When we looked up Via Tevere on GoogleMaps, it didn't seem that far away. We would have to walk a few blocks and then hop on the 20 bus for about 20 minutes. When we got on the bus, we noticed that there was a supervisor there. Not suspicious; we assumed that he was evaluating the driver, or that that the driver was new or something like that. After a few stops, we noticed that the people getting on were not showing bus passes or paying the fare. The supervisor was just waving at them to get on. Soon the bus was packed with people of all ages (including kids) wearing tattered clothes and looking like they hadn't bathed in weeks. The bus reeked of alcohol and a lot of the passengers could barely stand. We stuck out like sore thumbs. Suddenly, we arrived at a strip of abandoned buildings, with hundreds of people standing, sitting and laying in the streets. There were shopping carts of full plastic bags, tarps on the ground with random items for sale, and bottles in paper bags being passed around. Nearly everyone got off the bus at the next stop.
One block to the west, we were in downtown Vancouver, in an area that looked similar to where we live. Montreal has it's share of sketchy neighbourhoods, but I was shocked as how sudden the change was and how concentrated it was, and just as shocked at how quickly everything seemed to go right back to "normal" after that stop.
Montreal has a lot of people in this situation. I would probably cross 15 of them between my doorstep and work. There is no particular area where they are and aren't. In Vancouver, if you never ventured out in that specific direction, you would be totally ignorant to the fact they exist. It's just different than I'm used to... turns out we had just crossed through what is referred to as East Hastings.
Eventually we got to the corner of Commercial Drive and William Street. We got off the bus and walked 2 blocks to Via Tevere. During that walk we were unsure if we were in the right place. Sure enough, the tiny dinning room was there. There were a few people waiting outside, but they were parties of 4 or 6. The pair of us were seated after about 10 minutes. There were only 10 tables or so. The beautiful blue-tiled pizza oven and prep station took up nearly as much space as the seating area.
We knew what we came for, and it wasn't apps and salads. We looked at the tables to either side of us, and not one couple was sharing a single pizza. It helped justify our pre-adventure decision to each order a different pizza. Each pizza is big enough to be generously shared between 2 people, maybe even 3 if you're a group of light-weights. However, I strongly recommend against it. You can take whatever is left over to go, and we ate it the following morning. It might have been even better next day.
I ordered the Filetto: San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic and basil. I wanted to see how well they could pull off a very simple Neapolitan pizza. Stephen ordered the Capricciosa: tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto, salame, artichokes, mushrooms and olives. Basically he ordered Via Tevere's version of "all dressed" pizza.
From my seat I could see them preparing our pizzas, from hand-stretching the dough, to topping them, to slipping them into their 900-degree wood-burning oven. Considering the menu say the pizzas only spend 90 seconds in the oven, we were waiting a fairly long time for them. We ordered drinks while we waited. Stephen ordered a Negroni (his drink of choice... I can't stand them) and I ordered something lemon-y with basil in it. I can't recall what it was called. They were both very reasonably priced and expertly-mixed.
After about 25 minutes of staring at pizzas being prepped right next to us, ours arrived! They smelled and looked glorious. GLORIOUS! There must be some hardcore ventilation system there because we never noticed the intoxicated smell of anyone else's plates before ours arrived. I briefly picked up my folk and knife to eat my first slice, but quickly ditched them. This pizza is definitely meant to be eaten with your hands. The thin, crisp and chewy dough allows for it, without the topping slipping off the end onto your plate.
Everyone's had pizza before. Fresh, frozen, delivery, pizzas of every kind. For that reason, it's extremely difficult to describe how delicious Via Tevere's was, and why it was. The Filetto was incredible. Never underestimate the power of fresh and authentic ingredients that are well treated. It's an easy thing to screw up, but when done well, are phenomenal. The tomatoes were tangy but sweet, the cheese was creamy and salty, and the slightly-wilted basil was a kick of freshness. Stephen's Capricciosa was everything but the kitchen sink, just as we expected it would be. It had every flavour and texture you could want on a pizza, without it tasting greasy and heavy.
You have to experience Via Tevere for yourself to truly appreciate what I'm trying to say. All the ingredients are put on the pizza in their rawest possible form. Obviously the artichokes are boiled or steamed and of course the prosciutto and salami are properly cured, but besides that, nothing else is done to the toppings. Simple and delicious on their own. Go there, and find out!
For dessert, we ordered the Tris di Dolci: a trio of their 3 desserts. On the right was the Torta Caprese, a gluten-free chocolate cake with almonds and walnuts, and a splash of orange liquor. It was our least favourite. It wasn't "rich" like the menu described it. It was quite dry and bland unfortunately. In the centre was the Graffe con Nutella, essentially a donut with drizzled Nutella and sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar. It was our favourite of the three. It's hard to go wrong with a freshly fried donut and Nutella. To the far right was the Tiramisu. It was pretty traditional, and by "traditional" I don't mean that fake crap made with whipped cream and tea cookies drenched in Taster's Choice instant coffee. They have a lot of Tiramisu's like that in Montreal, and I was under the impression that I didn't like Tiramisu because of it. This one was the real deal with very rich mascarpone cream and bitter-sweet espresso-dipped ladyfingers. I highly recommend that you exercise self-control when consuming your pizza, and stop with enough space left for dessert!
