Best pizza in Toronto?

[Brett]

I'm sure this debate has raged here before, but I need to know, where is the best pizza in Toronto?

p.s. Please don't say Amato. Their pizzas are more like salads...

[Oxtail]

As I've stated before on this board, I'd go with Wyze Guys on the Queensway.

Fresh toppings a-plenty, a hot wood-fired oven, and an great selection of house specialities. Good value too!

[MTC]

Terroni's at Queen and Claremont ... thin crust ... great taste ...

[Brett]

Thanks, thin crust is exactly what I'm looking for.
I don't know why so many people like Pizza Pizza...too doughy.

[Lex]

People like pizza pizza because you can get 3 toppings for $9.99 (CAN). Can you really beat that? Plus their bright orange jalepeno cheese dipping sauce was just radioactive enough to taste great.

[Maureen]

I've never understood "dipping sauce" with pizza.

[Mike]

I think it is supposed to cover up the fact that the crust is a tasteless doughy mess...if you have to dip your pizza to provide you with decent flavour, there's something seriously wrong there.

Honestly the best pizza I've had in Toronto was at Rocco's Plum Tomato (the original on Queensway). Nice thin and crisp crust and fresh toppings (mmm...artichokes).

[Jar]

Indeed why dipping sauce for a nicely baked pizza dough with great toppings, or to crisp items like deep frying wings & adding wet sauce, or gravy and ketchup to soften french fries, etc. If we have had pizza for so long, and without dipping sauce, I'm guessing it came from a pizza chain to further try and create a better flavour in some way!

[Food Tourist]

I wish I was so optimistic, but I really think the pizza chains send you dip because people normally throw out their crusts...because the crust isn't edible most of the time!

[mshe]

I can't eat pizza without Garlic dip anymore :-S

[deelicious]

SO sorry to hear that.

[Brett]

Honestly. I think it glows in the dark.

[TexSquared]

Pizza Pizza stuffs the ballot boxes in those "readers polls" (eye, Now, Toronto Sun, etc) and then they brag "Ontario's #1 pizza 5 years in a row". I believe the Toronto Star food editor caught on to them and refused to give them recognition last year, but they still "won" eye, Now, and the Sun's polls.

There's no way they should be voted Best Pizza even if they were the only pizza place in town.

[SirAlain]

Honey, Pizza Pizza is for people who go to McDonald's for their burgers. ;-)
I suggest the pizza from Whole Foods!!!

[Chris P Bacon]

Oh, now that's an insult to McDonald's lol I can understand the occasional craving for McDonald's Pizza Pizza NEVER!

[Pincus]

When McD's had their brief pizza offering in Canada, it was miles ahead of Pizza Pizza.

[Chris P Bacon]

hahaha that is very true...

[TexSquared]

Although they did have the rather wacky "value meal" combo ... Pizza, FRIES, and a drink.... that was bizarre....

[Googs]

But fries ON a pizza... now THAT would be art.

[Davwud]

I saw a place on DD&D that had tater tots on pizza

DT

[shekamoo]

but fries on pizza in italy is sooo delish

[abigllama]

Newish chain from west coast called Fresh Slice has fries as a topping option but I've never tried it. I have gotten a couple of take and bake pizzas from the Yonge location just north of Wellesley. They were decent but nothing really special. There's also some serious language challenges when ordering.

[scarberian]

Potato on pizza is NOT uncommon especially in the Italian community. Of course the times I've had it, it was on a white pizza (sans sauce) with onions, olive oil, asiago cheese and oregano.

[opifan64]

haha... 100% agreement.

[rob]

Totally agree with the Queen West location of Terronis for eat-in whole pies. But can't beat Bitondo"s-Clinton, 2 blocks south of College for slices and panzerottis.

[FlyingChef]

Yes,great pie. The rest overpriced and very poor service.
Never again.

[ca]

Another place in the west end is Milano's on Bloor near Kipling (still have to try the great WizeGuy recommendation) Family owned and lots of TLC in it.

Love Bitondo's in the city.

[MissDarling]

Milano's is by far the best pizza for a REAL bite of pizza you know.
SO GOOD!

AND you have to love how the vegetable guy comes to show them what he has and they decide on what they are getting based on freshness...

Even the vegetable guy bought a pizza to go <3

[billforsyth.gta]

I agree—Milano's is a great choice for pizza with generous toppings and cheese. Tastes nothing like the "factory" pizzas from the big chains.

[Poorboy]

I tried Milano's based on the recs here and I was under-whelmed. We were visiting friends in the area and I said, Hey, I know of a place that some people are speaking highly of. A step up from Pizza Pizza, but I can tell you, not all that. Crust was doughy and under cooked, toppings were fresh, but waaay undercooked. maybe a one off however not ordering again.

[rexwood]

milanos was a pretty good pizza i tried the veal sandwich there never again and not sure of the other things they make i remember camarras as a kid we use to order from there still do once in a while but there pretty expensive for a piece of dough lol but there are better pizzas out there that have already been mentioned pizza pizza is the worst pizza i ever tasted i guess the advertising still keeps them in business

[Luisa]

The best pizza i have had in this great city is at a small trattoria in Corso Italia called The Big Ragu. The pizza is thin crust and delicious. They have a small selection but a good one. It really reminded me of being in a local pizzeria in Rome, where I am from. Try it you won't be disppointed...

[hungryabbey]

Luisa, have you tried anything else there other than the pizza?

[Luisa]

ohhh yes! i was very pleased with the menu and the owner Carmine is absolutely warm and inviting....great place for a good homestyle italian meal! you don't get more authentic than this place! hope you enjoy....mangia!

[hungryabbey]

perfect thanks for the tip!

[Alice Puccini]

Yes I agree, Wize Guyz Pizza is the best pizza Toronto has to offer. You will find that they use real ingredients and their wood oven makes them my number 1 Toronto best pizza delivery choice.

I recommend you try a Miami style pizza, its my favourite!

[Davedigger]

I tried it once when it just opened and it did nothing for me. I may have to re-visit though.

[Jane]

Pizza Gigi on Harbord. It's been 18 months since I left the Annex and I still miss Gigi.

[Brett]

I have to admit I was quite unimpressed with Pizza Gigi. Maybe I'll give them another chance, though.

[Jane]

Well, perhaps it's an acquired taste. If you prefer subtle, elegant thin-crusted 'za, then you're definitely in the wrong place. If you like robust, hearty, rib-sticking thick-crusted pies with very traditional toppings, this is the place!

[food face]

Pizza Gigi is God Awful. Aside from Magic Ovens, the worst pizza ever. Cardboard crust. The cheap sour brick cheese. Surly crusty staff that are crustier than their crust ass crust. Pizza Pizza is better.

[tp24]

Hahaha, I just found the way you wrote this hilarious...great post! I haven't been to Pizza Gigi, but I do know that Magic Oven is pretty bad.

[bluedog]

To quote Kevin in the Office: Pizza pizza is a hot circle of garbage. So pIzza Gigi must be really REALLY bad.

[sef]

and you're right about amato's, it's horrible. i saw a pizza there once with french fries on it.

[Jar]

French Fries on a Pizza, I may never go out again, becoming a hopeless recluse. French Fries --- YUK!! Now veggies on a pizza, I can take, please explain what is wrong with Amatos, not cooked, too many, etc. Never been there, but would like to know! It is a fact we eat too few of fresh fruit and vegetables. I mean, it's all to taste and at Pizzerias, often a slice of the Meat Lover's Pizza is available. Appreciate reply!

[Jar]

Checked postings through and it does seem there are many agree Amato's sure is not the place to go. Have to wonder why a place that is not a chain can do so poorly. Will try some of the praised ones when I can!

[ShpiezMaven]

Amato's is a chain with many branches.

Amato's is nowhere near as bad as the people here say. It is better than any of the other chain pizza establishments I have tried.

THEY WEREN'T FRENCH FRIES

[Jar]

Yes,I can believe that you are right. Absolutelty no Pizzeria would put French Fries on a pizza ( I HOPE ), and herein is the discussion beyond this point --- several negative comments from others --- I will check out more favourable, intersesting offerings elsewhere!!

[Delish]

I can vouch for the use of frozen french fries on Amato's pizza.

The first time I ever had Amato was for a pizza and bowling bachelorette. I was looking forward to it since I had heard nothing but praise for Amato at that point. I was tempted by the description of the potato pizza on the menu - I expected it would come with thinly sliced potato. Needless to say I was horified when my pizza came with pale,limp and soggy frozen fries (the thick cut steak kind).

After that I wondered if it were just that one location that was cheaping out so I checked out the one on College this past summer and they too had frozen fries on their pie. The one difference was that those fries were golden brown - which I imagine would be marginally better than what I was served - but even still...

How hard is it to slice a potato or two, or five a day? I really don't see any excuse for a supposedly high quality/gourmet pizza place to cut such unforgivable corners.

[Tout Garni]

French fries on a pizza?!?!?!

Now THAT's a taco!

[icey]

actually, i have been to several pizzerias in italy that have a "pizza americana" with french fries on it...its actually not that bad...its a take i guess on pizza con patate.

[Manybears]

I can vouch for that. I got served a delicious slice with fries on it in Napoli. It was weird at first... but once you get over the initial horror... kind of delicious in that guilt-inducing kind of way. Next up: I try a greasy chip butty...

[camper88]

This is true. Throughout Italy I've seen pizza with potato slices on it (fries), and I've heard that it's very popular there.

[Brett]

I know. What's up with Amato? Does anybody eat actually pizza with potatoes and the equivelant of an entire onion on it?
I think everybody just goes there because it's open late. But their pizza, even the regular pepperoni and cheese fare, is nothing to write home about. I find them bland. Perhaps it's because the slices have been sitting out all day, and resemble wax sculptures of pizza.

[knuckles]

One of best slices of pizza I've ever had was a slice I had in Rome that was topped only with potato, rosemary and olive oil.

Pizzabilities in Kensington (now gone) also had a wonderful potato pizza.

[Maureeni]

There is a kosher pizza place called King David that makes great potatoe pizza

[Mike]

Agreed with the Rome pizza comment - one of the best I had in Italy was potatoes rosemary, garlic and olive oil.

Oliver & Bonacini also made a decent potato pizza when they first opened up. Haven't been there recently as the service began to suffer after the 6th month...still keep on considering going for another bowl of their black bean soup though (YUM)

[cherrytreegirl]

Mamma's Pizza makes an excellent pizza with thinly sliced potato.

[libragirl]

Are you kidding me Mamma's Pizza the worst pizza ever. A disgrace to Italian culture.

[flipp]

If I may add to the Amato dissing going on, they have also had a number of protests against them involving employees who were hired, came to work, and then never paid wages. Amato gets a couple of free weeks work out of these people, then they do it again with new people.

Not all the franchises are guilty of this, but Queen Street is, and is the worst.

[julesrules]

Small technicality since it is very close to Queen E. It is my favourite delivery in the area, love the spicy "cajun" sauce varieties. Including the link in case anyone wants to track them down.

Link: http://peterscajun.tripod.com/

[ShpiezMaven]

Probably wasn't french fries. They do a white pizza with potatoes on it that is actually pretty good.

[Chow chow]

Pete's Cajun is great, but I still like Il Fornello's pizza. The Elm St. location seems to have the most consistent pizzas, and the decor is nice as well.

[Brett]

I agree! Peter's is amazing. I almost forgot about Pete's.
As for Il Fornello, never been, but I've heard a lot of good things about it.

[ReuvenK]

Hmmmmmmm..........all this petes talk, I wanna try it.where is it?
I believe its called Coras Pizza @ collage and spadina. I LOVE THAT PLACE. 4 cheese spinach is great. Boston pizza is not too bad.
Theres a place on Yonge just south highway 7, called Tutti Benne, Very good pizza. Thin crust, wood oven ...very good, pricy but good.

[ShpiezMaven]

Cora's is at Harbord and Spadina and has been a U of T student hangout for at least 20 years. Great for a fast inexpensive slice of 'za. Some find their sauce on the salty side but I've always been a fan

[toveggiegirl]

This might make you feel differently about Cora's.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/artic...

[WhereIsGoodFood]

Whatever you do, do not order from Peters Cajun. Worst pizza I have ever had. Had to throw away the entire pizza after eating one slice. I am perplexed that people are still recommending this horrible horrible place.

[neuf]

Vivoli on College. The owner recently came to Canada from Napoli (the birthplace of pizza!). The pizza's are very reasonably priced, and there is a large wood-burning pizza oven in the middle of the restaurant. He has a good selection of red and white pizzas.

Also, there is a rooftop patio, which should be nice in the warmer summer months.. Who can think about that now?

[Brett]

Thank you. Vivoli is just down the street, so I'm going to make a point of trying it.

[arno]

hey its college and ?

thanks

[andrea0guernz]

Not to overshadow Vivoli - because i like that place - but across the street there is a lesser known place called "The Standard" (college and beatrice) I ended up there on an extremely busy night - but was still completely impressed. It is completely affordable - (Pizza's were only $11 ) which is why i was so surprised by the quality of food. The atmosphere is also very pleasant - they were playing great jazz music and the servers were funny, friendly and personal.

The pizza's were very thin crust, not too crispy - more floppy and gooey with a TON of flavour. I was very impressed.

I also had the Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with a rose sauce ($13) which was the perfect size and was DELISH!

This place is perfect for the Italian craving fix ! You get the atmosphere, the service, and the amazing food for a cheaper price.

[ca]

I was at Vivoli two weeks ago. Pizzas are excellent! One of the owners, Romalo, makes them to order right in front of you. I also had the rigatoni with cream sauce-excellent-light sauce.
Service is slow though, be forewarned

[TexSquared]

None of the above. Toronto pizza is garbage. For good pizza, go to Pearson Airport and take the first flight to Chicago.

[Paolo]

I have to disagree with you Tex^2. Chicago is known for it's deep dish pizza. I've had it on a couple of occasions when I have been to the city, but unless you go to one of the good pizza restaurants, it is not that good. Plus, I could not eat that kind of pizza on a frequent basis. For truly exceptional pizza, you have to take the plane all the way to Italy.

Terroni's is a good spot for thin crust. I have a soft spot for Camarra's on Dufferin and Lawrence. Maybe it's the childhood memories, but I always enjoy their pizza.

I don't know why Amato gets such a bad wrap on this board. You can get better in restaurants, but you cannot get a better pizza delivered than Amatos's. There is more than one location, so the quality may differ by location. (I get mine from the Bathurst and Queen location.)

[stephen]

Terroni rules!

The food is great overall, but I can resist the San Gorgio pie with spicy sausage and mushrooms. When it's slightly overdone it's blissful...

[cakelover36]

Terroni has the best pizza hands down

[Ediblethoughts]

Not so much though if you don't like meat on your pizza.

[duckdown]

Don't they make a Margherita?

I've never been there

[Ediblethoughts]

They do have one veg pizza but they are completely inflexible about substitutions. So if you don't want the one pizza they have (and I can't recall exactly what it was, but one of the vegfiess on it wasn't to my taste), then you're out of luck.

[akapella]

Ever had the Tirolese there? It's the closest thing to a slice of heaven I have ever experienced in Toronto! I've travelled the world extensively, and so far only found Terroni to be as close as it gets to real Italian pizza

[ll]

Amato is awful!!!! To much garlic and the crust is to chewy. Delivery takes forever, EAT LESS AMATO

[TexSquared]

Amato = Pizza Pizza's nasty crust but with "gourmet" toppings... and yes I've tried them. CRAP.

[Knuckles]

I tried Chicago Pizza from Giordano's last summer when I was in Chicago for a wedding. I thought it was disgusting. It shouldn't even be called pizza.

[ll]

The best pizza is Camarra's on 2899 Dufferin st, near Yorkdale. It is baked on trays with olive oil, ask for the pizza thin, and with fresh basil. They have been around since the late 1960's. It is a bit expensive and if you go stay away from the pasta's and the mains, they only do good pizza. The best of the big commercial pizza is Pizza Nova. Ask for it thin and well done and stay away from the silly toppings and it's really good. Terroni's is good but a bit over rated. Especially when I get yellow arugula on it.

[redcoconut]

Have to agree, Camarra's is the closest thing to how your Italian grandma used to make pizza.

As for Amato, after the original owner died, it started going downhill. His dream was to have a spot on every major corner in Toronto, and when he was around the pizza was great stuff. My friend used to work at the Queen W. location, and I used to live @ Queen and Bathurst. After the old man died, I could literally taste it go downhill as every time I ordered the pizza got worse and worse untill eventually we didn't bother.

Plus, as someone has already mentioned they don't like to pay their employees. Avoid.

[Mr.D]

Camarras is #1 in the world

[deelicious]

what does that mean....#1 in the world?

[Mr.D]

It means that I have eaten pizza in every country that I have visited and never found one that had better pizza than Camarras including every city that I visited in Italy

[deelicious]

SO sorry to hear that.

[A Pointe]

I agree - so sorry we moved out of their delivery area - sigh.

[shekamoo]

it is very good indeed

[Maureen]

lloset's first reply to you is dead on, except that Terroni is not over rated, but deservs the praise, IMHO.
Just dismiss the comment from Tex2.

[JenniferP]

The only place I'll eat pizza in Toronto is at the Standard Club at College and Beatrice. Wood-burning oven, thin crust, proper light Italian touch with sauce, cheese and toppings (i.e., it's not a gooey mass of crap). Big, sweet, cloves of roasted garlic. Back when I lived in TO I used to be such a regular that the owner would bring my table free shots of Sambuca. Now I live in Ottawa. Wonderful city, but no good pizza.

