Pizza and Gelato at Gusto

Earlier this month, I met a friend in Olympic Village for a quick snack in the afternoon. I haven't explored much of the area in recent months, but am forcing myself to head down there more frequently. When my friend suggested Gusto - A Taste of Italy when I said that I was craving gelato, I was eager to give this a try.

I hadn't eaten lunch yet so decided to try out one of their pizzas, before moving on to dessert. They pride themselves on serving up Authentic Italian Scrocchiarella. It's almost the opposite of a thin crust artisanal-type pizza. The crispy Roman-style pizza has a great crust with a decent amount of chew. Scrocchiarella is as specific type of flour and crust is reminiscent of focaccia. 

I wanted something light, so opted for the Prosciutto e Rucola ($10.99). They serve it warmed up and the rectangular-shaped is one classic trait of Roman-style pizza. It was really good, the crust was doughy and chewy, perfect for me as I love pizza crust. I will eat yours if you let me! And the toppings (prosciutto, arugula, signature sauce and parmigiana) were plentiful and very fresh. I thought it was good value for the price. I only ate half and took the rest to-go. I had to save room for the real reason I was there, gelato!

Now, time for some Gelato Artigianale! Their chefs are from Italy and the machines are flown in from Italy as well. I chose to enjoy mine in a cone. There are so many flavours to choose from and you're allowed to try three before making your choice. The Pistachio one was highly recommended, but I am not really a fan of the nut. There was also a Caramelized Fig one with figs flown in from Sicily. 

Finally, I decided on the Cioccolato Fondente ($5.95), described as Dark and Dangerous on the website. It's a blend of black cocoa, 85% chocolate and 72% chocolate. I was in heaven and did not want the treat to end.

There are quite a few things I'll probably come back and try. They have a wide variety of Antipasti, such as Bruschetta, Salads as well as a Cheese Board. In addition to gelato, they also have other treats for your sweet tooth, such as biscotti, cannoli, flakey croissants (plain or filled with butter cream or Nutella). There are tarts, mousse cakes and so much more. They have a selection of both cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. 

Oh, and they have Happy Hour 3-6pm Monday - Friday.

Pizza Tasting at Firecrust Pizzeria

A few months ago, I was a tagalong on a pizza tasting at Firecrust. Pizzas are made to order in a gas-burning oven. Yes, you read that right, gas, not fire. That's because of building regulations, a wood-fired oven was not possible. However, as you can see from the crusts, the fire burns hot in that oven.

We tried four pizzas (Margherita, Siciliana, Prosciutto Arugula and a Build Your Own), along with two salads (Chopped and Caprese), as well as their Italian Wedding Soup. 

Now the Margherita is a classic and if done right, the ingredients really speak for themselves. At just $8.95, this pizza was a great deal. It wasn't overloaded with toppings, but each bite showed off the San Marzan tomato sauce. I could have used a bit more basil or would have preferred it to be sprinkled on chiffonade style.

This Prosciutto Arugula pizza was probably my favourite. At $12.95, this pizza features both Romano and Fior Di Latte cheeses with a brush of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Garlic. It's then topped with Prosciutto and Arugula after baking. I liked how there weren't any heavy sauces to detract from the freshness of the ingredients. Give this a try next time you want a nice, light treat! 
To lighten things up, we also got two fo their salads. This one here is their Caprese, featuring mixed greens, tomatoes, basil and some Fior Di Latte.  The dressing of EVOO and Balsamic came on the side. It was really and a good refreshing bite. 

The next salad was a bit heartier and could probably be a meal by itself. It was their signature Chopped salad, with a base of romaine and grape tomatoes, but with some soppressata, cubed chicken and feta on top. The dressing was again on the side and was a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

Now back to another pizza, we got the Siciliana. Meats include Italian Sausage, Ham and Prosciutto, and Fior Di Latte, Romano, on a bed of simple San Marzano Tomato Sauce and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The is heavy and will definitely fill you up!

They also have an option of a Build Your Own pizza, which we thought was interesting. We chose a base of alfredo sauce and topped it with two kinds of cheese, Fior Di Latte and gorgonzola. For protein, we added some chopped chicken all topped with some grape tomatoes and mushrooms. Flavour additions included chilli flakes and fresh basil.

