There are delicious moments and then there are delicious moments you
will never forget...Pizza is one such moment.
Ever since I was a young kid growing up in Mississauga, my parents have
always tried to put their spin on western food. One food that I enjoyed was
pizza a la my parents…thick and gooey good. It wasn’t a totally typical Italian
pizza but I loved it. Time passed and my taste buds have grown up, matured and
my love for pizza has just kept on growing! Throughout my university years it was what my
roommates and I lived on...just picturing the mountains of pizza boxes!
Fast forward, as I went through culinary school and experienced different cuisines
from all over the world I learned the basics of how to make great pizza. I even
worked at a traditional pizzeria for a time and really learned the importance
of the crust, simplicity of toppings and the tradition behind pizza. My work
experience opened my eyes to the culinary world of Italy and inspired me to
travel. Having been to Venice, Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento and Naples…I can
honestly say I have a pretty good idea what real traditional pizza tastes like
and I love it.
You would imagine that living
in Toronto, with its large Italian population finding traditional pizza like
back in the old country would be simple. You would be wrong. There are so many differing opinions on what makes
a good pizza is as there are stars in the sky. The latest addition to challenge for best pizza in Toronto opened in
The Annex and is called Famoso. On a recent visit to this new restaurant that
emphasizes tradition, adherence to quality traditional ingredients and great
taste it delivers on almost all counts.
As the story goes for how Famoso came to be:
“Years ago, on a trip to Naples, we were introduced to the taste of
true Neapolitan pizza and the classic pizzeria. It awakened our pizza taste
buds and we just knew we had to share this with our friends and family back
home...at Famoso, our version is inspired by Neapolitan pizza in its truest
form, using Caputo ‘00’ flour, imported Campania tomatoes, fresh basil,
fior-di-latte, and a fire roasting bell-shaped oven.”
Justin, Jason & Christian, Founders of Famoso
As the evening began, we were introduced to a unique way to order, we
were instructed to seat ourselves, menus available on the table and when ready
asked to order at a central counter.
This is a pretty brilliant method to ordering, it ensures speedy
service, I can see this being a hit with the hectic lunch crowds. Your order is
brought to your table and any follow-up is via the server. This was a new way
to do things and I liked it.
We started our meal with a few drinks an Aperol Spritz, Lemoncello
Martini and a lovely Mojito.
Then our starters came from our server and we were immediately
impressed with the selection. We received
an order of Roasted Kalamata Olives, lovely marinated kalamata olives garnished
with oregano, feta and chilies. What surprised us was what a punch of flavour
is created with the simple action of roasting them and serving them warm. The
flatbread was stellar, seasoned and warm and oh so good!
We ordered a series of salads and they were fresh, flavourful and
generous. We ordered a traditional Caesar salad with prosciutto crisps instead
of bacon. This we liked. We also ordered a Gorgonzola Walnut Salad and one of
their signature salads the Blackberry Arugula Salad. As with the Caesar we
liked all of their offerings and would most definitely order any one of them again.
As with many restaurants that I visit I look for that one standout
appetizer that is a must have. At Famoso, I highly recommend the Prosciutto
Wrapped Mozzarella Balls. These little tasty bits are perfect for sharing with
your dinner guests. Fresh mozzarella
wrapped with prosciutto, baked in Campania tomato sauce, fresh basil and
pecorino romano cheese served with warm flat bread! If you love gooey cheese
and the salty goodness of prosciutto you gotta have this. Divine!
Now, getting down to the business of things…the pizza. This is after
all why we are all here. The menu is
broken into two principle categories Traditional and New World. Yes, I know
that they emphasize tradition…you wonder why they would offer New World Pizza? A
purists would shudder and even turn their back to even the remote suggestion of
anything not tradition…I’m not certain, all I can think is that they are trying
to satisfy a world of tastes of all kinds.
Sometimes, traditional pizza with its minimal ingredients doesn’t
compute with more western tastes. But I
digress…on to what we ordered that night.
We ordered a Funghi Tartufo a beautiful pizza consisting of roasted
white mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, white truffle oil, reggiano parmesan over a
beautiful tangy non-cooked tomato sauce. The sauce is perfect, simple, full of
flavour and authentic. The mushrooms are earthy and tasty, I love mushrooms on
pizza.
Next, we ordered what I consider the ultimate test for any pizzeria
that boasts that they are the best…The Margherita. A traditional pizza named after Queen
Margherita of Italy in 1889. It is in its simplicity that makes this a
challenge. Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, pecorino romano and extra virgin
olive oil. That’s it…no spicy sausage, no pineapple or grilled chicken.
Simplicity, simply beautiful. You can really tell the quality of the
ingredients, the tomato sauce is excellent, the mozzarella is stringy and
gooey, the pecorino provides a bit of a salty bite making this pizza a good
rendition. Not excellent but good. I would have preferred the crust to have
been baked just a touch longer. There was a bit of disappointment in the level
of sogginess in the centre and I believe that the basil was baked on top of the
pizza as opposed to how it should have been just added on its way to the table.
But it was tasty and good. The quality of the ingredients stood out, it is only
in the execution that I feel that the kitchen will have to tweak.
The last pizza we tried was one that sparked all of our interest; it
falls into the New World pizza category. It was very popular amongst many that
were noshing down on delicious pizza and drinks. The San Andreas is a
Californian inspired pizza. Bianca sauce (white sauce), fresh mozzarella, and
chili-lime marinated roasted chicken. Baked, then topped with fresh avocado
slices, diced roma tomatoes, diced onion, cilantro, and drizzled with light
cream. It was in a word delicious! The traditional thin crust made with the ‘00’
flour blends well with the new world ingredients to make for one very tasty
pizza. This was a winner. I will order this again in a heartbeat.
As our pizzas were devoured our
thoughts turned to something sweet to finish our meals. We ordered a series of
desserts that I will have to say flat out…wonderful and delectable each and
every taste. This came as a surprise but a very welcomed one indeed! We ordered ALMOST the whole dessert menu one item after the other…it was
just that good!
The Dolce & Banana was one that is very easy to share – oven roasted
bananas coated in caramelized brown sugar, crushed pecans, caramel sauce and
vanilla bean gelato. This was a fun dessert to breakdown and share. It almost
boarders on being too big for one. Loved it!
Nutella pizza was up next, this was flying out of the kitchen and was
very happily devoured by the guests in the resto. Simply it is their awesome pizza
crust that is smothered in Nutella, folded calzone style and served with
whipped cream and drizzled with caramel sauce. This was mind blowing good
enough to share but I wouldn’t want to in the future, I love it that much!
We finished with an Affogato this was such great goodness in a cup! A
shot of espresso on top of a scoop of gelato sounds simple…it is…but very
delicious. I crave this now always.
There are two locations for Famoso in the GTA area please check their
website for other locations.
Famoso – The Annex
386 Bloor Street West,
Toronto, ON
M5S 1X9
Twitter @FamosoPizzeria
Facebook@FamosoPizzeria
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