star player who makes a few all-star teams but comes up short of the hall of fame.


The Parlour: B+ (Rk: 36)
642 King Street West

I'd like to introduce something I'll call... the Buca Effect. It's when a pizza is indeed outstandingly good, but the high price is so prohibitive to an average schmoe they may and likely will never try it. Or like me, try it once, enjoy it, but never go back because... lunches over fourty bucks kind of explain themselves. 

The Parlour is a relatively new spot on King West and by hilarious coincidence, is right next to a Buca location (and perhaps by transference have adopted the same prices). During both quests I've gotten rather wary when pizza at any place pokes their nose over twenty bucks. Both Buca and Parlour are deep in the deep end, approaching thirty without tax and without tip. That's way too rich for this lowly mercenary critic so for me they're both one time stops, a 'Just Visiting' on the pizza Monopoly board. 

What you see here from Parlour is their take on a spicy Hawaiian, the heat powered by a generous sprinkling of chili flakes. At first I was concerned seeing both pineapple and roasted red peppers aboard this thing, two ingredients with soft textures and sweet taste seemingly destined to clash. This was not the case fortunately (don't try it at home, kids). The rest of it posed no other potential disasters: very bready but buttery throughout, a nicely sea-salted crust (don't see that often) and high quality ham to add some texture to all the passive sweetness going on. On principle I'll drop the ranking of a place if it's not very good and overpriced. This is so overpriced... but it is good and deserves a respectable spot in a tough top 40.     



DeePizz Pizzeria: B+ (Rk: 30)
384 College Street

Another downtown joint that did not yet exist during the original pizza list. I definitely have an affinity for pizzas of the deep dish variety and so was quite intrigued when first hearing about this place opening up last spring.

It's definitely an unusual one. This particular offering pictured above is like a thick, cheesy steak pie sandwich: red and green peppers, mushrooms, sliced steak and a generous drizzling of chipotle aioli on top of it all. Circumference-wise it's small, but because of the height and depth it's really quite filling. The combination is also rather tasty: sweetness from the peppers, the steak (while thin and used sparingly) well seasoned, the crust delicate like lightly toasted bread and the cheese generously thick and creamy. Even the aioli (a bit heavy handed as you can see) brought the whole enterprise some saucy tanginess. I would definitely go back, though probably for a more conventional creation next time.


Frankie's Italian: B+ (Rk: 28)
892 Queen Street East

Another classic "Go out to try a pizza place but Google lies about their hours" place. First attempt I arrived at 2:55 only to discover they're closed everyday from 3-5. Next week I tried again, which was a good decision. Frankie's Italian (where Lil Baci used to be, I had an interview there once) is another spot that does wood-burning oven pizza. Successfully gauging their hours this time, I ordered my pie and it being a nice October afternoon, went to sit in nearby Jimmie Simpson park.

For a wood fired pizza it's surprisingly not soft and fluffy, instead going for a crunchy exterior and firm centre. While sounding less pleasant (and I do prefer softer texture), this pie works because the ingredients are at a dynamite level. Very good mozzarella complimented by sharp crumbly asiago cheese, combined with seasoned bits of sausage give every bite an aged peppery, juicy taste. 

The main attraction here by far, though, are the confit cherry tomatoes scattered about. Tomatoes and I have a limited relationship (not as limited as a friend of mine who is completely allergic. Dude can't even eat ketchup): I love tomato sauces, tomato soups, sundried tomatoes etc. Actual raw tomatoes however, like tomato slices on a burger or diced tomatoes like in salads, the texture always turns me away for whatever reason. Well as mentioned, these cherry tomatoes were confit, so instead of that typical plumpness they dissolve in your mouth on first bite, evaporating with vivid juicy flavour that was perfect for this peppery pizza. At best, I usually find tomatoes fairly neutral. If you can get me actually praising them, you're doing something very right.


Positano Restaurant: B++ (Rk: 21)
633 Mount Pleasant Road

Funny how a place is good enough to crack my Top 25, yet isn't even the best place on its own block...

