Exactly one year ago I was sitting in Torontos famed Pizzeria Libretto on Ossington Avenue, making short work of a perfect Margherita pizza and taking stock of a day that was nearly over.
I was away from home speaking at a symposium on Canadian food culture in the Hart House at U of T, where, ironically, the edible pickings had been decidedly slim. Id said plenty about Vancouvers restaurant scene, even hinting that it was superior to Torontos, but as I sat there munching away the only thing I could focus on was the pizza. It put our slices to shame.
Libretto was Canadas first and only certified Vera Pizza Napoletana pizzeria. That meant it had been given the nod of approval by the Vera Pizza Napoletana Americas Association, the body that decides whether or not restaurants on this side of the Atlantic get to have their pizza labeled authentic. Getting the associations blessing was kind of a big deal and it made Libretto a magnet for Ontario foodies looking for a more authentic experience.
Last April, a month after Id returned home, I met Bill McCaig, who, despite having no experience as a restaurateur, had somehow gotten it in his head to open Vancouvers first authentic pizzeria. Hed bought the voluminous space at 62 East Cordova (604-669-6985, Nicli-Antica-Pizzeria.ca) at the eastern edge of Gastown and hoped to have Nicli Antica Pizzeria (Nicli being his Italian mothers maiden name) serving up real Neapolitan pizza by July.
But what constitutes authentic when it comes to pizza? The exemplar is the simple Margherita pie, which must, for example, see action in a brick-lined oven that burns hard wood (not gas) at a temperature hot enough to bake a perfect pizza in 90 seconds or less. As for the ingredients: the flour should be 00 Caputo; the sauce made with whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes; the cheese a hardly discernible dusting of Parmesan and big globs of cow or buffalo milk mozzarella; fresh basil leaves (not torn); and a generous douse of extra virgin olive oil to finish.
The pizzas outer crust should sport blistered kisses of char; globs of cheese that have wilted flat; basil leaves that havent curled; and a center that is soft and quick to cool. Want delivery? Too bad. These pizzas last no more than seven to 10 minutes before they lose temperature and soften. Delivery would kill them.
Nicli Antica Pizzeria, which is a shoo-in to gain Vera Pizza Napoletana certification, served its first customers just two weeks ago.
It may have been seven months overdue, but so what? Some things are worth waiting for, and Im happy to report that an evening spent enjoying Vancouvers first perfect Neapolitan pizza is definitely one of them. It seems many Vancouverites agree, as its never easy to get a table (despite the size of the space, there are just 40 seats to be had).
The look, curated by Calgarys Shearer design house, is more striking than I imagined it would be. Given the milieu and the address, I was expecting something a little darker and rougher.
The only complaint that Ive yet to hear is about the intense lighting, and I very much agree (employing a dimmer so the mood isnt permanently set to nuclear might be a good idea). Beyond that, its modernly appointed and refreshingly soundtracked (all despite a wall of old brick and the occasional Old World waft), causing it to look more Yaletown than Gastown. Thankfully its forsaken everything we have come to associate with Italian restaurants in North America, whether it be bad Chianti or red-checkered tablecloths.
But then the pies come, and aesthetics suddenly seem like secondary considerations.
I`ve had four of the 10 different pizzas so far: the Margherita, which was exactly as I described it above ($12); the Prosciutto Crudo, which is essentially a Margherita but with topped with plenty of sliced-to-order Prosciutto di Parma ($18); the Diavolo, which sees lashings of chili oil and a fair layer of spicy sopressatta ($16); and the Bianca, an interesting disc that saw roasted garlic and caramelized onions supplant the tomato sauce, and gorgonzola substituting for mozzarella ($17). These I devoured with some help from my wife and kids and a large-format bottle of my favourite beer in the world: the Estrella Damm Inedit from Spain ($13). For those seeking the full Italian experience, the beer list also offers Menebrea, Peroni and Moretti. The wine list fits nicely as well.
There were a handful of salads, too, but I really didnt care. Id been waiting for a real-deal pizzeria to open in Vancouver for so long that I hardly gave them a glace. Besides, I can get versions of insalata mista and various antipasti in dozens of restaurants. Pizza like this is, however, exceptionally rare, so the assorted green things can take a number until Im through exhausting the selection. Bottom line: its as good as pizza wonks so desperately wanted it to be, which is to say its the best pizza in Vancouver.