[andrea0guernz]

Yes, great pizzas!! Mmm

[Goober]

I like the fig pizza at Il Fornello.

I've tried Terroni too. Terroni was better. Lighter crust and seemed more care was put into making it.

I've posted before about Dante's being good. I'd like to retract that. Last time I ordered it was disgusting.

[tp24]

Yes, the fig pizza at Il Fornello WAS good.

[mikeb]

There are a lot of places for pizza in Toronto. Personally, I prefer the thin crust variety. I would recommend the thin crust at Terroni at Yonge & St Clair. I enjoy the thin crust at Marcello's at St Clair and Dufferin although recently their service has been spotty. You also might want to try Desserts Plus in Vaughan.

Camarra's used to be good but I haven't had it in a few years so I will defer to others.

For chain pizza, if you order their thin crust, Pizza Memo on St Clair near Dufferin isn't bad, but it needs to be eaten hot(even more than the average pizza). I must admit that I also like a hot folded slice from Mama's every once in a while.

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[grace]

Wize Guyz Pizzaria
820 The Queensway
416-767-9999

[chocohead]

well i just went to bintondo's on clinton. not so impressive. pizza gigi's thin crust margerita beats it hands down

[bestandworst]

That is an old thread you picked up. You may also enjoy this one as it is very recent. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

From my experience Bitondo is known for their panzerato, not their zah. They make a fantastic cheese panzerato. The city's best.

It has been quite a while since I have been to gigi. I will have to try it again based on your recc. I just never really liked the cheese they use.

[starvin]

I used to eat Amato's pizza, but I find it's really gone downhill and they're skimping on the ingredients! ( Especially the Weston Rd/St. Clair W location ) They'll leave their pizza out all day in hopes that someone will buy a slice!

We ordered Mamma's pizza the other day, and I have to say I was impressed! Thin crust, with gourmet toppings...just the way I like it!

[Food Tourist]

I had the opposite experience with Mamma's pizza from Danforth via delivery - flaccid crust with overly salty gourmet toppings.

[Atahualpa]

Hmm... this is second time in as many days that I've seen you describe something I found just delightfully salty as excessively so. But, then again, I have always described myself as a salinophile (salt-lover).

[mrbozo]

Had a couple of slices from San Francesco on Clinton recently. Nice thin crust, homemade sauce (flavourful, though I prefer my sauce tangier), just enough cheese to cover the sauce, and a few gratuitous rounds of pepperoni randomly distributed. Delicious! Only $2.50 a slice.

[andreas]

Terroni is good, but I sometimes find their pies overloaded. Personally I am a fan of Mercatto on Toronto Street.

Btw, a 'Terroni' is the Italian equivalent of a redneck.

[maria Clara]

Terroni by far!!! on Victoria St near St Michel Hospital

[Mike K]

OK - I live in west Etobicoke. Burnhamthorpe & Kipling.
After reading posting after posting about Dante's, I headed to Thornhill. Just under $40 (!!!) for their large house special (i believe -pep / onion / sausage / GP / mush / perhaps more). Headed to a friend's place and....each had 1 slice each. TERRIBLE. HEAVY. TASTELESS. SOGGY. HEAVY. I tried a second slice. No better. Overall - Possibly the worst pizza in T.O. The rest was tossed into the backyard composter.

If in the west end, try either CAPI'S or VESUVIO'S.
(I'm not going back to Thornhill)!!

[galambo]

totally disagree with you.

heavy well maybe. its loaded down to say the least. tasteless.. no (and by the way its salami and not sausage on their special)

you repeated the heavy twice, is that a bad thing? Well then the 'light' pizza like pizza pizza maybe your style... is that because they have less topings? so be it.

for me at least its what i pizza should taste like... with toppings that really cover the pizza not just for colouring.

but its to everyone own taste

[LTL]

I live in High Park and love Vesuvio's. Is Capi's better? Can't find a menu online either...

[newfiegurl2010]

I used to live right around the corner from Vesuvios and their pizza is great and so are some of the pastas I would eat it everyday if i could

[Bigtigger]

IMHO Pizza Nova is by far the best of the chains.

Camarra for quality pizza - E side of Dufferin a few blocks S of Lawrence W. Their pizza al pollo is to die for. They deliver too. Expensive but worth it. (app $25 for a large)

Beware the loud upselling waiter who booms "Would you care for a libation ?" - the rest of the staff are sweet and professional.

[kenbong]

I would have to say that my #1 pizza right now is Pizza Rustica at 270 Wellington St (www.pizzarustica.ca). Nice thin crust, amazing sauce but be forewarned - if going around lunchtime, service can be excruciatingly slow. Some places aren't worth the wait, but this one is.

I was at Camarra a month or so ago and am still not impressed with their regular crust pizzas. It was thick and doughy and honestly, I preferred Pizza Hut over this one. Maybe the thin crust is better.

A few other places: Tony's Italian Restaurant at 4864 Yonge St (basically Yonge/Sheppard area) makes a pretty good pizza.

When I used to work in Bolton, a family owned joint called Carusos makes amazing gourmet slices. It's in a strip plaza right on Hwy 50 (west side), just north of Wilton Rd.

Lastly, my previous #1 (it held top spot for years until I found Pizza Rustica) was called Venezia Pizza at 230 Sandalwood Parkway East. Just a small hole in the wall but, wow, their pizza was incredible. Family owned as well.

[jayt90]

East or west Wellington? The link doesn't work.

[estragon]

Pizza Rustica is actually on Peter, between Wellington and Front. It's a great pizza, very similar to Terroni. In fact, their whole menu is highly reminiscent of Terroni. And unlike Kenbong, I've found the service at lunchtime quite good.

[Jar]

Yes, if in Bolton do try Caruso Gourmet Pizza found at the north upper end of a 2 story mall which has about 6 units on each level. The mall is just north of the Beer Store! You can check out their internet site as well!!! Enjoy!!

[n10sity]

What about Massimo's on College (west of Spadina)? It's always fresh and wonderfully gooey...

I agree with Cora's on Spadina @ Harbord - their margherita is divine...

Also in the very west end - Royal York and Queensway area - Thyme 4 Pizza - their pizza with goat cheese, pesto and roasted red peppper make it worth the drive...

[spades]

Two places - both in East York. Colombo's near Danforth/Coxwell has an excellent Naples pizza (if you like anchovies). Diamond pizza has the tastiest overall pie IMHO - just make sure to ask for it well done, as sometimes I find it can be undercooked a little. Of the big chains, I think that Mamma's and Domino's are probably the most consistent (though still quite poor compared to the mom and pops).

[embee]

I must disagree with Columbos. Perhaps there has been a recent decline in quality, but my experience has been very nice people and very reasonable prices but very ordinary pizza. Even things that were obviously made in house tasted mass produced. Very disappointing.

[bobbieMac]

I'd have to totally agree...Colombos is average at best. I tried their pie based on recommendations here and was underwhelmed. The crust was not thin enough and the sauce lacked flavour. Pizza Bona in the east end and Milano's in the west end are pretty good. It's still impossible to find really good pizza in Toronto (a'la Pizzeria Regina in Boston - haven't been to NY).

[jdavies]

funny but I was going to contribute my WORST pizza suggestion as Diamond pizza...I thought it would be great, being such a busy place, but even after trying it a couple times found it very greasy, limp and discusting.

[neighborguy]

I discovered Columbo's Pizza Napolitana this year and it's my current go-to for pizza. First time I was coerced to go behind the counter and the gent showed me the ingredients -- including the fresh sausage meat. Since then we've had this pie several times, sometimes heavy on the anchovies (not asked for) but always an interesting combination of the ingredients.

[Pincus]

How did I miss this one? I love Colombo's!! Their veggie pizza is so sloppy to eat, it's wonderful!

[Rabbit]

Yes! - to both Rustica and Terroni (I like the Queen Street location best).

I have a friend who says that Capocaccia (Yonge south of St. Clair) beats even Terroni, but haven't had the opportunity to check it out as yet.

[embee]

Capocaccia (it's across the street from a Terroni) has good pizza and good food in general. I've gotten poor (though friendly) service there on a couple of visits.

[acd123]

BEST pizza in TO is La Lucciolla On Eglinton, West of Bathurst.

More of a traditional pizza joint kinda pizza, not the wood-burning oven, thin crust variety.

[BottomlessPit]

For a quick slice on the go, Pizza Nova is my favourite--thin crust, good sauce, not overly greasy or salty, fresh toppings.

For the absolute best pizza in the entire GTA region--well, I'm still searching!

[tartetatin]

Danforth Pizza House.

[MiniMom]

Amadio's in Port Credit is very good, wood burning oven etc.

Aurora try Emilio's the ground chicken toss some oregano on it with what ever you like yummy.

Perroni's pizza on South Service Road in Mississauga is pretty good also, had to try it after they did the restaurant makeover. Has the pizza margherita and it was very crispy and light tasting.

[Love it Spicy]

I love Cora's on Spadina at harbord.

[CChan126]

If you like thin crust pizza, the best by far is at Caffe Doria at the corner of Yonge & Roxborough. Terroni pizza is great but Caffe Doria pizza is even better.

[Ediblethoughts]

Tried out Caffe Doria today and while the flavour was good and nice balance on toppings, the crust was so thin it was limp and the edge was bordering on burnt. I like thin crust but in my opinion you should be able to hold a piece of pizza in your hand and eat it (and it shouldn't flop over).

[wrigley16]

King Slice on Bloor east of Dundas is very good, huge slide for $4. Abbruzzo's in Thornhill is excellent also. Little Erics is also one of my favs.

[webidentitysoln]

I agree...you haven't tried pizza until you try king slice...they make their dough with natural spring water...need I say more?

[Davwud]

What kind of hours do they have??

DT

[toveggiegirl]

11 am until midnight every day.
http://www.kingslice.ca/home.html

[Davwud]

Thanks

DT

[imeanlove]

I got a pizza tonight from King Slice based on the advice from this thread, and wow was that ever disappointing! Thickly doughy and squishy, pallid tasteless cheese (no browning on top)... no. The sauce was fine, if a bit odd for its strong taste of fennel (fortunately I love fennel).

Still looking for decent pizza in Toronto... Thin crust with a bit of crisp and a bit of chew, potent tomato sauce with a bit of salt and acidity, cheese with a bit of browning - too much to ask? This is the standard stuff in New Jersey (where I'm from). The only good pizza I've found in Toronto has been gourmet pizza (Terroni or Pizzeria Libretto) with gourmet pricing. I've tried Cora Pizza, Papa Ceo, Massimos... none of these do it for me, but Massimos came closest. I feel these pizza places all reflect the toxic influence of Pizza Pizza...

[Googs]

Try Fusilli on Queen at River. The perfect thin crust that's crisp, but folds. That platform is so good, I'd eat it on it's own. Then add the beautiful tomato sauce Giuseppe makes and, well, you could put anything on it, it would be fantastic. Seriously well made and very well priced.
http://fusilli.ca/

[Pincus]

Love the King Slice!

[Davedigger]

Me, not so much. I think it's their sauce. Something reminds me of Pizza Pizza.

[lanachamp]

The best DELIVERY pizza in the GTA* is from Dante's. They are so popular that they HAD to extend their delivery corridor many miles in every direction from their base in Thornhill. I think that they still have a small dining room, but delivery is the core of their business.
http://www.dantesitalian.ca/
They make fairly traditional pizzas but with top class ingredients, good sauce and nice crust. Meat choices are especially good, although I prefer white pizza (no red sauce
) Grilled Zucchini, Roasted Red Peppers, and Goat Cheese. OK, now I'm starving...

Everyone I recommend this place to agrees and finds it very difficult to eat other pizza afterwards.
* Greater Toronto Area, for those of you from Away

[kenbong]

Based on the varying accolades from this board, I tried Dante's last night. I drove up and ordered a "mini" with mushrooms (this is my standard for testing pizza) and have to say -- I was underwhelmed. I think what threw me off was the heft of the crust. It was almost like - dare I say, a frozen pizza crust. My wife said the same thing.

However, there were few good points -- you get A LOT of pizza for a mini. It's probably enough for two people. The ingredients are fresh. I think the sauce was so-so. Maybe a bit heavy on the garlic for my tastes.

I'm no pizza snob - I can eat chain pizza along with the best of the thin crust ones, but Dante's was just ok in my book. Guess I need to keep looking....

[gee_boi]

For any of you who like Cora's, you should definitely try Massimo's on College, just west of Spadina (mentioned above). They only have like 4 different types of slices, but unlike most places they keep the slices in the oven so they're always warm and fresh, the crust never gets hard and stale... If you like sloppy, thin crust slices that you have to fold or hold with two hands to eat (if you do, you'll know what I mean...), then you're going to love this place. I haven't gone back to Coras since I had their margherita, they also have a version of the Margherita with hot peppers on it that I am craving at this very moment...

[fleisch]

I was waiting for someont to mention them.
I don't remember 4 types of slices. Just 2 - the margherita and the arrabiata which is the same thing but with peppers (which you are now craving even more, probably). I haven't been there in a few years but if you're in that UofT area, they are better than Cora's and that other student hangout on Spadina.

While I'm here I'll throw out Mezza Notte in North York and, if we can go beyond 416, Dante's in Thornhill.

[deelicious]

Cant disagree more. Massimo is tasteless compared to Cora. As well, keeping a slice in the oven does not keep it fresh. It dries it out and chages the intended consistancy. The dough is like cardboard - truly like cardboard.

[Finnegan]

Okay I'll bite...if you like REAL pizza, like they make in Italy (i.e. thin crust) as opposed to the American style pizza-on-steriods served in most chain restaurants go to Fratelli Village Pizzeria in Scarbrough at 384 Old Kingston Rd (its a nice section of Scarborough section known as Highland Creek village that looks like you just stepped back into Happy Days). This is a nice family run place, heavy supported by the locals...expect a bit of a line up most nights. The restaurant is dominated by a huge dome shaped pizza oven that produces heavenly thin crust pizza that is neither to soggy or too crisp...their white opizza with cheese potatoes and eggs is pretty tasty...so is their tomato, shredded fresh basil and asiago. Price is reasonable... stay away from all other menu items (especially the penne in vodka cream sauce...soooooo 80's)

[ognir]

Bitondo's

[mummy2Luna]

Vesuvio in the Junction. Best, best, best pie in Toronto. The Volcano with hot peppers, hot Capicola and hot Italian sausage is divine.

[galambo]

where is this exactly.

address, phone number

thanks in advance

I LOVE HOT FOOD

[redearth]

http://www.dine.to/vesuvios

[newfiegurl2010]

i definately agree there its so yummy

[lcohen999]

There used to be a place @ Jane & 7 called Cafe Spezzo.

I don't know if it moved or what happened (I'm hoping someone could tell me) but they made the best pizza in the city, wood burned, cooked perfectly every time...

[John Manzo]

Standard Club

[SxCx]

After a trip to Manhattan in February, I feel spoiled.

Is there any place in Toronto that can do a solid New York-style margherita pie? High heat oven, thin but pliable crust with slight char, simple quality toppings?

[Yongeman]

Opinions vary, but I like Massimo's margharita slice. Depends on how fresh it is, how warm it is, and how much alcohol you've consumed. It may not be John's or whatever in NYC, but it's good.

[deelicious]

I think the best is at Coras. Fresh basil leaves, great crust and very tasty sauce. Personally I cannot bear the thought of giving Massimo another try. I threw the last slice away as it was literally carboard and there was just about NO flavour.

[Yongeman]

Hey deelicious, I used to get Cora's garlic slice--great, garlicky (powdered?) sauce, but the crust was just too doughy for my taste. When Massimo's is on, it's great.

[mzshan]

yah I hear you on that one....
Nothing i found out here that can do a NY STYLE PIZZA HERE..

[Darrin]

Archeo in the Distillery District makes a great traditional margherita pizza - eat-in only though. Great prices, and really great patio too. Plus Soma is just around the corner.

Lookin' forward to tryin' out Wyze Guys though!

[Fetter]

Now, I'm not going to say this is the BEST pizza in town, but it is a tasty pizza at a very reasonable price. There is a restaurant called GEORGIO'S something or another, right across the street from the Greenwood off-track betting building, between Coxwell Ave and Kingston Rd on Queen St East (north side). They do pick up and delivery. But, if you pick up, they have excellent prices. I got a large 2 or 3 topping pizza for $10+tx. It wasn't crappy pizza pizza style (though, I've figured out how to order a pizza from there and get it to be pretty decently done). Anyways, at this Georgio's (maybe it's spelled Giorgi's..not sure) place, ask to see their pizza ordering list (not the flyer or menu) that the actual waitress/waiter checks off on, as it has ALL the options (unlike the flyer or menu). I suggest getting it well done. The crust is naturally thin and needs that well done feature to give it a nice crispness (especially if you like lots of cheese and veggies which help create that soggy effect).

[Davedigger]

I'm going to go with Regina Pizzeria in the College and Ossington area. Awesome thin crust pizza.

http://www.reginapizza.ca/

[Fetter]

OHh, that's a couple blocks from my work....I might have to try it one day!

[pearlD]

If you like thin crust pizza the place to go is "Roma Ristorante" at Bloor West and Gladstone....freshly made, crispy, lots of choices in toppings and when I say 'double the Goat Cheese: that's exactly what they do..no skimping on toppings ever, unlike some place where they throw on one artichoke cut into 10 pieces!!

[bend_me_shape_me]

My absolute best? Vesuvio on Dundas West in the Junction. No contest. The Vesuvio Super is amazing!