And for our very last taste, we tried their Italian Wedding Soup, with small meatballs, assorted veggies in a light chicken broth. It was nice and light and good for a chilly day.

All in all, I would say this is reminiscent of Subway, but in a Pizzeria-style. You can order from the standards or you can build you own, made to order. Prices are reasonable but you should be prepared to wait at peak times.

Disclaimer: This was an amazing meal, graciously hosted by Firecrust. All opinions are my own.

Get to Pronto...Pronto!

Sometimes the best meals take place when and where you least expect it. I decided to meet up with a fave eating buddy (purely because he has big cameras and an even bigger appetite), Sherman. 

We left my place without a clear idea in mind as to what we wanted to eat...Pho? Dim Sum? Sushi? All bets were off...and then he decided that we should check out a little restaurant he wanted to revisit on Cambie. And that's how we ended up at Pronto.Despite their small size, they have an incredibly diverse menu. There are pastas, sandwiches, various appetizers and pizzas too! Something for everyone, and at fairly reasonable prices.

We ordered four things to share, and allowed the kitchen to serve up whenever each item was ready...so our first course was the Tagliatelle Aglio e Olio. Most of the pastas are handmade, and this one was as well, simply made with garlic and smoked pancetta. The dish was rounded out with some sliced tomatoes, a just a touch of chili flakes, all topped with a showering of Parmesan cheese. The freshness of the pasta was undeniable. The pancetta gave the dish the needed saltiness, and the fresh tomatoes really freshened it up. It's plenty for one person, but it's also a great starter for two people. 

 

We noticed that there was Porchetta on the menu, and it's something we cannot turn down, ever. The bun was warm, but not crunchy, and the pork was mild in flavour...could have used a bit more seasoning or some salsa verde to perk it up a bit. However, no complaints about the skin...I've had chips less crispier than this. It wasn't fatty, just with a great crunch. I had to take some of mine home and it reheated very nicely. Always an important note if you order more than you can eat. 
Two carby dishes down, and more to come. We really wanted to try their pizzas, and decided on the Genoa. A 12" pizza that's more than enough for two to share (even if you didn't have a pasta and sandwich beforehand). How can you go wrong with salami, tomatoes and red peppers. The cheese melted perfectly, and it wasn't overly topped. The crust held up well to the toppings and this was a winner in my books. It's fresh, light and tasty, and for $15, a great deal. Our final dish was actually listed as an Antipasto, but it was okay with us that it came at the end. After all the heavy foods we had, the light Prawns wrapped in Pancetta was actually quite a good way to finish lunch. It is a really good blend of the sweet prawns and the savory saltiness of the pancetta. At $12, I think this is a bit pricey. The sear on the pancetta is solid and this is a fun dish. I guess just adding one more prawn might have made the value a bit better, but that's just a minor complaint.

Pizza and Pasta at Spago

Upon our arrival in Vegas, our first meal was lunch and I decided on Spago at Caesar's Palace. I figured we would be in need for comfort food after waking up at 5:30 in Bellingham for our very early flight. I think I was right. I was definitely in the mood for carbs.

I do love the skies at Caesars, making you think that it was a late afternoon, even though it was actually only noon. I guess it makes it easier to indulge in heavier fare when you think it's later in the day. Were it brighter, I would have felt like bacon and eggs or something else. 
One of the items that caught my eye was this, a Corpse Reviver #2 (I guess #1 didn't work?). Thankfully, I didn't have a need for this (yet), but now that I have the menu, there's a mental note in my head for the next time I might need "reviving".

So what did we get? I started my Vegas vacation with a glass of Hawk Crest Cabernet Sauvignon and we also tried a Ginger Lime Tea.

