When I checked out Cowabunga a couple months back, I got a few messages/recommendations from people (friends from Hamilton and nearby) suggesting I had to try Tony G's next and see how they compare. "No problem" I thought, seeing as I go to or pass through Hamilton occasionally and Tony G's happens to be a very walkable distance from the West Harbour GO station. Then I looked at my work schedule, noticed how many concerts I'd likely be scheduled to work in August and September, and realized... "yeah this is probably gonna be an autumn thing".
Sure enough, fast forward into early October when I happened to be on a train coming back from St. Catharines, knew we were stopping at West Harbour, had my bike with me, and was feeling the inner growl of hunger. Too good to be true, perhaps? Part of me expected the pizzeria to be closed for some obscure holiday (The Day of Maximum Occupancy perhaps) and I'd have an hour stuck in downtown Hamilton.
Nope! The Day of Maximum Occupancy must've been the previous week as Tony G's was indeed open for business this particular sunny Friday afternoon.
While the exterior of the place invokes the vibe of this being a spot that's been serving multiple generations, Tony G's has actually only been open for a couple of years. While some online posters claim there's a familial connection between Tony G's and well known Greek takeout spot Tony's Corner, I can't find anything concrete to verify that for certain. I can say, however, that chef Charlie Campanella has pizza-slinging in his veins... with the place being named for his uncle Tony (also a pizza maker) whose father also worked making pizza pies... making for quite a cheese-and-sauce family tree.
Another aspect to Tony G's adding to their "seeming much older" than they actually are: they're a cash-only establishment. As such I had to make use of their ATM and also didn't have appropriate change from my order for a tip, though I didn't see a jar either (sorry guys). Hopefully this review can at least somewhat make up for my lack of monetary preparedness.
Obviously, the pizza is actually gonna have to be good for me to glow approvingly about it... so lets dive into what we have here. The pepperoni slice on the left doesn't need much explanation, but on the right we have a... don't actually know what they call this one (edit: "It's A Bronx Thing") but it's a white pizza with Italian sausage, rapini, pickled hot peppers and ricotta. Plus, a dip of their lemon garlic aioli.
I had a bit of time before the hourly train back to Toronto and so found a side street with a bench in which to sit and try these two slices. It must be mentioned how downtown Hamilton (at least the minimal amount I've seen of the western portion) is quite odd. A combination of rundown, abandoned derelict structures (with front steps occupied by colourful locals not shy with their ravings) next to elegant streetlamp avenues with posh restos and potted flowers along the curb (and quite a few hipster-like bars too).
All this makes for an odd scene in the middle of the afternoon, wherein I'm eating pizza slices across the street from a patio way too buttoned-up for the likes of me... meanwhile you can hear the demented hollering of an unstable vagabond from a block away. I've been told that Hamilton has a severe homelessness problem (like Toronto though perhaps worse) and combined with rows of buildings that likewise have seen better days... this downtown is much like a garden where some of the plants are green, beautiful and healthy while others have withered from neglect. Very much one or the other.
As for the pizza... well this here "It's A Bronx Thing" is actually also a rather delicious thing. These are very thin slices (more on that in a moment) and yet you do get a significant presence of cheese on here, both the mozzarella and the dollops of smooth, subtly sour ricotta. Even if it were just those two cheeses and the sausage crumble (itself in little bits but still juicy) this would be a damn fine slice... but the addition of those pickled spicy peppers and the oily rapini... truly takes it to another level.
Just a wicked combinations of flavours. Slight oily bitterness, some pickled zing, a firm mozzarella to act as a foundation, a bit of juicy saltiness in the sausage and that neutral ricotta acting as a crucial balancer cutting through all of it. Ingenious. Legitimately one of the most dynamic pizza slices I've encountered in quite some time.
A tough act to follow in particular for this mere pepperoni slice (which I indeed tried second). However, this is a pepperoni offering deserving of much more than such a backseat distinction. Here you get much more of the heavily cheesy, greasy, saltiness one expects with a pepperoni slice worth its reputation. There's a pleasant buttery-taste to the cheese, great char along both the pepperoni cups and the edges of the slice (giving a delightful light crispiness) and the dough below (pardon the rhyme) has an awesome softness (both slices indeed have this).