Positano is one of those pizzas that tastes way better than it looks, and it doesn't look that bad (the lighting at my friend's house was brutal for this shot). Just a strong complete package without weaknesses: the crust is bready and crunchy, the cheese thick, buttery and not at all oily, the slices of sausage sweet, pairing with the bitterness of the rapini here quite fantastically, while the tomato sauce gives just enough of a base to balance all the other flavours and textures. It is thick on the outside and the depth of it slowly descends until it's nice and thin in the middle, yet without being drippy when you start there. It reheats very well also, although I recommend a pan since that cheese in the centre probably will ooze down as it gets hot if you put a slice in the oven. I really don't have much else to say (for now). Just exceptional and exceeded expectations.


Fourth Man In The Fire Pizzeria: A- (Rk: 12)
832 Dundas Street West

I know sometimes in these review-things I like to mention if I had a difficult time trying the particular place in question, like for instance showing up on the wrong day and they're closed (probably the most common mishap, really). Fourth Man has many of those stories for me, but they were open each failed attempt. First one... I was kind of in a time crunch. They open at five, I had to work at six... blah blah. Second one though... I went with my trusted Pizza Associate(TM) on a Saturday night. Thing is, the place was only half full so we sat ourselves, only to be (somewhat rudely) told there was a waiting list. Confused, we decided on takeout instead. Well I checked the prices, saw a pizza with one topping was going to clear thirty bucks, said an expletive and we gave up. Hungry and cranky, over a cider I swore I'd disqualify Fourth Man from consideration for the list. And I meant it! ...for a while.

Fast forward a month-ish, I figured I'd try one last goddamn time. It was a Sunday, I'd heard they actually did slices, I was coming back from the west end anyway... here goes nothing. Well, first impressions often don't mean much, and frankly second impressions often don't either. Third impressions? That's the money shot.

Fourth Man is the latest endeavor of one of the founders of Burger's Priest (a popular chain of American style burgers, if you're not from T.O) and is indeed another Bible allusion (so the internet tells me). The decor inside is quite neat, sort of like Deco meets family restaurant, and the place has a nice glow at night. I got myself a pepperoni slice, struggled for like five minutes trying to figure out the debit-iPad payment system (truly not my finest hour) and the staff this time were extremely friendly and said I could sit at a table. 

Fourth Man goes for a New York style slice and succeeds. Maybe not quite authentic as those very best, classic NYC slices, Fourth Man is more like a fancier version of that style. Plenty of great, hearty tomato sauce (it basically spills out of this thing), terrific cheese coverage and a nice light, crisp crust. It has that classic oiliness you'd want from an NYC slice, especially with tasty, salty housemade pepperoni. Each bite (if you're strategic) will have that complete package of cheese, vivid sauce and soft thin dough. The only weakness is that there's maaaaybe too much crust, which is offset by the plentiful amount of sauce (thus, strategic bites ha). Basically, it's fabulous. A welcome addition to the upper echelon of Toronto pizza, worth the wait, weirdness and trouble.


Viva Napoli Pizzeria: A- (Rk: 10)
679 Mount Pleasant Road

Trying so many pizza places requires a few things. Money is obviously important (luckily I finished most of the quest before my current joblessness) as is a deep love for the food itself, but not as crucial as the insane drive and desire to actually do it. I've told a lot of people I did this thing and either the scope of the quest (100+ places!) didn't quite register with them, or it did and they gave me the "you're completely out of your mind" look. I know it well!

What helps with that 'drive and desire' part is sharing the experience with somebody. It is an adventure, after all. Unfortunately, the majority of these places I traveled to and tasted by myself, especially this second quest which was done almost completely alone. The trip to Leaside however, I was fortunate to be accompanied by an old friend of mine who lives near there. It was a windy cold Sunday evening when we met up on Eglinton and Mount Pleasant, and when I told him we weren't going to try one pizza but three this night, he didn't even blink. Sometimes enabling the madness is a good thing. Usually not. Sometimes though. 

Seeing as our two main targets (Viva Napoli and Positano) were within a block of each other, we pulled what I call the Pizza Quest Onetwo: you order takeout at one place, then go to the other place and order takeout there. By the time you get back to the first spot, it should be ready, and then the second one will be ready etc. We went to Viva Napoli first and pleasant surprise, most of their pizzas are about five dollars cheaper if you get them to go. It's a tricky place to linger about anyway (not very spacious and my buddy and I were awkwardly trying to balance staying out of the server's station while not blocking the kitchen). The dude behind the counter was incredibly nice, thankfully.

