The Tuesday Taste - Masa Deli

 

But not me

I'm smarter than that

I've worked it out

I've been stretching my mouth

to let those big words come right out 

Another Tuesday... another Taste! This week we're visiting a spot I first heard about when undertaking my big bizarre fast food breakfast sandwich project (a project that, while fun and personally illuminating, seemed to not be as popular with certain readers who may have missed the point of concept. Seriously, those comments are a funny read... I had no idea any of my food reviews could inspire such incredulous disdain).

I haven't exactly had the craving for a breakfast sandwich since doing that list (unlike pizza, I can't eat those things every day)... but fortunately Masa Deli is far more than just a first-meal-of-the-day hub. Started up by Reza Azucena, who himself had a hand in operating Gold Standard (featured highly on my breakfast sammy list), Masa Deli (in conjunction with Housecoat Coffee) opened up in a tiny space a bit under three years ago on Dovercourt just off of Hallam Avenue. Housecoat eventually ceased service by the end of 2023 but Masa Deli proved popular enough to continue on solo, with Azucena's compact menu becoming a new reason to visit that charming neighbourhood. 

 

 

Meanwhile in Leslieville, east end fish and chip stalwart Reliable once again turned off their fryers at the corner of Queen East and Verral Avenue (they'd notably closed and reopened half a decade earlier), this time for good. Seeing an opportunity in an area he'd grown fond of, Azucena quickly jumped on the vacant space and expanded Masa Deli eastward... opening up this second location this past summer. The larger kitchen here (though still rather lacking spaciously) allowed Azucena to expand his menu at this location a tiny bit, giving his Salvadorian roots a chance to shine through by adding tortas, empanadas, beef fat fries and even a plantain burrito.

 

 

As mentioned the space is rather tight (that baby carriage took up at least a third of the available floor space) and much like the Dovercourt location their hours are not ideal for a notorious night howling owl such as myself. The Leslieville location at least graces an extra spin around the clock (closing down at the late hour of 4pm)... which for me still proved a close shave as I had to take the infamous Queen streetcar (naturally, this was a day it was diverting north for some suddenly announced vague reason). Somehow I did manage to make it to Masa Deli with ten minutes to spare, although eating my food inside here was no longer possible now. Damn you 501! Dammnnnnnn youuuuuu!!!!!*

 

 *Yeah I think the Queen car has done far, far worse to all of us

 

 

 

The wait for my food was not an extended one while my viewpoint out towards the passingsby of Queen Street East and Carlaw on a sunny September afternoon provided more than enough diversion. The mind can wander in such circumstances and I recalled indeed how several summers ago, I briefly worked at a similarly small restaurant just a few doors west from here. 'Rashers' was a bacon themed breakfast spot that was impossibly tight (with indoor seating somehow) but did made some mighty tasty sandwiches. A close friend of mine was the kitchen manager and brought me (desperate for work in the summers during those days) aboard for some part-time hours. This lasted about a month, as while I could expertly handle the customer facing aspects of the gig... the "having to also professionally prepare and cook food on a flat grill while dozens of delivery orders are piling up"... yeah. I'm simply not built for that kind of stuff. The semi-forgotten memories that pop into one's mind when staring off into a familiar stretch of town...

 

       

One definite positive to this part of town: quite a few accessible parks in which to sit down, eat, shoo away the September wasps (bastards!) and enjoy a waning sunny afternoon. I settled in with the Masa Deli order you see here: their beef barbacoa torta with a hefty side of their beef fat fries. 

 

 

A comparison I've used once or twice before, but these Masa Deli fries are very similar to McDonald's fries. Close enough to almost be a clone, even. Except... these are actually delicious. A light crispiness throughout, mild oiliness, just a tiny pinch of salt... and most crucial of all they taste like real potatoes (always my biggest McD's complaint is how little it resembles actual food in the flavour department). 

Just really damn tasty stuff here. Very simple, the texture is just right for a thin french fry... enjoyable to munch on from first bite to last, from steamy hot to cold.

 

        

This sandwich here however, the beef barbacoa torta, however... far from simple. An impressive mix of tastes, textures, spices and tongue tingles. 

While this may not be the exact type of sandwich I'd seek out often... there's no denying that on its own merits this is straight up excellent. The beef itself is rather wet, the result of being slow cooked and stewed in its own juices for so long... yet it is far from watery in either texture or flavour. There's a sharpness and a peculiar maltyness to the beef, both sensations which also linger in the mouth nicely long after initial contact. While far from lean, the fattiness of the meat is hardly excessive. Much of the juices end up soaking into the bun anyhow, condensing the tenderness of the meatier bites. It isn't really a drippy sandwich, either... helped by that spongey kaiser-like bun holding it all together.

 

 

As damn tasty as that beef is, the supporting elements of this torta are really where some magic happens. Nothing all that crazy either: there's an acidic tomato salsa, some red cabbage slaw, a sharp hint of jalapeno (perhaps as part of that salsa) and a very lime-heavy spread of guacamole. Quite a lot going on, yet all these flavours work so nicely as an additional layer complimenting that savoury slow cooked, shredded beef. Each one of those toppings get a moment here and there to break through, otherwise they play as a symphony on your tongue within this little sandwich. 

