See her picture in a thousand places
'cause she's this year's girl
You think you all own little pieces
of this year's girl
Forget your fancy manners
Forget your English grammar
'Cause you don't really give a damn
about this year's girl
Another Tuesday... another Taste! And one involving a redemption tale, at that.
I have a strange history with North of Brooklyn. One of the founders indeed worked with me at Ossington Pizzeria Libretto way back when, was a cool dude, and now NoB has clearly been a success story... with several locations throughout the GTA. So.. naturally my bias would be towards positivity, no?
No. In fact, having only tried them twice before typing these words, I considered them grossly overrated. Both previous times I visited the Queen West location for a slice, both times whoever was working the counter was indifferent and terrible, and both times the slice was stale and un-inspired. None of this made sense to me: why do people love this place so much? Even considering them as among, or even the best, pizza in Toronto? In my initial list they weren't even Top 50... which is where dry, stale pizza and customer service will get you.
However... that was Queen West, and a half-decade ago at that. A fair re-evaluation was long due, considering their stellar reputation and generally good word of mouth. They have a sit down/take out location at Greenwood and Danforth, very close to where I paint signs as a side gig, and so it was finally time to really give North of Brooklyn an honest shot.
Whereas my previous encounters with folks working at NoB had been negative, this was quite the reverse. Super friendly, and he gave me an extra garlic sauce! Surely the way into my heart has become common knowledge.
Regardless, this particular location (shared with a bar called Better Half) doesn't do slices, so I ordered the Amatriciana pizza... a dish I definitely did not have to Google to know what it was. Nope. (luckily the cool dude was polite with my attempt to pronounce it). Anyhow, it's essentially a sausage, red onion, mozzarella and pecorino pie, much of that blended into the sauce, with some herbs sprinkled in for good measure.
I think my prior disinclination (totally a word) towards North of Brooklyn was two-fold: that awful service at that particular location, and never tasting any of their slices fresh. Because... yeah this is the real deal. Hot out of the oven, not sitting out in the dry air of disinterest? My friends, this is indeed a marvelous pizza.
The sauce reminds of a hearty tomato pasta sauce, and a very good one at that. And there is plenty of it, giving the considerable cheesiness of the pie right the right level of sweet sting. Terrific balance throughout: not too much of everything, and all of the flavours have just the right amount of presence. Every bite is enjoyable in its own way.
The mozzarella cheese has that beautiful buttery aftertaste, the red onions (and I am not an onions guy) provide an invaluable pinch that fits seamlessly into the other flavours... similar to icing on a cake it doesn't need the addition, but you like that it is there.
Terrific crust as well. High quality char and the bread slowly unravels itself to reveal a fine taste of its own. Never too chewy, the pie itself isn't a floppy/droopy mess either... the composition is flawless. The appearance suggests burnt bread, but thankfully there is plenty of softness below that char. Goddamn... I wish I had more to say but it really is just that simple: this here is a truly excellent pizza.
The dipping sauce, which I was generously gifted a dual portion of? Sure! It has that ranch-like consistency, and while I usually dislike ranch dressing intensely when it is house-made the appeal of it increases greatly. A nice kick of dill as well, which pairs well with its garlicky base (again, garlic is the path to my heart).
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Overall! A redemption tale indeed. Did they know I was coming? Or who I am? Is my reputation as a pizza-crazed reviewing stranger becoming commonplace in this niche Toronto pizza world?
Lord I hope not. Fortunately, my opinion on North of Brooklyn deserves the high level of praise and fame I hope to provide it. Marvelous stuff... and almost as good on the reheat test (frying pan definitely) as well.
Is it the best pizza in Toronto? Definitively not, but through no fault of their own... Descendant, Defina, Badiali, Bello and Napoli Centrale, among a couple others, do indeed still exist. But North of Brooklyn, now finally having tried them in a better form... are definitely in that next tier for me. More than anything, I'm glad to have really tasted them at their best, and to finally understand what all the fuss was about. This is an easy "A-" for me, which probably places them within the top 15 or 20 pizzas Toronto has to offer. An 'A' range pizza for me means I have nothing negative whatsoever to say about it, and as you perhaps have noticed dear reader... this was all positive.
I can't speak to their other locations beyond the one that twice disappointed me before the pandemic, or this Danforth one that completely redeemed them... but if this level of quality is semi-consistent throughout with their seven total locations, this is by far the best pizza 'chain' in Toronto.
- Nacho Nacho Man
An article about the history of nachos? Why the hell not... read it here:
- Tuesday Tune
Go figure. I randomly go on a minor Elvis Costello revisit/kick while biking home from a rare daytime shift (helping set up BMO Field for the upcoming season)... and naturally it is announced the next day he is performing at Budweiser Stage (my summer gig) this summer with Daryl Hall of all people. Cool! Would love to catch a peek if I'm in the building. In the meantime, here's a tune from my very favourite Costello album, the second song from his sophomore record.
That's all for this week! Plenty of cool reviews upcoming while the Taste is currently renewed. Until next time... stay safe out there, keep warm, nothing but happiness but also just don't spill that mustard.
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