Once we had our pizza bounty secured, we rushed about a dozen hungry blocks through the cold eternity until at last reaching the warmth of his house. We'd each ordered a pie from V Napoli, his with anchovies (boo) and olives (also boo), mine the ham, salami and ricotta creation you see above. The pies came uncut so a knife and fork was needed, delaying my devouring somewhat but it was worth the wait and the cold stroll. Tomato sauce just immaculately finding that sweet spot balance between chunky thick and watery acidic, that delicate yet powerful sweetness you get with an authentic Neapolitan style, San Marzano sauce. The mozzarella was somewhat scattered about but was equally worthy, adding a layer of buttery, chewy texture underneath the creamy dollops of ricotta cheese also featured. That creaminess of the ricotta was also a perfect match for the crust, with a nice finessed char on the outside yet tender baked dough within. Perhaps the meat toppings, while strong, were somewhat lacking in comparison with the rest of it, as the salami had a pleasant peppery sting and the ham (while slightly smoky and juicy) mostly served to add a hint of salt to it.      


This is without a doubt one of the best pizzas in the city, full stop. The only weakness might be that their options lack the creativity you see at the absolute very top of the list: most of Viva Napoli's combinations are fairly textbook. It's a hell of a book though, and this place knows it like the back of their... um, oven? That made more sense before I wrote it, honestly.


Piano Piano: A- (Rk: 9)
88 Harbord Street

Though it hasn't been long as I write this, one thing I miss about working downtown are the breaks between shifts. I mean yeah, a lot of them were just occasions of desperately finding ways to kill time. Others though, in the right moment of inspiration, became adventures. 

I'd meant to try Piano Piano during the first quest but they were a late discovery and by that time I was nearing 70 places and had to cut things off somewhere. This time they were a spot I was quite eager to try. Between a Wednesday double shift with only an hour and fifteen minutes to spare, I strategized: Spadina streetcar up to Harbord super fast, pray the restaurant isn't busy, get a pizza for takeout and hop back on the south streetcar. This... mostly worked. I underestimated rush hour and was stuck standing on the trip back, holding a delicious smelling pizza on a crowded streetcar while tired commuters flashed me evil eyes and jealous glares. 

Piano Piano itself is odd visually, as the exterior with the pink bricks and flowery mural resembles more of an art gallery than a restaurant. Inside is cavernous, the sound of a bustling service murmuring throughout the place. The pizza itself is quite the opposite, very straightforward. It's the exceptional quality of it that brings it to this high level: a thick pillowy charred crust, like a kiddie pool holding in the sauce and tons of soft runny gobs of cheese. The sauce is sharp and not overly sweet, enough of a presence to be noticed especially since this thing is so overloaded with fiore di latte. Indeed it isn't your typical wood-fired pie (at least this one wasn't) as this pizza had so much height and depth, almost like a hybrid of styles. I suspect they cook it a little longer than the '90 seconds other wood oven pizzerias proclaim. Also appreciated was the generous helping of pepperoni on this baby. Thin, crispy and a bit of a spice kick to it (a chili oil was also in play here), yet thankfully not adding oppressive grease to the equation (a reason I often avoid pepperoni these days). This particular pie could be looked at as a classic pepperoni pizza done fancily, yet with just enough accessibility for it to keep that broad appeal. Well done. 


Napoli Centrale: A (Rk: 5)
964 Bathurst Street

Reading an article online about Napoli Centrale back when they opened in 2013, the reviewer (while complimenting the vibe of the place) lamented the consistently undercooked, um... consistency of their pizzas. 

I've only been to Centrale once (well twice, I forgot my knapsack and had to go back the next day. I'm good at that) and I will say I found their pizza noticeably softer than a typical wood-fired offering. Undercooked though? I'd say in those years since that review they honed in on their sweet spot, because this thing just melts in your mouth.

Breaking down the elements, what you see above is a simple mushroom, ham and basil pizza. Again it definitely leans towards undercooked, so a lot of juices from the ham, cheese and tomato sauce drip out as you fold a slice to take a bite. Fortunately, that combination creates an exceptional flavour, the slightly acidic sauce merging with the soft bread and gobs of gooey cheese is just profoundly satisfying. The ham is sharp and tender, baked nicely with the pie and happily avoiding that overcooked point with those crusty edges that so often happen with ham in an oven. Even more impressively, I saved a slice for the next day, took it out of the fridge and (being too lazy/hungry to heat it) ate it cold and was astounded how soft and vivid the flavour still was. Not even the crust had gone stiff. Completely blown away.