First to arrive was our Lamb Pizza. The thin slices of lamb chorizo had just a bit of tomato sauce on it, with a very light touch of goat cheese. Although rapini and sun dried tomatoes are supposed to be there, it was barely noticeable, as you can see from above. The goat cheese was there, but the additional freshly shaved parmesan made it even better (after the picture was taken).
Our other carbo-loading entree was the Pasta a la Bolognaise. Since the pasta was a fairly vague description, we asked the waitress what type of pasta it was. She informed us that it was a garganelli (one of my favourites, see the one I had in Trattoria in Vancouver) and definitely not penne. So we decided to order it. However, this was not garganelli, is it? In fact, it looks like penne, just not cut on a bias. Maybe she got the two confused?? Oh well, the braised beef was abundant, and the tomatoes and cheese were both very fresh. And in case you are thinking this is a very small portion, it's actually half of a whole order, they split it up for us.
I didn't think the food was outstanding, the service was good, and the pasta was good, but everything seemed to lack an "oomph" factor. It seemed they were trying to make food that would appeal to the masses, instead of making something extraordinary. They succeeded, but I would have liked more punchy tastes and things that would make them stand out in my mind. 

Take Note:

• Every table had a pizza, yours should too.
• Ask for chili flakes, shaved parmesan, anything to enhance your entree.
• If you like lime, they have a Key Lime Pie Baked Alaska!

All my Vegas eats are listed on this page. They include:

Spago - Spring 2013

Gordon Ramsay STEAK - Spring 2013

Wicked Spoon Buffet - coming soon

Nobu - coming soon, 

Bouchon - Spring 2013

I Love Burgers - coming soon 

Carnevino - coming soon

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company

We had originally planned to visit The Main on Main, but after we parked the car, we realized that they weren't actually open. Are they not open for lunch anymore, does anyone know? Good thing my parents are familiar with the area and suggested that we give Rocky Mountain Flatbread a try. Here is their Soup of the Day -  a blend of Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini topped with some shaved parmesan. Although the heat of the soup was warm enough to melt the parmesan, it was unfortunately not hot enough as a soup. The soup is really creamy and reminded me of a sauce from a stew. 

We decided to order a "large" pizza from the dinner menu, because then we could order it with two different toppings. On one is is the Genoa and the other side is the Naturally Meaty. According to the menu, the Meaty has spicy beef, Italian sausage, tomatoes, green peppers, red onions, asiago. 

The top side is the Genoa and has blend of Genoa salami, mushrooms, red onions, cherry tomatoes, bocconcini, Kalamata olives & fresh chopped basil. The pizza has a nice thin crust and the toppings weren't overwhelming. I was surprised that the cheese on the Naturally Meaty wasn't melted at all, I guess it was sprinkled on after baking but I missed the gooey cheesiness that comes from it being heated afterwards.
And regular readers of my blog will know, I always overorder, and this was no exception. I decided to get the Double Smoked Maple Bacon Omelette as well. There are also some mushrooms, tomatoes, red onions, Canadian cheddar & mozzarella cheese. Actually, there was a lot of cheese...see? That's some ooey goodness there. I think I could have lived without the tomatoes, because they made the omelette a bit soggy, but overall, the bacon and mushrooms really helped to make this omelette a home run! 

Take Note:

• You can order two flavours on one pizze if you order a large one
• Their straws are made of corn, and will split if you bite down on it
• Soups are very good, but could be hotter.

Dinner at Cotto Enoteca

After being wowed by Chef Alex Tung at a Cotto Enoteca lunch service in the summer, I couldn't wait to take my parents there to try out additional items. The chef is one of my mom's favourites ever since I took her to his previous restaurant for her birthday. 

 

We started off dinner with a few glasses of prosecco, which should be served in these glasses and not flutes, as I learned at the Blue Water Cafe Autumn Wine Dinner. 
And this was the bread with the delicious spread of Canellini beans & truffle oil. The bread was airy with lots of holes just begging to be smothered with the spread.
This is the Insalata Rucola and is loaded with toppings such as cubed Gorgonzola cheese, diced cucumbers and cantaloupe and a very generous sprinkling of pinenuts. The base of the salad was a Barnston Island arugula, with just a light bitter crunch. A red wine vinaigrette brought everything together nicely.

