308053 Mon Jul 10 02:51:02 -0700 2006 143 57 Western Canada 0 1735206 new-ish to the city and seeking best pizza info for a friend who is a die-hard fan. I remember that Giovanni's used to be good, still so? This pizza fanatic's parameters are as follow: thin, chewy crust and REAL sausage (versus miscellaneous and extraneous bits of meat crushed into transparent membrane of dubious origin) all help appreciated. Mon Jul 10 02:51:02 -0700 2006 17714 alex8alot 1 1735259 Pizza Bob's (order out or pick it up, unless you like smokey dining rooms) or Tom's for your requirements- I've only been to Tom's once but I was, seriously, blown away. Amazing thin crust. Bob's is similarly impressive but as I say it's a smoking place and it takes forever for delivery, so I have not been able to enjoy it in its purest form. Pizza is really quite decent in Calgary- with new places like Pulchinella (which is magnificent, only place in Canada accredited by the Naples pizza authority, but which does not have a chewy crust- you have to experience it to understand what I mean) and the not-as-yet-tried-by-me Fat Tony's (which like Pulch has trad italian toppings, like spek w/ fried egg), and though it's not your scene some very toothsome thick buttery style crust, Greek places (among which Sophie's and Nick's are both standouts, IMHO). Mon Jul 10 03:42:25 -0700 2006 1735206 12135 John Manzo 2 2474207 Actually I believe Il Fornello in Toronto is certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. So if thats what they told you about Calgary having the only certified pizza they are not being truthful. I also believe Vancouver has one but will get back to you on that one Thu Apr 12 10:04:54 -0700 2007 1735259 84546 canucks1619 3 2475701 You're absolutely correct, and for the record I stated that myself based on a misunderstanding, not false info from Pulchinela Thu Apr 12 15:35:11 -0700 2007 2474207 12135 John Manzo 2 3223422 Sorry, I found Pulcinella very disappointing. Soggy and undercooked. I've spent a lot of time in and around Napoli and never tasted pizza similar to Pulcinella. In fact, there was a group of us standing outside on a Saturday and they wouldn't let us in until 5 minutes after they were supposed to open. Not a good start. Service was sporadic and the wine list was overly expensive. Not even a good quality cheap house wine. Pizza Bob's is very good and they are even to make my own favourite, Bianco e Nero (mozzarella e black olive with a splash of olive oil. Good pizza Bob! Wed Dec 19 16:10:08 -0800 2007 1735259 151208 WINEBOY 1 1735459 Pizza Bob's was pretty good, though i hate smoke, and delivery leaves a bit to be desired with their pie. I find Tom's to be overpriced and not very good, and Fat Tony's was disappointing. Try Il Centro down by Chinook, which, unfortunately, is bascially only open for lunch (i believe it's until 6pm, or when they feel like it). The pizza there is excellent. I prefer Greek Style myself - Red Carpet Inn being my favorite, though Sophie's is darn good too. Mon Jul 10 10:22:57 -0700 2006 1735206 11206 yen 1 1735611 Yen- can you tell us more about Fat Tony's? I got a 10" ham and shroom at Tom's and it was really cheap- so I respectfully disagree w/ yr comment on its being overpriced. Bob's is close to $30 for a 12" pie with delivery tho!! Mon Jul 10 14:20:20 -0700 2006 1735206 12135 John Manzo 2 1735764 I don't remember the specific details, but At Tom's, i ordered a large (12") and with delivery and tip, came out to 28 or so. Excessive in my opinion, as a 12" is really a personal sized pizza for me :) As for Fat Tony's, i tried my classic tasting piece - pepperoni and mushroom, the pizza i start with at all new establishments to get a good base line - and for the price, found it to be disappointing. The crust was a bit soggy - still moist and floppy. This was even after putting a bit of char on the bottom. The ingredients were average at best.. the pepperoni was a bit too slick with grease, and the cheese being a bit too stringy and flavorless as well. There wasnt enough sauce, and whatever there was, didnt have much flavor to it. Now to be fair, i didnt try one of their "Italian" pizza's, which is their speciality, but if they can't make a decent P/M pizza, am i really going to try Quattro Stagioni or Capricciosa? I havent written the place off yet, but it'll need to be a night where i don't want delivery, and don't want to travel far to get a pizza before i try again. Mon Jul 10 15:40:58 -0700 2006 1735611 11206 yen 1 1735673 thanks very much for the info. Manzo's description of the toothsome buttery crust has me tempted to ditch the friend and go for the Greek style myself! Mon Jul 10 14:54:13 -0700 2006 1735206 17714 alex8alot 2 1735780 If you haven't tried it before, you definitely should. It's more of a hearty, "Alberta" kind of pizza - i consider Neapolitan pizza to be more of a "Vancouver" kind of pizza - light, airy, and not very substantial :) I guess for your friend though, Pulcinella's in Kensington (that John mentioned earlier) might be worth trying. I agree that the crust isnt quite right, but you can speak to the server and get them to customize the way the crust is made (i, for example, get mine crispy). The ingredients are first rate and quite tasty. Not an option via takeout though... has to be eaten quick and fresh. Mon Jul 10 15:49:10 -0700 2006 1735673 11206 yen 1 1735739 I certainly agree with John on Pulchinella. Not really up on thin crust but I would enthusiatically recommend "Volos" in Richmond/Knob Hill for great Greek style. Mon Jul 10 15:27:31 -0700 2006 1735206 16931 Hart50 2 1739292 I've lived in Bankview for 5 years and have still not had Volo's! I walk by there all the time! OK, tonight I am ordering from there. Wed Jul 12 00:07:05 -0700 2006 1735739 12135 John Manzo 3 1740416 What did you think of Volos? By the way, what is your favorite sushi place close to Richmond? Someone told me Sushi Ichuban(sp?)in Westbrook Mall wasn't bad. Wed Jul 12 16:46:46 -0700 2006 1739292 16931 Hart50 4 1741850 I didn't end up at Volo's, I had to get something at canadian tyre so I ended up getting a pie at sophie's- do NOT eat one of those yourself in one evening!! I was paying all night w/ heartburn etc There is a not-bad sushi place right next to canadian tire at richmond/sarcee called Sushi House Richmond, sush on trains, I have not been disappointed there except they use straight sriracha on spicy tuna rolls instead of spicy mayo- I find the straight sriracha to be too sharp There is a new (to me) sushi place by the new safeway, at Richmond and 37th where glamorgan bakery is, but I know nothing about it Thu Jul 13 03:29:19 -0700 2006 1740416 12135 John Manzo 1 1736991 I've gotta add that I am not sure how Calgary's ver of Greek pizza makes it, well, Greek. In my hometown (Hammond, Indiana) most family-run pizza places are Greek and all serve what I think of as traditional South Chicago pie- thin-medium crust, tons of cheese, and most importantly, the pis is cut IN SQUARES. It's a round pie but cut in squares, which is why I-- I hate to admit this-- have a soft spot for Domino's thin and crispy w/ Ital sausage and mushrooms: It's the closest I can get to Aurelio's at home (and all over the south Chicago burbs). Alex, if you're gonna try Sophies (Richmond and Sarcee), I strongly recommend the spanako, spinach and feta... Mon Jul 10 22:54:07 -0700 2006 1735206 12135 John Manzo 2 1754298 I will do that, thanks a