Like I said, these are flavours I seek out more in taco formation than on a sandwich... with the 'sandwich' part of this being its weakest link. That sort of hollow, airy dry, easily yielding type of kaiser bun doesn't completely work for me here... though I do see the merits of going in this more basic direction rather than a more flavoured/textured bread. Not that this lessened my enjoyment of the sandwich at all either... you can get away with the bun just being a "whatever" (and it's quite fresh too) when the flavours and textures within are this deep and fantastic. 

 

 

Overall! I can't help but feel I ordered the wrong thing in regards to properly reviewing Masa Deli. A place that's especially known for their unique breakfast items (a burrito being the most popular among them) and so I decide to get a beef sandwich and fries. Sometimes my methods confuse even myself.

Someday soon I suspect I'll be making a second visit to Masa Deli to try that same breakfast burrito... and if the quality and flavours are on par with what I encountered here, I'd strongly suggest you go off and try it too. A definite recommendation from me on this one. Terrific taste that really has some depth to it in composition and spices... you can tell they put some care and skill into these recipes. Perhaps individually nothing here that you haven't tasted before but it's done in a package that you may not have yet encountered, if that makes sense. It does? Really? Phew.

Anyhow. Masa Deli is really good, the prices won't kick you in the gut (nobody wants that when they're hungry, or... ever) and I genuinely have very few negative things to say about my experience there. Um, their hours are annoying? Calling themselves a "deli" is somewhat misleading since they don't offer cold cuts or anything pork? The word "masa" itself has varied definitions? That's all I got. Check them out!           

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Tuesday Tune

This song has everything. An extremely 80s music video that still looks pretty cool, Tony Levin's brilliant and unique bass guitar work (achieved by him and drummer Jerry Marotta playing the bass strings with drumsticks, later known as "Funk Fingers") and obviously it's just an irresistibly catchy song. He performed it live when I saw him back in 2023 and was indeed one of the standout tunes in an exceptional show start to finish.

 

 

That's it for this week! Quick note: next week will be the last Tuesday review for a little while as I'm heading to Europe! I'm sure I'll check out some food there and possibly write some quick blurbs on the more interesting local cuisines I encounter, plus I have a handful of pizza reviews I want to have completed before I get on that flight... but until those and until next week, stay cool, stay safe and most of all don't spill that mustard.

 

The Tuesday Taste - WingsUp!

 

 

That night her kiss

told me it was over

I walked out late

into the dark

The misty gloom

seems to soak up my sorrow

Another Tuesday... another Taste! This week we're reviewing some catchy sloganeering that's certain to unify national identity and stand steadfast against a wantonly oppressor that... oh wait, this is Wings Up. Damn, I was in the mood for some tasty elbows though... wings are technically chicken elbows, right?

Wings Up! is a chicken wing chain that clearly likes to exclaim. This is what I mean! They have several locations across the city! Daily specials and a variety of menu items beyond wings! Their logo looks like it's trying to hypnotize you! Run don't walk to your nearest location! Eat more wings, people! Catch the frenzy! My voice is somehow strained now from typing this paragraph!  

The name "WingsUp!" itself is also a versatile proclamation. Does it mean these wings are so good they originate from a higher, heavenly place? Is the "Up!" signifying the level of approval you're sure to give upon trying them? Or, is it like a 'raise your glass' to these bite-sized chicken morsels? Cheers me with that wing! I really do often wonder the thinking behind these names...

Speaking of that, this is a restaurant chain that's likely much older than you think. Originally what was called "The Incredible Wing Ding" (this company has a way with names, eh) opened up in Milton, Ontario back in 1988 and expanded to a couple of modestly successful locations regionally... eventually rebranding as "WingsUp" in the late 1990s. Along came Darren Czarnogorski, fresh out of university and working in the investment industry, looking to operate his own small business and, on advice from his father, really get into working the day-to-day dirty details of it. WingsUp was that business which Czarnogorski (friend of all spell checkers) took over in 2004... in the two decades since (but especially in the past five years) they've expanded their reach with a few dozen stores all throughout southern Ontario, plus a smattering of spots out in the Western provinces of Canada as well (their 'Franchising' page on their website also appears keen to attract potential franchisees down south in the Texas and Florida markets).  

     

Until then, they'll have to settle for Toronto being the most populous and prominent city to feature their brand of wings... and hey, Toronto happens to be the city I live in so lets actually try these damn things! (Things Up?). They have a location in Liberty Village in that sort of outdoor mall south of East Liberty Street and Lynn Williams (the very same walkway which has the Aloette Go I checked out last winter). From what I can tell this particular WingsUp outpost is pretty brand shiny new (it was a Pita Land last summer) and does kind of have that "paint still fresh" type of aura. 

Entering the location itself is also an exercise in... misdirection. Not only is it located on a laneway instead of an actual street, they share the building with an Osmow's and... the WingsUp itself is down a flight of stairs underground. While clean and sleek, I couldn't escape the notion I was entering some kind of nuclear fried chicken wing bunker and got my order to go. 