[hungry_pangolin]

A couple of observations.... 1) The potato pizza (patassicie, in my experience) can be excellent - when done properly. (2) Massimo's and Pizza Gigi were good, 20 years ago. Since then they've been disappointing. (3) On College St., I like Il Gato Nero. (4) On Bloor near U of T, Mercurio is quite good (eat-in only, I think). (5) Apparently, since I haven't had pizza from Wize Guyz, my life is incomplete, so WG is on my to-do list. Thanks for the recommendation.

[redearth]

Wize Guyz does not exist any longer. It is now under new management, and is called Dino's Wood Burning Oven Pizza. I have tried a pie of theirs, and while it was good, I will save a more thorough review for a time when I have sufficiently researched the positives and negatives of Dino's Wood Burning Oven Pizza. Keeping my fingers crossed....

[billy cracker]

Best slice- Bitundos's in little Italy hands down
Best pie- Ciccios down the street from Bitundos on Dundas. I like it well done.

No bullshit, no gourmet crap, proper thin crust pizza with basic ingredients and tasty sauce. Enjoy.

[mrbozo]

Second Bitondo. Their panzerroti are killer, maybe literally if you have a heart condition.

As I wrote way at the top of this thread, San Francesco (across the road from Bitondo) makes a nice slice - thin crust, tangy sauce, just enough cheese, and a few random pieces of pepperoni. And the price is right for a generous sized slice.

[buttercupv]

I have to say, for the best Pizza....is Alize! You must try their Svizzera Pizza... To die for!

www.alizerestaurant.com

2459 Yonge Street - [phone]

[cfmcgrath18]

Gerrard Pizza and Spaghetti House -- oddly enough, it's at Danforth and Coxwell... not on Gerrard at all... been in business for many many years.. fresh ingredients, incredible tastes and aromas... and about 35+ variations to choose from. I'm a convert,.

[ddugas]

I travel alot and I like to try pizza in every city I go. For the best pizza in Toronto, take the 401 east to the 416 and then to Ottawa. Colonnade, Gabriels, Lorenzo's, all Lebanese owned, and quite honestly, I have not found better pizza except in Chicago. Montreal also has excellent pizzerias. That being said, give Dante's in Thornhill at try. It was excellent pizza and they are well known up there. I live in Etobicoke and after reading these posts, I will be calling Wize Guys for my next pie. It is so bad in Toronto, i suspect due to economic and competitive reasons, that I order extra cheese and extra sauce and it is still not matching what I am used to. I have almost given up. Its a dog eat dog market in Toronto and the customer is suffering. But I know there are some places out there. I too have tried Cora's on Spadina and it's not great but better than most in this city.

[redearth]

As I said a few posts earlier, Wize Guyz is gone, replaced by Dino's Wood Burning Oven Pizza - why not give it a shot?

[TorontoTips]

mmmm... Colonnade pizza!
No trip to Ottawa is complete without a stop at the decidedly tacky and low-brow Colonnade for a big cheesy-gooey pizza.

I agree with previous posters
- completely unimpressed with Coras,
- anyone that recoomends Amato should be shot,
- Dante's is half-decent, but way overpriced,
- I had a bad pizza my one try at Camarra's (will try again)

....and Massimo's is the authentic, napolitana-style winner for a pizza or slice in TO. Delicious crust that I would eat plain without cheese or toppings, real mozz cheese, (nicely in the middle between thick crust and Toronto's favorite tasteless cracker-thin and smothered with pesto and sundried tomato yuppy not-a-pizza). Massimo's is pretty much perfect when it's fresh and yummy which is evening right through to the wee hours. (Sounds like previous cranky poster had a left-over mid-afternoon slice, which no-one does well).
They deliver, too, so skip Amato, and try Massimo.
Note: Slice or whole pie, insist on well-done, for extra flavour.

[deelicious]

Skip Massimo and go Cora for one of the best margherrita slices going!! Freh basil and awesome sauce!

[mrbozo]

A slice of Gigi's Sicilian style four cheeses and spinach hits the spot for a late night nosh.

[Yongeman]

To deelicious and TorontoTips:
I'm generally a Massimo's booster, but the last two slices that I've had have featured a doughy and chewy crust. So, TorontoTips, that's probably a good tip about getting it well-done. It also is hit-and-miss in the freshness dept. Had a slice on Saturday at about 11:00pm which was somewhat dried out...they were just putting a new one in the oven, but I didn't have time to wait for it. Damn!
I used to like Cora's garlic slice, but found the crust too thick and doughy, too. I'll give their margherita slice a try next time.

[newfiegurl2010]

where are these 2 places located please would love to try them

[vorpal]

Ahhh... I miss all three of those Ottawa pizza places! I still haven't found comparable in Toronto (admittedly I haven't tried all that hard), and I've just taken to spending the time to make homemade pizza.

[tjr]

I also miss Wally's in Blackburn Hamlet. There used to be a place called Apple & Spice there as well which had awesome pizza, then was replaced with a place called Imilio's (?).

[ddugas]

Two more notes....Vesuvio on Dundas is a quite good pizzeria. Mamma Martino's on the queensway has line ups out the door on weekends. The pasta is basic basic, but their Panzerotto is very good and their pizza is not bad. Nice owners and very cheap prices.

[redearth]

While I agree with the Vesuvio's recommendation, I have to disagree entirely with your take Mamma Martino's - In my experience, the food is bland at best. Why it's so insanely popular, I'll never know.

[deelicious]

I agree Mamma Martino's food is bland at best. In fact it tastes canned. Perhaps their panzerotto is very good, but in my experience the kitchen it is run by a hospital cafeteria chef.

[Conductorchris]

Momma Martino's is decent food at decent prices. Pasta dishes are under $10.
The price is right for what you get. I have not been impressed with the food but it was ok. And it is a comfortable restaurant. about a 6/10

[Davedigger]

I think the popularity of Mamma Martino's is due to people's mistaken impression that the restaurant's reputation for fantastic food, which they earned about 13 years ago, still applies. Sadly, the food has not been what it used to be for at least 5 years.

[ddugas]

On the recommendation of my condo newsletter and this board I decided to try Milano's on Bloor in Etobicoke. I must say, I was happy with the pizza. After my rambling about good Ottawa pizza and how bad Toronto pizza generally was, I have found a decent pie at Milano's. Not the best ever, but a fine pizza in my mind. Order extra sauce and cheese though-you can't go wrong with that.

[lori.mann18]

I was just at Mamma Martino's last night and while I can understand where the other comments are coming from, I still love this restaurant. I'm not Italian, so to me its like going over for supper to the Nona that I never had. It's Italian comfort food served in a relaxed family atmosphere. No, its not fine dining, but our delicious meal last night (salad, pasta dishes, garlic bread and beer) was under $40 with tax and tip.

[Conductorchris]

My favourite chain Pizza is Topper's Pizza (Vaughn, Newmarket, Orangeville etc.)
Tastes great because of the fresh toppings, flavourful sauce and real cheese.

I am also a fan of Terroni and my local delivery pizza would be

il Padre - 196 Royal York Rd. Etobicoke 416-251-4444 (Bad wings though)
il Paesano - 396 Brown's Line Etobicoke 416-251-7080 (gruff service)

[Jar]

Glad someone mentioned Toppers as their pizzas are on the normal side with regard to ingrdients, but the overall pizza is consistently well done with regard to both flavour and texture. Most locations are well north of Toronto and the nearest in Vaughn ( Maple ) east side of Jane St. a few blocks north of Major MacKenzie in a small mini plaza. I have mentiomed on this board of one disappointing try at Mammas which is about a mile away, Toppers is a chain that does not act like a chain in making qualitty pizza!

[tjr]

Agreed. Topper's is my favourite chain, unfortunately they don't deliver anywhere near where I live now.

[oursin]

is wyze guys still in business? called their number and was told it was disconnected...

[MOS2401]

This is all very disappointing...I'd love to find a good Pizza place in Toronto - even better if it was in Mississauga. The best Pizza I've ever had was in Montreal - anything with the Pope's nose. I also had some great Pizza in Ottawa (maybe there was some influence from Hull, QC)

Any recommendations for Pizza in Mississauga??

[CraigB]

Had to scroll a LONG way down before I found Camarra's on Dufferin. Without a doubt the absolute best pizza I have ever had. I wish I could put my finger on what makes it differerent. The sauce, cheese and crust are impeccable.

[LouLou S.]

Camarra's is definitely the best. I've been eating it since the late 80's and have long been on the quest to find better pizza. It doesn't exist. I think it's the olive oil to cook the crust. Crispy and airy. I've introduced tons of people to it, and everyone agrees.

A very good second place pizza is at San Remo Bakery on Royal York at the Queensway. It's not really a restaurant environment - but the pizza and other foods too, is delicious. I highly recommend them, too.

[deelicious]

HAIL to San Remo zah!! And their stuffed corn breads and fresh fried fritters....

[kevlar]

I have just recently (6 months ago) moved in to the Islington/ Bloor area in Etobicoke.
Being a pizza hound my first task was to find an excellent pizza....There are definately a few worth trying...
In my opinion the top two are from Lenny's (Islington/Dundas) and Romi's (Bloor/Royal York). It is slightly more expensive than the crap you get from the chains - but it is worth every cent. Lenny's also makes a superior Caesar salad.
The pizza from Royal Pizza (Islington/Queensway) and Il Paesano (Browns Line/Evans),
although not as good as the aforementioned are very good value for what you pay.
I used to work around Wize Guyzs and the pizza there was also excellent.
They have recently changed ownership and although they still make the za's in a wood oven, I have yet to try them.
For my 6 years spent in Brampton, the best pizza that I came across was from the previously mentioned Venezia. Excellent pizza!! at a great price. Give it a try if you are ever out there. Buon appetito!!

[Food Tourist]

I order Venezia pizza for weekly work functions because it's cheap and not a chain...but it's not even close to the best thick crust pizza out there. Some of my staff really enjoy it, but I find it doughy and I always discard the crusts. Great bacon, though.

[kevlar]

Update....a couple of month's ago PANAGO opened up at the Six Points Plaza....
It may in fact be the best pizza around..especially when you receive their coupons in the mail...Great pizza at a reasonable price..TWO thumbs up!!!

[itryalot]

From this discussion, any recs for take out or delivered (around midnight) wood fired, thin, Italian style pizza?

[Philip Tsar]

Pizza Roma on Bloor at Dufferin by far. The best crispy thin crust in Toronto. And this comes from being a pizza lover my whole life. I really know pizza to the point where I'm obsessed. This may sound crazy, but if there are any seafood lovers out there, try the Pizza Roma seafood pizza made with "white sauce" (cream sauce) instead of tomato sauce. Tell them to add pesto and olive oil to that, and you will have a pizza that you will crave at times. Unbelievable!

[JamieK]

I agree. Pizza Roma has excellent thin crust pizza. I believe it was mentioned once before on this thread. I live in the east end but as an evening student at the RCM's temporary location nearby and needing somewhere decent to eat in the time between work and school, I was lucky to find this place. Never tried the seafood pizza. I think I usually had the Roma, if memory serves me. It was delicious. Piping hot, crispy crust, fresh ingredients, full of taste, washed down with a reasonable house red in their pretty ceramic carafes. Will keep the seafood pizza suggestion in mind for the fall.

[CuriousCat]

Thanks for the Roma rec's. Just moved into the 'hood and ordered their pizza on moving day based on the good feedback here. Had the Quattro Stagione, Prosciutto & Sundried Tomato one, and Hawaiian (I know). It was delicious (even the Hawaiian!) ... thin crust, great toppings, whole chunks of roasted garlic on some of them. Everyone agreed it was the best pizza they'd had in a long time.

[airsey]

I ordered this exact reco last night and it was great! Thanks for the tip. This will definitely be my goto place from now on.

[tampopo]

My all time favorite is the wild mushroom pizza at Il Fornello.

Also tried a couple of pizza's at the ROM's Food Studio and they were great! Been there twice and they had slightly different choices each time. The thin crust pizza went nicely with a side of freshly made salad. You can't avoid seeing the variety of salads right next to the pizza station as you wait for your pizza to come out of the oven!!

[gobuds]

The original San Francesca's downtown had the best pie in the city

[ziggystardust]

In Mississauga, not Toronto, Marconi Pizza at Tomken/Burnamthorpe

[yoyodyne]

Second Marconi! Fantastic! Our work normally orders several party-sized pies and they all arrive perfectly cooked and taste amazing!

[trish w]

Pizza pals pub on Church st. in Ajax ON near Church st. and Kingston Rd. Small little pub , but they make great take out pizza!!!

[TaCk OnE]

wyze guys is great for stone baked pizza.

there are great authentic italian pizzas at veccio frac (sp?) and terroni.

I've been enjoying magic oven as well recently because of the quality of their ingredients and healthier crusts.

[marktheshark]

terroni hands down nobody does it better

[Food Tourist]

Actually, Via Allegro does it better!

[Food Tourist]

Sadly, since the chef change at Via Allegro, the pizza has changed, too. They now offer 4 choices of pizza (the mushroom with caramelized onion is quite tasty) but the crust needs more cooking time to achieve desired blisters and charring. If I go back for pizza, I would ask them to leave it in the oven a few minutes longer!

[looniePincher]

Another vote for UofT's favorite -- Cora's!

Runner-up: A well-known place among the Jewish community on Bathurst -- Tov-Li! They have a to-die for Roman Grecco pizza.

Best bet for affordable take-out pizza: Reggino's near Yonge north of Steeles.

[wyf]

For a good quality pizza at home I'd recommend Italpizza, It's a wood fired frozen pizza imported from Italy. You can their pizza margherita at Costco on Highway 7. I've been eating it for the past couple of years in Ottawa but wasn't able to find it in Toronto until today. If you like thin crust pizza, this is a great brand. Reminiscent of the pizza I had while in Italy.

[lamaranthe]

Pizzaville - Check locations. They are great - Thin crust, lots of stuff on top.

[alinetobicoke]

Thin Crust.....look no further than Dino's on the Queensway between Royal York an d Islington. Used to be called Wyze Guys.

Thick Crust......isn't a real pizza

[Food Tourist]

Don't you find Dino's crusts a little too burnt?

[redearth]

Actually, no. A little charring on a thin crust that comes out of a coal or wood-burning oven is exactly what you should find, and will find, in many of the best pizzerias in NYC, for example. It reveals the heat of the oven (which should be blisteringly hot!), and adds a smoky, crunchy contrast to the sweet chewiness of the upper half of the pizza dough.

[Food Tourist]

I love Lombardi's in NYC (coal) and Dino's isn't even in the same league. Mind you, I've only given him one chance since WG closed down. It's close enough to me that I could easily reconsider and give it a second chance. I am not thrilled about Dino's toppings, either, but I'll try to go back with an open mind.

[redearth]

Lombardi's is okay - I much prefer Grimaldi's. I have yet to try Difara's or John's Classic on Bleecker, in NYC. I hear they are also excellent. I would have to agree with you about Dino's toppings, but you should know that he is making some changes, and he is particularly interested in New York style pizzas (I recently had a chat with him when I went to pick up my pizza). He has introduced fresh bocconcini as a topping, as well as sardines. His crust is my favourite in Toronto so far, and, IMHO, far better than Lombardi's, which is, frankly, too thick for my liking.

[mlukan]

The Lombardi's vs Grimaldi's debate is all a matter of preference. I prefer Lombardi's myself but love them both so much. I havnt found anything like it in Toronto and its a shame because there pizza is so simple. WHY DOESNT ANY PLACE IN TORONTO KNOW HOW TO MAKE A PIZZA!!! There is so much crap here it is unbelievable. Toronto does have amazing food in so many areas but pizza we are just losers. Sry im just really hurting for some NYC style pizza. If anyone finds anything in Toronto even close to Lombardi's or Grimaldi's please repost!!! And for all you people you eat at PIZZA PIZZA, please dont, we dont need any more crappy franchises sucking up space on our streets. Dipping sauce= shame

[bluedog]

There are certainly alternatives to pizza pizza in TO, and come on, NYC must have bad pizza as well. Have you tried any of the places mentioned in this thread (which is at almost 170 postings???). At least try Danforth Pizza House.

[mlukan]

I agree with you. I have not tried nearly enough places to say there is no good pizza in T.O. I'm just bitter about wasting time and money on pizza places here but I will never give up my search. The only good thing about NYC is they have pizzerias that have been around for decades and have it down to an art, and they are also highly recommended, we cant seem to agree on many places here.

[bluedog]

That's fair enough, and after all NYC is known for Pizza, while Toronto is not. When I first moved here, i was surprised at the lack of pizza parlours (and I'm from out west originally!). This thread might be useful to you as well: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/449442. For awhile someone was keeping a running tally of the people's votes on best thick and thin crust pizzas in TO. Anyhow, I hope you fund what your looking for, and if there's anything that makes you happy let us know!

[Food Tourist]

So, I went back to Dino's with high hopes now that they offer bocconcini...unfortunately, the only pre-designed style containing bocc was the "mimmo" which also contained sardines, too-salty capers, parsley and garlic (supposedly). A personal size was $16.99, almost double the cost of most other pre-designed flavours there. Unfortunately, the delicate cheese flavour was drowned out by the capers. At least the crust wasn't burnt this time but the middle was soggy!

Dino's crust doesn't even compare to the EXCELLENT crusts at Via Allegro. Run, don't walk to VA for the best thin pizza in town. They manage to make the crust both crunchy and chewy. It's to die for!