lot. I swear the spanako in Canada beats any that I had in Greece. I was crushed. Wed Jul 19 18:58:49 -0700 2006 1736991 17714 alex8alot 1 1737054 I am a native Calgarian and the following may be a Calgary urban legend but I was led to believe that a lot of the non-chain pizza joints in town are owned by Greeks and that what makes them "Greek" pizzas is that the cheese is put on top of the other toppings as opposed to the more traditional Italian pizzas(ie. dough, tomato sauce, cheese and then toppings). Mon Jul 10 23:27:25 -0700 2006 1735206 16931 Hart50 2 1772580 In Montreal here, that's called Montreal-style pizza(with the cheese on top of the other toppings). And many Montreal pizzeria joints are owned by Greeks. Fri Jul 28 03:18:22 -0700 2006 1737054 11610 BLM 1 1748898 Though I was glad to have pulchinella's, I don't rate it super high - Pizza Bob's is indeed excellent and hopefully the dine in option will become viable once the smoking laws come into effect. I quite like Divino flatbread/pizza as it is very very consistently excellent. I've also generally enjoyed the urban baker pizza but that's mostly because they are a block away from me. Mon Jul 17 14:51:51 -0700 2006 1735206 13649 Gobstopper 2 1752814 Tom's House of Pizza had health violations only 3 years ago. I think this was good pizza back in the 80's but they've more than slipped. This may sound lame, but I think earl's has good crust, and so does Sandros up north. Wed Jul 19 00:48:57 -0700 2006 1748898 19869 misscheeks 3 1753006 Okay- I can top that for lame- The pizza at the Co-op Midtown Market is KILLER. I had a slice of cheese and a slice of peppo/shroom the other day and they slayed me- the best NY style slices I have had in Calgary, no exceptions. Fantastic thin crispy chewy crust, tons of cheese, it was SO much better than the two most recent "NY" pizza slices I've had (at Pizza Schmizza in Portland and at Nate's in Vancouver). I am sooooo serious here- give them a try. Wed Jul 19 03:05:53 -0700 2006 1752814 12135 John Manzo 4 1784253 Agree with you here Manzo... Just had a slice of Sausage/peppers/onions... It was amazing! Concur with "Best NY style slice in Calgary" Though still not quite as good as Tony D's in Kelowna BC. Followed that slice up with another one of your recommendations... the Yam Tempura roll at Uptown Sushi... Killer! Thu Aug 03 00:54:44 -0700 2006 1753006 22015 newJJD 5 1784643 Hey, thanks! I know some might be skeptical, but seriously, this is great thin-crust pizza. Co-op at 11 and 11 SW. You can buy whole pies there too. Thu Aug 03 05:22:34 -0700 2006 1784253 12135 John Manzo 6 3380058 John do you think that one could get kind of pizza at any co op or just at the the Co-op at 11 and 11? Sat Feb 09 07:57:44 -0800 2008 1784643 163551 sleepycat 7 3380717 I think other newer co-ops have those prepared food areas- anybody in the 'burbs wanna pipe in here? Sat Feb 09 12:49:46 -0800 2008 3380058 12135 John Manzo 8 3381485 yes, the rocky ridge location does have the pizza, but I haven't tried it myself Sat Feb 09 18:33:27 -0800 2008 3380717 17714 alex8alot 5 1785151 I actually had a slice (pep mushroom for me) a few days ago after an Uptown Sushi run and forgot to report in on it. It was surprisingly really good, and cheap too! I was originally a bit skeptical John...sorry :) Thu Aug 03 15:11:12 -0700 2006 1784253 11206 yen 4 2474256 Actually it's called Nat's not Nate's and if you realized that very few local's go to "Nat's" because of the average quality. If you want good pizza go to Amadeus Pizza or Lombardo's or Presto Cucina Thu Apr 12 10:13:33 -0700 2007 1753006 84546 canucks1619 1 1777342 You HAVE to try Demitri's in Kensington. They have amazing pizza there! Thin crust and some different toppings. We have been going there for 15 years and they have never slipped. Cilantros also has a great pear and gorgonzola pizza but I don't believe they do take out! Mon Jul 31 05:57:54 -0700 2006 1735206 22769 eva82k 1 1784958 for real? you think Demitri's in thin crust? maybe you have to special order that? cus it seems pretty regular-crust style. anyways, i agree. they have some amazing toppings. the NY Garbage pizza is a fave of mine...its sooo loaded. We always have to pay extra for the delivery to the SW tho. Thu Aug 03 13:42:38 -0700 2006 1735206 19869 misscheeks 2 1785143 Last time i had Demitri's, it was definitely not thin crust (a typical Greek-style crust). However, i also didnt have a great experience with it - my notes say that the toppings are ok but not enough, pie is small, price was $$$, crust was average, a bit underdone. If you live in the SW, have you had some of the other chow-recommended pizza places? Like Sophie's, Pizza Bob's, or my personal fave, Red Carpet Inn (if you're looking for loaded, that is the pie miss!). If so, can you hilight where Demitri's is better? Im gun shy on pizza these days - I don't eat it quite as often anymore, and i love it so much, i want a good experience each time i indulge. If a place i tried didnt do well the first time (House of Tom's, for example), i won't go back. But i live close to there, so im hoping you can convince me to try again! Thu Aug 03 15:08:53 -0700 2006 1784958 11206 yen 3 5027400 Yen, have you ever tried Bella Roma down in Lakeview, fantastic sauce, fresh dough and to me the best "Greek style pizza" in the southwest. Actually , the best I have had in Cal. since Three Boys Rest. closed 15 yrs. ago. Sun Sep 13 19:10:09 -0700 2009 1785143 1108962 beekeroc 1 1794299 4th street pizza is my go-to pizza joint. the sauce is very important to me and i LOVE theirs. Tue Aug 08 13:38:51 -0700 2006 1735206 19869 misscheeks 1 1794721 What about the sauce do you like? Is it Spicy? Tangy? Chunky? Puree'd? Meat Sauce? Tue Aug 08 16:41:44 -0700 2006 1735206 11206 yen 1 1794867 Il Centro: best pizza in Calgary. Fidele is a genius. On the corner of 60th ave and 3 ST SW, one block north of Home Depot. It's only open for lunch during the week, but in the evenings on Friday and Saturday. Thin crust, great toppings. Tue Aug 08 17:39:56 -0700 2006 1735206 24500 Miles 2 1795216 Miles is right... great pizza - the problem with Il Centro is the worst hours ever. Tue Aug 08 19:27:28 -0700 2006 1794867 11206 yen 3 1795676 I know: it drives me crazy. But ... we had "salt pizza" aka the Siciliana on Saturday, olives anchovies capers .... [insert sound of dry mouth]. Exactly what we needed. Tue Aug 08 22:02:20 -0700 2006 1795216 24500 Miles 1 1795428 i like it to be pretty basic with basil and tomato... but not too much like a sauce that would go on a pasta. i guess its hard to describe, but i hate the sauce at wicked wedge, its too spicy, and i find other sauces use too much oregano. i have started bbq'ing my own pizzas using Mercatos fresh pizza dough and its a pretty righteous thin-crust. They have premade Pomodoro sauce that is very good. The BBQ is way way better than when i use my pizza stone during the winter. Question, Pulchinella's review in the Herald last week mentioned its the same owners as the old Strombolis? is it in the same location again? man,that family is back/forth with that location..its crazy! if it is thin crust, they must have departed from their old style of pizza from the resto, hey? i loved their house pizza when i was growing up. Tue Aug 08 20:33:06 -0700 2006 1735206 19869 misscheeks 2 1796567 Can't agree more on the Oregano issue... it's tomato sauce, not oregano sauce! Pulcinella's is owned by the