The fact that these slices have such a layered texture is extra impressive considering, as this photo demonstrates, how thin and floppy they are. Tony G's is indeed aiming to be an accurate homage to NYC pizza and they most definitely nail the thin, floppy element to their pies. All that's missing is a "Famous" "Original" or "Rays" in their name... Famous Original Tony Ray G's or something like that.
A quick note on the dip: it's quite thick, gloopy and garlicky... with a very distinct lemony hint that really gives it something a little bit more than your typical good garlic dip. There's a zesty richness to this that's quite lovely, well done.
Overall! You may have wondered why I misspelled "Pizzeria" a couple times here in the article (including in the very title of this piece). Well this is not a coincidental oversight... because as you can see in this picture of the exterior that I took myself... Tony G's actual sign above their front door says "Pizzaria".
Being admittedly ignorant of these types of things, I wondered if 'Pizzaria' was an alternate spelling of "Pizzeria", a more traditional or regional configuration of the word that just isn't commonly used or seen. Nope.
Perhaps a bit of stylistic license? "Aria" is of course an operatic term, an allusion to something sung solo within a larger composition of music... could this be their intention here in regards to pizza? Nope again. Their online accounts for delivery or Instagram all refer to themselves as Tony G's "Pizzeria".
Not only that, but in my research I couldn't even find somebody else mentioning how their sign has a significant typo, I mean... a typo misspelling what they actually are! I've checked this photo several times (along with Google Streetview) just to make sure this is actually true and not something totally fabricated in the bizarre illusions of my mind. Even after all that... I'm still only 99.9 percent sure this sign says "Pizzaria" (it does, right?).
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That off my chest, Tony G's can spell Pizzeria with an "x" if they want because bizarre typo aside this pizza is just exceptional. Magical with everything you'd want from a simple pepperoni slice, or the depth and lingering flavours from the more complex "Bronx" offering. Damn tremendous stuff that gets an 'A-' grade in my book, placing them in the middle-to-upper tier of a 'best pizza' conversation I've ever encountered.
In fact, they were so good... and since I still had time on my way to the West Harbour GO station... I couldn't resist a fresh direct comparison. Saddle up, dear reader, because we're not done yet. You guessed it: a Slice Off between two of the best regarded pizza places in Hamilton... Tony G's and Cowabunga.
Obviously I've reviewed Cowabunga already so diving deep again into what makes their pizza so tasty and terrific is not necessary here. Rather, seeing how both places are inspired by the NYC thin style, I'm interested in how similar/different they are in this regard. Plus, it gave me an excuse to try Cowabunga's famous 1UP slice which I wasn't able to before.
Hold that train! I've got pizza business to conclude here!
Anyhow, while this photographic angle is a bit more flattering, Cowabunga is still the notably thinner slice. Which also gives them an edge in crispiness. Tony G's as such gives you much more of a cheese taste, and was generally a bit more charred as well. Not sure if Tony G's also does the sourdough dough thing (D'oh!) but either way it is much more noticeable in the taste of the Cowabunga slice.
This 1UP from Cowabunga is indeed an excellent piece of pie... although I think I liked Tony G's a little bit better. A bit more body and texture to it, with an equally fantastic array of delightful flavours. The 1UP slice does get significant points for creativity though: it's extremely rich and decadent (thanks to the truffle cream in there) yet also with a significant lemon citrusy zing to it. Very heavy intense flavours (also on the saltier side despite it being a vegetarian creation) and it is definitely one I'd love to try again... Cowabunga was also at a disadvantage here what with it being the third slice I'd tried in an hour and those two from Tony G's were quite massive. Wasn't all that hungry anymore... but had to do this in the name of pizza science! (Pizzcience)
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Anyhow! Thus concludes this edition of, um, me trying Hamilton pizza I guess. I know Mai Pai is the third one people have told me I need to check out and I'm sure I will eventually... it's just that unlike Cowabunga or Tony G's they're not all that close to either the West Harbour GO Station or where my Hamilton bandmates live. I'll find a way! Until then, I've got a few European pizza slices to write about, a couple in particular that might just be even better than either of these Hamilton ones. Cheers!
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