Toronto’s Best Pizza
Pizza lovers who prefer to savour their pie with a seat rejoiced this year when a stylish new pizzeria on Ossington joined a few old faves on the city’s slice scene
Pizzeria Libretto's margherita
Image credit: John Cullen
John’s Classic Italian Pizza
With a couple of cozy seats and Creemore on tap, this Little Italy fixture stands head and shoulders above the chains that dominate the city’s by-the-slice market. The top seller is a meatless wedge with garlicky pesto, goat cheese, red peppers and mounds of mozza ($4).
Lil’ Baci
This laid-back Southern Italian restaurant has been packing them in since it opened in 2007. The popular funghi ($13.95) proves not all pizzas rely on red. The sturdy, marinara-less crust supports cremini mushrooms, buttery taleggio, sage and
a decadent drizzle of truffle oil.
Marcello’s
Baked in a blazing wood-burning oven, the crisp, smoky, thin crust is smeared with a deep red tomato sauce that tastes like it was stirred by the hand of Nonna. Simple yet supremely satisfying, the napoletana ($11.50) delivers an Italian-style umami punch with salted anchovies and briny black olives.
Pizzeria Libretto
The classic margherita ($12) at this charming new Ossington spot is made according to the exacting guidelines of
the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association in Italy: black blisters from the wood-fire oven, tangy San Marzano tomato sauce, gooey fior di latte and fresh basil leaves. The only thing missing is a view of Mount Vesuvius. 221 Ossington Ave., 416-532-8000.
Terroni
Cracker crisp and super-thin, these uncut pies are made with inventive combinations and assembled from carefully sourced toppings. For example, the legendary polentona ($15.95) comes with mozzarella, fontina, speck, pine nuts and a bit of Terroni ’tude: no substitutions.
Related:
Related:
• That’s Amore: Is Pizza Libretto worth its 45-minute line-ups?
• Best New Restaurants 2008: Why Terroni Adelaide made the list
• Cal-Ital: Terroni plays hardball with Los Angeles
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What's the big deal here, eh? Go to Italy and every second restaurant serves Pizza as good, if not better than the ones in your article. I went to Libretto and didn't think they were that good; under-baked wich equates to haste makes waste!
I guess if you can't get to Italy, Toronto second best will do!
TeePee Kan, Toronto
December 18, 2008 | by typinc