 

 

It must be mentioned first off... at full freight these prices are rough. This is a 1/2 pound (or 2/3... their sizes are somewhat vague) of wings with their potato wedges... right around twenty bucks. So we're not exactly looking at a full-sized lunch here despite the full meal price tag. The wings are of a larger size sure, but there are only four of them so...you see what I mean.

 

 

I've found my enthusiasm for potato wedges have waned over the years mostly because, well, a lot of places make them terribly. Whether they be fried in an overused oil, undercooking them so that they're partially raw on the inside, or letting them sit out too long before re-frying (resulting in a stale, chalky experience)... whatever it may be, rarely does it seem I encounter a good one. 

These ones from WingsUp... they're pretty good actually. I'd like a bit more crispiness and seasoning, but the overall texture is decent (light crisp on the outside, fluffy inside) and there's a light pinch of much needed salt to tickle the taste buds just a little. Potatoes are tough on a reheat (I had to start work and left these unfinished) as they dry out and shrivel rather quickly... though the air fryer was able to restore some of their fresh glory (a positive sign in regards to their quality). Are these fresh cut daily? I'd wager no... the flavour is rather muted... though I didn't get the familar numb sting of frozen food either. Maybe they are fresh? Either way... a very average potato wedge. 

 

 

Like I said... twenty bucks but at least the quartet of wings are individually large. WingsUp have a variety of sauces (a little over a dozen) yet only a couple carry any kind of spice alert (like, multiple flaming peppers next to the name). I guess I was feeling especially adventurous this afternoon because I went for what they deem their hottest one: the "Sweatin' Bullets", which they even sell bottles of.

On that first bite the familiar tropical sweetness of a scotch bonnet made my acquaintance, although I must say this is a very PG version of that notoriously fiery pepper. The sizzle and the sting are greatly watered down and diminished, as though the fire in your mouth is actually across a lake and you're just watching it, some of the heated smoke hitting your nostrils only occasionally. It still has some lingering bite however, especially on the lips... and frankly I quite liked it as a sauce. Accessible with a more well rounded heat rather than a direct assault. Easily the best thing I encountered here at WingsUp.             

The wings themselves... oddly soft (the sauce does soak them) with a fairly indistinguished breading. The chicken inside is quite tender and mostly lean. While these aren't cheap in regards to quality, again I didn't get much depth to these wings in either texture or flavour (beyond the pleasant tingle from the sauce). Tender yes, but lacking juiciness. Are they good chicken wings? Sure. They are quite tasty, sneakily greasy. they fall off the bone well and are cooked consistently throughout. However, they're not outstanding... and when you're basically talking four bucks a wing here... 

I was set to leave the review at just this simple wings and wedges order... but then I noticed they do daily specials on appetizers. Actually, the WingsUp Liberty Village offers so many specials on their walls it became distracting as to what the priority of this restaurant actually was. Daily chicken sandwich special! Wing Wednesday! Buy a large party platter for the price of 2/3 a party platter between 5 and 8 pm on the third Saturday of every other month! (Okay maybe I made up one of those). 

Anyhow, I noticed how on Sundays they offered their "Multi-tizer" at 1/2 price, which is essentially a mini-platter of most of their appetizers. Seeing such an item potentially discounted to ten bucks... I decided to give WingsUp! a second visit before work, calling in my order online (uh... webbing my order?) for it to be ready once I arrived.

 

  

Twelve dollars? Now that's a bit more reasonable. Here we have an assortment of breaded pickles, perogies, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers and fried mac n'cheese bites. Plus a side of sour cream, marinara and whatever the heck that mass-produced orange one is. My arteries were truly over the moon on my culinary choices this particular day, lemme tell ya. 

Once again I didn't have time to properly sample these right away (lousy actual job, financially sustaining my actual life) so it was time again for the air fryer to do it's best to emulate what these would be like fresh. I do think in general I got a strong sense what we're dealing with here.

 

 

The perogies were probably the ones I was most skeptical about, yet might've ended up being the best thing here in the sampler, funny enough. They're very simple: cheese and potato filling (no trace or hint of onion), yet there's a lightness to them despite being rather dense with that filling. The exterior reminded me of a pizza pop or pizza roll in terms of taste and texture. Far from authentic, but they fill a sort of fast food pierogi definition capably.

 

 

Get ready to throw your pitchforks (pickleforks?) at me because... I'm not the biggest fan of pickles. There I said it. *ducks* 

Now before you finish typing that angry message how I'm unforgivably wrong for slighting the greatest food to ever exist, let me just say I think pickles are an excellent supporting player for other dishes. Pickles on sandwiches or in spreads (relish) can be excellent, personally I love a pastrami sandwich with a pickle on the side. It's pure magic. When a pickle is the only thing though? The main attraction? I'm just not that into it. That's just not my preferred brand of stingy sour flavour. 

As such... it's hard for me to judge these WingsUp fried pickles entirely fairly. Plus... there's only so much an air fryer can do to save a breaded (and now hollow and shriveled) pickle after several hours. I did like the touch of dill within the breading.

 

 

This colourful creation is a jalapeno popper, a fried item I can't say I've munched on extensively in my life. For instance, I wasn't aware these things had cheese inside of them...

