This is called a pizetta, meaning little pizza, made with brioche dough.
I liked it! From Eataly’s caffe on the ground floor.
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Had the mixed pide from A la Turk not quite pizza I know 
I feel Mustafa is better with a much better dough though I enjoyed the Sujuck on a la turk better
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Wondering what A La Turk’s breakfast is like. I saw it advertised last time I walked by. I like a good Turkish breakfast. The one at Pera Café wasn’t that good, unfortunately.
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Recently had an order from Pizza Pide. We still found everything very enjoyable, from the dough to the various toppings. We had the following:
- Sebzeli: assorted vegetables & feta cheese
- Ispanakli Beyaz Peynirli: spinach & feta cheese with mozzarella cheese
- Kavurmali: roasted lamb & mozzarella cheese
- Yumurtali Açık: ground beef with 2 eggs
- Etli Ekmek: ground beef blended; with onions, tomatoes, and herbs
- Sucuklu Kaşarlı: Turkish sausage & mozzarella cheese
Also recently went back to Stock Bar (family get-together). The mortadella, pistachio, hot honey pizza with the big hunk of mozzarella di bufala remains a highlight:
Though not a pizza, the pane e acciughe (sourdough, butter, Spanish Cantabrico anchovies) was also impressive, with a lovely slice of butter under the anchovies:
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I’ve only been to 12 of the 45 listed. Pretty good list.
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Ooh, lots more to try for us. Salt and Tobacco is within walking distance for us and we’ve had it on our list for over a year.
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45 Spots! What’s left I am not a fan of BlogTo lists at times as they have recommended some real clunkers (Delicacy Kitchen being a recent one)
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I feel the same way about Eater lists. At least with this board, we can vet the BlogTO lists.
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Mainly these are just no-research rehashes of their old articles presented as new and improved click-bait. Cheap and easy.
How can they cover the tremendous Mark’s Pizza without (literally) crossing the street to the equally wonderful Fratelli Village Pizzeria? Bah humbug.
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Just moved from NYC a few months ago and I’ve traveled around the US for food.
-Best NYC style pizza is definitely Badiali.
-Closest thing to true Neapolitan was Libretto. *Colleague from Italy agreed with my choices as well.
I must’ve tried dozens of pizza places in GTA looking for the right spot.
There isn’t much discussion or conversation as to what is Toronto style pizza. What I’ve noticed at most of the places was that the pizza was very bready (compared to the two styles I’ve referenced above) as if they didn’t push out the air bubbles in the dough in the middle out to the edge before saucing it. Is that Toronto style by chance? If not, what is? I’d like to develop an appreciation of the local style but having a hard time picking it out.
Thank you!
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Old School Toronto pizza is the type found at Frank’s, Gerrard Pizza, Danforth Pizza House.
It isn’t especially popular right now.
My current favourite modern Pizza in Toronto is Badiali’s.
Ambassador serves Windsor-style. I live nearby and I haven’t been tempted yet.
I like Levant pizza for Levantine-inspired pizza.
I like Descendant’s Detroit -style, and I would say the Jaffna pizza at Descendant is a Toronto pizza because many Sri Lankan kitchen staff, cooks and chefs are the backbone of Toronto’s kitchens. Detroit style crust, but a Toronto multicultural stamp on the pizza.
Pay close attention to @Googs posts about pizza.
Toronto has a dozen or more regional styles (from other regions) available. I think this reflects our multiculturalism and diversity. Maybe the fact Toronto is a cultural mosaic with diverse populations is why Toronto does not have one regional Toronto style of pizza, as you might find in an American city that has a melting pot culture.
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Thank you very much for the list as well as the insight! I will definitely check these out!!
One note though: I would categorize badiali as NYC style. The style has been around for over a century. They’re the only pizza place I’ve had so far that would not feel out of place at all in NYC. I mentioned that to them and they got excited. Might be what they were aiming for. They succeeded and it’s great!
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Oh no!!! Google maps showing Gerrard Pizza is permanently closed!!! I was looking forward to trying them based on pictures!!
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I also lived in NYC for a while, but it was a long time ago. I remember going to Patsy’s, and a deep dish spot in the Village. I used to get a spinach mushroom slice at the Famous Original Ray’s near my apartment. I remember ordering John’s with friends around 2003.
I like Badiali’s pizza more than the NYC pizzas I ordered when I lived there, or when I’ve travelled back.
I haven’t tried any pizza places on my most recent trips to NYC (2015-2019), so I can’t compare any recent experiences.
Neapolitan style was a big deal in Toronto between 2008 and 2014. I remember waiting in line for Pizzeria Libretto, when they only had one location. I did try Don Antonio and Motorino in NYC around 2013. I can’t remember ordering pizza on my following 6 trips to NYC. I’m usually focused on other foods in NYC.
Frank’s Pizza House, another old school Toronto pizzeria
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You must be referring to Emmett’s in the village for Chicago style deep dish.
Keste has always been the restaurant of choice from visitors from Italy. I have heard from several Italians from Italy living there that Italians would refuse to eat elsewhere for some reason. Once i tried it (with a glass of gragnano), i understood why.
The other place my Italian friends told me that’s a bit more recent is Ribalta. They also make similar pizza and also offer Gragnano by the glass (I’m shocked Libretto doesn’t offer it).
As for NYC pizza, the top has been Di Fara out in the middle of nowhere in Brooklyn but sadly, Dom has passed away and it hasn’t been the same (especially after branching out). It was on a completely different level. It’s most likely because Dom has ruined me for NYC pizza that i don’t see Badiali in the same level as that. With Di Fara a shell of itself now, i can see Badiali possibly being better. But the style is NYC.