[Food Tourist]

Gave Dino yet another try recently. I'm sorry but this is very average, mediocre pizza. Skimpy on the sauce, canned toppings (bacon crumble?) and disappointing crust (soft in middle; too thick, soft and chewy at edges). No discernable wood fire effect or taste. Prices also skyrocketed recently.

Next time, I'll try Il Paesano or Milano and then report back.

[Davedigger]

Ahhhh! You're killing me FT! I've not had a disappointing pizza at Dino's yet. Out of towners rave about it. I always get real, sliced bacon when I order it. I don't understand why you seem to get a crappy pizza each time - and it does sound crappy the way you describe.

[mlukan]

I agree Davedigger, I eat Pizza in NYC all the time and Dino's is comparable. Yes he cheaps out on his toppings, doesnt use the highest quality, thats why I get the Margherita. If you want extra smoke flavor ask him to hold your pizza up in the smoke for a minute, he is not a picky man and will do it for you. Its $20 for a xlarge that feeds the wife and I for a meal and a half. In my books thats cheap!
I commend you FT for giving him another shot considering your experience. If you dont like it I guess you just dont like it. Food is subjective.

[Food Tourist]

DD, It is crap! I've eaten in NYC at Lombardi's, et al. Dino's is nowhere as good as Terroni or Via Allegro or even Lil Baci (and I'm not even a fan of Terroni or Lil Baci pizzas!), not even in the same league. Why on earth did he give me bacon crumble? Even when he saw me pick up the pizza and recognized me, he didn't try to make it better. Mlukan, why should I have to ask him to hold the pizza in the smoke? Shouldn't he do this for everyone if it's important? An 18" pizza now costs $22. There's hardly any sauce on it, cheese is nowhere to be found and I'm supposed to make a meal of this?

By the way, I tried a margherita small pizza at Il Paesano, and it is even worse than Dino's.

[Davedigger]

Gotta agree about Il Paesano. I kept seeing their delivery car show up at my condo building multiple times per night, so I figured it must be good. I was oh, so wrong...

[duckdown]

This is the exact experience I had.

I had a simple pepperoni pizza and it was extremely underwhelming, and very skimy on the toppings. I picked up the box and I thought there was nothing inside of it

[mlukan]

Well I just had Dino's Tonight and it was delish, Of course Ive never been all about heavy toppings and dont care how much it weighs when I pick it up, I mean its thin crust for crying out loud. Im not a fan of a pizza that eats like a sandwich. I'm all about the flavor combination of sauce crust and cheese and in that case Dino's does it for me. Im from out West and pretty much all they serve there is greasy thick heavy pizza with an extreme amount of meat and cheese so having a pizza that lets certain flavors like tomato basil and garlic be the star is a nice treat. This is the way Pizza is meant to be eaten IMHO.

[Davedigger]

:thumbs up!

[Food Tourist]

I tried Milano a few weeks ago and loved chatting with the owners while I waited. It's decent pizza with real bacon! Basically what I would classify as a Canadian-style thin crust pizza. But like all pizzas, the faster you start eating it, the better the experience. I'm not sure it would survive delivery without getting soft.

[toveggiegirl]

Ami Pataki gave a (rare) positive review of Dino's pizza and pide in today's Star.
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/...

[Davedigger]

I had no idea Dino did pide! Must give that a try.

[toveggiegirl]

That spinach and Balkan feta one sounds really good.

[alan767]

try vivo just south of mt pleasant and eglinton. good thin crust

[queenmax]

Terroni's for sure!!!

[mlukan]

I love Terroni, I take back what I said about no good pizza places. Terroni is good but I would like a place that has that charcoal,wood,smokey flavor you dont get at most. I also want to know a good place that delivers downtown. Terroni is better when its eaten in the restaurant.

[MissPiggy8]

Banfi ... and old UofT stand-bys: Cora's and Papa Ceo's

[baggio10]

You may receive replies stating that Terroni, but I would recommend a place called Lil'Baci at 892 Queen St E near Logan. Absolutely delightful!

[gtafoodie]

Pizzaiolo at Dundas St. W. and Elm St. has great slices, they're tasty and huge!

[Fat Swine]

Pizza pals pickering.

[mlukan]

Well, I have tried both lil Baci on queen east and dino's pizza on queensway and they are both very good pizza's. I am especially obsessed with the wood fired pizza at dino's. Getting Dino to make you a fresh one with extra sauce on the spot is the way to go. If you dont like garlic like me ask for no garlic because he puts it on with the sauce. The crust is really some of the best ive had in T.O. so check it out.

[millygirl]

You should try Cafe Doria at Yonge and Summerhill. Excellent thin crust pizza's. Way better than Terrone's IMO.

[xssnrg]

Abruzzo Pizza in Richmond Hill 9010 Yonge St. (west side, N of #401). Family owned and run. Take-out is your best bet - dining in is brutal...

[JamieK]

I wonder if Brett even knows that the thread he/she started almost exactly three years ago is still alive and kicking.

I.m sure Bona is mentioned here somewhere, just adding a link.

[dnb232]

Pizza Nova is my favourite.They are a bit expensive but there pizza is better than any other pizza store.They opened their first store in Toronto in 1963,one can say they are the best becasue of the experience.
They deliver everywhere in Toronto.Call [phone] or 310-3300 and give them a try.

[redearth]

Pizza Nova? Reeaally? As far as the big chain pizzas go, it is probably the best, but compared to Terroni, for example... Not even close.

[SMOG]

That's exactly right. It is by far the best chain out there. However, you cannot even start to compare it to proper pizza. It's just in a completely different league.

[uberguy]

The best pizza I've had lately was at Johns italian Caffe, on Baldwin.

[icey]

I have to say that my new favourite pizza has got to be at Mangia e Bevi on King East. It is super delicious, very crispy, and wonderful control of toppings. Here is the link for a review that I wrote on it a few weeks back.... http://www.chowhound.com/topics/493210. I absolutely love this place now. We went back on Monday night, and had 6 pizzas in 4 people. I also tried their potato and pancetta pizza which was really really good.

[Pincus]

West end: King Slice and Milano's.

East end: Danforth Pizza House and Bona.

Midtown: I enjoyed Massimo's on College pre-Makeover, haven't been back since, some reports here indicate it might have declined since that event. Definitely not Amato's, their slices are always too doughy and lacking in flavour for my tastes.

[mlukan]

I just wanted to let everyone know that Dino is now delivering his amazing pies. So if you live in the area, your lucky. And if you dont, make the drive or the transit ride cause Dino's is amazing pizza!

[Pincus]

What is his turnaround time like? The last time I went to a place where the pizza was made in a wood oven, the pizza was phenomenal, but when there were a lot of orders in the queue, getting the pizza made took a VERY long time.

[mlukan]

Fortunately for me, Dino's is not overly busy because the place has not caught on to quickly. Why I have no idea. But I tend to call Dino about 20 minutes before I pick it up and he is usually ready to hand it over to me as soon as I walk through the door. He is usually quite quick

[Baggins]

Based on this thread I tried Danforth Pizza House. It is absolutely the best basic pizza you can get. I don't even mind that you have to pick up. Also, the price is ridiculously low. Went back to our old stand by (Big Momma's Boy) one night when we didn't want to drive and it was so disappointing compared to Danforth.
Still love Terroni for a fancier pizza.

[toveggiegirl]

Giovanna's on College St. has the best pizza margherita I've ever had. Super-thin and crispy, just the right amount of toppings, and made in a wood-burning oven. Too bad the service is so lousy...

http://www.giovanna.redto.com/

[apetimberlake]

When it comes to chains: Pizza Nova has always hit the spot.
When it comes to indie: Il peasano on browns line in Etobicoke

[redearth]

While I wouldn't put Il Paesano as my number one "indie" pizza, they do make a great, classic greasy wheel. Delish!

And your chain pick is spot on!

[tp24]

OMG.

Panago Pizza is hands down the best pizza I've had in a loooong time.

http://www.panago.com/

[juliewong]

If we are including chains then folks need to know that panzerotto pizza is one to try. Had it in
west Toronto many years ago and recently it opened in Oakville. It is the best chain pizza and very low priced.

[food face]

Panago you say? It's funny it's being mentioned. I was just talking about this chain with my partner as we drove by it the other day because it's virtually unknown in Toronto but very popular elsewhere. It's interesting how some chains don't take off in some places. I will give it a try!

[foreignx]

so...I just figured a recent post would be appreciated

I went to Terroni's on Queen W. last night with friends. The line was out the door, but we decided to wait. It was definitely worth it!

great atmosphere, the service was pretty reasonable considering that it was soo busy.
Overall, I really enjoyed my meal (pizza) and i really appreciated the variety of ingrediants. Be warned it is thin crust, so order a pasta if that isn't your thing.

For those of you with ties to Kingston, we couldn't decide which was better, Woodenheads in Kingston or Terroni's, but either way this is definitely a good place for dinner with friends.

[Ediblethoughts]

To me the much better thing about Woodenheads is they let you construct your own pizza (and do subs). The complete lack of flexibility of Terroni's in doing that (apparently they will do it if you have a food allergy but that's it) is very annoying. (I also thought Woodenhead's crust was much less likely to get mushy in the middle.)

[food face]

Ediblethoughts, I agree with this lack of flexibility being a flaw. I can understand if it's mixing cheese with seafood and is a cultural food taboo. Terroni needs to drop the ego and wake up to the fact that the customer is always right (for the most part). I refuse to support their business anymore.

[Ediblethoughts]

I've arrived at the same conclusion (i.e. giving up on them as a place to eat)--and I'm a bit sad about that because their salads ARE very good. But for most meals, I can't subsist on salad!

[smr714]

If you are looking for a straight old fashioned sausage and cheese pizza, the Rivera pizzeria in Scarborough on Kingston Road used to be good. The place was family run, prices reasonable and is a local fav in the bluffs area.

[downpressor]

I lived in Toronto for four years, originally from New York. I love TO and think it has some of the best food, but had seeeerious pizza issues while living there. People can debate all they want about Coras/Papa Ceos...they're both pretty bad, though they hit the spot at 2am to be sure. The place that kept me going throughout my stay in TO was Massimo's on College. I haven't been there in a while, and a friend told me that they've gone downhill, but for a slice they were always the best I could find in the city.

[Yongeman]

A fresh Massimo's margherita slice is still often pretty great...especially with the garlic/olive oil/basil spread that you can add, if you like.

[TOFoodFan]

Does anyone know anything about Pizzeria Libretto, which is scheduled to open soon on Ossington. It's being billed (at least on Toronto.com) as a place to get 'real Neapolitan pizza'. Unless they have a wood-burning stone oven and make the dough the authentic way, that's a hollow claim...

Which makes me wonder if anyone knows of any place in Toronto making Neapolitan-style pizzas in an actual wood-burning stone oven? The city's full of pretenders, but unlike in NYC, nobody here has seemed to get it right yet.

[pizzeria_libretto]

I am the owner of Pizzeria Libretto. We do have a Wood-burning oven which was made from a third generation pizza oven builder in Naples and shipped here. Also, the dough has 3 basic ingredients; flour, water, and natural yeast. We plan to make pizza according to the rules set out by the European Union and VPN (Verace PIzza Napoletana association).

[mrbozo]

When do you open and will you deliver up to St Clair/Dufferin?

[Yongeman]

That's what I've been waiting for, PL. Can't wait to try it out.

[Earl Camembert]

Floyd and I went there a few weeks ago. The Margherita was excellent. It was close to Terroni in quality. The mushroom pizza was also very good. Lots of cheese. Overall our second favorite after Terroni. The search continues...

[kingkolo]

GIGI'S ...mushroom, italian sausage and garlic mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Smed]

If you are a traditional pepperoni pizza lover nothing beats Bitondo's (on clinton south of college)

However if you prefer the artisan pizza Terroni can't be beat.

[Brain of J]

I once read that Terroni's will not slice up your pizza. Is that correct?

[thebutcher]

They will not cut it - sneak in a pizza cutter!

[sylvrgirl]

Just like a real Italian Trattoria...you use a knife and fork.

[torontoeh]

Yes but the crust at a real Italian Trat is much more tender and easy to slice. Terroni only wishes they served pizzas as good as what is found across Italy. Until they learn how to make a crust that matches, they should be slicing it for us!!!

[camper88]

They won't cut your chicken for you either.
Why is that a problem? That's how pizza should be served.

[SMOG]

True. And, just so there are no surprises, the olives are not pitted, so be careful! :)

[Traiano]

Terroni serves the closest to authentic Napolitano pizza in Toronto, if not Canada. Pizza from Napoli is the template for all pizza. Most of the places mentioned on this board i.e. (Bitondo, Milano, il Fornello, Big Ragu, Giovanna's Wize Guyz, Amato's Cora's etc.) produce salty shingles. Pizzabilities did make nice trays back in the day; Camarra's is prety good. But again, if you want to eat authentic (and can't go to Napoli) go to Terroni. And to talk about "tradition pepperoni pizza" is silly. Pepperoni pizza is a North American thing. Traditional pizza, authentic pizza, doesn't include all the crap North Americans pile on top.

[Jar]

Gee Traiano, Don't be so hung up on Authentic Napolitano Pizza!! The topic is the Best Pizza and from there as many people as there are, there are personal choices. These days Pizza is a base, a possible sauce, cheese perhaps, and yes toppings. On Pizza Time at home, I offer a variety of toppings which are selected differently in different quantities and I use regular dough, flour tortillas, and pitas as a base as chosen by individuals. Pizza is a different thing these days! Preferences are the order of the day as opposed to authenticity and pizza would not be popular if not for the endless possibilities. What is wrong with a Greek themed pizza. I lean towards Indian mysel with important base ingredients of garlic, onion, ginger, hot peppers, etc., a thin smear along the well cooked crust of Mango Chutney makes it interesting and far from Naples! There is a great pizza place in Woodbridge that used to be in Malton, Ricci's and on their pizza boxes they say " From Naples With Love ". Great pizza, not authentic, maybe it is good enough for the love to come from the heart to a great pizza. Do we dare to think into the future what pizza is??? Bottom line, may we all find the Best Pizza!!!!

[chaptwo]

Out in Brampton, I had a pepperoni pizza from Mackay's Pizza that was hands down the best pizza I've had in years. Strongly recommended ! Also, Pizzateria at Yonge north of Lawrence made a nice one for me recently...

[duckdown]

Mackay's pizza?!

i live in Brampton and i don't even know if its the best in Brampton, let alone the GTA

[duckdown]

Ricci's makes a mean veal sandwich

Hell, their phone number is something like 310-VEAL, haha.. I gotta make the trip out there soon.

[chaptwo]

Hey Duckdown, you might be right...perhaps it was a nostalgic moment after being away from Brampton for years, but I found it to be excellent...reminiscent of a stand-alone classic pizza from back in the day, rather than chain store cardboard...

[turnertom]

My favourite places in Toronto are: Lucciola on Eglinton near Dufferin, Papa Ceo on Spadina, Vesuvio's on Dundas West, and Regina and Vivoli on College Street.

But both New York and Chicago joints have waaaaayy better pizza than all of the above. And please... don't tell me about Montreal pizza....... a joke....

[celtgirl]

I just got back from Pizzeria Libretto and yes, it really is Napoli style. My only complaint--not the right size to be Vera Nepolitana, & no olio unless you ask. Other than that, the crust is PERFECT, exactly what I remember from Naples.

Terroni is good-but only if you like Roman style pizza (thin, crispy crust).

[Food Tourist]

This thread has become cumbersome beyond belief but still seems like the best place to update a review. I had the margherita pizza at Libretto this evening. It was so soft to the point of soggy in the middle, and absolutely no crispness, char or blistering. Is that the new normal?

[Pizza Lover]

I was at Libretto on Monday night - had basically the same experience. Our crust had some charing but the pizza itself is bland beyond belief (had the margherita and sardine pizzas) and is way overpriced.

This is one of the most over-hyped places in Toronto - the ricotta gnocchi though was very good.

[Yum2MyTum]

I had a pizza there a month ago - my first - and that's exactly how my pizza turned out. Was hoping it was a one-off...

[Boodah]

Go get the margherita at Buddha Pie, it's easily the best I've had in this city (warning, it is not cheap).

[Davedigger]

Went today at lunch and had the Margherita. Outside crust was burnt (not charred) and inedible, the rest was just soggy. And what's with just 3 basil leaves??? 4 of us had the same pizza and we all got only 3 leaves.

I'll stick to Dino's on Queensway.

[Boodah]

Wow, what a letdown. I can tell you I got a heck of a lot more than 3 basil leaves on mine when I ate there. Our pizza was also not burnt. I'll be curious to go back now and see if things have gone downhill or yours was just a one-off problem as this is the first time I've seen someone complain about the place.

[Yum2MyTum]

Hi Boodah - I think Davedigger is complaining about Libretto rather than Buddha Pie, since his comment is in response to Food Tourist's.

[duckdown]

Ya, that's gotta be Libretto. They do the "3 basil leaves" thing on mine too.. That place is definitely not worth the lineup.. Yuppies are in love with it

[Boodah]

I stand corrected. Good thing, too, I loved Buddha Pie.

[Davedigger]

Yup. That's me bitching about Libretto. I do plan to check out Buddha though.

[Marumari]

I feel the same way about Libretto pizza. The crust is this strange chewy-mushy thing that doesn't do it for me.

[Pizza Lover]

Davedigger consider yourself "lucky" in getting 3 basil leaves - we only received one pathetic piece that contributed absolutely nothing to the less than mediocre pie.

[duckdown]

I re-visited Dino's today for the first time in a while.