 

 

...very much a gooey, fake/nacho cheese, a plasticky taste that does pair well with an angry hot pepper. These were indeed quite enjoyable, if a bit of a heartburn nightmare waiting to ambush you. Really quite loaded with that molten cheese and the shell of the hot pepper runs through most of the popper. Solid stuff.

 

 

It's a fried mozzarella stick. It tastes exactly like a fried mozzarella stick, which is both awesome and immediately guilt-inducing. Also don't worry, the contents of that ketchup container came nowhere near anything in these photos (no appetizer was harmed by ketchup in the making of this article).

 

 

Finally, the mac and cheese bite (likely what that nefarious ketchup was meant for). Imagine clumps of KD in a thin batter and fried... bingo. I tend to like my mac n cheeses much creamier and richer (I don't like KD is what I'm saying) but as a bizarre appetizer novelty, these were funky to try. The noodles on the inside weren't hard or overdone either... quite soft in fact. Would've liked it had they been cheesier though.

 ---

 

 

Overall... honestly a very slightly-above-average fast food outing here. Nothing really blew me away, but everything was also mostly enjoyable and tasty enough. The wings are good but not as amazing as their cost suggests and as such... WingsUp isn't a place I'd recommend at full price... if they have a 1/2 off special or something of the like? I could see myself going back. I guess the hypnotic logo did something after all.

 

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Tuesday Tune

I genuinely can't believe this hasn't been a song of the week yet in the 130+ weekly reviews I've done over the years. Arguably my favourite BOC song and one that really takes me back to a particular era and time in my life, reminding me of cool people I knew and fun nights we had. Great song.

 

 

That's it for another week! Until next time... stay safe, stay cool, enjoy these remaining morsels of nice weather and most of all... don't spill that mustard. 

 

                    

This Week In Pizza: La Vecchia (Mimico)

 

 

You know, sometimes I wonder if this pizza reviewing schtick is getting old. Anyone feel me on this? Here I am again, old pizza maniac guy checking out another old pizza somewhere in this old town. What's next, a chain of pizza restaurants that literally translates as "The old one"? Sheesh. 

Okay, perhaps this is a little bit unfair to La Vecchia... since with only two locations (and a third forthcoming), calling them a chain is a slight overestimation. That said, La Vecchia is indeed one of the older places we've reviewed in a while... calling their space in Midtown Toronto (on Yonge Street just north of Eglinton) home for nearly thirty years. 

   

 

They quite proudly promote their Ospitalita Italiana certification, which from what I can gather is a designation awarded by Italy (the Italian Chamber of Commerce more accurately) to Italian restaurants abroad that fully embrace and practice the methods and recipes of Italian cuisine... this even applies to the decor and furniture too, apparently. Honestly I'd never even heard of this thing before and looking more into it... well I'm guessing neither have you because most other Toronto Italian restaurants that have this seal (maybe a dozen) don't appear to place as much effort in mentioning it.   

While the first La Vecchia has called Midtown Toronto home since 1996, their second restaurant is a generation younger. The building on Marine Parade Drive which houses them wasn't even completely built until 2019, with the expansive condo development on this stretch of Mimico shoreline in the works for at least a decade before that (still moved faster than the Eglinton LRT though). 

 

 

Fortunately these developments left the parkland right along the water untouched, making the view of the Toronto skyline from Marine Parade Drive unobstructed and simply stunning. This is the part of the city that juts out southwest-ward, giving an especially wide and full angle of much of the western chunk of downtown. Certainly quite neat for me this particular afternoon, making this pizza stop before a shift and seeing the very venue in the distance where I had to be within an hour.

 

 

My experience inside La Vecchia and ordering my pizza (to go)... well it was downright amusing. Perhaps I was somewhat underdressed (what with having to bike to work immediately after) for such a swanky place but the initial look from the manager and host upon seeing me walk in was... well, like how you'd probably react if you saw somebody in line at Tim Horton's wearing only a pair of stained underwear (I was in a baggy T-shirt and black shorts, for the record).

Their general snootiness did subside (somewhat) once I actually made my order (and they realized I wasn't some courier with the wrong address or something). The vibe of the place was still exceedingly top button tightened, a general atmosphere I'd describe more as trimmed elegance required rather than openly comfortable and welcoming. Even had I been in my regular (non-work) clothes I'd still have felt exceptionally out of place here: this is more multi-bill blazers, shined shoes and cologne than loose hoodies or baseball hats with durable deodorant. This place getting a commendation for adhering to Italian cuisine and style definitely makes sense in retrospect: I seemed almost like a tourist in some foreign country.

 

 

Waiting for my pizza at the bar was also quite a trip. I've worked in plenty of restaurants and can't say I've ever seen a wine rack that legitimately extends into the ceiling/overhang of a bar. I have so many questions... like is this purely for decoration or are those bottles actually in play on their menu? And if so... how does the server or bartender get into there? Is there like a ladder hidden away? A secret passage/room that allows easier access? Perhaps they have some kind of wine bottle grabbing contraption, like one of those claw games in an arcade? How the heck do they clean up there? 