same owners - their son Dom is working there as the head chef. Same location. And it is "authentic" neapolitan pizza, so very much thin crust. You think the food is different? You should go check out the decor if you want to talk about complete 180's! Wed Aug 09 07:57:59 -0700 2006 1795428 11206 yen 1 1801143 I went to Giovanni's today. Crap pizza. THe sauce was TASTELESS! No salt at all, no spices, nothing. I got the veg pizza and it hardly had any topics. At the end, before we left, I found out from the owner that Aug 21 is their 25th Anniversay and last day in business. Dont know why they are quitting...losing money??? The service was nice though, very home style italian with the "mamma"s in the back cooking. Fri Aug 11 03:43:39 -0700 2006 1735206 20386 rajbbhatt 1 1802920 Just went to Sandro for the first time in a long time. Forgot how amazing it is! Great crust thickness - somewher between thin and pan... delicious homemade sauce, great toppings. We had a meat combo pie that featured prosciutto, and the prosciutto was put on after the pie was out of the oven. I thought that was great. Crust started getting a bit soggy after 15 minutes so eat quick. Oh, it is near Edmonton Trail and 41 ST NE for those who want to know Fri Aug 11 21:48:29 -0700 2006 1735206 22015 newJJD 1 2044554 I went for a pizza at Pucinella's this evening and it was nothing short of spectacular. Beautiful light airy crust, I found the sauce to be just right and had no need to ask for salt or pepper as others have, I had the Porcini pizza and to be fair mushrooms contain natural MSG so perhaps that helped the flavour out. Not a cheap pie, but a wonderful dining experience. Fri Nov 24 06:59:21 -0800 2006 1735206 55292 ChefBill 2 2044615 Im glad you had a good experience with Pulcinellas - they're a good bunch of people. I have found, however, in 10 or so excursions there, that the quality of the pie really depends on who's working on that given day. I've had some great experiences, and a few very average ones as well. Fri Nov 24 10:32:38 -0800 2006 2044554 11206 yen 2 2045479 Not cheap, no, but for a really excellent dining experience I think Pulcinella is excellent value. My partner asks them to cook the pies a few seconds longer and they always comply. Their funghi fritti in the gorgonzola sauce- amazing. AMAZING. Fri Nov 24 22:48:44 -0800 2006 2044554 12135 John Manzo 3 2047369 For thin crust its Divino for me too....tomato and basil. For Greek style it's Spiros on 17th Ave. The best version I have had in Calgary. Sun Nov 26 05:38:21 -0800 2006 2045479 23349 formerlyfingers 1 2195055 has anyone tried Gondola Incomparable Pizza? I haven't tried it yet, but I've heard nothing but good reviews. Apparently they have "Winnpieg-style" pizza, which is thin crust and cut into squares. It sounds like the same stuff that is ubioquitous in the midwestern USA. Has anyone tried this place? Tue Jan 16 20:40:58 -0800 2007 1735206 40013 nonlinear 2 2196522 I've heard this, but no, not yet. Thin crust in squares is indeed the OTHER Chicago-style pizza, and it's what I grew up with, just outside of Chicago. Wed Jan 17 03:38:38 -0800 2007 2195055 12135 John Manzo 3 2204302 yea, i grew up in minneapolis, and all the pizza was this 'chicago-thin" style. I've been looking for similar pizza in calgary but haven't been able to find anything so far (the pizza scene really is terrible here). anyhow, i may check this place out this weekend, i'll post my findings here ;) Fri Jan 19 00:42:57 -0800 2007 2196522 40013 nonlinear 4 2204976 The pizza scene is NOT terrible here. This isn't Vancouver. There is lots of good pizza in Calgary. Read the dozens of posts on chowhound on this matter. Fri Jan 19 03:56:45 -0800 2007 2204302 12135 John Manzo 5 2206230 hrm, well i am a pizza freak who was born and raised in the midwest USA, and who also lived in NYC for 3 years. I've lived in calgary since 2001 and have been searching for decent pizza ever since. I've tried all of them(trust me), and even calgary's best is just "OK" in my mind. The problem is that 99% of the pizza places here are the ultra low quality "2 for 1 shops like "awesome kicthen" or "canadian pizza unlimited" (ick). They use frozen dough balls and canned sauce, fake cheese food, and bad toppings. There are a few places that seem more original, like toms or pizza bobs (and both of these are just "OK"), and then you have the italian places like pulchinela, il centro, and others. these are few and far between however, and like I said, even the best of these are just OK to me. But I can't beleive that a city of 1 million people has such a poor scene. Fri Jan 19 17:18:09 -0800 2007 2204976 40013 nonlinear 6 2207072 I guess my question for you would be what do you consider to "good" pizza? What kind of dough? What kind of crust? Amount of toppings? How high end do you want the toppings to be - classic toppings, or nouveau Californian frou frou kind of toppings? What price range are you looking for? I find with pizza especially, individual taste plays a big factor. Where you grew up, and the type of pizza you were used to eating play a big part in this too (i grew up in NE Ontario, but the pizza parlor in town was Greek run. Thus my affinity for Greek-style pizza). Personally, i like Il Centro, but more so because it reminds me of pizza i had in Tuscany, rather than a neapolitan pizza. I think Tom's and Bob's are just "ok"... my preferred thin crust pizza place is actually the Midtown Coop on 11th and 11th that JM put me onto last year. They use a real pizza oven, non-frozen dough, and a wide variety of great toppings, at a phenomenal price (3 toppings for 8.99). It isn't the best thin crust pizza i've ever had, but it may be the best value, and the pizza itself is really good. My other favorites are Red Carpet Inn for Greek-style pizza... their crust isnt excessively greasy, their toppings are fresh, abundant cheese, and tasty sauce. More expensive, but i like it. Anyway, if you provide more details around your preferences, someone might be able to narrow down some better options for you. Like John, i don't believe Calgary is devoid of good places. I do agree with your comment though that they are often few and far between, sandwiched between 3 for 1 pizza, and the 5 dollar medium! Fri Jan 19 20:12:23 -0800 2007 2206230 11206 yen 6 2213524 In a former life I used to work at a Pizza 73. They used fresh dough, fresh sauce, real cheese and freshly chopped toppings. It still sucked :) Mon Jan 22 07:42:53 -0800 2007 2206230 45940 Shazam 7 2214297 Lol... touche. Mon Jan 22 17:14:55 -0800 2007 2213524 11206 yen 7 2214718 too funny. sad but true. Whenever I foolishly attempt pizza at home, I assemble the fresh ingredients, and then choke down the inevitably crap results. Mon Jan 22 18:56:40 -0800 2007 2213524 17714 alex8alot 8 4122854 Gotta go with nonlinear. the fact that many people don't realize how bad the pizza is in Calgary is the biggest reason it's bad! The devil is in the details with pizza and (mostly) it's all about the square footage and heaps-of-cheap-toppings here. Places like Pulicinella's serve what would only pass for decent street pie in many cities, and for that they can sell over-priced plonk to the third date crowd... Hey, I live in Calgary and I'm rooting for the whole thing, but I usually resort to Domino's. Sad but true. It's consistent and I don't get skewered on the price. Wed Oct 22 20:24:24 -0700 2008 2214718 234491 seemac70 1 2211518 