I was annoyed with Pizzeria Libretto's crappy hours and small amounts of cheese.

I ordered a large pizza margherita, which he lowered in price, its only $15 taxes included and is about twice the size of Pizzeria Libretto. The crust obviously is not as nice and charred (oven is not hot enough), and the mozzerella isn't fresh...

But it was actually pretty damn good, and way more pizza for your money. The mozzerrella was nice and stringy & chewy when it was hot (obviously not once it cooled down, so just eat quick) and there was more liberal fresh basil leaves on it than PL would give any day of the week

It was actually much better this time from my first experience, and I will definitely return.

While the crust & cheese quality might not be on par with PL, it's a nice substitute and gives you way more food for the money.

[Food Tourist]

Crappy hours?

Trust me people, run to Via Allegro and enjoy the Sofia pizza for $16.95 plus tax. Tons of boc cheese, well-distributed fresh basil and DELISH tomato sauce. Salty crust arrives totally crispy through the middle (but softens over time). It has less char taste than Libretto but still has the blisters.

[duckdown]

Yea, they're not open at all for lunch hour even though there are people there answering the phones, and when they finally do open, it's right in the middle of rush hour

That Via Allego pizza sounds wonderful, do they do take-out?

[Dr Butcher]

The Calabria Bakery in Scarborough cooks pizzas on Thursdays and Fridays in their wood burning oven. I walked in today and the smoke greeted me right away. In fact, in the 10 minutes I was in there I managed to absorb quite a bit of smoke, my clothes smell deliciously smoky right now.

Anyway, I ordered a Classico (pepperoni and cheese $7.50) and a Calabria (cheese, black olives, hot peppers, and capicolla $10). They were made in front of me and placed in the oven for about 5 minutes, they were turned a couple of times during that span.

The 12" crust is extremely thin and the has a nice crunch to the exterior, near the center of the pizza it loses a bit of it's crispness (most likely it was the 10 minutes of travel time to get home). The crust has a nice saltiness to it but added with the toppings gets a little salty, some may love it, some may not. To me it was perfectly acceptable.

The cheese is shredded mozarella and the rest of the toppings seem to be quality ingredients. The sauce has a nice sweetness to it and doesn't overwhelm the toppings. The hot peppers are very hot, just a few on the Calabria pizza had me hunting for fluids.

They have a few more varieties such as a seafood pizza and a build your own option, as well as panzerottis.

Overall a very solid pizza, inexpensive, and definitely one of the best I've had in the city. Too bad you can only get it 2 days a week.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v308/DrButcher/Food/DSC00194.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v30...

[Googs]

I made a link!

[redearth]

Dang, that pizza looks pretty tasty! I love how you can see that little bit of ash that made it on to the pizza in your second photo. It definitely reminds of NYC pizza. Too bad I'm on the other end of the city.

[helen0505]

do you know if they still have this or what their hours are? the website said they are open till 8pm but i tried to go yesterday (around 6pm) and it was closed.

[duckdown]

I have to head into Oakville in a few minutes to meet somebody, and decided to punch into google "wood oven pizza in oakville" and after sifting through the garbage, look what I found:

http://www.oakvilletoday.ca/news/arti...

quote:
"The 24th Annual International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas is just around the corner, from April 1 – 3, at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Oakville’s Caputo Pizza has been accepted to the world’s largest and oldest pizza show, to compete for Best Traditional Pizza.

Shawn Hanna will travel to Las Vegas and put his Wood Oven Pizza on the line for best pizza in the world contest.

“I really think we have something here. Not just the same old same old”, says Hanna.
Caputo Pizza uses a real wood burning pizza oven, imported from Modena, Italy and the organizers assure Shawn that they will bring in a wood burning pizza oven for the contest. Shawn believes that with Caputo’s secret dough, sauce and cheese recipes, it will make the difference. "

Sounds excellent... Nobody here has had any experience with this place? I am heading out shortly after a quick shower, and will definitely be trying it out.

Any comments or opinions, I'm all ears

[Food Tourist]

Did you try Caputo?

[duckdown]

Yeah, store is still intact with legal notices all over the board... Seems somebody had a lawsuit against them and there are foreclosure signs all over the door indicating they owe something like $9,000 in fees.. Such a shame because it sounded great :(

I'm just looking for ANY places that have a wood burning oven, and google is failing pretty hard and finding me any results.

I tried Alexandra Hut in Mississauga, they have a wood burning oven but their pizza margherita is using grated mozzerella and they omit the basil leaves :/

Can you believe, that even Woodbridge, which is almost entirely Italian, apparently doesn't even have a single pizza place that has a wood burning oven (google yields me NO worthwhile results..)

I am sure it is just the search engine failing me, but if ANYONE knows of ANY pizza places, good or bad, that boast a wood burning oven.. I will try them and then be the judge.

I look forward to a reccomendation if its in any city surrounding the GTA

[JohnnyCake]

Little Tony's on Weston. Truly amazing!

[duckdown]

Haven't heard of it -- do they have a wood fired oven by any chance, or use fresh mozzerella?

[ruminant]

I love Il Paesano in Etobicoke! We travel there all the way from east end Toronto to get a fix. Everything we've tried is good, including the veal sandwich. I have to also mention their good service, and generous serving of hot, complimentary garlic bread.

[foodlandian]

pizzaiolo is the best pizza in toronto. hands down.
magic oven is the worst pizza in toronto. even worse than pizza pizza with the stupid dipping sauces.

[bellywizard]

I agree that pizzaiolo tastes good, but they NEVER ONCE got my order right. Even when they redo the order, it's totally wrong again. I've had to stop ordering from them. Maybe their standard classics are more reliable.

[Full tummy]

Which location are you ordering from? I have been ordering from the Kingston Road location (north of Queen) for 5 years now, and they have never once made a mistake.

[burlgurl]

Hey Duckdown..
I'm pretty sure Il Fornello has wood oven pizzas..I go to the one at Dorval and QEW..I still stand behind the pizza's at Stoney's Bread Com. in Oakville too.. (Kerr road)...the quality of toppings is amazing, and I've found the only fault is sometimes there is too much topping!

[duckdown]

burlgurl - you rock :)

I actually somehow was in oakville tonight and overlooked your previous reccomendation (we ate at Agabi)

But I am headed back most likely tomorrow and am looking very forward to trying Stoneys -- I was sold once you said they use fresh mozzerella

Thanks again! Look forward to trying it ASAP

[burlgurl]

if you go on a sunday, they are only open until 3pm..they have the best sunday brunch around..

[phlyerphan]

Fratellis on Old Kingston rd, made in a stone oven, smells and tastes incredible!!!!!!!

[cstonewolf]

I haven't seen Fratellis...where about on Old Kingston Road. Is it thin crust? I've always been a great fan of Il Fornello's wood-fired pizza.

[SushiZ]

Pizza Libretto is getting a lot of attention for its oven making the pizza's...Well, it may be true but this resto is by far no winner in the Toronto Pizza scene...Fact: from the bruscetta list....classic italian bruschetta is made with crostini, not baguette. Bring some extra topping for your pizza its a bit scare, but if you like lots of cheese on pizza, there is lots of goey mozzarella on their selection......Clearly this resto 's food is as distant as Italy to Toronto. Service is good and polite!!ENJOY!!

[Digdug1]

Dantes in Thornhill does it for me. You want thin crust just ask for it. The pizza are all bigger than any other place. The price is hefty but everything is homemade and the best I've come across. I like to order a thin crust pepperoni and sliced steak ,half cooked and unsliced. When I get it home I can turn on my oven when I want and have fresh pizza without the delivery cardboard flavour. Restaurant has enormous portions. Always go as a couple and share a plate you will both walk away stuffed.
http://www.dantespizza.ca/

[wongjef]

I went to the Dante's new location in Vaughan at Dufferin and Langstaff. Horrible experience. A definite Hell's Kitchen moment, which is fitting for Dante's. Let me tell you, I ordered a mini-pizza, with additional pepperoni, and guess what, over an hour it was still wasn't ready. There was a line-up of people waiting for their take-out, over an hour. I asked for my money back, and it took 30 minutes. The anger and complaints, you would not believe. The service was poor, although you could see the kitchen staff running around trying to get the food out to the in house diners, not the take-out customers. And the kitchen, you could see the floor was dirty and the chef was angry, as staff was refilling supplies (tomato\pasta sauce) and left it in the throw-away plastic bag it came in. So far for home-made. Not recommended in my book.

[MotiMahal]

Love at First bite on gerrard at church. BIG new york style pizza.

[TheGimp]

Wow. This thread has become way too cumbersome. Just reading through it to get an idea of places to go is a chore.
I gave up on Pizza in Toronto about 7 years ago. To be fair, I had several bad experiences so I generalized and said all pizza in TO was bad. I'm going to get back on the "pizza wagon" and give it another kick. If I guy wanted the top 6 places to go for pizza, where would he go?

[Full tummy]

What kind of pizza do you like?

[redearth]

Since you can't seem to be bothered to read through this thread, here are a few recommendations to start with....

[Poorboy]

Hey there redearth, you did not list Danforth Pizza House. There was a poll conducted on these boards and they were way up the list.

Cheers!

[redearth]

True, true - I was just going with the places that I personally have tried and liked... I guess I've got to give the DPH a try sometime....!

[Poorboy]

Here is link

[TheGimp]

Thanks redearth. I appreciate the list. I tried Dino's WBP on the Queensway last night and I have to say it was great pizza. Love the natural wood flavor and the toppings and crust were perfect. I'll try some of the others in the next few weeks.

[Dr Butcher]

If you're out in Scarborough Give Calabria Bakery on Midland Ave a try (Thursdays and Fridays only).

Also very good is Fratelli's Village Pizzeria in the Highland Creek Village.

Both are thin crust wood oven pizzas and are the best I've tried in the east end.

[BuddaFoodie]

The very best pizza in Toronto can now be found on Ossington, just south of Dundas.
The place is called Cafe Libretto and they have the best pizza I have ever eaten outside of Milan.
Here's their link: http://www.pizzerialibretto.com/chef....
If you like thin crust pizza, you are going to love this pizza. Some traditional and some gourmet toppings. I had a duck confit pizza with pear and it was out-of-this-world. My son had a traditional pie and it was exceptional. They brought over artisans from Italy to make the oven and the expense was worth it.

[kwjd]

I agree, Pizzeria Libretto is by far, the best pizza I've ever had in Toronto. I've had the Terroni pizza, and I don't think there is even a comparison. The crust at PL is just on a completely different level. Plus, they have and small, but excellent beer list of mostly microbrews (Mill Street Tankhouse, Creemore, and Steamwhistle on tap & Liberty Ale and some Italian beer in bottles).

[Ginsugirl]

If I want a pizza, I want a wood-oven baked pie, with good toppings, thin crust, and that slightly charred edge. Here are easily the tops in the city:

1. Eden Trattoria(St. Clair west of Dufferin): The best deal in the city. Choose your size, choose your toppings. The large is enough for two adults and a child. They don't look at us weirdly when my young son asks for onions and anchovies. Perfect place to take the family. Also: excellent pastas, calamari, and veal sandwiches, all super-reasonable. I actually held my wedding reception here, and everyone left happy. Awesome place to watch World Cup.

2. Standard Club (College and Beatrice): Great pizza and pasta. Also one of the nicest owners in town. He is generous and accomodating, and never forgets a face or what they drink. He seems to know everything that happens in Little Italy, all the time.

3. Ferraro 502 0n Eglinton west (#502, of course): The hell with Pain Quotidien down the street, this is the place for good, homemade bread. Their pizzas are made out of that same fabulous dough, but thin and crispy/charred around the edges. Great fresh toppings. Monster huge salads, if that's your thing. I haven't been impressed by their pastas, though. During the day, it's full of ladies who lunch and designer stroller moms, so it can be a bit noisy.

And the non-wood burning oven also-rans that I still hold in esteem:

I really love the panzerotti at Massimos. Baked, but then well-drizzled in garlic oil. Mmmm.

I've enjoyed the Danforth Pizza House for a long time. Exactly what you expect out of a 'za every time, and familiarity is good.

Cora is good if you're drunk, between classes, or both. so is Papa Ceos.

And finally, total respect has to go out to Ciccios on Dundas. During the Big Blackout, they were the only place in the area still doing food, so could have upped their prices, but didn't. They kept cooking until the food ran out, and still apologized for the wait, even with line-ups down the street. Pretty damned good pizza, too. Was our go-to place for as long as we stayed in the area.

[apetimberlake]

I really injoy Pizza Nova for like a once a week take out thing.
They really kill Pizza Pizza in taste and Value.

$9.99 large walk in special

[ekammin]

Alize, on Yonge north of Eglinton. Not your usual chain stuff, where pizzas are made by minimun wage temps. This is a good French-Italian restaurant that has excellent pizzas on the menu. They even deliver, inn the area.

[galincity]

I just finished reading this blog about the best pizza in Toronto and had to join right away. Libretto on Ossington just south of Dundas - amazing pizza; probably one of the best outside of Naples! You will have to wait in line but it's well worth the wait.Terroni is also a great pick for thin crust pizza.

[snackboy]

Hey Guys,

My two faves are the pesto pizza at Olympic 76 and the pies at Vesuvios (especially the Vulcano pizza)

SB

[Ediblethoughts]

I definitely agree on Olympic. I've been going there for the better part of two decades when I'm down town. The quality is commendably consistent.

[nasurj]

I'm 35, I was in an elevator when this guy walked in with a white pizza box.
I thought nothing of but because I'm nice I said "where did you get the za??".
He replied "Olympic Pizza!"
I said "I never heard of it?!"
He looked at me like I was on crack and said "its the best pizza in Toronto!!!"
Just yesterday I thought I'd give Olympics a try.
I'm 35 and I have for the first time eaten pizza!.
You have to try it to see what I mean!
Olympic 76 Pizza is the best pizza in Toronto.

[jayt90]

Can you describe it?

[Poorboy]

I tried Olympic as recently as 2 weeks ago. I was very underwhelmed . The toppings were very sparse and the dough was not cooked through. Under cooked is something I absolutely detest. I would rather have a little char instead of goo. Maybe this was an off night for them? I won't be ordering from them again anytime soon. Glad to see others are more than satisfied. When you get something you enjoy, you don't mind paying a little more.

[Googs]

Off night and I'll add oddly so. Olympic 76 is one of the most consistent pizzas in the city. It's the one place where I don't feel compelled to specify well done. Normally the crust is crisp with a slight charring. I'd give them another chance.

[Poorboy]

OK, thanks. Your rec is good enough for me.

[Ediblethoughts]

That's awful! In all the years I've been there, I've never had a bad food experience there. I guess no place is perfect!

[abigllama]

I just don't get the love for Olympic Pizza. It's like a block from me, and I've had it twice. First time was not impressed, figured I'd give it another shot. I got a take out pie and it was heavy, super greasy and for the most part tasteless. Most pizza joints in Toronto skimp on the sauce so I ordered extra, and the sauce is totally canned and tasteless. My partner sumed it up best ..he said I can taste lots of grease and fat but no spice or seasoning. I have close friends that swear by this place and just don't get it, this most recent pizza was horrible. Honsestly this was worse than the pizza McDonald's used to serve in the states many moons back/

I hate to say it but my fave delivery pie in the city goes to Dominos Brooklyn Style with double cheese and sauce. Massimo's is a close second but I was literally blown off on the phone last time I tried to order a pizza so I'm pretty much done with them.
They guy taking orders was more concerned with screaming at his employees than taking my order. Angry pizza never tasted good anyway.

[toukolou]

New place in Thornhill i just tried, Jazz Pizza (or something like that), really enjoyed it. Nice thin crisp crust with just the right chew. The sauce was quite tasty as well, with just a touch of sweetness. Really good pie.

[SMOG]

What kind of place is it? Sit-down restaurant, or casual eatery? Would you say it's up there and deserved a nod for one of the best pizzas in Toronto?

[toveggiegirl]

It seems to be a sit-down restaurant because they serve wine. I feel slightly suspicious when I see Hawaiian Pizza listed as a "Classic".
http://www.jazzpizza.com/index.html

[Pincus]

I think Hawaiian is a "classic" North American spin on the pizza. What surprised me is seeing "Chicken Teriyaki" listed as a "classic" pizza as this is the first time I've seen that combination offered on a pizza menu.

[toukolou]

It's a sit down/takeout (not sure about delivery) place. Pretty nicely done inside, fireplace, flatscreens, beer, wine etc...As for one of the best in TO, I've got to try them a few more times before I can confidently pass judgement. Based on my single experience it was a very tasty pie, worth a try.

[Davedigger]

Everytime I open this thread I ask myself, "Self, what does "their pizzas are more like salads" mean"? How can a pizza be like a salad? I've never had Amato, so I don't know what they look/taste like. Would someone care to explain?

[Pincus]

They tend to scatter many many veggies on top and there isn't enough cheese to really bind them together. It's a style of pizza you see at places like Amato and Magic Oven. Healthy, I guess, but I too like my veggies happily nestled in and under melted cheese on my pizzas.

[toveggiegirl]

Davedigger. I did the same thing! I don't like Amato's (although I love veggies, hence the username) but I wouldn't liken it to a salad. The last time I had Amato's pizza, is was just wierd- it was so overly wet, it soaked the paper plate through (not with oil but with moisture). Perhaps this was from too many vegetables.

[Ediblethoughts]

Toveggiegirl, since you love your veggies, have you been to any places that load them on and don't make them mushy? (I'm always disappointed with the amount of spinach most places add---it's like they think it's parsley and decorative only...)