Not just that, but the music they were playing this afternoon caught my attention as well. I'd noticed a familiar melody yet the style of music was very soft jazz/adult contemporary, a breathy female singer... doing a cover of "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran I soon realized. Okay sure, I figured... a very famous song that's been played a lot... makes sense some jazzy Sade-lite singer would cover it. Perfectly normal tune to have on your Thursday afternoon playlist in your refined Italian restaurant overlooking the lake. But then... oh ho ho then... in that same musical style was a cover of "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC. I had to restrain myself from laughing out loud incredulously: they were playing a whole album of these kinds of covers. Forget another country, at this point I honestly wondered if I'd wandered onto another planet.

 

 

After all that, it would be tricky for any mere pizza to be more notable than those bizarre fifteen minutes inside La Vecchia... though I was strongly optimistic as a pizza this could be really damn good. It smelled fantastic. 

Following my recent habit of ordering a pizza creation named after the restaurant itself (which I mused more deeply upon in my Insieme article) this here is La Vecchia's "La Vecchia": tomato sauce, cheese, spicy Italian pork sausage and mushrooms. Very straightforward. 

 

 

The toppings are definitely plentiful (there's more sausage on here than freaking cheese) but how does it taste? Well... there's a lot of immediate flavour: the sausage is very finely ground (almost minced) and brings that classic Italian sausage punch/spice (with subtle sweetness) to the tongue. This tomato sauce is quite refined, slightly on the sweeter side, though like the cheese there isn't exactly an abundance of it. The crust/dough is quite white and floury, not much in the way of crunch or softness... much more like the texture of a hard kaiser roll or a smooth baguette. 

 

 

I think with a lot of restaurants like this you can tell when a place is more 'pasta or general entree' focused, because while there are some nice flavours in here the "as a pizza" part of the equation is really where this falls short. That empty dusty dough doesn't help, really clouding the punchier flavours this pie does have... and as such there isn't much in the way of enjoyable lingering taste to any of this. On the reheat (low pan heat) none of this worked whatsoever... that dry dustiness was multiplied while the other flavours could barely register on the tongue. A tough pizza cold and a downright terrible one a few hours beyond that.   

The conception of this one is also somewhat lacking. Mushrooms with a red sauce on a pizza can work but often you'll need to pair it up with something else (garlic or another vegetable or a second cheese) to really maximize that distinct presence. These are good mushrooms too: juicy and soft... but with just sausage and little else from the tomato sauce or the cheese they're simply not utilized to their best. That's really the biggest issue with this whole pizza: it tastes decent enough (when fresh) but it really is missing a couple things to elevate it. As is, beyond that good zing in the sausage it becomes rather bland and unexciting by the end of your first slice.

 

 

Overall... well the place is in a truly exceptional location and the experience of being inside the place was far more notable than anything I ate afterwards from it. Not a bad pizza when fresh, but this would be a hard pass from me ever going back. Just not a whole lot of life to this one and I'm rarely a fan of such a floury crust when the dough isn't soft or fluffy. Like I said, judging by the quality there's a very strong chance that the rest of their food is actually quite good (probably) and that awesome pizzas simply aren't a trick in their bag. You can't teach a La Vecchia new pizzas? Ah? Pardon me while I laugh to myself about my own brilliance...  

Anyhow, I highly recommend checking out this part of town for the awesome skyline views... but I can't recommend La Vecchia for their pizza. I'll grade it a meh level "B--" as the taste is entirely fine even if sorely lacking in resonance.              

       

The Tuesday Taste - Double Double Pizza & Chicken

 

 

Sister don't reduce yourself

You gotta find something to love

Pidgeon girls got no religion

You are a diamond in the rough 

Another Tuesday... another Taste! The weekly review took a break last week, what with that weekend being a birthday celebration and um... me being too hungover to go review anything. *cough*

Anyhow we're back! And reviewing some pizza no less, from a chain you've probably heard about in passing. Well get ready to see double here (four Krustys!) as we dive into Double Double Pizza.

 

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I never knew a man

could tell so many lies

He had a different story

for every set of eyes

 

Another Tuesday... another Taste! We took a break from the weekly review last week, what with the weekend being a birthday celebration and um... me being too hungover to go out and review anything Monday. *cough*

Anyhow we're back! And reviewing some pizza no less, from a chain you've probably (maybe) heard about in passing. Well get ready to see double here (four Krustys!) as we dive into Double Double Pizza! Hey wait... this seems, familiar? Have we done this one before? Hmmmm, probably just imagining things. 

Double Double Pizza is unusual in that it's a moderately far reaching pizza chain, with locations from Kitchener/Waterloo to the west to Cornwall to the east, yet not a single one anywhere close to central Toronto. Not sure this has always been the case, as I simply just don't have any clear recollection of ever going to or seeing one when growing up... and I was indeed a downtown kid. Apparently they had commercials though:

 

 

Isn't it sad (and rather telling about the present moment) that the 1990s now feel like such a sweet and innocent time? Man.

It would seem that like much of that precipitous innocence, the story of how and why Double Double Pizza exists is lost from the interwebs (possibly just not interesting enough for anyone to have bothered documenting). I think they were founded in 1986? Or 1990? They were the first ever pizzeria to offer turkey as a topping? Maybe? Oh well! Straight ahead into the review then. 