I think you are confusing a "good" pizza scene with a "different" pizza scene. I enjoy the prevelant Greek style pizza that I grew up eating here and I don't particularily care for so-called Chicago thin style. That doesn't mean the latter is bad it just confirms my particular taste. Sun Jan 21 15:32:03 -0800 2007 1735206 16931 Hart50 1 2215706 I would have to say that "Flavour Me" Pizza on the corner of 8th Street and 5th Ave SW is one of the best pizza's I have had. Mon Jan 22 22:40:50 -0800 2007 1735206 50086 hales123 1 2471688 ...I had read ALL the reviews on Pulcinella, and was sadly disappointed at dinner last night. True, it was the first time there, but in all honesty, I don't think the time is worth going back. We started with a fantastic bottle of sangiovese...and the appetizers were terrific...the pizza though. I've never had a crappier, blander "Napolitana" pizza. I lived in Italy, I've tasted the tried and true (the best of which is to be found in a town in Abruzzo...Lanciano to be exact. DaCarlino's is truly the home of the greatest pies...). Pulcinella's classic Margherita was bland, incredibly watery, and overhyped. I only ate about a 1/4 of mine and decided to politely decline the rest. Am I wrong? I'd like to be...but the tomato sauce had ZERO flavor and was FULL of water. The topping, not so much...and the dough was down right tasteless. I hope it was an 'off' night, but maybe I've just simply had the best and there's no going back... Any suggestions? Wed Apr 11 14:19:28 -0700 2007 1735206 90686 pizzap23 2 2471885 I don't get all the hype about Pulcinella either. Authentic or not, I think their pizza is a big disappoinment. Wed Apr 11 15:15:56 -0700 2007 2471688 23349 formerlyfingers 1 2473652 I haven't read through to see if anyone else mentioned this, but even so it's worth repeating - the Italian Supermarket makes pizzas in their wood-fired oven on Saturdays only, and it's well worth the pilgrimage. It's at Edmonton Trail and 20th NW (a few blocks from Lina's). It'll definitely deliver your thin and chewy crust cravings. Otherwise Sandros up north... I don't have the address on hand. Pulcinella's is great but the crust has been soggy in my experience, and I keep hearing it from others as well. Beautiful interior too. Thu Apr 12 07:35:10 -0700 2007 1735206 74261 JulieVR 2 2482519 Lina's makes a pretty good pie to.... WAY better than Pulcinella. But.. my bet on the BEST pie in town is: Atlas Pizza... deep in the darks of the NE on Memorial Dr + Madigan Dr.... best damn pizza ever, it's your traditional greek style crust.. loaded with topping and an inch of a gooooie 3 cheese blend. The top gets a thin layer of cheese crust to crunch through, followed by a tangy pizza sauce and a nice dough with a crisp bottom. My all time fav. 2nd place... IMO is Sandro's as already mentioned... i love everything they make, the family, the service, this place is my all time favorite restaurant for bang on food and service every time.. I've been there 20 times and never ever have they come u short Last but not least Volo's near Marda Loop.... great great great delivery pie! I'm so sad they they won't delivery to me now that I have moved out of the "loop" None of these suggestions are thin crust style.. but I would strongly recommend any of these 3 to fit the PIZZA craving! Sun Apr 15 09:26:00 -0700 2007 2473652 82247 CookieGal 3 3451124 We tried Atlas Pizza and yes it was pretty good. DH loved the greek style crust and the inch thick topping. We ordered the Atlas Special and the Super Special. The Atlas seemed to missing the shrip while the Super seemed to be missing the beef. There wasn't a shortage of toppings so we didn't really notice. The pizza sauce was mild and bit tangy. I would have liked more sauce. Does anyone know if Vogglio's is still having their timing issue? Sat Mar 01 21:49:55 -0800 2008 2482519 163551 sleepycat 4 3451186 I ordered from Vogglio's a few weeks ago, was quoted 20 minutes on the phone and because of the lags posted here, I gave him about an hour. When I got there my pizza had definitely been sitting around for a while, and it may very well taken only 20 minutes. It was a Monday night, so it wasn't very busy, but it looked like the timing problems were mostly gone. It was still good though. Sat Mar 01 22:35:47 -0800 2008 3451124 137065 Bobatt 5 3451199 I ordered last week, told 40 minutes, showed up 5 minutes late, and they were still sitting there waiting for me. I'd say the timing issues are a thing of the past. Sat Mar 01 22:51:19 -0800 2008 3451186 11206 yen 3 4111571 ATLAS Indeed !! I lived in Marlborough Park as a teenager. Atlas is to pizza what Smugglers is to steak (if you know what I mean). I moved from there many years ago and to this day, I still travel across town to get some from time to time. Like smugglers steak, I've never come across pizza like Atlas - I'm 45 now and can honestly say that although these are mere opinions, I offer them with a great deal of pizza eating experience. ATLAS PIZZA RULES - Dean Fri Oct 17 13:49:30 -0700 2008 2482519 233315 PizzaPizzaLover 2 3328495 I agree 100% with the pizza from the italian Supermarket..fresh and delicious and priced well. Thu Jan 24 11:42:15 -0800 2008 2473652 150415 hungryincalgary 1 2482571 Since I haven't been able to find a restaurant pizza (or a delivery pizza) that completely meets my requirements (thin, crispy, and chewy with non-run-of-the-mill fresh toppings) I tried making my own with ingredients from Mercato - and, to my surprise, my attempt was met with great success. Mercato sells balls of fresh pizza dough for a mere $5 - which is enough for about 4 people for a snack and 2 people for a meal. I got some truffle oil, mushrooms, brie, prosciutto, and rosemary, put it altogether, and in a mere 30 minutes I had my own gourmet pizza. The crust was really the best part - light, fluffy, airy, and crisp. And all I did was spread it on a regular baking sheet and toss the ingredients on. It looks like Mercato dough and toppings will now replace delivery for me ... Sun Apr 15 09:42:33 -0700 2007 1735206 73030 Jigga 2 2485223 The $5 price kills me - I can't do it. Bagels and Buns used to sell frozen pizza dough for $0.99. It's flour and water (there's not even any egg in pizza dough) for crying out loud! That said, does anyone know the secret of freezing pizza dough. When I make dough at home it's great, but when I freeze it the resulting crust doesn't perform well. Anyone? Mon Apr 16 09:15:51 -0700 2007 2482571 83082 bohunk 3 2485353 Mercato uses very expensive artisanal yeast. Don't forget about the yeast. Mon Apr 16 09:45:08 -0700 2007 2485223 12135 John Manzo 2 2485395 I'm with you! I've started making my own too - I love the Mercato dough - I thought $5 was pretty good - we also bought the sundried tomato paste at Mercato, it's just a bit more flavour than plain. Mon Apr 16 09:58:28 -0700 2007 2482571 74241 pants 3 2486757 You can buy pizza dough at the Urban Baker for a dollar per. I do it once a week. It's a flat crust type dough with some whole wheatness. Very similar to the River Cafe dough. 