I’ve tried Motorino as well. Before i tried Keste i used to go there. Keste made sure i never went back. Lol.
I haven’t heard about Don Antonio but it seems it’s the same ownership as Keste.
I’ve always felt johns and original rays were overrated and borderline tourist traps (because of Di Fara). Badiali is definitely better than those two
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I saw Famous Original Ray’s as fuel, in my non-touristic neighborhood (Turtle Bay in the east 40s). Not a destination, just a Tuesday night slice that cost a couple bucks in the mid 90s.
I don’t remember the name of the place with the deep dish. It would have been around 1992 that I ordered it.
Emmett’s has been around since 2013. Might check it out some day.
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If it was 1992, i had left the US and was living in Seoul at the time.
Emmett’s was opened by a Chicago transplant. Gets raves from people from Chicago. They also do a Chicago thin crust (basically a bar pie like super point in Toronto)
Yes, that’s one of the things i really miss about NYC (i don’t miss much of it). It’s that for a few bucks you could get a quick, tasty meal out of a slice or two.
Dom was amazing. Glad i got to have a few memories with him. He’d accidentally burn a few pizzas, but man, the portion that wasn’t burned, or those times none of it was burnt, it was magic.
I agree there’s a lot of other things to try in NYC. If you haven’t tried Pisillo in the financial district, give it a shot. We also always felt the brindle room was always underrated (their burger slaps Minetta Tavern’s dry aged burger and the rest of the menu including the wine by the glass offering, i feel, is better).
If you haven’t tried real Texan bbq, nyc has the closest thing to it at Mighty Quinn in East Village. They smoke their brisket 21 hours at their East Village location. Don’t put sauce on it (their sauce, in my opinion, ain’t that great) but their brisket really sings. Most other places only smoke somewhere between 12 to 16 hours (not long enough and you can definitely taste the difference)
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I tried both ambassador and Frank’s yesterday.
Both seem to be in the NYC style. Ambassador credibly had differences and I’m starting to understand that Windsor style and appeal as its similar to NYC.
Frank’s, they changed how i view Toronto style and pizza in this city. Frank’s is definitely NYC style and after talking shop with Georgio (at Frank’s) and asking the question, “what is Toronto style pizza, specifically old school Toronto style?”, he mentioned old school Toronto style pizza IS NYC style pizza. The history behind it is that Italians came over via NYC. So they landed in NY, lived there a bit, then moved to Toronto and surrounding areas. So naturally, that old school NYC pizza style spread here.
He agreed that the thicker pizzas using rollers or machines all the way through on the dough makes it taste bready (I described it more like a foccacia than a pizza and how i wasn’t a fan of this since I noticed Sbarro makes pizza like this).
It’s my guess that hand stretching it like how a proper pizza is made takes more work so folks are skipping that critical step (I’ve seen some spots offer a “thin” crust, which in NYC means cracker crust like in Chicago but it seems thin in GTA is regular hand stretched dough instead of the bready type). I’ve also noticed a lot of electric ovens being used. I’m also not a fan of that coming from NY.
I was watching Georgio make pizza after pizza and it was crystal clear to me he puts a LOT of love in what he does and into each and every pizza he makes. He’s the Dom equivalent (from Di Fara in Brooklyn) of Toronto in my book. I will be driving out to him each time i crave pizza. I sat there staring at the crust after biting into it cause it had a LOT more flavor than other shops (he ferments his dough 48 hours unlike the same day dough I’ve had at most places I’ve visited).
Also, i can’t believe the prices he’s charging. I asked them if what i was charged was a mistake because it was far too low compared to what other folks were charging. He needs to raise his prices… I can’t imagine inflation has been kind to their bottom line which affects what he rightfully should be paid for with all that love he pours into each and every thing he makes. A slice at ambassador for example was 9 bucks or something. Slice at Frank’s? Between 0 to $3… I paid $3 but i feel it should’ve been between $4 ~ $5.
Slices at Frank’s are also the grandma slice. He used to do slices from round pies but he said since everyone else was doing it, he wanted to try something different. This was why i also got a small cheese pie to try out his pizza to compare with others. I personally much prefer his round pies. Man, are those fantastic!
I’m sad Gerrard’s is no longer around. I’m going to have to definitely check out Danforth Pizza House!
Currently, Frank’s is at my top spot ahead of Badiali.
With places like North of Brooklyn (not nearly as good as Frank’s) and others claiming to be NY style being more popular, i don’t understand the disconnect given that the better NYC style old school Toronto pizza has been around since 1965 at Frank’s.
I’m just glad i found them. Thank you for leading me to a slice of home!
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There was a place called Vesuvio’s in the Junction which went out of business a couple years ago. Some of their former employees run this place on Roncesvalles that you might want to try.
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Other places to try, if you haven’t yet:
Superpoint on Ossington
4th Man in the Fire
North of Brooklyn
Piccolo Piano on Harbord (has a nice back patio)
Conzo is probably more hype than substance, as is Sugo.
https://www.thestar.com/life/together/2023/03/19/5-top-pizza-joints-in-toronto.html
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Oh man, i was near juniors yesterday! Will definitely try when I’m around there again.
I’ve tried super point. It tasted more like a bar pie to me?
I’ve also tried North of Brooklyn. Was not a fan. Dough wasn’t great. Tasted like they were coasting (and charging) on toppings.
I’ve tried Conzo. Was a very good pie. But not worth what they were charging. I much prefer Conzo over North of Brooklyn but the price point doesn’t warrant repeat visits. Frank seems he went the opposite direction to both these spots regarding price point
Will try the other two!
Piano piano is on my list (my neighbor recommended it. Said someone in her family owns it.)
4th man in the fire is also on my list to try.
Thanks again!!
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