A quick note on the vibe of the place: there is definitely something cozy about it. Not very big, a simple setup (tables by the front window, bar near the entrance, more tables in the back), the decor going for more of a homely look than anything modern or eye-catching. Also, for the very first time ever on these pizza quests (remember, 105 places), I'm certain the manager/owner suspected I was a reviewer of some sort. Just a feeling, can't exactly explain it but I got that sense he knew (and was amused by it). 



And that's it. Another pizza quest, brought to a successful conclusion (and by successful... I mean that I got to eat a lot of pizza). Of course, these quests wouldn't be nearly as fun or enjoyable if not for you, dear reader, tagging along through these writings. For that I thank you for following this bizarre but delicious epic adventure and making it that much more worthwhile. I hope these reviews have illuminated some places to try or provided some other forms of insight. Or at the very least, made you as hungry as it made me. Til next time (whenever the heck that is), stay cheesy.

The Top Pizzas In Toronto -- Redux!

It is back! After nearly a year of personal highs and lows, challenges and lozenges, but more importantly a long "mostly break" from delicious sauce, cheese and dough... I've returned to my true pie destiny with an updated best pizzas in Toronto list.

I limited myself to about two dozen-ish new places this time, not wanting it to spiral out of control like when I did the original list of 75 (where I initially only wanted to try about 15... ah naivety). Some of these are spots that have opened since I published that original list, some are places that have been around for decades that I didn't get around to that first time, and the rest just flew under my radar as I (somehow!) had never heard of them.

Anyway to the action! Like last time, I'll be starting at the bottom and working my way up. I'll be re-ranking everything (just because it's easier and more fun for me) with maybe a new master list at the very end.

Here we go...


Regina Pizzeria and Trattoria: C-  (Rk: 105)
782 College Street

Like always, someone has to be on the bottom. First go around it was Scaddabush, with a repulsively salty, frozen tasting and pricey pizza smaller and less filling than some slices on this list. Well, Regina unfortunately is more unpleasant than even that, not helped by that it's expensive (17 bucks for a small two topping). 

Regina delivers the cheese and not much else. Simultaneously gooey and stiff, the texture of this pie is extremely bizarre, with barely any tomato sauce to counteract it. My jaw was sore from chewing after five minutes of eating it. Not just that, but it's morbidly impressive to produce a pizza with bacon and goat cheese so disappointing. The goat cheese was fine but the bacon was so soft and undercooked my stomach became queasy after a couple of slices. Later reheating just amplified the stiff, stale texture and the soggy bottom dough completely dripped away. Boo.

Would I take it over Pizza Pizza, or Papa John's? Sure... ish... but not by much and at least those places are cheap. Regina is easily the weakest pizza I've tried on this quest. It's bad and you should feel bad.


Bocconcini: C (Rk: 101)
96 Gerrard Street East

Similar to Fresca Pizza on College (it's that garlicy rub), Bocconcini is a little spot near Ryerson with affordable slices and pickup specials perfect for the nearby student population. As a pizza, it's pretty underwhelming and bland. There's little sauce, the dough just kind of exists and beyond the garlicness there's little distinctive flavour. There's really not much else to say, it's cheap mediocre pie perfect for young students on a tight budget. Cure your hunger but not excite your senses.


Jessy's Pizza Toronto: C+ (Rk: 96)
2200 Dundas Street West 

So I was in Halifax a few months ago and after trying some local breweries, my buddy and I passed by a Jessy's location on the way back to our AirBnB. Knowing they had a new-ish location in Toronto too, my first thought then was to try the Halifax location and then later compare it with the Toronto one. 

Unfortunately, I didn't do it that night. But I went halfway. Naturally, it being a Nova Scotia chain, I had to get a pie with donair meat on top. This donair meat was salty, super thin yet juicy, a close approximation of the real regional McCoy. However, the rest of the pizza was very generic, with thick but overcooked cheese (similar to Domino's) and bland supermarket tomato sauce. The crust at least had a nice crisp outer texture and soft inside that was surprisingly enjoyable even as the pizza cooled. Overall... the donair meat makes it interesting but pretty whatever otherwise. Really wish I'd tried the Halifax one though.