As far as atmosphere goes, things are constantly moving. Tables turn quickly (which means you won't wait too long at the door), they are pretty close together (the couple next to us kept commenting on how good our desserts looked), and wait staff squeezes their way between the tables to delivery the hot pizzas (now you see them, now you don't). It is a great place to sit down, eat, then get up and go. I wouldn't plan to go with a crowd or with the intention of spending the evening chatting away. The staff was nice and polite, but not memorable. They just did what they had to do. I don't think these observations are negatives, but rather are inherent given how small the place is.
THE STATS - Out of 10
Taste: 8.5 - Like I said before, "GLORIOUS," fresh and simple.
Creativity: 4 - I can't give them much more than that, because it's Neapolitan pizza. It's creative only in the sense that it is being very well recreated in North America.
Service: 5 - Our pizzas were a little slow to arrive, but otherwise the service was nice. I put a lot of weight on service, since it can change the dynamics of a meal entirely. The service was unmemorable, so I couldn't give it higher.
Bang for your buck: 7 - The price of the pizzas were a little high considering the ingredients, and I'm sure the place is making tons of money on those margins. Having said that, we did take half of each pizza home and ate it for breakfast the next day. The dessert are a good value though at $12 for all 3 options.
Overall experience: 8 - The food was amazing and definitely worth the trip out there. Having eaten a lot of pizza both on the East and West Coast, there aren't many places you can get pizza like Via Tevere's.
Would I go back? Absolutely. On a night that we are experiencing a little cabin fever and have time to make the trek out there, I would definitely go back.
Who would I recommend it to? Couples, even if one or both of you are picky eaters. The size of the restaurant, the volume level, and the proximity to other tables causes you to become a little anti-social. Go with your significant other who has been your significant other for a while, because it will be a pretty silent dinner. That can be awkward with someone you are just getting to know. I wouldn't recommend it to even small groups because no matter when you go, there will be a line. It is much easier to get a table for 2 than a table for 4. Please don't bring your kids. If your kids are hungry for Via Tevere pizza, park outside and take it to go. No one wants your stroller crammed between 2 tables, or your kids screaming echoed through the joint.
For what occasion? Basic dinner out. Nothing fancy. It's not quite special-occasion-worthy.
It was better than: The pizza was better than Italian Kitchen's.
It wasn't as good as: Pizza Pinnoli and Il Focalaio in Montreal; I know not the same style, but very few pizzas can compete with Pinnoli and Focalaio.
Top 50 Worthy? Yeah. They have an edge because everyone goes there for great, authentic pizza, and they have mastered it. At a typical Italian restaurant, one person could order pizza, another order pasta, another veal scallopini, and another a risotto. Chances are that not all 4 are going to be amazing, and attempting to do 4 things well instead of just 1 often doesn't work out. At Via Tevere, there is pasta and antipasto plates on the menu, but I didn't see anyone actually order it. The focus is definitely a speciality-within-a-speciality, and they do it damn good enough for Top 50.
Eventually we got to the corner of Commercial Drive and William Street. We got off the bus and walked 2 blocks to Via Tevere. During that walk we were unsure if we were in the right place. Sure enough, the tiny dinning room was there. There were a few people waiting outside, but they were parties of 4 or 6. The pair of us were seated after about 10 minutes. There were only 10 tables or so. The beautiful blue-tiled pizza oven and prep station took up nearly as much space as the seating area.
We knew what we came for, and it wasn't apps and salads. We looked at the tables to either side of us, and not one couple was sharing a single pizza. It helped justify our pre-adventure decision to each order a different pizza. Each pizza is big enough to be generously shared between 2 people, maybe even 3 if you're a group of light-weights. However, I strongly recommend against it. You can take whatever is left over to go, and we ate it the following morning. It might have been even better next day.
I ordered the Filetto: San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic and basil. I wanted to see how well they could pull off a very simple Neapolitan pizza. Stephen ordered the Capricciosa: tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto, salame, artichokes, mushrooms and olives. Basically he ordered Via Tevere's version of "all dressed" pizza.
From my seat I could see them preparing our pizzas, from hand-stretching the dough, to topping them, to slipping them into their 900-degree wood-burning oven. Considering the menu say the pizzas only spend 90 seconds in the oven, we were waiting a fairly long time for them. We ordered drinks while we waited. Stephen ordered a Negroni (his drink of choice... I can't stand them) and I ordered something lemon-y with basil in it. I can't recall what it was called. They were both very reasonably priced and expertly-mixed.
After about 25 minutes of staring at pizzas being prepped right next to us, ours arrived! They smelled and looked glorious. GLORIOUS! There must be some hardcore ventilation system there because we never noticed the intoxicated smell of anyone else's plates before ours arrived. I briefly picked up my folk and knife to eat my first slice, but quickly ditched them. This pizza is definitely meant to be eaten with your hands. The thin, crisp and chewy dough allows for it, without the topping slipping off the end onto your plate.