18 minutes on silicon at 450 = as good as home flat crust can get (In my experience) Mon Apr 16 16:11:53 -0700 2007 2485395 13649 Gobstopper 4 2488176 Cool - I live right near the Urban Baker and really enjoy their pizza. But I didn't know that they sold their own dough - and for so cheap. Tue Apr 17 08:04:40 -0700 2007 2486757 73030 Jigga 5 2488300 Great tip. I didn't know that either, and it's in the hood. Tue Apr 17 08:41:16 -0700 2007 2488176 83082 bohunk 6 2830066 I just wanted to add my voice and say that Pucinella in Calgary in fantastic Pizza. I just finished having lunch their today and it seriously tastes like I'm back in Italy. Thu Aug 09 13:05:44 -0700 2007 2488300 108590 Major_9000 1 3378746 I'm a big fan of the pizza at Nicastro's (2418 Edmonton Trail NE). That said, I still haven't tried the pizza yet at Pulcinella or Il Centro.. Fri Feb 08 15:25:47 -0800 2008 1735206 67146 laracee 2 3379087 Never been - what style is it? Thin, thick? What kind of toppings? Creative and funky, or more classical pies? More info please! I know they have competitive foosball there, so i've been meaning to actually stop by for that. But if the pizza is good too, it's like two reasons to go! Fri Feb 08 17:24:22 -0800 2008 3378746 11206 yen 3 3387980 Okay, this is OT but Nicastro's has great wings too if you like wings. The "house" flavor which is basically a blend of all the other flavors (I think) is really good. Mon Feb 11 18:59:56 -0800 2008 3379087 16737 Merry113 3 3389640 Thin crust, very tasty and the price is right! They have 5 or 6 pies on their menu, I think, and all are fairly classic. Just going to have to check it out, Yen. Last time I was there I had a peppercorn burger that was also delish!! Maybe next time I'll try one of their Italian subs... Tue Feb 12 09:54:01 -0800 2008 3379087 67146 laracee 1 3395545 so what are we recommending for a thicker crust pizza. I am not a huge fan of thin crust. Nor the spiced bologna they put on instead of pepperoni. I like very basic pizza, good cheese, pepperoni, fresh mushroom and fresh tomato slice. Not heavy on the pizza sauce. I haven't found a good one in Calgary. I do enjoy pizza from Luis at Vogglio, but I do like to go to more than one location for pizza. Wed Feb 13 18:47:11 -0800 2008 1735206 148669 kritafo 2 3419190 For a thicker crust pizza, you should try Matador Pizza in Varsity. They don't do delivery though. Wed Feb 20 19:37:03 -0800 2008 3395545 106268 whackamole 1 3421621 I'd second the Pulcinella recommendations. Can't get enough of the pizza there - really authentic and just delicious. Thu Feb 21 13:21:01 -0800 2008 1735206 85415 greenboy 1 3428818 Not a big fan of thin crust myself, but my fav pizza in the city is the Mr. Universe from Chicago Deep Dish. Mmmmm, deelish! Sat Feb 23 22:00:46 -0800 2008 1735206 148526 fmanning 1 3437357 Tom's house of pizza fits your requirements! Not that Wicked Wedge is thin crust, but I just wanted to say don't go there. Eating their pizza is a jaw workout. The whole wheat crust is like having a dense slab of whole wheat bread with some pizza stuff on top. The sauce was also minimal so the whole thing was fairly dry. I've never had such a bad pizza texture. Maybe they do this on purpose so the high school kids from across the street are forced to buy a drink to wash it down. But it was not good at all. Tue Feb 26 13:42:17 -0800 2008 1735206 120961 charliel 2 3438070 really you like toms? Michael's is place up by the mustard seed that is suppose to be pretty tasty. I haven't enjoyed Wicked Wedge since the early 90's Tue Feb 26 16:55:53 -0800 2008 3437357 148669 kritafo 1 3438276 Matrioshka, at 14 St and 17 Av, has very good pizza. For years they were called Kensington Pizza but now have a selection of Russian foods on the menu as well. Tue Feb 26 18:11:50 -0800 2008 1735206 162977 sarah galvin 1 3453671 Anyone been able to find anything close to a Chicago deep dish pizza like Uno's or Lou Malnati's? Sun Mar 02 21:27:11 -0800 2008 1735206 171315 slingshotz 2 3453734 No. NO. Nowhere in Canada. Uno's is crap btw, Lou Malnati's is the real thing as is Gino's East, Nancy's, Edwardo's. Giapo's, and if you hit the original location, Giordano's. Problem is you have to go to Chicago to get Chicago-style deep dish or stuffed pizza. Sun Mar 02 22:12:41 -0800 2008 3453671 12135 John Manzo 3 3454267 haha! isnt that the truth. It just stinks that when we talk about Chicago deep dish pizza we actually have to go to Chicago. Mon Mar 03 07:28:20 -0800 2008 3453734 148669 kritafo 3 3455223 Could one of you explain why anyone would want a genuine Chicago-style deep dish pizza? Perhaps it's just an acquired taste, and if I had grown up with people telling me how great it is, I might believe that it's the "bee's knees", but the one time I had it in Chicago at Gino's East, it was an extraordinarily dense, heavy mess. And what's up with the sauce on top? Not my cup o' tea. Mon Mar 03 11:21:01 -0800 2008 3453734 130570 maclock 4 3455377 After sampling some of the pies in Chicago, I find it so hard to go back to regular pizza in Calgary, especially Chicago's "deep dish" pizza. Agreed Uno's isn't as good as Malnati's but compared to the stuff here in Calgary, but it's miles above anything similar here. The main thing that I think differentiates the pizza is the crust, the Chicago crusts were buttery and almost flaky. There's numerous posts on other boards for people trying to duplicate it so I don't think it's that much of an acquired taste. Mon Mar 03 11:53:35 -0800 2008 3455223 171315 slingshotz 5 3455494 Yeah, I'm not contrasting Calgary's versions of Chicago-style deep dish pizza with the real deal. Rather, I think that the supposedly better original Chicago versions are not much to my liking. I just found the pizza I had at Gino's East kind of gross. Give me Demetris Pizza anyday over that stuff. Mon Mar 03 12:16:52 -0800 2008 3455377 130570 maclock 4 3455499 Well, it's a heavy feed for sure- I'd like to go back to Edwardo's for a broccoli-spinach "souffle" pizza and see if I still like it. Now, as is discussed various places on Chowhound, REAL Chicago-style pizza- the sort that's eaten by most folks in Chicagoland- isn't thick crust or stuffed at all; its a thin yeasty crust, sometimes done cracker-crisp, with toppings UNDER the cheese, and -- this might be the most important part -- it's cut into squares, despite the pizza being round. And the best approximation for this, right down to CRUMBLED Italian sausage, is Dominos' thin and crispy. I hate to admit this, but there it is. Second best: Gondola. Mon Mar 03 12:17:34 -0800 2008 3455223 12135 John Manzo 5 3456356 I just had pizza for lunch today at Manies Pizzaria on 17 Av across from Mt. Royal Village. I thought it was terrific. I ordered the Greek Pizza. $20! But for a medium pizza, it was enough for 3 people. The crust was thin on the bottom, the edges were thicker and nice and crispy. Tons of filling, all under the cheese - spinach, feta, fresh tomatoes, black olives, green peppers - just what you would expect - but the flavour was amazing. They deliver until 3am Sun - Thurs and 5am Fri & Sat! Mon Mar 03 15:36:55 -0800 2008 3455499 162977 sarah galvin 5 4120413 i also grew up in the midwest us and totally agree with you about the chicago-style thin crust john. have you tried Gondola pizza? in my opinion, they serve up the closest to chicago-style thin crust that you will find in calgary. not surprising since they are only 6 hours north of minneapolis although they don't have as much cheese or sauce as you typically find in midwest USA, it is thin and cut into squares Tue Oct 21 23:35:34 -0700 2008 3455499 40013 nonlinear 1 4114430 If you haven't tried Atlas Pizza, you are really missing out. Seriously. I also saw the questions about real Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. Lou