There's a location on Kingston Road not too far from the Scarborough GO station... naturally I got off at the further away Eglinton GO Station and adventured through some bizarre ravine trail to get there. My methods are not for everyone. 

 

 

Back when I reviewed Duckworth's Fish and Chips last autumn I wrote about how this particular neighbourhood, Cliffside, was a serious motel haven three-quarters of a century ago. Even now there's a unique frontier-like sense I get from this area of Kingston Road: a wide open expanse that feels populated but not habitated. You really feel like you've left Toronto despite actually still being well within its eastern boundaries, helped by a smattering of those motels still standing near Brimley Road. 

Back to the pizza joint, which calls a tiny concrete plaza home just off where St. Clair Avenue East ends forever (most major eastern Toronto streets get swallowed up by Kingston Road). Before even going inside, thanks to several posters on their window I was conflicted as to which special/deal made the most sense for me on this sunny Wednesday evening. In the end I kept it simple: a large one topping walk-in special (pepperoni) and some chicken wings. Chicken is in their name, after all. 

 

 

Off the jump I have to mention the sheer quantity of food here at a fairly reasonable price. A large pizza and a pound and a half (best estimate) of wings... totaling in around thirty-two dollars? Here in 2025, when half that amount of wings alone can often clear twenty bucks... this felt like a bargain. Naturally, this made me immediately nervous as to the level of quality I was about to encounter (the scars from my horrific Wing Machine experience years ago do still burn badly).

 

 

While I ordered sweet and chili as my flavour, the folks at Double Double smartly kept the sauce on the side rather than toss the wings to order and have them get all soft, soaked and sticky in time for their destination. Positive points there. Said sauce is... well it's the exact type of sweet and chili Thai stuff you can find at nearly any grocery store. If you like that kind of stuff, this does that job. 

 

                         

A pretty decently sized, lightly breaded wing (if a bit over-fried in old oil). That old oil taste does seep through prominently on a few of the more well done wings (those darker spots especially) but generally it's not a big enough issue to ruin the overall taste or texture. 

I gotta say, for cheap pizza chain wings... these are pretty solid. A very dirty crispiness (in a good way) with a notable but not overwhelming oiliness... while the chicken inside is nicely cooked without being at all chewy or rubbery. Not a particularly fatty or juicy wing, not a whole lot of seasoning (if any). It's just inoffensive crispy chicken that also keeps together well on a reheat.

 

 

Into my zone of particular expertise, the 'za. Again, my expectations weren't skyhigh or anything... I was just hoping this would be reasonably edible and that I'd actually want to finish it (as I like to say, a surefire sign a pizza is terrible is if I don't even care about eating the leftovers).

Well, I did finish this one. Double Double Pizza's pizza is... entirely okay. Not a lot going on with it but not aggressively bland either. Not once does it taste like cardboard, which immediately launches it in a tier far above Domino's or Pizza Pizza. 

 

     

There are a lot of rather generic elements on display here. The tomato sauce has that typical sugary sweetness you find in only the very finest economy priced cans in the supermarket, the dough fairly tasteless with an unfresh firmness... yet somehow these slices have a mostly soft texture as well? A strong helping of greasy cheese helps with that, plus as cheap as the sauce is they do put a lot of it on here which helps prevent the pie from drying out as it cools off. 

I also kinda like this crust. Airy and crunchy, greasy (the whole pizza is very much that) and still rather tasty even once the pie goes cold.  

Honestly... this is a good way to do a cheap-ass pizza. None of these flavours are at all notable yet the sum is greater than the individual parts. And it tastes/feels exactly the same on the reheat in the toaster oven... which might not be as big an endorsement on this pizza's quality as it seems but certainly isn't a negative. 

 

 

Overall... well I think this is one where perspective and context have to be taken into account. On pure quality alone, I would not recommend Double Double Pizza. The flavours are cheap and very simple. However, nothing about what I ate here was bad either... and frankly affordability does count for something. If all you're looking for is some grub to share with some pals while watching a game, or an easy spread for party guests to mindlessly munch on... this is an option that won't disappoint or leave an abyss in the ol' wallet. If there were one of these in my neighbourhood... once in while I probably would head on over for an inexpensive, no frills pie (and jazz it up with my own additions once I got home of course). 

It's a very average pizza chain, which I think gives it a strong "C" grade. Tastes like pizza, lasts well in the fridge, doesn't hoard the cheese or sauce on ya. Plus the wings are likewise solid with some good crispiness. Double Double Pizza is one that has its time and place.

 

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It's hard not to surrender

To the bold and comely words

What sway the bloody minded

What hang above the graceless herd

Another Tuesday... another Taste? You got it! We're back after taking a break last week, the weekend being a little birthday celebration and um... me being too hungover to go review anything. *cough*

Anyhow we're back! And reviewing some pizza no less, via a chain you've probably heard... hey, wait a minute...

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Burnt Pizza Ends

How about a link dump! Surely everyone's favourite form of content. Here are a bunch of pizza reviews I've done in the past couple months:

Viva Pizzeria (and Pasta)

Insieme

Aleeza's

Levetto

Crudo (they've reopened!)