Everyone's had pizza before. Fresh, frozen, delivery, pizzas of every kind. For that reason, it's extremely difficult to describe how delicious Via Tevere's was, and why it was. The Filetto was incredible. Never underestimate the power of fresh and authentic ingredients that are well treated. It's an easy thing to screw up, but when done well, are phenomenal. The tomatoes were tangy but sweet, the cheese was creamy and salty, and the slightly-wilted basil was a kick of freshness. Stephen's Capricciosa was everything but the kitchen sink, just as we expected it would be. It had every flavour and texture you could want on a pizza, without it tasting greasy and heavy.
You have to experience Via Tevere for yourself to truly appreciate what I'm trying to say. All the ingredients are put on the pizza in their rawest possible form. Obviously the artichokes are boiled or steamed and of course the prosciutto and salami are properly cured, but besides that, nothing else is done to the toppings. Simple and delicious on their own. Go there, and find out!
For dessert, we ordered the Tris di Dolci: a trio of their 3 desserts. On the right was the Torta Caprese, a gluten-free chocolate cake with almonds and walnuts, and a splash of orange liquor. It was our least favourite. It wasn't "rich" like the menu described it. It was quite dry and bland unfortunately. In the centre was the Graffe con Nutella, essentially a donut with drizzled Nutella and sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar. It was our favourite of the three. It's hard to go wrong with a freshly fried donut and Nutella. To the far right was the Tiramisu. It was pretty traditional, and by "traditional" I don't mean that fake crap made with whipped cream and tea cookies drenched in Taster's Choice instant coffee. They have a lot of Tiramisu's like that in Montreal, and I was under the impression that I didn't like Tiramisu because of it. This one was the real deal with very rich mascarpone cream and bitter-sweet espresso-dipped ladyfingers. I highly recommend that you exercise self-control when consuming your pizza, and stop with enough space left for dessert!
As far as atmosphere goes, things are constantly moving. Tables turn quickly (which means you won't wait too long at the door), they are pretty close together (the couple next to us kept commenting on how good our desserts looked), and wait staff squeezes their way between the tables to delivery the hot pizzas (now you see them, now you don't). It is a great place to sit down, eat, then get up and go. I wouldn't plan to go with a crowd or with the intention of spending the evening chatting away. The staff was nice and polite, but not memorable. They just did what they had to do. I don't think these observations are negatives, but rather are inherent given how small the place is.
 |
| The beautiful tiled wood-burning oven. Apparently a direct import from Napoli! |
 |
| Our cocktails |
 |
| The Filetto |
 |
| The Capricciosa |
 |
| The dessert trio! |
Taste: 8.5 - Like I said before, "GLORIOUS," fresh and simple.
Creativity: 4 - I can't give them much more than that, because it's Neapolitan pizza. It's creative only in the sense that it is being very well recreated in North America.
Service: 5 - Our pizzas were a little slow to arrive, but otherwise the service was nice. I put a lot of weight on service, since it can change the dynamics of a meal entirely. The service was unmemorable, so I couldn't give it higher.
Bang for your buck: 7 - The price of the pizzas were a little high considering the ingredients, and I'm sure the place is making tons of money on those margins. Having said that, we did take half of each pizza home and ate it for breakfast the next day. The dessert are a good value though at $12 for all 3 options.
Overall experience: 8 - The food was amazing and definitely worth the trip out there. Having eaten a lot of pizza both on the East and West Coast, there aren't many places you can get pizza like Via Tevere's.
Would I go back? Absolutely. On a night that we are experiencing a little cabin fever and have time to make the trek out there, I would definitely go back.
Who would I recommend it to? Couples, even if one or both of you are picky eaters. The size of the restaurant, the volume level, and the proximity to other tables causes you to become a little anti-social. Go with your significant other who has been your significant other for a while, because it will be a pretty silent dinner. That can be awkward with someone you are just getting to know. I wouldn't recommend it to even small groups because no matter when you go, there will be a line. It is much easier to get a table for 2 than a table for 4. Please don't bring your kids. If your kids are hungry for Via Tevere pizza, park outside and take it to go. No one wants your stroller crammed between 2 tables, or your kids screaming echoed through the joint.
For what occasion? Basic dinner out. Nothing fancy. It's not quite special-occasion-worthy.
It was better than: The pizza was better than Italian Kitchen's.
It wasn't as good as: Pizza Pinnoli and Il Focalaio in Montreal; I know not the same style, but very few pizzas can compete with Pinnoli and Focalaio.
Top 50 Worthy? Yeah. They have an edge because everyone goes there for great, authentic pizza, and they have mastered it. At a typical Italian restaurant, one person could order pizza, another order pasta, another veal scallopini, and another a risotto. Chances are that not all 4 are going to be amazing, and attempting to do 4 things well instead of just 1 often doesn't work out. At Via Tevere, there is pasta and antipasto plates on the menu, but I didn't see anyone actually order it. The focus is definitely a speciality-within-a-speciality, and they do it damn good enough for Top 50.
No comments:
Post a Comment