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ON A MISSION: On Hunting For The Very Best (Authentic) Neapolitan Pizzeria In Town

by Claire Lassam | When Brandon Petit and Molly Wizenberg were playing with recipes before opening Delancey’s (their Seattle pizza restaurant), they tried tricking their home oven into getting hotter by putting cold wet rags on its thermometer. The pair did eventually get the temperature close to 900F, where the “Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana” says it needs to be for a proper Neapolitan pizza to blossom. The association also says that in order to be a true pizza it also has to be 35cm in width, cooked in a domed oven, be no more then 1/3 cm thick in the centre, and much more besides.

What I’m saying here, is that it’s virtually impossible to make “true” Neapolitan pizza at home. And if you try the wet rag trick, I am not to be blamed for whatever the effort incurs. It sounds like a terrible idea, no matter the dedication t0 authenticity. But good pizza does takes dedication. It takes skill, and if it goes right, it rewards magically.

My mission for the perfect, authentic slice in Vancouver needed parameters. I wasn’t going to slice shops, even though I love the odd slice. They sit under heat lamps and don’t hold up nicely all alone. That meant I needed to get a full pizza every time. I also only went to five places that aimed for authentic, thin crust pizza, and to make it the most fair I only went for the Margherita – the classic tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil pie (to match the colours of the Italian flag).

I started at Lombardo’s on The Drive, in the heart of what is supposed to be our Little Italy. They’d been around since 1986, I thought, and so must have learned a thing or two. Sadly, the dough was nearly flavourless, and it was way too chewy. The sauce was heavy, and the crust was to0 thick. The mission didn’t start out with a bang…

But the next day I shimmied into the minimalist glory that is Pizzeria Farina on Main. I’d heard that chef/owner JC Poirier wanted a crust that was thin, light and crisp but wouldn’t get stodgy if it sat in a takeout box for 10 minutes (a feat, let me tell you). I’m not sure what he did to make this happen, but this pizza was head and shoulders above any other takeout pizza I’d ever had. The crust was rolled paper thin, riding to bubble around the edge. There was a smattering of sauce seen between slender pieces of melting mozzarella. The taste? Wonderful.

It was so wonderful that – despite their supple crusts and heady sauces – while eating my next two pizzas at Marcello’s (also on The Drive) and Denman’s Nook, I was left at both wishing I was in the sparse, white Farina instead. But that was before I went to Nicli Antica Pizzeria on East Cordova in Gastown. Nicli might take itself a little seriously, boasting their Specialità Tradizionale Garantita status and so on, but man, that is seriously good pizza!

The crust is delicate and unbelievably light with huge, charred, bubbled edges. The cheese is smooth and rich (instead of plain mozzarella they use fiore di latte – “flower of milk” – which has a slightly sweeter softer flavour). But the biggest difference I found was in the tomato sauce. It was so fresh and bright that it was like an electric shock. The acidity cut through the rich cheese, perked up the basil, and played up the sour, developed flavour of the crust. It elevated the whole thing into what I believe is, indisputably, the best pizza in the city.

Mission complete.

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Claire Lassam is a baker, blogger, and freelance writer based in East Van. She has been cooking and baking her way through the city for nearly five years, working in restaurants ranging from Cioppino’s to Meat & Bread. She currently toils at the soon-to-open Cadeaux Bakery in Railtown and runs the baking blog  Just Something Pretty.

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There are 14 comments

  1. I agree Claire, Farina is good. Real good. I’d grab a pizza there, or at Campangollo before going to Nicli Antica. Nicli Antica is just too pompous. I have to admit, they make a great pizza, but I don’t have time for the attitude. I’ve heard rumours about a new pizza place opening on Fraser. Anyone been?

  2. I give full marks to Claire for actually making a judgement and not just another list. Disagreements are no doubt to be found (I would not rate Nicli #1, a couple of worthy adversaries were left of the list) but much respect to her for actually putting fingers to keyboard and giving us an opinion.

    My knock on Nicli is consistency. Haven’t always been satisfied with the pizza, namely I find the crust quality and taste to be uneven. Farina is my ‘safer’ choice. In addition, I like the look and feel of Farina.

  3. I’m just happy that Vancouver is finally graduating from a Pizza Hut mentality. I like Nicli plenty, but they are kind of full of themselves. Farina is it for my time and money.

  4. I’m still a sucker for Campagnolo. Never had any issues with attitude at Nicli. Stoked to see them killing it. Fantastic pizza.

  5. I’ve just come back from 2 weeks in Italy and was thinking of Nicli and the awesome pizza there every time I had a slice. I’m at Nicli often and have always been made to feel welcome and have never felt any attitude.

  6. If you like making pizza in your own oven, the gourmet pizza kits from https://gourmetpizzakits.ca are by far the best way to go! You can make authentic crispy neapolatin pizza with delicious San Marzano tomato sauce. They are made on Vancouver Island by a pizza chef from Windsor, ON.

  7. This is for Greg:

    1 Nicli and Verace ex aequo
    3 Novo

    Haven’t been to Farina yet.

    I put Prima Strada in Victoria at the same level as Nicli and Verace.