[toveggiegirl]

I have actually had good experiences with Mamma's Pizza delivery (from the Eglinton, W. of Bathurst location). It's inconsistent, but when it's good, it's quite good. They have great choice in veggie toppings and pile them high. For takeout/dine-in, I have had very good pizza from Tov-Li, a kosher pizza place (with 2 locations) that also has great falafel.

[Ediblethoughts]

Mamma's Pizza is my favourite delivery pizza place in large part because they have whole grain crust and rapini! And yeah, very generous amounts of veg. I like Tov-Li too for their veggies of all kinds though I've never tried the pizza... (I don't like to eat there because the styrofoam bothers me but I do love their stuff----amazing toppings for falafel!)

[duckdown]

Tov Li has the worst pizza in the world!

[abigllama]

Dave here's a good example. Ordered a delivery pizza from Mamma's awhile back. Got sausage and red onion on it. So driver called up, was buzzed in, opened the door and waited for him to get up to our floor. Heard the elevators open and him walking down. Shortly before he got there could alread smell onions. Thought wow that's strong. After opening lid, the pizza was PILED with onions they were standing up in tangles piled high, it was insane. We had to pull a couple handfulls off the pie because it was ridiculous.

We ordered a pizza with sausage and onions. We got a pile of onions with some pizza underneath it. Promise we weren't rude on the phone or anything, this is just how they decided to do it.

[food face]

funny.

[Beachsider]

Terroni and Pizza Nova Restaurant (not the franchises the original one) at Lawrence and Kennedy.

Forget Comara's on Dufferin overrated. And Pizza Pizza is a joke!

[Calipoutine]

any updated? Looking for great pizza downtown. Prefer thin crust( no chains please).

I'm from NY, so its hard to please me. I dont expect NY pizza in Toronto, but I'd like something decent.

[tjr]

Libretto or Terroni, but they don't come close to pizza in NYC.

[1sweetpea]

I thought Trio was pretty decent. I tried their pesto pizza with chicken on multigrain crust. It was a fairly thin crust pie, tasty, not too greasy or heavily topped and cooked perfectly in the wood oven. My only gripe is that the pesto could have been more punchy, but that's just my preference. My mother had a quattro stagione pizza on white crust which she really enjoyed. Toppings on that 'za were very generous.

I have yet to try Terroni or Libretto, so I can't compare, but it's the best pizza I've had in Toronto, based on the many other places I've patronized over the years. I must add that Cora's and Papa Ceo's are post-1 am faves. They hit the spot after a night out on the town.

[redearth]

Yeah, more like post 3 am - I'd have to be really loaded to venture into either Cora's or Papa Ceo's...

[toveggiegirl]

Has anyone tried the pizza at Sorrento? It's a new Neopolitan restaurant where apparently everyone, from the owner to the chef to the staff, are from the Naples region.
The menu is on their site and the pizzas sound good as do many of their other dishes.
http://www.sorrentoristorante.ca/

[toveggiegirl]

I'm so glad to hear that. A lot of things pointed to this restaurant being good and I was hopeful. Toronto could use more authentic (for lack of a better, less over-used word), simple Italian restaurants. (The more the better, in my opinion.) It's on my list of "new places to try".
Thanks for reporting back.

[mlz]

Pizzeria Libretto or Terroni hands down!!

[fatman669]

I actually came to this page for info on pizza delivery in Eastern Toronto. Here's my verdict:

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS GOOD PIZZA DELIVERY IN THE BEACHES.

I have tried Mama's, Pizza Pizza, 241 Pizza, Wing Machine & associated companies, and a pile of others. On every occasion, without fail, my order has either been wrong or tasted so awful I have simply town out most of it. The service is atrocious, and almost no-one seems to be able to speak english beyond grade 3 level. I have had my change kept, drivers insisting I come to the door on the ground floor, and so on - and when I call to complain, I'm generally told that I got my pizza and I should shut up.

In fact, I have found there is virtually no delivery service of any kind for food east of the DVP and south of the 401 which will actually deliver here which is not complete garbage. Two exceptions - Pizzaolio and and the curry house at the end of my street - but neither of them will deliver to me because I am too close (always a good excuse to hear when you are home with an injury).

I say all this having lived in London UK (no problems there - spoiled for choice) Halifax NS (loads of great companies there) and Edmonton AB (again, spoiled for choice and most places deliver almost anywhere). In this town, the choice is simple - go to a gourmet place and pay over $50, or make it yourself and get about as good a product as you'll be flogged by the sham-artists that pass themselves off as restauranteurs.

Occasionally I will scan the internet or the yellow pages and search for something - it is now 9.52 and I have been doing so since 8.30.

So Torontonians who hanker for simple, inexpensive food delivered in a courteous and professional manner, you might as well buy a cook-book and a better oven, and leave the losers who ply this trade to starve

[jayt90]

Why does attitude get in the way of service in Toronto?

[Pincus]

Have you tried Bona Pizza yet?

[JamieK]

I was gonna say Bona too. East of DVP, south of 401. But they may not go as far as delivering to the Beach.

[KitchenVoodoo]

Try Bona Pizza - they have a lot of interesting toppings like leeks, but unless you like a lake of cheese on your pizza tell them to go easy on the cheese. I look on this as emergency food.

[mewantfood33]

Terroni is by far the best fancy pizza in Toronto. Pizza Libretto is a close second, but their sauce is a little salty and they are not generous with cheese.

Mama's is the best delivery. Cora's makes an amazing garlic slice.

[SMOG]

That may be your preference, but the reason that Libretto is not "generous with cheese" is because that's authentic. Libretto follows very stringent rules of authenticity.

[Googs]

I follow very stringent rules of tasteenticity. I'd rather be true to myself than a doctrine and day, especially so when dining.

[sarahthefoodie]

Cicco's at Dundas, Northside, just a block west of Bathurst. Try the Brushetta slice or the Mushroom. Out of this world. Crust is perfect, plus tons of toppings. They offer dipping sauce (not like you'd even need it!!). It's good and cheap. You and someone else can share a 2-slice slice, unless you're really hungry. And one slice is about $2.50 and you get MORE than your money's worth. My guy and I are addicted to the place.

[food face]

Funny, we ordered Ciccio's and where surprised that we just found it so-so. Their veal sandwhich rivals San Francesca and California (the one in Little Italy). I should give it another shot. Sarah, have you tried the pizza at Donar? Curious about that place?

[Calipoutine]

We had the margarhita from Terroni. It was just ok. The one leaf of basil on the entire pizza turned me off. Whats with the stingyness of basil?

[deelicious]

We get the margarhita all the time at Terroni to split with other courses. I can tell you I have never ever seen just one leaf of basil. Can't even imagine how that would happen. Did you bring it to the server's attention?

[chocabot]

The first time I went to Libretto I saw a Margherita come out with 3 leaves in the center of the pizza so ever since I order with extra basil and sometimes add my own on take out. Basil really shouldn't be listed as an ingredient since it's barely there.

[Manybears]

I got the margherita for take-out once and it just had the one (albeit enormous) leaf of basil in the centre too. I thought it was kind of impractical.

[Calipoutine]

Totally impractical when basil is an integreal part of the dish. I mean come on grow a freaking pot of basil outside if its that expensive!!

[grandgourmand]

Impractical must be code-word for cheap/ripoff. Terroni pizza is way overrated. Not crisp enough in the middle.

[Googs]

And here I thought it was the code word for hosed.

[Poorboy]

Hmm.. Cora's just fell of my list after their closure today was reported.

[harry]

I know it's in Mississauga, but the best pizza has got to be Marconi Pizza at Cawthra and Burnhamthorpe. It's the real deal.

[koknia]

I don't eat a lot of pizza, but had Terroni's the other night and was seriously underwhelmed.

[Googs]

Fusilli is my new fave for best pizza in the city. I've gone back to all of my regular haunts for one more try. They just don't compare. Limited selection of vegetarian, Margarita, and something called the Paesano with delicious spicy salami. Beyond those three if you see an ingredient on the menu, he'll put it on a pizza if you ask nicely.
http://fusilli.ca/

[SMOG]

I don't see any pizza on the menu?

[Googs]

Not on the web menu yet, but very definitely there. Stone oven pizza with the most delicious thin crust I've had in years. No attitude, no line-up's, and no "no reservations" policy. The house wine is good for pairing let alone the lovely selection of pricier bottles.

[Googs]

Hey Smog, Fusilli has pizza on the web menu now.

[TexSquared]

Chicago Pizza Kitchen in Maple. Or the similar place in Hamilton.

[jayt90]

Chicago Pizza is one of two stops on the Chowhound groupmeet next Saturday. There may still be some space left, if anyone is interested.
http://groups.google.com/group/chowho...

[FrankD]

Went with a friend last week - we had the stuffed pizza, so I can't comment on his thin crust offering, but the stuffed pizza was fabulous. Two grown men with a small, and we couldn't finish it. Note that the place is very small - I don't think it can seat 20, and eating outdoors is not an option for the next six months :{

[TorontoTips]

Just got back from my first trip to Danforth Pizza House, based on a recommendation from a Chowhounder, and it's my new candidate for best old-school neighbourhood style hand-tossed pizza in the city. No sundried broccoli hearts or pro-biotic free-range organic spelt crusts here: just old-school, genuine, GREAT pizza!

Toronto's best Chicago-style stuffed pizza (and a really good Italian Beef sandwich too!) is Chicago Pizza Kitchen in Maple. +Bonus points for having a really charming, passionate owner, Spiros, that if you go, you WILL meet and converse with :-)

I've scoured the city, and you'll be hard-pressed to find better than these two joints, anywhere in TO!

[lcohen999]

Very impressed with Chicago Pizza.

My only complaint was the $3 charge to pay by credit card on delivery (they have a wireless machine)

Seemed "tacky"

[Yongeman]

This was my second visit to Danforth Pizza. Perfect! I like pizza simple, so I ordered a pepperoni pizza. I was told to come in an hour, but it was about another half hour past that. Who cares? The pizza was crisp and thin, just the way I like it. The slice kept its shape when hoisted to my mouth...no sagging or soggy crust. Slightly charred (NOT burnt) on the bottom and edges of the crust. Delicious and simple, just how I remember my first pizzas in Toronto back in the '60s. No fancy sauce, just plain crushed and delicious tomatoes, cheese and pepperoni. This man is a true artisan.

[winedotcom]

unionville pizza co. -- crispy, thin crust-great tasting pizza.
had it today for the first time--dinner with a client-his choice.
i'll be going back

[lamaranthe]

Depends where you live and what you like. My favourite, Midtown Toronto, is Pizzaville. Thin crust on demand, choice of toppings and ips.

[Pincus]

ips?

[toveggiegirl]

I think lamaranthe meant to type dips.

[jayt90]

I revisited Calabria for a simple wood fired 12" pizza today.
I asked for well done, with a charred crust, and it was superb, their best yet.
Not as thin and crispy as a N.Y. slice, but juicy and full of flavor, even as it cooled.
This was a bargain at $10. and worth the drive.

[abigllama]

I've mulled through this thread trying to figure out hwo rec'd Big Momma's Boy but can't find it. But anyway had a pie delivered. They said it would be about 45 minutes and it took an hour and a half but was well worth the wait.

One of the key components that lacks in TO pizza is a solid sauce and this one had a great kick to it. Crust was a bit doughy and probably would order extra cheese next time but it was a fab pie. Veggie toppings were saute'd which which added a nice flavour. My other fave delivery pie has been Massimo's but last one that came from new location was not so great, this was excellent and looking forward to trying more there. It's a very unique pizza so may not be for all tastes but the quality of the sauce made up for any other issues that were not as great.

I'd eaten at the resto before and it was decent but not spectacular and didn't seem like a place to he pizza. Was really happy with my pie tonight so thanks chowhounders!

[Googs]

Only the Big Momma's Boy pizza is spectacular. Avoid all other items.

Know that they will always take far too long to deliver whether that's to your table or to your door. Plan on it and, accordingly, order early.

[Ediblethoughts]

Is it really "Momma"--spelled that way? I was trying to google and kept getting only Mamma's.

[Googs]

I stand corrected. Mamma's it is.

[Ediblethoughts]

Is it the one on Parliament?

[abigllama]

There's only one:
http://www.bigmammasboy.ca/

[Ediblethoughts]

Thanks for clarifying. I tend to only order if they have a whole grain crust. Oh well.

[abigllama]

The have whole wheat crust, it's listed as the first toppings choice:

http://www.bigmammasboy.ca/pizza.html

[Ediblethoughts]

Oh yeah! I didn't expect to see it listed under toppings. I'll see if they deliver to my house for next time I want delivery...

[Ediblethoughts]

The veg burger sounds very interesting---but from what you're saying, I should stay away from it?

[Googs]

If it ain't pizza, it ain't worth getting.

[Ediblethoughts]

OK then!

[abigllama]

Just a follow up on Big Momma's Boy. Got another pie tonight and it was amazing. Ordering extra cheese and extra sauce made it perfect. It actually reminds me of the pizza I'd get on Franklin Ave growing up in Hartford, Connecticut. This is officially my delivery go-to spot from here on out. Thank you very much for the heads up Googs you've slightly improved my quality of life in Toronto! :)

[Googs]

You're very welcome abigllama. Anything for a neighbour.

[Poorboy]

Gave this place a shot (twice) as it is not too far from me. Did a pick-up.
I was disappointed the first time but thought, OK , they had an off night. Second time a charm? No.
The dough was not cooked through. The flavour was nothing to write home about. Perhaps that they got popular they are rushing things? I trust a lot of the opinions I see on this board from some people like Googs etc. They are "bang on", so I wonder what I am missing here? Yes, I admit to having my favourite (Danforth Pizza House) but I look forward to new and great food experiences from others as well.

[Googs]

They recently acquired new owners or new management or something. Not sure if things have changed since then. Sounds like it has. Pizza was the last thing the previous crew did well. Oh how I miss the previous owner, Luciano. He did everything right except mind the books. These BMB people. Sheesh!

Go a little farther and try Fusilli. It's thin crust, so that may not be to your liking. It's a delicious thin crust that's crisp, but foldable. Dine in and take-out only.

http://fusilli.ca/stone-oven-pizza.html

[abigllama]

It is sad but true. Got a BMB pizza tonight and was bland shell of it's former self. Crust was weird and actually almost crumbly so no idea how that happened. The spicy sauce I loved is now flavourless. What a shame as this used to be one of my fave's in the city. I'm really bummed about this.

[Googs]

I'll say it again. Fusilli isn't that far from Cabbagetown, really. You'll get a pizza twice as good at half the price plus a lovely glass of red and a big, friendly "AAAAAYYYYY" when you enter.

[Ediblethoughts]

I might try it for pasta but for pizza, I like my WW crust...

[Pincus]

Dang, I keep forgetting to try Fusilli. This week for sure.

[abigllama]

I got the scoop on Big Momma's Boy from an industry friend last weekend. Apparently the chef bought the business from the owner and it's been going down hill since. Since the pizza was a bland version of the pre-ownership change pie, I'm assuming that cost cutting measures are stretching ingredients and cutting corners. What a shame.

Googs I'll check out Fusilli for sure. My loss with BMB is that it was a solid delivery option. I get stuck working from home on the occasional Friday night. A BMB pie delivered with a glass or two of cab were essential to maintaining sanity!

[Googs]

All BMB really had to do was maintain the pizza quality and improve delivery to within an hour. How hard is that?

It seems they care so little they're still maintaining a fall/winter menu of heavy items. Who wants to eat lasagna on a patio?

Get a business manager already. Preferably one with an accounting background.

[Nigella C]

In my opinion and I"ve eaten at ALOT of Italian restaurants in the city, Cafe Cinquecento has the best pizza by far!! My associates and I frequent this quaint little gem,on King west often and I think its very underrated!! They have this cacciatore pizza that ive become addicted to.

[johnnysolately]

For me pizza is and always has been a 'take away' food or a trattoria experience - no fancy wine lists or reservations. I prefer quality of toppings rather than quantity, and I like my crust to be neutral tasting, light and to full-fill the basic function of holding the toppings without falling apart. For this reason I like Terroni's pizza. Light, tasty, and it won't fall apart or squirt cheese and tomato sauce on my date when I try to cut it or take a bite. My favourites at the moment are the white pizzas - no tomato sauce and house made sausage with quality cheeses . I was really looking forward to Pizza Libretto but I was utterly disappointed with with my charred but soggy crust. I had such high hopes after reading so many glowing reviews. Maybe they forgot to import the 3rd generation pizza chef from Napoli along with the oven? Or at the very least properly train their staff...

[C mac]

I must say, Dante's is a definite but very expensive. When I order I get pepperoni and steak. It's very filling and taste great. Earlier in this thread, there was some talk about poor service ect...
This usually is true for Dante's as well. Their like the "Soup Nazi's" in that Sienfeld episode. You have just sort of take it for what it is.

If I read this thread a year ago, I would have been all over a place down the street from me that's very popular. It's called Piasano's. http://www.paisano.ca/home.html

The reason I'm not a huge fan anymore, is because one of the key things that people loved about their pizza was the pepperoni. The problem was, they were getting it from Maple Leaf and after the whole listeriosis thing, they stopped using their pepperoni. I used to bring friends there, and everyone would be instantly hooked.

If you don't care for pepperoni, I would suggest giving it a shot. You'll get a pretty good idea of what their pizza is like by looking at the pics on their site with the link I posted. It's not a pepperoni pizza in pic, but again, if you don't care for pepperoni you'll like the picture. One little warning, it's a bit on the greasy side (at least when they had the old pepperoni) but that's what made it so tasty.