Rocco's Pizza and Pasta: C+ (Rk: 93)
972 The Queensway

Here's a memorable one, although the pizza itself is basically a footnote. A good dude from my baseball league was throwing a shindig in Mimico, somewhat close to where the Queen streetcar ends. Only problem is I live near the other end of the Queen streetcar, and the 501 is the longest streetcar route in Canada (about 25km... apparently one of the longest in the world too). So forget that... I rode the bike instead! Three hours later... I'm a genius. Anyhow I was starving and on the way I stumbled upon this very hole-in-the-wall, neighbourhood joint near Islington and Queensway.

Originally my tentative plane enroute was to try Mamma Martino's, but they were completely packed and I was already late-ish in an unfamiliar part of town. Enter Rocco's* here. First off, I definitely was pleased by the real bits of bacon, cooked crispy without being excessively chewy. Likewise the pepperoni was crisp also, a good counter-balance to the cushiony dough and cheese-like texture. A very greasy pie, to be honest, though thankfully not dripping oil, and with the tomato sauce almost entirely non-existent this slice resembled something closer to cheesy bread with toppings than a typical pizza slice. Decent for a hungry mad cyclist.

*not to be confused with 'Rocco's Plum Tomato' also in Etobicoke 


Romi's Pizzeria: C+  (Rk: 90)
3062 Bloor Street West

An Etobicoke mainstay for decades, Romi's has moved around but been in the neighbourhood for over fifty years, once occupying a strip mall on Berry Road (across the street from where I lived in Grade Ten!) until moving to its current location on Bloor near Royal York. 

Romi's exemplifies something I'll call the "Neighbourhood Effect": wherein a place is more highly regarded overall because it has become such an institution in an area that the reputation skews the perception of the actual product (First pizza quest I said something similar about Bitondo's and people lost their minds at me).

As a pizza, what Romi's offers is entirely fine. First off these are huge! This one pictured above was a medium and larger than most kitchen sinks. Considering that, the prices are very reasonable and thus you can understand the popularity. It tastes like pizza, no particular element out of place. Analyzing it further though, the sauce is while plentiful (always appreciated), overly earthy and bland. The cheese is not obnoxiously loaded on and nicely covered, the crust and dough stale with a slight crunch. Terrific toppings though (real bacon, rinds of fat on the ham) and those are definitely the strength here. 

Flavour-wise overall, it's unremarkable and stiff. You won't be disappointed (or excited), though in a generation of mediocre chains strangling up the market I definitely have a soft spot for a long time pizza spot not much younger than my parents. Individual slices would be preferable, however. 
 

Classico Louie's Pizzeria: C+ (Rk: 89)
2547 Yonge Street

A victim of being overshadowed during my Leaside expedition (I'll explain... much later), Classico Louie's is a Yonge Street hole-in-the-wall-easy-to-miss-if-you're-just-walking-by spot (or if you're just rarely anywhere near Glencarin.)

It's also quite forgettable. Some interesting topping combinations (like the slice seen here, loaded with mushrooms, pesto, feta cheese and sundried tomatoes) but it's almost six bucks for this thin fella and its basically all toppings, with little in the way of mozza or non-crust dough for support. Tastes incomplete. It's very similar to a Pizzaiolo option, with that vague grainy taste in the dough and a hint of olive oil baked in. Decent I suppose, but overpriced and not at all unique. 


Salty Dog Bar and Grill: C++ (Rk: 86)
1980 Queen Street East
 

Well... they really load on the toppings, and they are strong for a meat-lovers bar pizza: crisp real bacon, nicely thin pepperoni and not dry ground beef (seasoned like bar chili without any of those other fixins in there). It's damn oily (unsurprising considering this particular combo of toppings) and yet the dough and crust is up to the challenge of holding this monstrosity together despite a soft spongey feel. 

Where it loses some charm is the tomato sauce (like tinned pasta sauce) and especially the cheese. It has this bizarre, super liquidy texture that tastes more like a cheap nacho cheese coating than actual mozzarella (maybe frozen shredded with too much residual moisture). A real shame since this was a very pleasant surprise otherwise because of those enjoyable toppings. Instead the cheese bleeds this hint of processed taste into the entire pizza, even the texture, and so it can't score any higher. 