Malnati's ships frozen Deep Dish across the U.S. I've had it, and it's actually really good. Not like going to Chicago, but a good fix. Maybe they will ship to Canada. If not, have an American friend order it, and then ship it to you in dry ice! Sun Oct 19 11:42:47 -0700 2008 1735206 104847 feuerzeug 1 4850456 Just had some pizza from Gondola Incomporable Pizza on 26th Ave SW. It's interesting. Probably the flattest pizza I've ever seen. The thin crust is hard to describe- it's not crispy, but soft, buttery, slightly flaky, and about 0.5mm thick. It's underwhelming looking, but pretty good. We had a medium cheese, and a medium olive and mushroom. I wouldn't recommend the plain cheese as it was a little too bland and congealed a little quick for my liking. The price was fair - $23 for pickup. I was considering Pizza Bob's but there's no way I was going to spend $22 on one 12" pizza. Sat Jul 11 23:37:14 -0700 2009 1735206 137321 23skidoo 2 4851080 Half a millimetre? How did it hold any toppings? Was it like, phyllo pastry? Sun Jul 12 10:00:31 -0700 2009 4850456 131149 Jetgirly 3 4851205 It wasn't like phyllo pastry; it was soft. The crust was as thick as a tortilla. I know this doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, because I'm not sure I would get it again. Still, it was pretty good. Sun Jul 12 10:46:35 -0700 2009 4851080 137321 23skidoo 4 4856110 Thick as a tortilla is not 0.5mm, I think that's what Jetgirly was asking. Mon Jul 13 22:14:04 -0700 2009 4851205 69044 hsk 2 4851447 gondola is one of my favorites in the city. it's midwestern/chicago-style thin crust. chicago is 'famous' for their deep dish, but if you've ever lived there (or anywhere in the midwest for that matter), you'll know that most of the pizza (i would say 99% of take out pies) is of this midwestern-style thin crust. more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago-style_pizza#Thin-crust_pizza Gondola is a Winnipeg chain, so it's pretty obvious that they would serve this midwestern-style thin crust. there are far superior local chains in the larger midwest US cities, but gondola is the only place serving this style in calgary so that means somthing i suppose. Sun Jul 12 12:33:40 -0700 2009 4850456 40013 nonlinear 3 4851860 And if you get a large, they cut in into squares! Also- good crumbled Italian sausage, none of this sliced nonsense they call "Italian sausage" other places. Sun Jul 12 16:06:39 -0700 2009 4851447 12135 John Manzo 4 4851935 mmmm, yea i love it cut into squares. the middle pieces are the best! Sun Jul 12 16:49:09 -0700 2009 4851860 40013 nonlinear 3 4852132 That looks pretty much exactly like the pizza at Gondola. Sun Jul 12 18:14:02 -0700 2009 4851447 137321 23skidoo 1 4853821 Noticed a place called Nick-N-Willy's Pizza at Woodbine Square. Took a menu and noted more toppings, sauces, crusts and combinations than any other pizza joint I have yet discovered in Calgary. Not cheap but a money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied. Discovered it is a US chain just making its way up here, took a look at the website and discovered a few things that make them worth a try, like small batch dough from scratch and no freezers on premises. Anyone been? Mon Jul 13 09:54:34 -0700 2009 1735206 50167 Scary Bill 2 4854191 When Nick-N-Willy's opened up on 12th Ave SW (across from the Safeway) I was really excited as I grew up on "take-n-bake" pizza in the States (Papa Murphy's). It has been close to two years since I was last there, but for a take-and-bake, I thought Nick-N-Willy's crust was outstanding. I don't think they are at that location anymore but I would certainly give them another try. I recall they gave really clear instructions on how to properly bake it in your own oven. I am a big fan of Tom's House of Pizza. They make their own sausage and lucky for me they do not put any fennel seeds into their mix. Mon Jul 13 11:43:38 -0700 2009 4853821 213958 DeeDub 3 4854631 I tried Tom's once and that was enough. I ordered for delivery. The pizza arrived about 45 minutes after it was promised-they are 5 minutes from my home. The delivery person handed over the pizza, took the money and practically ran back to his car. I took the pizza to the kitchen, opened the box and it was clear that the poor delivery guy had an accident on his way to my place since his car must have rolled over about twenty times to cause such a mess in a box. The slag in the box was about room temperature, and it was very clear to me that the crust had been prepared by dropping a bunch of dough scraps on a surface and rolling them into submission. Tasted it, tossed it in the trash, and opened a beer. Mon Jul 13 13:39:09 -0700 2009 4854191 50167 Scary Bill 4 4854854 I have only had Tom's pizza in their restaurant. I often go to their lounge and partake in their "all you can eat" lunch special. Crust is thin but chewy. Based on your delivery experience Scary Bill, I totally understand why you have only tried it once! Mon Jul 13 14:36:41 -0700 2009 4854631 213958 DeeDub 3 4855107 N&W closed for years in the beltline- this is the sort of place that needs parking and is fitting for a suburban location but this one was pure death from day 1. It is now a little filipino market that has great prices on coconut milk.. Ital sausage should have fennel- at least what I grew up with... Mon Jul 13 15:52:22 -0700 2009 4854191 12135 John Manzo 4 5158193 Coco brooks gets my vote everytime Thu Nov 05 09:43:10 -0800 2009 4855107 1121980 ricecake 1 5161997 The best pizza in Calgary is FREE!!!!!! I ordered several pizza's from the nearest pizza place, a Papa John's, for an impromptu family gathering, and I walked into a promotion where the first 100 customers "won" free pizzza (large 2 topping) every week for a year (yup 52 free pizzas!!!). It turns out that for a chain, their pizza's aren't bad, better than other Calgary pizza chains I've tried. Fri Nov 06 14:37:29 -0800 2009 1735206 50167 Scary Bill 2 5162070 Used to get PJ's all the time and have always found the sauce too sweet and the crust oddly sweet as well. It's okay but really, "best in Calgary"? btw I got it "all the time" b/c on Mobile Alabama there are no other options. Fri Nov 06 14:55:07 -0800 2009 5161997 12135 John Manzo 3 5162109 I have only been in Calgary for a year, so I haven't tried a heck of a lot of pizza places. It is not among the best I've had in Calgary, those have come from independents-and surprisingly, a terriffic Margherita at Earls on Macleod, but it is about the best chain pizza I've had here. I've also had to adapt to the Calgary style pizza which seems to me to be putting all the toppings on the sauce and smothering them with cheese. I still prefer the Toronto Italian approach which uses about half as much cheese as here, with the toppings on top of the cheese. I'm alweays open to suggestion though JM! Fri Nov 06 15:07:16 -0800 2009 5162070 50167 Scary Bill 4 5162168 I grew up with toppings below cheese, so this style suits me :) Lately I've been having good luck (again, after some bad luck) with Vogglio- also, they have really nice thin-crust pizzas at 1410 Bierhaus, and good, better-quaiity pub food in general in a fun, convivial space. But the real pizza revelation is the pizza at co-op- they have a wood-burning pizza oven at Midtown Market and I think at a couple of suburban ones as well. They don't deliver but you can call ahead. They make their own sauce from tomatoes they