I really liked the meatballs from my lunch visit, so I made sure that we also ordered them again, the Cotto Polpetti. Simply made with just some bread crumbs and served with a tangy tomato sauce and some fried pizza dough. It's classic, elegant and quite delicious. The meatballs themselves were very moist and the bread and tomato sauce were excellent accompaniments.
For the mains, we settled on two, the first being the Tagliatelle Bolognese. Ribbons upon ribbons of perfectly cooked pasta, tossed with a blend of ground Pemberton Meadows beef, cubes of Sloping Hill pancetta simmered with vegetables, wine and tomatoes into a rich sauce. Add some Parmigiano-Reggiano and that's it.
Since I had already tried the Linguini Cabonara during my lunch visit, I decided to give the Pizza Carbonara a  try this time. The pizza is baked with guanciale, roasted garlic and Parmigiano-Reggiano & Pecorino Romano. And then a 63 degree egg is placed on top when it comes out of the oven. As I mentioned in my previous post, this is not a poached egg. Rather the egg is cooked "in the shell" to 63 degrees so that the yolk has a custardly texture and the whites are more or less cooked through. Done in an immersion circulator, this can take up to an hour. But the results are well worth it. Either on pasta or pizza, or a piece of plain white bread, this egg suddenly becomes the best sauce. It doesn't add much to the taste of the dish, but the creaminess it imparts onto what ever it is oozing over is very delightful.

Take Note:

• Try the housemade Limoncello
• Get something, anything, with the 63 degree egg
• Open for brunch on weekends

Terroni Bar Centrale - #2 on the Toronto Pasta Quest

As part of our ongoing quest to find the freshest "house-made" pasta in Toronto, we found ourselves at Terroni Bar Centrale. There are quite a few locations around town, but this was the one closest to us. We had visited One (by Mark McEwan) in Yorkville and needed to continue the hunt. After eating rather unhealthily for the past few days, we had craving for salad, some sort of veggies. We managed to order just a plain green salad, Verde, which was a good size for sharing. The salad was prettyrun of the mill, but they did add some tomatoes and olives to the dish.  Their daily special features a Duck Pappardelle, so this was the one we went with. We wanted to mix and match sauce and pasta, but from all the reviews that we have read, there's no tolerance for that here. We feigned innocence and asked anyways. Instead of a brisk answer reiterating the "no substitutions" rule, our server took the time to explain that the chefs paired specific sauces based on their texture, viscosity, creaminess and more to a particular pasta.  We were satisfied to put ourselves in the chef's hands. I am really glad we got this special. Sure there were other pastas that were part of the regular menu, but not pappardelle. And if they are making this fresh for the day, that is what I'm having! The ground duck had good depth of flavour and the shape and size of the mushrooms paired well with the long flat noodle and sauce. Take them at their word, it works. And I never remejber just how much I loved fresh peas until I have them. I did find the dish a touch oily, but I liked the spiciness of the dish as well as the plentiful sliced mushrooms. This pasta was a full $10 less than the Papparadelle we had at ONE, and I'd daresay I prefer this one much more.  Another Terroni speciality is their pizzas, so we had to get one of those to share as well. This is the Puzza, a white pizza with three white cheese, (mozzarella, mascarpone, gorgonzola) with some mushrooms, italian ham. I found the toppings a bit uneven, but that's not the end of the world. I really liked the charred crust on this pie. The pizza came uncut, but we didn't have too much of a problem with that.   I liked that it was a white pizza and not drenched in tomato sauce. Rather the melted gorganzola made the black blisters stand out even more!

 

We always like our food a bit on the spicier side and today was no different. We asked for some chilli flakes for our pizza, and our waitress offered to bring us their house-made special chili oil instead. Uh, okay and thank you very much! It was a blend of red peppers and chili flakes all immersed in olive oil. This was great with the pizza. This was better than One, by far, and less pricey/stuffy too! Stay tuned because the next post will be what I consider the Best Pasta in Toronto!

Take Note:

• They are serious - no substitutions
• They do not slice their pizzas, they didn't forget, they just don't do it
• If there is a daily special - get it! 

Campagnolo Roma - closer to home!

Checked out Campagnolo Roma for the first time a few weeks ago, after being a long-time fan Campagnolo on Main. I was looking forward to some yummy pastas, maybe a pizza, and who knows what else? Since it was such a nice evening, we decided to sit outside. 