Il Padre's

Duke's Refresher

 

 

Catch Me If You Can

Seriously though, even though the Jays held on to win the game anyway... I'm still incredulous that wasn't ruled a catch.

 

 

Tuesday Tune(s)

Due to the um, "glitch/hiccup" nature of this week's review... 

 

 

     

 

 

That's all for this week! Until next time... stay safe, stay cool and most of all... 

That's all for this week! Until next time, stay safe... stay cool and... oh for crying out loud. Don't spill that mustard! 

   

This Week In Pizza: Viva Pizzeria & Pasta

 

 

Surely this is an easy one to explain in the translation department, no? Even the king himself was singing the word over half a century ago...

 

 

Sadly we're not going to a glamourous Vegas show in this article (that's a different kind of and spelling of revue). Instead we're checking out a somewhat new pizzeria up in the northern edges of East York, close to where the Don Valley Parkway does its bendy thing. Viva las pizza!

While I can't find a whole lot of backstory about Viva Pizzeria and their website is entirely that typical "our mission is to make food the freshest and most delicious for our customers blah blah blah" (what do you want me to do... actually contact these places? Sheesh... Smash that Like and Subscribe though!)... I can tell you that Viva opened up on O'Connor Drive, just a block east of Pape, this past August (2024) taking over the space from what looks like a breakfast spot. 

It must also be mentioned how this is an awkward part of Toronto: O'Connor Drive is essentially a high volume relief road from the nearby freeway (not to mention a artery connector to Leaside and Scarborough) and such a road with that necessary width (like six lanes) isn't exactly one conducive to little restaurants or shops or anything like that. More like gas station marts and big box stores... or so you would think, but O'Connor is actually lined with the classically quaint little East York houses its entire length... thus the awkwardness I'm describing. It's both residential and not ideal for walking... a street that's just enormous open thoroughfare with cars zooming by with pre or post-highway determinations.

Yet despite this, there are restaurants along it too. A high school friend of mine used to work at The Wally, there's an Eggsmart (there's a review I'll get to in 2027 or something) and now Viva Pizzeria, which is nestled on the north side of O'Connor near a short side street close to Pape. On a sunny evening I rode my wheels up (taking Cosburn Avenue which actually has a bike lane) and walked in to sample this self-described "best pizza in town!" (spoiler: it isn't). 

 

 

I know I've written about this before but I'll never stop being fascinated by how much aesthetic variety pizzerias can have. You can have a faux old-school Italian home cooked restaurant like you see here (complete with plastic vines), a greasy white tiled takeout spot with oily arcade machines, a sleek and hip spot with groovy lights... something snooty and upscale pretentious, or warmly welcoming all without any frills... something steeped in foreign culture, or straight forward North American... and of course a blend and chosen mix of any number of those. Are there any other foods or classic meals that can boast such an assortment of vibes and decors? I certainly cannot fathom one. 

 

 

While the checkered tablecloths and plastic vines of Viva are cute though somewhat kitschy, I was genuinely enthralled by this golden cash register behind the bar (next to the serious business espresso machine). I made my order and sat at this very bar, the restaurant mostly empty on this Wednesday evening just after 7 o'clock (one table by the window and a presumed local chatting up the female bartender and making a very specific sandwich order). 

A short time later my pizza was ready and I made off, trying to find a park or a bench nearby to dig in... which took a while because as I described: O'Connor Drive is just not that kind of street.  

 

 

I do quite like rapini on pizza (a preference not shared by many I know) and this here is Viva's 'Salsiccia e Rapini'... featuring Italian sausage, sauteed rapini, bomba, with tomato sauce and fior di latte of course (although Viva does give the option of a white sauce instead).

 

 

Immediately on my first few bites, I noticed something extremely distinctive about Viva's pizza... something even unique among the actual hundreds of pizzas I've tried/reviewed... an dominant butteryness. Like for real, I've never encountered any other pie to this degree wherein the most prominent taste is a specific butter-like creaminess. It's completely inescapable: the flavour, the smell, the type of oiliness it leaves on your fingertips. 

Does it ruin the pizza? Hardly. There's enough else going on to at least give every bite a bit of variety on the tongue, even if all these toppings do taste like thinner supporting characters. It's strange! Nevertheless, there is very good quality here and those toppings are rather plentiful.

 

 

While this pizza also smells great, that robustness doesn't completely transfer over to the tongue. There is a looseness (and occasional wateriness to the sauce) that stretches the flavours a bit thin, leading back to that 'supporting character' comment I described earlier. The crust though... exceptional. Like an oily focaccia with just enough crisp to hold the slice together (these are pretty floppy) with a marvelous fresh baked taste. I do think this pie could be a bit thicker and more of that bread would only be a positive. It's legitimately fantastic.

Strong toppings as well, faint as they can taste. A nice mix of juiciness in the sausage crumble (with some bits bringing more sting than others), the rapini is wet but far from bland or overly soggy, the bomba spice is rather sneaky (enough to forget about it just in time for it to strike again) and gives some solid mouth sizzle. Quality mozzarella here also: maintaining that softness even once cool and tasting (like so much of this pizza) decadent and buttery. 

