The Best Pizza in Toronto
I’m breaking one of my own “rules” here by reviewing a place I’ve been to before, but the last time I went to Libretto it was at the University location and was right after a Jays game, so I may have not be at my most…discerning. Also, pizza is important, and I can easily see myself revisiting this list throughout the year, so might as well start from the top.
Where to begin? First of all, blogTO, I feel like this is a really uninspired list. Libretto at #1 and Terroni at #2? I’m surprised that Pizzaiolo wasn’t third. Not that I’m ragging on Libretto and Terroni, but they just seem like safe and not very well-researched choices. I spent some time the past couple weeks trying to figure out how blogTO does their rankings, after I saw someone post a comment saying that it was done by reader poll. I thought this was definitely bullshit, and people responding in the thread seemed to agree. However, my searches were unsuccessful in finding a better answer, so for all we know the authors are picking restaurants out of a hat. One of these days, I’ll e-mail the website and ask.
Second, and this may seem heretical, but I had an epiphany whilst eating this pizza again. No matter how good a traditional Neapolitan style pizza is, I’m never going to think it’s the best pizza. Yes, I know modern pizza was invented in Naples, and don’t get me wrong, I like it. But I have a personal bias—as a native New Yorker, I am always going to think that New York or Roman-style pizza is better. Although pizza was first popularized in New York City by a Neapolitan immigrant, the dough has transformed over time to something more akin to the Roman variety. The main difference is the addition of olive oil and a touch of sugar to the crust, allowing for a crispier, more structured base on which to place, let’s say, three times the amount of cheese you can put on a Neapolitan pie.
Don’t even get me started on Chicago-style pizza, which is not pizza at all but instead a mockery of everything good in this world.
Having exposed my inherent bias, let’s get on with the review. I decided to go to the original location of Libretto, since after poring through reviews I came to the conclusion that people think it is the best one. I found it, food-wise, identical to my experience at the University location, but the atmosphere was completely different. Both restaurants have the signature white brick and red accents, but that is where the similarities end. The University location is bright and spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a massive bar stretching the length of the space. The Ossington location is small and dark, with no windows except for those facing the street. It’s a cozier, intimate space, and I enjoyed the vibe more, although it definitely serves a different function. Libretto on University is perfect for a Bay Street power lunch, while the Ossington location is a fun, hip place to take a group of friends for pizza and wine before hitting up some trendy bars.
The Ossington branch also doesn’t take reservations, which is good to note as it is almost always packed. We arrived at about 9:00 p.m. on a Friday night and left at 10:30 p.m., and the restaurant was full the entire time. The service is quick though, bordering on rushed, so wait times are usually not that crazy. Our service was competent, but nothing special.
Since I am reviewing this place on its pizza, I’ve tried my best to not let my opinion of Libretto’s appetizers affect my rankings, but I think it is worth mentioning that all of the items I’ve ordered from the small plates portion of the menu have been poor. Not the arugula salad (which I’ve had twice), served with walnuts, shaved Piave cheese, and pears—the salad is delicious. Last time, I was very unimpressed with the calamari and octopus carpaccio, so I ordered the ricotta gnocchi fritti because I thought it was a safe pick: fried gnocchi on a bed of tomato sauce with nduja sausage, topped with dollops of ricotta. But the sauce was only okay, the meat tasted suspiciously like smashed up meatballs and not nduja, and they way overdid it on the ricotta so the entire dish was cold by the time it arrived.
On the bright side, I also ordered a summer Negroni off the cocktail menu, a spin-off of the traditional drink made with Dillon’s rose gin and Aperol, and it was incredible. One of my favourite things about Libretto is its cocktail and wine list, which I’ve consistently found to be excellent. The wines are mostly focused on lesser known Italian varietals, all chosen to pair well with pizza. There is also an incredible list of digestivos if you are into that sort of thing, and I may have helped myself to a black walnut amaro (also made by Dillon’s and only available at Libretto) after our tiramisu. Dillon’s is, by the way, a small batch distiller located in Niagara wine country that makes some really fantastic liquors and bitters.
All of the pizzas at Libretto range from eleven to seventeen dollars, and are split into three categories: the D.O.P. pizzas (Denominazione di Origine Protetta, meaning the product is E.U. certified to be traditionally made with geographic-specific ingredients); Pizza Rossa (with tomato sauce); and Pizza Bianca (without tomato sauce). We ordered the gold standard of Neapolitan pizza off the D.O.P menu, the Margherita, topped with tomato sauce, basil, and mozzarella, and a slightly more adventurous pie off the Rossa list, the Eggplant, which came with slices of eggplant and garlic, oregano, thyme, and ricotta in addition to the Margherita base.
Both pizzas were great. My partner liked the Eggplant more than the Margherita and I admit it definitely had more flavours going on, but there is some sort of simple beauty in the Margherita. Libretto’s San Marzano D.O.P. tomato sauce is quite good and probably my favourite part of their pizzas. It really shines in the Margherita because it’s the most dominant flavour. The eggplant was savoury and delicious, lightly fried, and tossed with herbs, but it distracted from the tomato flavour. With a delicate Neapolitan crust, I think that simple is best and I noticed a lot of reviews mentioned that the more heavily topped pizzas—ones with anchovies, capers, or prosciutto—were too salty or overwhelming. I didn’t find that to be the case with the eggplant pizza (or the nduja I had on my previous visit), but I could see it being an issue.
As good as it is, I don’t think this is five-star pizza and not only because of the bias I mentioned previously, but because I think you can get pizza of this quality in a number of places in Toronto. My partner mentioned he thought the Margherita tasted similar to a place we go to on Mount Pleasant, Viva Napoli (also specializing in San Marzano D.O.P tomato sauce), and I know people who swear that Pizzeria Defina on Roncesvalles is better. Neither of these restaurants are even on the blogTO list and I cannot help but think there are probably half a dozen more that are similar.
As I previously mentioned, we ended our meal by sharing the tiramisu, which in true hipster fashion was served in a mason jar. It was well-made with a rich coffee flavour, so it could’ve been served in a pumpkin for all I care (this reminds me, as a dessert special they had pumpkin spice gelato, which I thought was terribly basic for a place like this). I realize I have been sort of harsh on Libretto: in all honesty, it has great pizza, and for twenty-five dollars you can grab a whole pie to yourself and a glass of good vino, which makes it an excellent value. I definitely recommend it, but in a cosmopolitan city like Toronto, pizza like this should be standard.
And if anyone has any tips on where I can get some quality New York-style pizza in this city, please let me know.
Cost for an appetizer, pizza, and half a dessert (excluding drinks): $25.50 + tax + tip
Service: 3.5/5 Dean Sossins
Food: 4/5 Dean Sossins
Value: 4.5/5 Dean Sossins
Overall: 4/5 Dean Sossins