[Full tummy]

Why did they top using Maple Leaf pepperoni? Not that I'm a fan of Maple Leaf or pepperoni, but, hey, cooking it kills any listeriosis. Unless they were worried about cross contamination before it was cooked...

[Pincus]

Thanks for the info, I will definitely try it out since I almost never get pepperoni on my pizza!

[C mac]

Well I think Maple Leaf closed down for a while until the factory was completely safe again so they had no choice. That's when it started. It's funny because I know the owner and and when I ordered a pizza during that time, I got home, opened the box and right away I was like "what's this???" I called the owner to asked what was going on and that's what he told me. He said they would go back to the old style once Maple Leaf had everything straightened out but they've never gone back to the original kind they used. I went there last week just to give it one more shot and see if they went back to the old one, but I was disappointed. I feel like calling the owner and telling him my friends and I are all upset about this....lol...but I think that would be kind of strange. Almost like giving him an ultimatum....lol.

I'm going to miss that place big time.

[Full tummy]

Well, you should let him know... It's not an ultimatum, just the kind of information a businessperson needs to know. Otherwise, he'll always wonder what happened to you... He may be losing other business, too, as a result.

[Googs]

Until the return of the pepperoni, try ordering it with salami instead. If they're using the good stuff you'll get the big flavour hit and, as a bonus, far less grease.

[C mac]

But the grease it what gave it flavor. I'm really contemplating calling him. I want my pizza back!!!

[Pincus]

So the sauce has poor flavour and the dough is listless? That doesn't make it a candidate for good pizza. :)

[C mac]

No...the sauce has flavour...but the pepperoni kick everything up a notch.

[Googs]

Then you, my dear, have never been served the good salami. Grease is just grease. Flavour is what good salami is loaded with.

[dangoodbaum]

Back Alley BBQ & Grill in Kensington. Best pizza.

[everglade]

My fave is not in Toronto proper -- but I feel you can't beat Caruso. Since I've been there, I've been ruined for all other places.

Just went to Libretto. It wasn't bad .. but I found it bland. I don't like that the crust was so soggy under the weight of their homemade ricotta.

[Food Tourist]

How is the new location of Caruso in Bolton? I loved their slices at the old location!

[themself]

Another vote for Danforth Pizza House. Thanks for the recommendation. Best pizza I've had in the city, conveniently served up without any pretension.

[milzhouse]

hands down the best pizza in the GTA is METRO PIZZA... if you read this post you have to take a chance and check out this place at Finch and Milvan.... you will not be disapointed... 10+++++++

[TorontoTips]

Update - Thanks to a suggestion above, we trekked out to Metro Pizza on Finch West (between Weston & Islington) and enjoyed a very good Pizza and solid veal and meatball sandwiches (Note - you must ask for your sandwich to be toasted if you want the cheese melted) from an altogether delightful 'Nonna' (of the fun & flashy kind, who called me sweetie 5 times :-)).

Pizza was great with a nice char on the excellent thin crust from resting on the stone (ask for well done if you like the toppings and cheese to be a little browned) the sauce was delicious (I'll ask for a little extra next time), and the toppings were fresh and generous - plus sandwiches were home-made when ordered and Very good.

Call it my second-fave behind Danforth Pizza House, because I like Angelo's chewy-cheezy-mellow-saucy pizza just a tiny bit more than Ruth's thin crusted, charred, brighter-fresher version, but only by a nose. My babydoll gives Metro the slight edge over Danforth.

Metro Pizza - Terrible neighborhood, trashy plaza, but really good pizza! - bravo to Nonna 'Ruth' & company!

Danforth Pizza House - Still the king of the amazing traditional old-school neighbourhood pizza of your childhood that you thought nobody made anymore.

[GoodGravy]

Why wouldn't anyone make the old-school pizza of your youth anymore? Surely someone must be handing down the recipes/methods/knowledge? The only thing that's changed about pizza in NY is the people making it. Now most pizzas are turned out by Mexicans, South Americans and Middle Easterners, but they still taste the same.

[TorontoTips]

UPDATE - upon additional visits, I've lowered my rating of Metro to "ok, not great", based on inconsistent preparation quality and poor oven temperature management causing the top of their pizzas to be undercooked, even when ordered well-done (as I always do).

I used to be in the biz, and one has to be careful to keep the pizza ovens from being opened too much, which causes pizzas to be unevenly cooked - overcooked crust, undercooked toppings, since all the heat is on the stone deck, but the air above is too cool to cook the top properly. So, Metro Pizza - sometimes good, sometimes not so good.

Danforth Pizza however, manna from heaven :-)

NEW DISCOVERY: (for me, anyway) If you like your pizza traditional italian style, great flavour, and a little lighter on the cheese, sauce and toppings, you gotta try a slice from SAN REMO BAKERY on Royal York Rd, south of Evans Ave. Not trendy crisp califormia style, but a nearly perfect medium-thin, with a super-tasty light, airy crust with lots of different topping combos from eggplant and fresh tomato filets; to green and black olives with strips of roasted hot peppers and tiny discs of spicy sausage; to good ol' pepperoni & cheese.

Due to distance, I only go to San Remo Saturday or Sunday lunchtime, when the selection is amazing, and there's an abundance of their PERFECT old-school home-made apple fritters. Sreriously, get one, you can thank me later :-)

[chrisfernando100]

i went to metro for the first time yesterday and it was really good but i still think nino d'aversa at finch and keele is better....very similar type of pizza with more flavourful sauce, better pepperoni and wood fired....

[The Chowhound Team]

We've moved a discussion of U.S. vs. Canadian chains over to the Chains board. You can follow the discussion at the link below:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/719017

[msm]

Gerrard Pizza hands down. Family run, good staff and the pizza has been consistently fantastic for the past twenty years at least. 1528 Danforth Avenue (Coxwell and Danforth).

[tuttiface]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Ice Cream patio up in Woodbridge....they have a wood burning oven and some unique toppings. My faves include the Quattro Stagione with artichokes and sopressata or the Ottima with grilled veggies.

http://www.icecreampatio.com/

[Sooo Goood]

Hey Guys - Have you tried Gerrard
Spaghetti and Pizza on Danforth. One of those pizza's where it's all about the toppings! I crave it.

[tangovoxtrot]

Based on the last time I was there, I'd have to go with Pizzeria Libretto.

[jrex]

Queen margherita pizza is definitely the best in the city. I am quite picky with my pizza and will usually judge by the crust - texture and taste...and i can tell you the sweet, doughy crust is quite orgasmic. I came to leslieville being told that Lil Baci was the top of the town and was pretty disapointed...Then this place came along...Just speaking with John, the owner, you can tell he is super passionate about his resto, as well as pleasing his clientele.. Just make sure you make a reso if you want to eat there...unless you're as lucky as i am and live in the neighbourhood for easy pickup!

[KingFoodie]

Pizza Nova is my choice. Nice little pepperoni circles.

[redearth]

Holla! Wait, what?!

[thrillhouse]

We really like QMP and Libretto as well as Pizzeria Antica in Niagara Falls. I also go to Pizzaville alot and get a fresh made Panzerotto, baked or deep fried. I think for $6, it's a pretty good deal for a quick lunch.

Photo is from QMP.

[jayt90]

The blurred photo won't send me to QMP

[GoodGravy]

The soggy, spongy, limp crust @ QMP doesn't make me want to return anytime soon. The toppings are good, but would be much better if they distributed them evenly around the whole pie instead of lumping them together in one spot so only half of the slices have the toppings and the other half don't.

[pinto bean]

I never had an issue with the QMP crust. If anyone is trying Libretto, I recommend one person orders the duck (pizza blanca) and one person orders the prosciutto (and douse that with the chili oil). Then let your senses soak in the interplay between sweet, spicy, and salty.
Until I tried these two, Pizza Rustica was my favourite. Bellisima is a lovely family-run joint if you can't stand the hipsters at QMP/Libretto.

[abigllama]

Good the 'ole blurry photo trick worked! It's been getting tricky to get a reservation on the weekends there lately.

[Chris P Bacon]

Pizzeria Antica is incredible

[Food Tourist]

Hmm...we passed it on Sunday and wondered if it was good (or at least, better than Zappi's). The Falls has so many old-school Italian restos; you'd think at least one was good.

[kermit50]

Vesuvio's Pizza on the north side of Dundas, just east of Runnymede

http://www.vesuviospizza.com/

[Davwud]

Had it once a few years ago and thought it was great.

DT

[Pincus]

This is one place in town I still need to check out, thanks for the reminder.

[ekim256]

I know the comments are quite old, but I don't find Magic Oven "awful". Definitely not worse than Pizza Pizza. I quite like their thin, crispy crust and while pricey, not a bad place to hit for lunch. I like their veggie options. Pizza Pizza's cheese makes me feel ick. Mind you, years of free pizza from university events will eventually make anyone get sick of an overused chain...
Anyways, in my opinion Magic Oven doesn't deserve to be called the "worst pizza in Toronto". Dunno what's up with the wacky $108 pizza though...

Thumbs down for Bitondo's pepperoni, Big Slice's giant pizza (novelty aside), John's Italian Cafe (so not worth the wait or poor service)

My favourite is Danforth Pizza House. He makes delicious pizza with such care, if it wouldn't be so awkward I'd hug him because I love it that much :P
Massimo's margherita when I'm walking home from Little Italy.

As for chains:
Pizzaiolo is my fix when I want to get delivery to my office.
Pizza Nova's Mediterranean (olives, feta, sundried tomatoes) when I'm organizing an event with free pizza and I need to order a boatload. I don't like their meat options at all though.
Pizzaville - I frequent a specific one in Streetsville, haven't tried one downtown but it's quite satisfying - I always order it with artichoke hearts. yum.
Cora's - decent veg, not a fan of their pepperoni
Toppers - not sure if this is even in Toronto, I've only seen it in Guelph, Georgetown, and I think Mississauga. It's not bad, a tad salty, but it was the best option in Guelph so I stuck by it for a long time.
and I know that this will disgust some people, but Pizza Hut's Triple Crown. Cold. For breakfast. The kind with the really greasy deep fried crust. Terrible, I know.

....I can keep going. Geez I eat a lot of pizza.

Erin
http://www.cookiesandtomatoes.com/

[redearth]

Nice post. You obviously know what you like when it comes to pizza! Thanks!

[ekim256]

haha thanks! Another night owl on the board =)
Yah...I'm a pizza addict, it seems. Posting on this board and blogging has been very revealing :P This post made me hungry but alas, no pizza...so I put sausage, tomatoes & pasta sauce on brown bread, which I just finished. Fail.

I am still saving up to go to both Queen M and Pizzeria! I can't wait to go and compare.

I forgot to mention Buca's Funghi pizza. Really really good - not for those on a modest budget but definitely a treat :D I love mushrooms, I love veggie pizzas, and the cheese wasn't overwhelming and tasted quite fresh (I'm NOT a cheese lover so for me, it's easy for a dish to be terrible because of cheese) so it was very win.

[jrex]

trust me, if you're a real pizza fanatic as I am, you must must find a way to get yourself to Queen Marguarita. It is worth it! I am very picky with pizza..and this place is the best ive tried outside Europe!

[ekim256]

trust me, I really want to go! time and money are the only things stopping me....

[KitchenVoodoo]

I love QM too, but be aware that their pizza crust is quite chewey, and has a tang. Toppings and other dishes are great. Service is great too - but it's becoming so popular I'd make reservations.

[dilipg2]

You have to give Pizza Rustica a try! Not very expensive - but the food's really refined!

[JFoodi]

For a slice: Massimo's! Thanks to this discussion I'm craving it right now..

Every pizza parlour has its ups and downs and consitency is tough to come by. Massimos has been pretty good.. Id recommend the margheritta slice

[TorontoTips]

Just a bump, to add my two-cents...

Still can't beat Danforth Pizza House for authentic old-school pizza. No crunchy-cracker spelt crust - no duck sausage or sun-dried cauliflower here - plus no credit cards - no delivery - and no ambiance either!

Just great neighbourhood-style pizza, made by hands posessing over 40 years of experience. This pizza is guaranteed to take you back to your childhood when all pizza was made by the local Italian family in their own store, not by a teenagers in franchise chain outlets.

Trust me - go pick one up, this is the pizza that you thought nobody cared enough to make anymore.

Danforth Pizza House
416-463-4927

[plasticanimal]

I'm with you, this is my favourite pizza in the city. I'd just add that it also takes you back to your childhood when all pizza was made by the local Greek family in their own store!

[Yongeman]

In my childhood, the pizza was made by an Italian guy on Wilson Ave. at Mastro's (not 'Maestro's') Pizza. It was amazing pizza, too

[Poorboy]

I will bump this. TorontoTips called this EXACTLY correctly. I would suggest that if you haven't done the Danforth Pizza House trek yet, you do so soon. It won't be around forever. I have been going there for about 40 years and Angelo is still crafting his trade. His Son is getting quite good at it too now. They are so busy on some Friday and Saturday evenings, they take the phone off the hook.

[Poorboy]

Could not agree more re: Danforth Pizza House! Angelo still takes the care with each one he bakes. I fondly think back to when his uncle was churning them out 40 years aqo.

[dale_]

The best pizza has to be Dundas Pizza. This shop located on Dundas west of Keele in the Junction creates pizza that is simply great.

[kennyghee]

couldn't find a string for best pizza in mississauga and have noticed plenty of posts for the "GTA"...but there is an often overlooked pizza joint in port credit on Hurontario (beside and associated with Cousin's - the upscale grocery store) call Cugini's...ate there last and it was excellent. want to get the word out because I'm afraid if it goes un-noticed and unappreciated, it might go under....IT WAS EXCELLENT

[CocoTO]

Okay, this is a REALLY HUGE thread and, while home nursing the sniffles this afternoon, I decided to see where the best pizza in Toronto really is …

An explanation: I’ve removed a few that were found to have gone out of business (there may be more that I missed) and I’ve kept it to the "416" (where I could tell) since the title is Best Pizza in Toronto (my apologies to “out” Hounders!). I’ve left out the really big chains, but some smaller ones still get honourable mention …

So the pizza winners are (and I’m sure this is just for this moment in time, so please feel free to continue the dialogue!):

Terroni's (25)
Pizzeria Libretto (12)
Vesuvio – Dundas W in the Junction (11)
Cora's Pizza - Harbord and Spadina (11)
Danforth Pizza House (11)
Massimo's – College St (10)

… and the honourable mentions in alphabetical order …

Alize (2)
Archeo - Distillery District
Back Alley BBQ & Grill in Kensington
Banfi
Bellisima
Bitondo’s - Clinton (5)
Big Momma's Boy - Parliament (3)
Big Ragu
Bona (5)
Buca
Buddha Pie
Cafe Cinquecento
Caffe Doria - Yonge & Roxborough (2)
Calabria Bakery - Scarborough (3)
Camarra's - Dufferin and Lawrence (9)
Capi’s – Dundas and Royal York
Capocaccia
Ciccios – Dundas and Bathurst (3)
Colombo's - Danforth/Coxwell (3)
Diamond Pizza
Dino's Wood Burning Oven Pizza (5)
Dundas Pizza - Dundas west of Keele
Eden Trattoria - St. Clair west of Dufferin
Ferraro 502 - Eglinton West
Fratelli Village Pizzeria - Old Kingston Road (3)
Fusilli - Queen at River (3)
Georgio’s - Coxwell Ave and Kingston Rd
Gerrard Pizza and Spaghetti House (3)
Giovanna's - College St
Il Fornello (4)
Il Gato Nero - College
Il Padre - Royal York Rd
Il Paesano - Brown's Line (3)
John’s Italian Caffe - Baldwin
King David
King Slice - Bloor east of Dundas (4)
La Lucciolla – Eglinton west of Bathurst (2)
Lenny's - Islington/Dundas
Lil'Baci - Queen St E near Logan (2)
Little Tony's – Weston
Love at First bite - Gerrard at Church
Mamma Martino's - Queensway
Mamma's Pizza (3)
Mangia e Bevi - King East
Marcello's - St Clair and Dufferin
Mercatto - Toronto Street
Mercurio – Bloor
Metro Pizza - Finch and Milvan (2)
Mezza Notte - North York
Milano's - Bloor near Kipling (7)
Nino d'Aversa - Finch and Keele
Olympic 76 (4)
Panago - Six Points Plaza (2)
Papa Ceo's (4)
Pete's Cajun (2)
Pizza Gigi - Harbord (4)
Pizzaiolo (2)
Pizza Rustica (5)
Pizzaville (3)
Queen Margherita Pizza (4)
Regina Pizzeria - College and Ossington (2)
Rivera Pizzeria - Kingston Road
Rocco's Plum Tomato – Queensway
Roma Ristorante - Bloor West and Gladstone (5)
Romi's - Bloor/Royal York
San Francesco - Clinton (3)
San Remo Bakery - Royal York at the Queensway (3)
Standard Club - College and Beatrice (5)
Thyme 4 Pizza
Tov-Li - Bathurst
Trio
Via Allegro
Vivo - Mt Pleasant and Eglinton
Vivoli - College (4)

[PoppiYYZ]

Coco, you must have been off for days!

Your "study" is slanted towards older establishments just because the age of the thread. Also, it appears TO has a wide selection of styles (deep dish, thin crust, "Canadian", and NY / Neapolitan) so the debate often revolves around preferred style, not quality or taste. Maybe each style deserves it's own thread...