 

 

Overall! Such a strange one, despite it not really looking that part. That watery butteryness does subside on the reheat (also the pizza itself loses little else on that) and yet even when in full force that dominant element never becomes unpleasant... rather just softening the other flavours somewhat.

You can often tell when a place puts actual work into their pizza and Viva is that for sure. While I think I'd stop just short of a "you gotta go try this place!" type of recommendation, this is an entirely good-to-very-good pizza option I'd be happy to check out again (should my travels lead me up to this odd part of town again). All that considered, Viva Pizzeria gets a strong "B" grade. Interesting and tasty stuff.    

       

             

This Week In Pizza: Insieme

 

 

Back to translating Italian! "Insieme" in English means 'together', or more precisely 'with one another'... implying an organic harmonious connection between beings or an ecosystem, rather than "these shoes and jacket go great together". I could be wrong, having only looked this up for a couple minutes... but whatever!

It's a great name for a restaurant, that's for sure... enough so that various restaurants in Montreal and Milano likewise have the name "Insieme", though there is seemingly no connection to the one here in Toronto. Speaking of that, Insieme (Toronto version) opened it's doors sometime last spring/summer (2024) on Atlantic Avenue (no hotel though), taking over the space previously occupied for roughly a decade by Vietnamese fusion spot Saigon Bistro.

 

 

One immediate positive Insieme has brought to the neighbourhood is the rejuvenation of the rather spacious front patio of the property. While this particularly drizzle-heavy afternoon was not exactly the most ideal time to settle in get comfy out here... I can easily imagine a cool summer evening spent with a meal and streetside watching being rather charming. Any outdoor patio that utilizes a tree in some way is always a winner if you're asking me (which you clearly are, what with reading this review and all).          

The inside of the restaurant is rather compact and tight, with a casually sleek decor and plenty of greenery by the large front window. Most certainly a relaxed, chill vibe to the place... a simplified coziness despite the still general semi-touched newness unmistakably in the air. It was quite empty when I made my visit... it being a wet Tuesday just after 4 o'clock in the afternoon and they having been open for maybe ten minutes. 

I made my order and about a dozen minutes later I was out the door with it, hoping to find some kind of moderate outdoor shelter under which to eat it (no such luck, a tiny tree beside Left Field Brewery so it would be).

 

 

My curiousity is always raised when a pizzeria gives one of their pizzas the same name as their restaurant. Is it because this particular creation best embodies the spirit and substance of what the place is all about? Or more so a creation designed as something outside of the box, an excuse to sidestep more traditional pies and make something unique and original? Whatever the motive, here is the Pizza Insieme: tomato sauce, fior di latte cheese, pepperoni, 'nduja sausage, basil, sliced garlic and oregano. 

 

 

The first thing I noticed was the very acidic nature of the sauce. Not a bad thing! But definitely more on the sweet, stingy side of tomato flavour. A very thin, loose sauce as well... soaking into the base dough. The crust has some light crunch, not too much char... while there is some cornmeal-like grit to the base of the pie. There's even a scent of roasted corn within the dough. As for the texture... it's deceptively thin (even for a wood fired pie) but has the right balance of soft and slight crunch to really make that work. 

Having basil on here was a very wise choice, as that bright leafiness does well in swallowing up some of that sauce acidity. Together they're quite lovely. Sadly I don't get much of the garlic in here... there are hints of it throughout but its very much blended into the other more prominent flavours. 

 

 

There are a few things I quite like about this pizza, the pepperoni and cheese chief among those positives. Great charred edges and crisp to this pepperoni, while the fior di latte brings that full-bodied, mouth filling buttery touch I really do like in a pizza mozzarella. There is some floppiness to these slices as well (not helped by the rain pelting me during this) but the toppings all hold together and stay onboard with minimal mess. As mentioned earlier, the texture of this pizza is quite on point.

More of a letdown (hangin' around) is that 'nduja element. It's entirely fine I suppose... that distinctive robust flavour is in here, though faintly... which does give this pizza a kind of "playing it safe" feel as I went deeper into it. All of this is a bit too pleasant, too friendly to the tastebuds... with nothing taking a chance and really going "wow" upon me. 

Despite that, I still somehow liked this pizza more the more I ate some of it. Even cold, it's strong qualities were barely diminished. No glaring weaknesses either... only it's general 'goodness' and lack of ooomph are my notable complaints. 

 

 

Overall! This reminded me of Pizzeria Libretto in a few ways... mostly in the composition (the sauce, cheese, and paper thin garlic precisely). I do probably like this a whisker or two more than my last Libretto experience, although on a measure of quality they're both very much in the same ballpark.

It's a nice ballpark to be in, of course. Perhaps not all that unique or different among wood burning oven pizzas... but a good one is a good one and this is certainly that. I would indeed recommend checking out Insieme! Charming spot, lovely front patio (great for a summer date night)... and the pizza is very good. I'm torn between a "B+" and a "B++" on this one... I did really enjoy this pizza, though I just wish they hadn't played it so safe with the spiciness of their 'nduja sausage. I'll go with a very strong "B+", likely placing them on the verge of a Top 50 slot in all of Toronto.