Golden Pizza: C++ (Rk: 83) 
1201 Broadview Avenue

An interesting one. As you can see from the photo above, Golden is a pan style pizza, a deep dish type that usually is lighter on the sauce and not as vertically engaged as your standard Chicago style. Pizza Hut, for instance, is similar to this. Also similar to Hut is how extremely greasy Golden Pizza is, since while this thing bakes in the oven the grease has nowhere to go except pooling in the bottom of the circular baking sheet. This gives the pizza a fried taste to it, especially if the cheese is nicely gooey and melted.

If you've read my pizza thingys before, you probably know how much weight I give to "re-heat" value, and tragically when there's tons of excess grease that flavour often bleeds into everything and makes the dough (especially in the centre) unpleasantly soggy. This also makes eating it cold similarly unappealing, as the whole thing will taste like licking a dirty frying pan. Golden Pizza isn't quite that bad, with strong enough cheese to fight that gross greasy taste to a draw. However the seasoning on this pie is super odd, much like the saltiness you find in thicker frozen pizzas. It's the pizza of diminishing returns: quite nice at first but once that initial heat from the oven fades you're racing against the clock.


Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria (Part One): C++ (Rk:80)
386 Bloor Street West

It's hard to judge food totally accurately when physically you're unwell. A lot of this past year (2019) I suffered through somewhat constant loss of appetite issues (and later sleeplessness, but that's unrelated to pizza so irrelevant here). 

It was one of these modes when I tried Famoso so it's difficult to describe, since I kinda feel like I had to force myself into it. Nevertheless. My esteemed Pizza Associate and I each went in different directions with Famoso: she went for the traditional Neapolitan style, myself for what they described as an authentic 'New York Sicilian Style Thick Crust Pizza'.

Definitely two very different styles and very different tastes (my associate was kind enough to let me bogart a slice of her's). This thick crust one here, while completely goddamn gigantic, doesn't have much going on beyond sheer girth and excellent chorizo sausage. The thing is overloaded with toppings but it lacks any cohesive flavour, just tasting like a bunch of stuff. At almost thirty bucks for these monsters, sure you and your hungry buddies will get your moneys worth. Quantity over quality.


Da Venezia Gourmet Pizza: B-- (Rk: 71)
1568 Avenue Road

A good buddy of mine lives right around Glencarin and Yonge here in T.O. One afternoon we'd made plans to hang out and I decided: what the heck, I'll leave home early, detour off and try some pizza spots near his part of town. North York adventure!

Riding down Avenue Road near Lawrence, I came across Da Venezia. First bite, I honestly googled their address just to be sure they weren't a Pizzaiolo location beforehand that kept the recipes. However, this is a legit solid spot. It does have that grainy dough taste of Pizzaiolo and the style of slices are very close, but there's a slighter freshness to the ingredients that a big chain struggles to capture. One thing (or the thing) that makes those chains so popular and so accessible is familiarity. You know what you're gonna get, thus you know what to expect and your disappointment is ideally minimized. Like say, if you order Pizza Pizza and thus expect to be flushing money down the toilet... unlikely to be disappointed.

Anyhow, Da Venezia. It's fine, if slightly over-seasoned. Tastes exactly how it looks. Bonus points for their nice house dipping sauce (also pictured above) which is like a garlicy sour cream.



Express Pizza: B-- (Rk: 70)
447 Church Street

Some notable things about my (now multiple times) trying Express. Firstly, considering the area, they are smartly open extremely late. Secondly, I've been out drinking with my (former) co-workers 'almost' every time I've tried a slice there. Fortunately for the purpose of this review, I've been sober enough times to get an accurate idea of what their slices are like (instead of drunken eating where you're hungry, dizzy and chomping away at like three times your normal chewing speed). 

The slices are flat and crisp, with a good covering of cheese accompanying some nice crunch. Flavour-wise it's agreeable, generic quality put to good use and exceution. It really comes down to texture which is their greatest strength, that crispiness with the soft cheese layer makes it satisfying and enjoyable to eat.