 

They have lots of daily specials, so be sure to check out the chalkboard. I have found that if a restaurant has daily specials, you should always try them, as long as the ingredients being featured are to your liking.   In the spirit of summer and trying to eat a bit healthier, we decided to order the Misticanza Salad, essentially greens, with shaved cucumber and a sprinkle of radishes. The dressing was a simple oil and balsamic, very light and didn't overpower the greens at all, just enough to give everything a little glisten.  The pizza we got was the traditional Margherita, with some fior di latte, light layer of tomato sauce and some basil. The egg was an additional $1 and the pancetta we added was $3. So in total, this was a $17 pizza. The dough is chewier than your Napoletana pizzas and definitely denser and thicker too. The toppings are a bit sparse, but the flavours are really good. And yes, putting an egg on anything makes it taste better. Don't believe me? Check out this Brunch Burger from the Thompson Diner in Toronto.   As a dipping sauce for the crush, we were offered a housemade concoction of fennel seeds, chili flakes, black pepper steeped in olive oil. Instead of actually dipping the crust into the sauce, I actually spooned out the pepper and chili flakes onto my crust instead, to avoid excessive oiliness.   And to finish off the meal, we ordered one of the Pasta Specials, the Pappardelle with Sloping Hills Pork Ragu and topped with Pecorino. I know it sounds plain and in reality it is, but since they don't offer Pappardelle on their menu normally, I knew this would be amazingly fresh pasta. And indeed it was. The ragu was light and paired well with the flat and wide pappardelle. As I said before, if it's on the Specials board, it's definitely worth a try!

Take note:

• 'Pizza and a Beer' nightly 5-6pm and 9-10pm, and lunchtime for $15
• Lunch Specials Monday-Friday from 11:30am to 2:30pm (Grilled sandwich with soup/greens) for $10
• No reservations
• Check out the Daily Specials board

Another Pizzeria - Via Tevere

Pizza places are getting very common here in the Lower Mainland, with new ones opening constantly. In recent memory, I have written posts on Novo Pizzeria, Verace Pizzeria and just this past month, Cotto Enoteca. Lots of choices to be sure, but it's time to try another one. 
As with some other ones I've tried, this is another Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana joint. To qualify, there are a host of specifications that have to be met. See them here, with specifications such as: a Wood-Burning Oven, fresh ingredients from Naples or Campania, dough that is needed by hand on a marble slab. The pizzas aren't supposed to be larger than 11" with a thin centre.
We decided to start with a salad, to be specific, the Insalata Mista with some Mixed Greens, Tomato, Onions with Crispy Prosciutto. The salad was lightly dressed and decent sized for a started. Oh, and if you put fried prosciutto on anything, I'll likely enjoy it.
 The first one we tried was the Quattro Formaggi, with fior di latte, ricotta, smoked provolone, parmigiano. It's perfect for someone who doesn't like spice and just want ooey cheesy goodness. The blend of the cheese isn't overwhelming and you can almost taste the smokiness of the provolone throughout. Or perhaps I was tasting the charred goodness of the crust. I love those little pockets, signifies a good heat!
 Because I do like a bit of heat with my food, we tried the Vesuvio, a spicy mix of tomato, fior di latte, salame piccante, capicollo. As you can see, the char is present in the crust but I do like the little bit of char even on the salame. Afterall, a 900 degree oven will do that to meat, right? If you're used to the heavy handedness seen at Pizza Hut, then you will find this lacking in fillings, but trust me, it's definitely not in taste. In fact, the mix was perfect and made the pizza easy to eat, while not being too heavy. 
The last one we had was the Salsiccia e Rapini made with tomato, fior di latte, Italian sausage, broccoli rabe. I think this one was my favourite by far, since this had a blend of meat and vegetables. The rabe was smoky from being in the oven, and the flavour is definitely heightened. Oh, and I love the roasted garlic in the middle! 
One of the things I like about sharing pizza with a few folks is that you can still personalize your slice without affecting other people's slices. So I generously sprinkled the toppings of Chilli Peppers and Parmigiano that was provided. And if they prefer to leave it alone, they are welcome to do that too!

Take note:

• The lineups can be quite long 
• Closed for lunch and all day Mondays
• Opens at 5 til 10, except on Fri/Sat, they're open until midnight, Sunday until 9pm 
• No reservations