This Week In Pizza: Acute Pizzeria

 

 

Hmmm well... this certainly appears to be a... visually pleasing type of place to get a pizza.

 

I'd finished working the TFC home opener (they won, I think?) and being hungry, in a western part of Toronto and especially not wanting to be cute about things... it was time to try a couple of places along Dundas West I'd been meaning to check out for quite a while. Starting here with Acute, right on the south-east corner of Lansdowne and Dundas West. 

From the older times of my west end residency and riding past this way several times per week for work... there used to be a different pizza place in this same corner spot. They might even have still been there a couple of years ago, but I never tried them and don't even recall their name. (After Goog-I mean "research"... were they called 'Yummy Pizza'? Or was that an even older place before the old place? This is getting convoluted...  more so than usual). 

 

  

Here is hoping this second, or third, or something time is the charm. Speaking of charm, the colours on this slice. I don't go veggie/non meat slice often (check my work) but this one both looked the freshest and seduced me via its sheer prettiness. Acute pizza presenting a... mighty attractive slice here. 

You can likely guess what is on this thing, but it's my article so I'll explain anyway: tomato sauce and a green pesto, both in extroverted amounts, with mozzarella cheese. It's got a flavour notch more going for it than a typical cheese only* slice, but with most of this being just two sauces that can sometimes clash (depending on the type of pesto), with only dough, crust and mozzarella cheese between them... in such simplicity there isn't really anywhere to hide. 

*by cheese only I mean 'just mozzarella'. Many wonderful pizzas can have 'just cheese' with splendid combinations of goat cheese, gorgonzola, a sharp parmesan type etc. Just clarifying. 

 

   

First off, this pizza smells as awesome as it looks...like fresh baked sourdough (they use that as their base). The texture is equally nice: soft and oily, but firm enough not to be flopping all over the place. I do wonder if it gets chewier once not as fresh, alas I was too hungry on this debut visit to find out.

The pesto is the primary attraction and it shines through this slice. It's a finely blended, more piney/leafy pesto than a garlicky one... which gives a bitterness hint that matches up compellingly with a sweeter tomato sauce like Acute uses. A fine contrast between them, and as you can see neither tomato or pesto is slathered about all over the place. Instead, each is given some separation, almost like their own territories on the real estate of the slice. This works not only to avoid the two distinct tastes from overly clashing or bleeding into each other, but also (I just have to say it again) makes the pizza look so darn aesthetically pleasing. 

It's very smartly constructed, and just very enjoyable to eat! Because there is pesto, it is on the oilier side yet thankfully not to the point of leaking all over your fingers. The crust is also quite delightful: pillowy bread with a gentle crispy cheese/buttery aftertaste. Really good stuff. The light sprinkling of garlic powder is a fine touch as well. 

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Overall! I think we have ourselves a winner. While I often like to explore a pizza joint's crazier, unique options as to judge their creativity... sometimes you can take a simpler concept and put a basic yet clever composition into it as well. Having the pesto and tomato sauce spread about in this generous way, with a nice buttery mozzarella acting as the intermediary between them... it's a smart way to allow you to choose the balance with each bite.

The concept would be hardly worth the praise if the quality were lacking, but Acute gets that right as well. Great textures, terrific tomato sauce, good cheese... there is little not to like. My only concerns were how the less fresh slices looked: by appearance they seemed a bit dry and since I never got the chance for a reheat test, I can't say for certain how they hold up. 

I won't dock them points via my own speculation, so this is a firm "B++" from me. Not entirely among Toronto's best of the best, as they didn't completely blow me away... but this was exceptionally delightful to eat, no real weaknesses and I definitely recommend checking them out. It's a quaint space as well, with large windows and tables perfect for people watching on the corner of a busy west Toronto intersection. Thumbs up all around.