Thirdly, the very first time I tried Express was a completely random and lucky happenstance. Late August: pretty late and heading home on my wheels. I was set to ride down on the west side of Church except there were taxis everywhere, stop-starting and hunting for fares. When on a bike, best to if possible avoid the usually random movements of cabs (especially at 1am) so I crossed the street to the east side and figured I'd take some side streets instead. As I walked by Express, these two middle aged dudes were sitting on the steps next door eating slices. They noticed me peek in at the still open pizza shop and one of them asked me if I'd want half his slice! At first I politely refused, but he insisted and so... what the fudge. He gave me the half he hadn't taken a bite of yet, I thanked him and away I went. That night it'd been maybe a month then since I'd eaten pizza (believe it or not), and so in a way having that slice helped kick-start this second pizza quest. Maybe none of this happens if not for those taxis nudging me across the street. Pathways of life. 


Dino's Wood Burning Pizza: B- (Rk: 64)
820 The Queensway

  
It's about to get pretty cramped. There's a lot of good somewhat hidden pizza in this town and now that I've tried over 100 places, ending up in the top 65 is far from an insult. 

Dino's has been in the news quite a bit in recent weeks, amusing for me since I'd never even heard of them until the late October afternoon I tried them (that's life in the East End for ya). Now I bet some of you might look at this photo thinking "jalapenos on a pizza? He's finally lost his freaking mind." To which I say: I went and tried 105 different pizza places in the span of about fourteen months... that train departed a long, long time ago. Besides, jalapeno on pizza is basically like having a seedy, spicy green pepper on there anyway.

As for the taste, it's a nice soft, slightly gooey pizza in the middle (thankfully avoiding the realm of sogginess) with a thick-ish crust that adds much needed texture and foundation. The cheese and sauce are decent and okay respectively, although at least there's enough of both to be a presence. No, the real star of this show are those sausage slices, not too salty or greasy with a nice subtle earthy heat (a nice contrast with the sharper spice of the jalepeno). There are some chili flakes scattered about also but they're entirely unnecessary, there's enough hot flavour here as it is. Also bonus points: the garlicky side sauce is a stronger homemade version of Pizza Pizza's infamously addictive garlic dip, just a little creamier with more of a herb aftertaste. Fine stuff.


Bar Poet: B- (Rk: 63) ***190 Skee-Ball Score***
1090 Queen Street West

Another entry in the 'Places I'd Never Heard Of Until The Day I Tried Them' category, it was recommended to me by (another former) co-worker, and since I was working a double between my then two jobs, and since I had my bike, and since I had four-plus hours to kill, and since I was really hungry... well you see where I'm going with this. 

First off, Bar Poet is just a groovy kind of place. I'm definitely way more of a Queen East person than a Queen West one, but this is the type of spot I'd probably check out a lot if I lived way closer and still drank (...as much as I used to, ha). I mean, a bar/restaurant with a skee-ball table right by the entrance? Perfect to pass the time while waiting for a pie. Second, the pizzas aren't huge but they're considerably cheaper than a lot of options ranked lower on my list, falling closer to the 10-12 dollar range than the way more common 16-20. Third, for some reason the kitchen staff were giving away 3 Speed lunchboxes, so I scored one of those also. I am not opposed to buying off the critic when the critic happens to be me.

The pizza itself? Very light dough, not overly cheesy although sort of shredded and oily, and nicely sweet tomato sauce which mixed well with the subtle spice (those red chunks are like an Nduja paste). Its biggest flaw though, and certainly obvious by the picture above, is just how incredibly greasy this pizza was. Maybe it was the oil from the paste, not sure, but this thing was seeping through the box. My arteries felt traffic jammed not even halfway through this dripping lad. 

It could just be this particular pizza, and the rest of what was happening is good enough that I would try it again to see (especially if those prices remain so reasonable). The grease and oil just overpowered this one so much I can't rank it any higher. 


La Grotta Pizzeria: B- (Rk: 61) 
951 Pape Avenue 

 

A heavy one. Loaded with mozzarella and goat cheese, a healthy amount of sauce, diced chicken breast and a wallop of roasted red peppers, this was an incredibly soft, sweet and doughy offering from a tiny East York resto. The texture is quite pleasant and all of the ingredients mix well together, though I could do with way fewer peppers since they tend to dominate the flavour. The softness of the foundation also makes it a bit soggy once cold and difficult to reheat (maybe a frying pan on low heat could work, other ways I tried made it collapse somewhat). 