roast in those ovens! I had been getting it with sausage and mushrooms (they use real crumbled sausage,as does 1410 incidentally) but tried had and shrooms a week or so ago instead and it was the best pizza I've had in a long time. The ham adds just the right amount of salt to a pie that, despite its quality, cries for salt. Fri Nov 06 15:30:04 -0800 2009 5162109 12135 John Manzo 5 5164388 quick list of my favorite spots in calgary: matador (NW), kinsington bob's (NW), Tom's (several locatoins), Gondola (my fav for nostalgic reasons - several locations), Sandro's (NE). used to recommend Il Centro but we were really underimpressed last time we had their pie. Sat Nov 07 20:31:13 -0800 2009 5162168 40013 nonlinear 6 5165906 My favourite pizza places: -Michael's (the best pizza around!) -Spiro's on17th (love the House Special) - has whole wheat pizza crust only in 12" Sun Nov 08 17:50:57 -0800 2009 5164388 102607 makan2 5 5175985 thanks for the suggestion john! i tried their pizza on sunday and it was quite tasty. we had 4 toppings and it came out to $13 or $14... the pizza fed two adults and two kids so decent value. the ingredients were fresh and they didn't skimp. it takes 15 minutes from order to finish. Thu Nov 12 10:22:57 -0800 2009 5162168 1093420 theauditor 1 5169310 I have to agree with the posters here who say that the pizza in Calgary sucks, they are correct by and large. When you see people posting that "Co-op" and "Domino's" etc. are the best you know we are in trouble as a city. I've lived here 12 years and am always shocked by the lack of good pies here. The best I've had are Sophie's on Richmond Rd. (Greek style, fresh, tasty, crisp crust) however they are on the expensive end for pizza. The other place is Spiro's on 17th ave just west of downtown, but they are hit and miss. I can't explain why the pizza here is so poor but it is. Just ask your friends where the best pizza is in Calgary is and let their blank stares tell you all you need to know lol.... Come on Calgary, wood fired pizza ovens! Tasty, well seasoned sauces, fresh ingredients, downtown location!?? Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax all have great pies, why not here?? A better topic might be the worst pizza in Calgary.......much easier......I vote Wicked Wedge (if good pizza was measured by weight they would win though......heavy stuff) Mon Nov 09 23:36:08 -0800 2009 1735206 1123239 fownzy 2 5169318 I bet you haven't even tried the pizza from the Co-Op on 11th. (Not frozen pizza, but the pizza they make right in the store). I was at the Belfry gastropub on 8th the other day, and their menu proudly proclaims that the pizza is the same recipe you used to be able to find at Baby Blue's (used to be on 7th ave). I guess that's what people here want: rigid pizza with an oily underside, "spiced" sauce, and a good half inch of toppings and cheese. Every 70s "bar and grill", or pizzeria-with-a-greek-name serves this pizza. I don't get it. Mon Nov 09 23:49:07 -0800 2009 5169310 137321 23skidoo 3 5169332 You are correct, I missed that it wasn't frozen so my bad on that one and I'll give it a try for sure. I agree with you on what seems to pass here for pizza...not good. For me it needs a tasty tomato sauce with fresh herbs, fresh toppings (not an inch of crap) and a thin, or thinner crust that is crisp and chewy. I'll try the Co-op and post back on here what I think. Tue Nov 10 00:14:50 -0800 2009 5169318 1123239 fownzy 4 5169718 Haven't you been to Pulcinella? What you describe here is precisely what you DON'T get at Sophies. Don't get me wrong, I love Sophie's, but if that's your yardstick and that's the sort of place you're going and you prefer a "thin or thinner crust" then why are you not trying other places? You get blank stares because you're asking the wrong people. Tue Nov 10 07:16:05 -0800 2009 5169332 12135 John Manzo 4 5170532 Two others to try: 1. The margherita pizza at Earls on Macleod near Southland. 2. The Italian Supermarket on 20th Ave NE. They only make pizza on Saturdays. These pizzas will stand up against any pizza, anywhere. There is very good pizza in Calgary, just not on every street corner. Tue Nov 10 11:39:13 -0800 2009 5169332 50167 Scary Bill 5 5170637 i believe the Italian market bill refers to is Lina's Tue Nov 10 12:15:54 -0800 2009 5170532 40013 nonlinear 6 5170717 Close (geographically) but no cigar. :-) http://www.italiansupermarket.com/ In comparison, Lina's is "designer" Italian, Italian Supermarket is "Mama's" Italian. Discovered it doing a Google Maps search before moving here, trying to line up Calgary's sources for all the best Italian food shopping experiences. Tue Nov 10 12:43:56 -0800 2009 5170637 50167 Scary Bill 7 5173115 I used to live in Italy and the Italian Supermarket takes me right back to shopping for groceries in Torino... basically being totally, completely ignored while the employees talk in Italian to elderly Italian women about their children and grandchildren. :) Wed Nov 11 11:00:26 -0800 2009 5170717 131149 Jetgirly 7 5173142 Lina's does some nice pizza but I don't know about "designer" I find Lina's cheaper for some things than Sobeys - I'd say Lina's is probably more mid-level department store, whereas Mercato is Holt Renfrew :) Wed Nov 11 11:11:26 -0800 2009 5170717 138472 maplesugar 2 5169737 Wood-fired pizza oven + downtown location: try Giuseppe's on 1st St and 13th Ave SW. Ask them to go easy on the cheese and you'll get a very, very good pie. Tue Nov 10 07:20:57 -0800 2009 5169310 27032 aktivistin 3 5170380 I think Calgary is actually quite well-served for wood oven pizza. The issue here is that you do have to cut through a lot of dross to get good pizza. The pizza in my hometown is exactly the sort that nonlinear extols, but the fact is that there is not a hell of a lot of pizza otherwise- there are the obvious chains, and then a sprinkling of mama and papa places that are almost always excellent. In Calgary (and other Canadian cities) you have the chains and then you also have the littered-on-every-corner 2 and even 3 for 1 crap factories. I never saw those (aside from Little Caesars) in most places I lived in the US but here cheap and bad pizza is everywhere. The places I consider quality are, just as at home, pretty few and far between. I will repeat that I've had more excellent pizza than I can shake a stick at here. I'll also say that almost none of the pizza ovens I grew up around were wood fired. That's PRICEY and pretentious. We had the same sort of ovens they use at Vogglio. Tue Nov 10 10:56:17 -0800 2009 5169737 12135 John Manzo 4 5170665 a major problem is that calgary lacks strong regional chains. sure, we have tom's and gondola, but those are the only two and they are both very small. unfortunately, a large proportion of the market is occupied by the 2 for 1 crap factories and this prevents growth of the more deserving shops. take home message is that calgary doesn't have a developed pizza culture and thus a refined pizza palate, so people buy crap pizza which prevents the scene from moving forward. it's a positive feedback mechanism! ARGH!!!!! Tue Nov 10 12:24:20 -0800 2009 5170380 40013 nonlinear 5 5171173 IMO the 2 for 1 crap factories are just as bad as "insert greek name here" and 70s steak + pizza establishments. Tue Nov 10 15:49:44 -0800 2009 5170665 137321 23skidoo 5 5171246 then just buy decent pizza! Lemme add that this is a canada-wide phenomenon. Toronto inflicted Pizza Nova