Being a huge fan of NY/Neapolitan, and having settled for mere shadows of the style for so long (Terroni or Libretto (yech)), I believe Queen Margherita Pizza is an amazing pizza. Quality, texture, and taste are all 10s. If you like this style, you can do no better without a trip to Naples.

[justpete]

Great job compiling that list, Coco! I think a few of those places might be closed now, but at least this can serve as a handy guide for places that people might want to try.

Must have taken you a very long time. In any case, thanks for your effort! I'll be trying quite a few of those places, thanks to your list.

[CocoTO]

LOL ... no, I think through the cold medicine I just became very focused! But it did take a few hours. Enjoy!

[iMarilyn]

@ CocoTO: Eden Trattoria moved to Etobicoke on the lake three years ago.

[bogie]

Gotta go with the new guys at Bigabaldi's NY Style Pizza. It's on Marlee, North of Eglington.

Easily the best pizza I've had in my 6 years in Toronto. Not quite the anorexic thinness of Libretto, QMP or other Napoli wannabees. It's not exactly NY pizza, but a damn good pie nevertheless. A little thicker, great sauce, quality cheese, fresh herbs and perfect baking is what sets them apart. Toppings are also great quality, not typical chain stuff, more like what you find at an Italian deli counter. They sell a thicker, deep dish pie too which is more Sicilian than Chicago. Plus, they have a full menu of other tasty goodies such as arancini, meatball-stuffed buns, sandwiches, calzones, salads. They even sell bread! Kudos to the enthusiastic counter staff too, something rare to find these days. A small Bigga pizza with pepperoni, sausage, bacon and mortadella is $15 if I remember correctly, about the same for the small deep dish salami pie that we had.

[Mr_Elusive]

I'm going to have to give a +1 to Desserts Plus in Woodbridge. Keep in mind I haven't been to Camarra's but I keep meaing to head out there.

[kwass]

Camarra's makes awesome pizza! You should really give it a try!

[Davedigger]

There's a newish place (about a year old I believe) at Runnymede and Annette called Buddha Pie. They serve NY/Neopolitan style pizza. I've only tried it once, but their Margharita pizza is delicious. I believe they use San Marzano tomatoes.

[toveggiegirl]

It sure looks good. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbi...

[alyo]

Molisana Bakery Brampton

The greatest pizza in the GTA bar none - they have the BEST Potato Pizza I've ever had or even get some of the focaccias. TO DIE FOR :O!!

[tojoe1]

If you don't bring prince into the equation Libretto is tough to beat.

[Davwud]

Prince?? The singer??

DT

[tojoe1]

Yes when he lived in Toronto he loved Libretto. He liked red cherry tomatoes on his pizza because they reminded him of a "Little Red Beret"

Yes I meant price not prince. Thanks for calling me out.

[Davwud]

LOL Just had ta

DT

[whyeat67]

try pizza at da marias on st clair avw west

[Davwud]

Where?? Never heard of it.

DT

[foodyDudey]

http://damaria.foodpages.ca/

http://twitter.com/damariapizza

Now you've seen it also

[Davwud]

Hours??

DT

[iMarilyn]

@tojoe1: Prince hasn't lived in Toronto since 2006. Libretto opened in 2008. Nice theory, though.

[Googs]

"Prince" was a typo. They explain in a later post.

[Breadcrumbs]

Queen Margherita Pizza

[JamieK]

you just wanted to be the 500th post on this thread, admit it!

[Breadcrumbs]

: )

[ekim256]

Not a fan of QM - from the other reviews I must've went on an off day but the pizza arrived lukewarm instead of piping hot out of the oven. They were a bit busy (lunch time) so I suspect it was fired up and just sat there before the server brought it over. Reviews here have been positive, so I'm willing to give it another go if I am ever in that area again. Pizzeria Libretto has a fantastic deal for lunch. When I have a moment, I'll pop my review up here

Erin
http://www.cookiesandtomatoes.com

[PoppiYYZ]

I hope you mentioned the luke warm pizza to the manager.

Last time I was there, I had the pleasure of sitting right next to the kitchen area and watch the oven action. Saw pizzas sitting on the counter for many minutes before a server - who was preoccupied with organizing empty tables, taking drink orders and debating other staff - came to fetch the pizzas. One bold patron sent it back which caused a huge flap with the cook.

For the rest of my stay, the manager (maybe one of the owners) stood next to the kitchen and made sure the pizza left the moment it came out of the oven. The staff needs to raise their game to the same level as the cooks.

[AF647]

MY EYES ARE TIRED FROM READING ALL THE PIZZA REVIEWS BUT NONE OF THEM INCLUDED A MULTIGRAIN CRUST
ARE THERE ANY GOOD PIES WITH SOMETHING NOT MADE OF JUST BLEACHED WHITE FLOUR?

[CocoTO]

In the recap I did on Jan 20 2011 of this very long thread, Il Fornello receives four votes as best pizza in Toronto. While it's not my number 1 pizza joint, it's pretty good and it actually does have one of the best multi-grain crusts in my eating experience ... I'd love to have their recipe.

[Ediblethoughts]

My fave whole grain pizza is Ferraro's. I've tried Libretto's and not a fan. Also, Ciao (in Yorkville) had a really tasty one.

(I tried to start a thread on the best whole grain pizza but not too much interest!)

[Arcadiaseeker]

I believe Il Fornello does multigrain.

[yummyformytummy]

Libretto (Ossington south of Dundas West).
The last pizza listed on their menu made me swoooon.

[kwass]

This is a really long thread, so perhaps it's been mentioned already, but I would have to say that the best pizza in Toronto can be found @ Bitondo's. It's this little place on Clinton, just South of College. It's reminiscent of the pizza of my youth...greasy, cheesy, and full of flavour. I love this place...it's my new favourite!

[plasticanimal]

I agree with everything you just said.

[TorontoTips]

Just thought I'd bump this thread, just for fun :-)
Best pizza? If you like neighbourhood-style pizza (ie - no crunchy-thin hand-ground whole grain spelt crust, no free-range broccoli, no fair-trade organic goat cheese, and no sun-dried artichoke pesto) <evilgrin> just yeasty-chewy crust, cheesy-saucy-gooey, with some char and some greasy pepperoni, then here's MY list:
- Danforth Pizza House - THE best
- Bitondo's - whole pie more than slices, with bonus points for panzerotti with side of sauce
- Massimo's - inconsistent, but when it's good, it's amazing
- Vesuvio's - best in the west
- San Remo Bakery - GREAT slices, plus bonus points for best Apple Fritters on the planet

OK< so that's my list, and if you need convincing, check these beauties out:
(Two of my usual Pepperoni, Onion & Mushroom with extra sauce & extra cheese from Danforth Pizza)

[Charles Yu]

F'Amelia should be added to this list!

[dmartins123]

I was at Libretto the other day with the wife. She had the duck confit pizza, which was good, but could not hold a candle to my selection: their pepperoni special. It was amazing. I am not sure how often the have this on the menu...but man it was a good pizza.

Also, thumbs up for their buttermilk calamari.

[Arcadiaseeker]

Pizza e Pazzi on St Clair West is the best I've had in the city so far. They're expanding to a new location at Christie. They do the same Neapolitan oven thing that Libretto does but they do it ten times better.

[justsayn]

I finally discovered PeP last week and it was amazing. I was headed up there again on Tuesday and while driving past Libretto decided to try it one more time just to see if it has improved because I have never been a fan since the day they opened. I feel left out when everybody raves about it. I ordered a similar version to the Diavolo I had at PeP as it was fresh in my memory.

IMO PeP simply blows Libretto away. I like many types of crust when they are done well but Libretto took chewy to a new level I didn't like. PeP is chewy and tender. The Libretto sauce and cheese were good but just not great. I was bored with this pizza just like my previous visits.

PeP cheese has taste! It is milky and creamy and the flavour pops. Anyway, to each his own but I highly recommend PeP over Libretto. There really is no comparison in my books. You will enjoy a pizza like you have never in Toronto before.

[Flexitarian]

I think this thread should really be split into 'The best pizza if you are looking for:

deep dish chicago style
medium crust style
neopolitan style
etc
and so on....

Hard to compare apples and oranges

[Charles Yu]

AGREE!!!!!!

[Pincus]

Double agree.

[PoppiYYZ]

@ Flexitarian

It's still OK to ask someone "what's your favorite fruit" (ie "best" in their opinion). And IMHO, my favorite fruit is Neapolitan. ;-)

[Flexitarian]

Me too! But asking where the best oranges are in Toronto is an infinitely more useful question than what is your favorite fruit in Toronto.

[Ediblethoughts]

Not to mention WW crust.

[Arcadiaseeker]

Thanks Justayn - it was thanks to Chowhound that I tried PeP and I am beyond excited that they are opening a new one around the corner from me. Seriously - this is the highlight of my 2012! Between Stockyards and PeP it will be great to see St. Clair/Christie get a little R.E.S.P.E.C.T on the resto front!

[justsayn]

Oh I believe it! I think about that pizza all the time. Tonight I had Terroni as I am now doing the full circuit : ) It is still so great. I really have no idea how people complain about the service there, it must be hit and miss and I just always hit. No joking - over the years I have never once had an issue. Tonight one person in our party ordered a pizza no longer on the menu and they didn't even flinch. It was no problem at all [the server said] because it uses the ingredients they have for other pizzas. The place was packed as usual and the waitress was trying to help some of us pick our choice item by item. There was no attitude at all. And we weren't running up a big alcohol tab either.

Anyway, for me PeP is a very solid #1, and Terroni is #2.

In the next few days will be QMP...

[TorontoJo]

I've eaten at Terroni a dozen times or so over the years and have never had bad service and have always had a delicious meal. I get the complaints about no subs, but have never had a negative experience there.

[Arcadiaseeker]

Justsayn - please post about QMP when you get a chance.

[plug]

i'll take libretto over QMP any day of the week
i still have to try PeP

[justsayn]

First of all, let's keep the obvious in perspective. I am just one guy with a few taste buds and a whole lot of opinion! I have only been to PeP, and now QMP, once. I have been to Terroni dozens and dozens of times over the years and Libretto maybe 10 or 12 times since they opened.

I need to return to PeP to decide if it really is as friggin fantastic as that first pie. If it is there is no competition, sort of. I won't know for sure until I really experience it again.

QMP has such an amazing crust, I was loving it from beginning to last bite. BTW, it may be self-evident, but I am not that guy with his crust left on his plate; nor have I considered trying a stuffed crust which seems like an insult to pizza.

The QMP crust had a wafer thin (extreme thin) exterior crisp surrounding a moist, bit-of-chew dough. It is like the surface of a just made crepe wrapped around a delicious dough. It is not a wafer thin, cracker dough, just a crisp outer surface to the dough I am trying to describe. The dough is perfection with just the right amount of blistering so that the entire crust doesn't taste burnt like at Libretto. The sauce was tasty and the cheese was very good. My memory is that PeP was that much better.

I think all 4 places give the same amount of toppings now - early on, Libretto was sparse with cheese beyond imagination. With my attempt at equal selection, Libretto was most expensive with Terroni, PeP and QMP is the same range about $2.50 less.

In order of preference for ME is:

PeP

QMP

Terroni

Libretto.

I am not sure yet how far better PeP is, but Libretto is a very distant 4th for me. I never want to go back. QMP and Terroni are pretty much a tie for me, with the better crust going to QMP by a LONG shot, and the more interesting toppings going to Terroni! I am in the west end so it will be interesting to see if the QMP crust will draw me across town very often?

One more trip to PeP and this story is closed....next will be the evaluation of gyms nearby : )

Enjoy the zah. It is worthy of a whole lot of respect!!!

[justsayn]

Ahhhh finally got back to PeP this evening. Pizza only - to go.

PeP has the tastiest sauce going hands down and they apply just the right amount. It is a thin sauce with little chunks of tomatoes which is almost juicy with the creamy cheese. Hard to describe but it is a great sensation. Flavours really are distinct from toppings to sauce to crust. Such a great pizza. The crust is excellent but not quite as incredible as QMP in my opinion.

QMP is worth the short trip across town once in a while for me but with PeP and Terroni nearby it probably just wont happen often. Looking forward to trying FB!.

[kwass]

I hate to be the dissenting voice, but I went to PeP on Monday and was so disappointed. I ordered the rice balls, which were cold in the middle; the pizza was runny, and the crust was burnt. I do have to say that the eggplant parmesan, was one of the best renditions of the dish that I've ever had, but if we're just talking about the pizza, it doesn't hold a candle to Libretto's.

[justsayn]

Its funny you say that it was burnt because tonight my pizza was ready after about 3 minutes in the oven. It was perfectly done with a touch of blistering and I thought to myself how if they took there eye off it for only 5 seconds it would have burned! Unfortunately it sounds like that was the case for you. Strangely I have only had pizza from Libretto that was too burnt around the crust where the char became the dominating flavour beyond enjoyment for us.

I agree it is a bit runny, as I termed it juicy. The dough was not at all soggy though. This comes down to personal preference of course. I quite like it! Tonight the dough was a bit tougher than I would prefer and more like what I have had at Libretto.

When you are in the mood for eggplant parmesan again, I highly recommend you try the PeP zah again and maybe mention it was burned last time...good test to see what their attitude is like also ; )

[haggisdragon]

"the pizza was runny, and the crust was burnt."

That's pretty much a description of a neapolitan style pizza.

[kwass]

Lol...I know, but it just wasn't of the same caliber as Libretto

[kwass]

And just to clarify, when I said runny what I really meant was watery. Plus the sauce did not have much flavour. I found the pizza to be somewhat bland.

[justsayn]

Honestly, you had a bad day pizza at PeP. Such things happen at some places. They are anything but bland at least as I have experienced thus far! Libretto has been bland so I get what you are saying when the pizza can lack punch. But so far not at PeP!

[kevlar]

Hi...I want to try this PeP place..any idea where they are located???...Do they have a website???..Thanks

[justsayn]

http://pizzaepazzi.ca/ Not much of a website but answers your question.

[kevlar]

Thanks for the info!!

[justsayn]

Forgot to mention that Libretto was about 3 dollars more for the pizza tax-in, over PeP

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks for the tip Arcadiaseeker! To-date our favourites have been:

QM

Terroni

Libretto

. . . in that order.

Really looking forward to trying PeP!!

For Hounds taking a trip out to Woodbridge, I'd also highly recommend Nino D'Aversa pizza. Wood oven pizza, house made sauce, thin crust pies made to order (w traditional toppings)... really outstanding and, reasonably priced.

[barneyvernon]

Dante's: Has anyone been there recently (sorry I didn't read through all of the posts on this thread). I know there have been several threads for them in the past but they are all old. They used to be very good but I crossed them off my list (prices kept going up, quality went down, rude staff). Anyone have any comment on any recent visits?

[justsayn]

Dantes: Commercially frozen chicken cutlets called home-made + rude staff = my blacklist.

And when I tried to phone and email the manager who was conveniently not working the night we were served this grocery store chicken, he would never take my call nor respond to my MANY emails.

[juno]

I get to Dante's four or five times a year, whenever I'm in its neighbourhood of Dufferin St. south of Rutherford Rd., because I find its pizza to be consistently tasty and satisfying. As barneyvernon attests, prices keep going up, but I haven't noticed any dip in quality over the years (I include its previous incarnation off north Yonge St.) I never order anything but the pizza - Dante's raison d'être - and the zippy chef salad. Though prices do seem high, a so-called small pizza easily feeds two, and the second smallest feeds three - in the end, substantially cheaper than the personal $13-$15 pizzas you'll find at many pizza joints. As to service: I've never found it rude - just somewhat amateurish. The youngish staff mean well, but they seem to be thrown on to the dining room floor without training. It often feels as if the entire staff just started yesterday. A small inconvenience, in my view, because, with some patience, I always get what I want when I want it. The place could use a floor manager, whom I've never seen in evidence, to defuse misunderstandings. I guess the management doesn't believe in proper dining room staffing. Some good buys on the small wine list.

[kwass]

Funny that you're asking about Dante's because I had it for the first time in years, last weekend, and I have to say that it was good, but not spectacular. Definitely not worth the price. I ordered a medium pizza with 2 toppings and a salad, and the total came to $36. Then they charged me $7.50 on top of that for delivery. All I can say is...never again!!

[Pincus]

I'm so old, I remember when Dante's was good. Their chopped steak topping with onions...sigh.

[TorontoTips]

Hi Kids!
I'm with Justsayn on this one - Dante's = blacklist for me, too.

Their pizza never thrilled me much (heavy, wet, boring) but I did hold my nose and massively overpay (and enjoy) some of their massive pasta dishes (lasagna, veal linguine) once upon a time, but then the portions shrunk, prices climbed and quality went WAY down.

I, too tried to complain to the Owner/Manager after receiving gristly chewy veal, was told nobody was available, left my number and nobody called back. Numerous tries later, I finally managed to speak to the boss, who suggested that it was untrue that the veal was tough, and suggested that I don't order from them again.

I haven't.

Cheers,
.James.

[ghostdogg]

At the present time, the top 3 for best Italian pizza in Toronto are, in no particular order, Libretto, Falasca and Mangia e Bevi. Head and shoulders above the rest (and that includes Terroni and QMP).

[justsayn]

Cool - never heard of these 2 places. If I were a Libretto fan and lived nearby, would these other two spots be worth the trip? Thanks!

[Pincus]

Mangia e Bevi really is a hidden gem. Great pizza, relaxed warm atmosphere, great service. Pasta is OK, but I don't go there for the pasta, just their terrific pizza and their very nice salads.

[justsayn]

Thats great! I will check them out for sure. Thanks!