Not to be confused with the Via Napoli pizzeria that is located in Walt Disney World down in Florida! Seriously, if you Google "Via Napoli" there is a good chance that's the first place popping up in your feed.
I've never been to Disney World, or Florida for that matter (not in a particular hurry) but I have been to the Via Napoli pizzeria we have here in Toronto. Like Capi's, Via Napoli is a semi-hidden pizza spot on the hilarious Dundas West street (seriously, if you're reading this and are unfamiliar with Toronto, look at a map and you'll immediately wonder why a major west end street detours like a drunkard forgetting their signature).
Unlike Capi's, Via Napoli is a relatively recent arrival to the Toronto pizza scene. Born in 2020 (what a great year for us all), they've established your stylistically warm and cozy casual sit-down wood fired pizzeria. Relaxed vibes, sports on the television, cool little back patio (more on that later) and a TARDIS-like 'it's much larger on the inside than it looks from the street'.
I'd been meaning to try them for some time (to the point of being shocked they opened just four years ago) and I was beyond fortunate to have some excellent company willing to join me on a Tuesday evening just after Labour Day. As we went in, there was an instantly pleasant welcoming vibe that made this east-end reviewer who is extremely unfamiliar with this part of town, feel like I'd been here for years. Cliches I know (it's hard to describe such feelings more elegantly) but the truth is I barely know this Islington part of the city and in such cases I do think myself a stranger in strange places. Akin to being in a completely different city. I'm keen to explore for this very reason: the feeling of simultaneous awkwardness and eye-opening magic.
Via Napoli has a quaint boxed-in patio in the back (a "modified parking space" as our sweet server described it) and so we settled in and chatted until our appetizers arrived: a burrata salad as one and a squid ink infused arancini as the other. Hey, here they are:
Pardon the lighting (been saying that a lot lately, sorry) but these arancini balls were indeed quite dark and black. And yes, if you've been bad Santa would give you these lumps of coal for Christmas. Okay jokes aside, these were indeed very delicious. Some unmistakable mushroom flavour within, tasty crunchy exterior and the rice was delightfully soft. Different textures very on point, a rich full taste, and the squid ink? Bit of a novelty I suppose, with the colour and all, but I did get a bit of an unusual flavour I cannot quite describe. Malty? Syrupy? Inky? Inky is kind of the only adjective that really fits here... unusual for a flavour but common in the world of ghosts chasing a hungry dot chomping circle.
Burrata salad! This is less my thing, as I find tomatoes are usually just tomatoes while olive oil with herb sprinklings can only do so much. That's just my personal taste, though... and for what this is I will say the presentation and execution is very nicely done. Personally I enjoyed the sun-dried and cherry tomatoes the most... that condensed dry but punchy taste and great sweet bursting flavour respectably have always been more preferable.
Burrata itself... reminds me of a poached egg without a yolk, where it's a little slippery and very much about that enjoyable texture. And it's a marvelous texture: semi-rubbery without any awful chewiness, delicate on the palette, perfect on a bit of toasted bread with some olive oil... spreadable in a pinch. Quite fond of this as well, and excellent to share.
How about reviewing an actual pizza, Mister Pizza Person? Okay quiet down back there everybody... I can see those paper airplanes flying in the corner. My delightful companion ordered Via Napoli's "Oro" pizza (the one in the top corner of the lead photo) which had sausage, pepperoni, thinly sliced garlic and basil (with your usual tomato sauce and fior di latte). This was the superior pizza to mine, which you see directly above: same sausage, but with rapini and sliced red chilis.
The biggest mistake (as also noted by my partner in pizza crime here) was the blahness of the rapini. There was a lot of it and normally I love that good bitter taste alongside other big flavours, but here the rapini was fairly damp and just dominated this entire pie via its sogginess... which doesn't help a wood oven pizza which are almost always floppy by nature to begin with.
Despite that very unfortunate flaw, this was an extremely good pizza. Amazing full flavoured cheese (love that feeling where it expands in your mouth like a buttery grenade in slow motion), terrific crust with a well considered puffiness and char. Can't really say much about the tomato sauce, nothing jumped out at me beyond it serving its purpose. Bit on the sweeter side I'd say. A good house-made ground sausage... very simple in terms of the seasoning or memorable aspects to it, but juicy with texture and held up well on the reheat.
How about that reheat? I am learning that thin slices like this sometimes don't work in the 'frying pan on low heat' method, particularly when they're loaded with toppings such as this one. Toaster oven, medium heat, on bake with a baking sheet was the only way to make this wonderful cheese sing again. The rest... there's too much piled on and the crust is already dry (a shame because that crust is a strength of Via Napoli... fresh from the oven the balance of soft breadiness and char was truly exceptional).
And, because this was a special request... how did it taste cold? Answer: still quite good! I'm not at all a "cold pizza guy" (I just find the elements and flavours so numbed in that state) but I do agree it is a sign of quality if a certain pizza holds up without the benefit of heat. Via Napoli does: it's not the same and that poor crust gets chewy, but the rest of the taste and texture is still vivid and enjoyable.
Overall! It's an interesting, funky little spot. When I worked at Pizzeria Libretto (I hear you groaning in the back, and stop throwing those airplanes!) several centuries ago, they were and likely still are, so into their brand/product and their concept of what pizza should be that, while excellent and obviously knowing their stuff, it could be rather overbearing. Like they were rescuing the very concept of pizza from the fires of the inferno. I can understand that type of specific obsession (perhaps you're reading it now) but there is also a line where you have to ease on the throttle and take yourself a bit less seriously.
Frankly, on my re-evaluation of Libretto I gave them a B+ and I'm giving Via Napoli a similar 'B+', but I think I like Via Napoli considerably more within this grade. Both for the reasons I explained above and also that I just think there's a bit more happening here. The crust is excellent, poofy and charred in all the right places... wonderful cheese, and if not for that rapini needing more beyond bitter and soggy... this would be knocking on the door of the next level.
Regardless, my experience at Via Napoli was truly fantastic, the company exceptional (love to do it again) and I give them a solid "go try them" recommendation. This style of pizza is particularly hard to critique as places consistently do the exact same thing and mostly get it right, so it is in the details where the exceptions really flourish. Via Napoli isn't quite an exception but a strong quality showing nonetheless.
My man are you reviewing pizza you ate while on a date?
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