and Pizza Pizza on a world that did nothing to deserve those insults. Pizza in Vancouver is pathetic, especially in light of how much that scene has improved in relatively close by Portland in the last couple of decades. Ottawa is perhaps worse than mainstream Toronto. Montreal is an absolute joke. Tue Nov 10 16:19:54 -0800 2009 5170665 12135 John Manzo 5 5185586 okay here are two pics to make nonlinear's mouth water- these are from Barton's in Hammond Ind (my hometown just south of chicago): http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JC7k91RICx8/SwF4qkDOVnI/AAAAAAAAFVE/EBnbcMlI-nI/s1024/IMG_1282.JPG http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JC7k91RICx8/SwF4sIzW5iI/AAAAAAAAFVI/G2kEN5cCHlI/s1024/IMG_1283.JPG Mon Nov 16 09:41:25 -0800 2009 5170665 12135 John Manzo 6 5185803 THANK YOU JOHN!!!!! that looks awesome, and it's even IN A BAG! I only know of one place in MPLS that serves pizza in a bag, i can't say it makes sense for stacking but it sure is kinda fun! are you in the states right now? Mon Nov 16 10:48:41 -0800 2009 5185586 40013 nonlinear 7 5186143 returned home yesterday- had some godawful Mexican too- in the midwest they have lots of places that are Mexican run and staffed but their food is garbage because they dumb everything down to suit midwestern white folks taste- this is very much Ron Paul country if you get my drift. So everything is covered in iceberg lettuce and cheese and the tacos only come with corn tortillas is you specifically ask for it. And you ONLY get chicken or beef for tacos. I know, I was amazed too but this explains why even though I grew up in heavily hispanic NW Indiana I never had really good Mex until I had it in California. Mon Nov 16 12:40:06 -0800 2009 5185803 12135 John Manzo 2 5176646 I agree with this fownzy- please let us know what you think of Co-Op pizza. Pulcinella makes an effort but the crust is usually a little soggy for all the boasting about authentic Italian thin crust. Chowhound has a great video in obsessives with a pretty informed guy talking about pizza. Ah-Beetz in Abbotsford is an amazing pizza. Nothing in Calgary that I've had is close. I think if you've only ever eaten pizza in Calgary you might think that Earls has good pizza- but there is a whole other universe of pizza out there. Thin crust, a little burnt, minimal toppings, made by people who think pizza is one of the most important things on earth. Thu Nov 12 13:38:52 -0800 2009 5169310 201067 Mawson Plan 1 5171618 I think the real problem, as evidenced by these discussions, is that everyone has their own idea of what a "best" pizza is. I hated the pizza at Pucinella, misshapen, burnt in some locations, lots of crust, not much toppings. It's extolled as a great pizza. I like pizza with a relatively thin crust, lots of toppings, cheese on top lightly browned, not too salty. I really like the pizza from Vogglio's. I had an Italian friend in high school who said true pizza was thick with just a little tomato sauce on top. Yuk. To get a meaningful response to "where can you get the best pizza?" you really do have to say what you consider makes something "best" (not OP, it was stated, I'd say Vogglio based on those parameters) Tue Nov 10 19:16:34 -0800 2009 1735206 69044 hsk 2 5171731 I have no real strong pizza opinion. Actually I kind of do. Personally have had good experience with Fat Tony's in Connaught. Pretty slow service but that's Calgary. Honestly had the best slice in New York. That being said, I think the local water has something to do with the taste of the dough. I have to agree with the midtown co-op posts. They do crank out a pretty good pizza. Tue Nov 10 20:16:27 -0800 2009 5171618 254797 sweedon 3 5174300 Where do you get it at COOP? At that deli area on the south end of the store, they just cook it to order? How much is it? Wed Nov 11 17:39:10 -0800 2009 5171731 203692 fotze 4 5176006 hi fotze yes it's at the deli area on the south end of the store and it's cooked to order (although they do appear to sell pre-made by the slice). you order right where the wood oven is located. there's a piece of paper that they hand you for you to specify what toppings you want. i think it was $10.99 for 2 toppings $11.99 for 3 toppings and an additional $1 for any additional toppings. we had to wait 15 minutes for the pizza to be finished. Thu Nov 12 10:26:50 -0800 2009 5174300 1093420 theauditor 2 5176699 I'd have to concur with Vogglio's, it's pretty good pizza. One of the other problems we are faced with in Calgary is the type of water we have to work with. It's extremely hard and as any baker knows the water makes a huge difference in it's interaction with the flour. They done tests in US (can't remember which show it was) but they proved that you can't make NY pizza in Chicago and vice versa with the exact same recipe and ingredients but using the local water. It's the same reason why places in Europe that use Canadian flour (much of the world does) can make much tastier breads. Thu Nov 12 13:52:04 -0800 2009 5171618 171315 slingshotz 3 5177718 "It's the same reason why places in Europe that use Canadian flour (much of the world does) can make much tastier breads." I'm not sure they are using Canadian flour for taste at all- Canadian flours have a higher protein content - meaning better & stronger dough development, more baking volume, better processing tolerance, better water absorbtion & better texture than softer (lower protein) wheats - this makes it the flour of choice for industrial, high speed mixing oriented bakeries. I would argue that taste is predominantly a result of the fermentation that has taken place, other ingredients added & salt. Have you ever tasted bread made without salt - no flavor whatsover. Thu Nov 12 21:16:03 -0800 2009 5176699 94423 graemejw 4 5178634 What I was meaning is that the bread made with Canadian flour generally tastes better in places like Quebec, Eastern States and Europe than in places like Calgary due to the water. You are right about why places use our flour though for their breads. Fri Nov 13 08:37:55 -0800 2009 5177718 171315 slingshotz 5 5181731 hahah, i think there are more pressing issues with the pie scene in calgary than the water or flour used in the dough :) (i can see arguing about that in NYC or Chicago, but this is calgary for cripes sakes! most of the pizza here isn't even made using real cheese!) Sat Nov 14 14:12:48 -0800 2009 5178634 40013 nonlinear 6 5185559 Actually the type of flour does matter to the quality of the crust. Italian 00 milled is considered the best, and is of course made from 100% Durham semolina. In fact it is also the best for pasta, and is used by Martelli -best dry pasta on the planet-to make their 4 types of dry pasta. If you are a Canadian wheat farmer, well pat yourself on the back because that's all Martelli will use. Oh, and just curious-what type of non-cheese substitute is used in these here parts? Mon Nov 16 09:33:18 -0800 2009 5181731 50167 Scary Bill 7 5185814 hey bill, I am an amateur pizza cook (hehe) and completely agree with you, however I was just trying to point out that there are more pressing issues than flour/water in crust... i mean, in order for that to even be a concern, pizza shops need to be mixing their own dough, not using dough mix, frozen dough balls, or pre-made crusts. the flour and water issues are IMO something to consider when 'fine tuning' a pie. Mon Nov 16 10:51:38 -0800 2009 5185559 40013 nonlinear