Very notable (and weird/charming) is the astethic inside the place: fancy tables with wine glasses and linens set, yet it's a small room covered in wood paneling, wedding curtains, generic landscape portraits and various other nic nacs. It was so odd, like mixing a bright cozy fine dining room with your Nana's attic. Overall, surely one of the more unique places I've tried and a good-ish option. 


Zini Pizza: B- (Rk: 60)
795 St. Clair Avenue West

To be totally forthcoming, I've never followed a consistent method for picking which places exactly to try. I mean sure, there are the pizza heavyweights of the city well known in food circles. Those ones are must-try for a quest like this, of course, so I plan somewhat ahead in those cases.

For the majority of other spots on the list, I likewise look them up and plan to go there specifically.  But some others, like Zini, I happened to be in that neighbourhood (trying somewhere else) still a bit hungry and I figured... why not? Now, I won't try just any place. Usually if it's a place I've never heard of, out comes a quick Google search just to ensure they've got an average review score of 4/5, that there isn't a history of health code violations etc. 

Zini is your classic pizzeria hole in the wall. The ceramic tiled floors/walls, student specials and the slowly rotating slice warming cylinder. You know the look. The pizza itself won't look as pretty as some other pies on the list but the price is cheap, the toppings on this meat lovers slice were of surprising quality (except the sausage crumble, pretty dry and bland) with legit bacon strips and well sliced pepperoni. It's got nice texture and isn't overly doughy or greasy (like you'll find at a lot of slice spots I've covered already). There's nothing else to say except it's unremarkably solid, satisfying.


Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria (Part Two): B- (Rk: 59)
386 Bloor Street West

Wait a second... that name sounds familiar... well yeah it is the very same Famoso I ranked back in the low 80s. 

Well you've probably (and hopefully) concluded that this was the superior Famoso offering, although not one of the better wood fire pizzas I've had. For one it looks a mess on appearance, with toppings scattered about without much care for the finesse of presentation. A small complaint, sure, but every bit counts. Taste wise, it's entirely fine. A bit overcooked, as the cheese (not much to begin with, must've used it all on that thick crust one) melted and merged into the sauce. That sauce is probably the strength here, with that nice hint of earthy sweetness you find in any Neapolitan tomato sauce worth the price of admission. Toppings were good (this place does have good sausages) but just overloaded for a thin pie like this one. 

As a pizza in general, it's good. For this style of pizza, it's ok but underwhelming. There are so many better options in this city at that price point, making this offering somewhat forgettable.  


Buzz Buzz Pizza: B- (Rk: 58)
822 Wilson Avenue

Any of those last five new places I reviewed probably could've been placed in any order. Each have flaws, each have strengths, all share the fact I wouldn't consider them anywhere close to the best pizza in Toronto, but I also wouldn't consider them just mediocre either. Buzz Buzz meets that level also, but they get the slight nod over the others for three key reasons: they pile on the garlic, they're the most affordable/best bang for your buck, and the inside of the place is like stepping inside a time machine. 

The pizza itself reminds me of the perfect kind of pie you'd want when you're thirteen, you're super hungry and your school team just won a big game. It's thick, the cheese has that nice buttery feel, they really pile on the minced garlic (I know that's me haha), the sauce tastes canned/generic but one of the better generic ones that actually has tomato flavour. Throw on some lightly cooked, tender bacon strips and you've got a winner for dinner. It has flaws sure, this particular pizza was overcooked on that one side and with a crust that thick and bubbly it goes stiff and much less fun once it gets cold (thus my junior-high sports team reference, no way in that scenario it lasts that long).

That nostalgic vibe is the feel of the place, really. It's got this half 1970's sports bar, half family-restaurant aesthetic that is, well... probably completely accurate. There are framed photos on the walls of local school teams they sponsored twenty years ago, autographed pictures of hockey players, the bar and the walls are all wood... you really feel like you walked into a retro movie with thick moustaches and 'extra-plaid' plaid shirts. It's that timeless factor that nudges it ahead.. and they pile on the garlic.   



All right, we've covered a lot of ground so far but I don't want to overload one article with the everythings. Next time we'll slip into the new Top 50 and see how the remaining dozen-ish places stack up.