Located in the spot at the corner of 117th Street and Jasper Avenue that was home to the legendary RoseBowl Pizza for more than three decades, Pine & Dine opened its doors in mid-December. The opening came just as Alberta was once again clamping down on dine-in eating and non-essential trips in order to battle a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
So, timing hasn’t been kind to the new business. This week, we decided to give the pizza a try. We went for pick-up, and it was nice to imagine what this place could be once restaurants open up again. A patio that’s ready for spring, a pizza oven in a space that’s open for the dine-in customers to see. There’s a bar that’s ready to go.
The specialty pizza we went for was the Carbonara, with grilled chicken, bacon and caramelized onion. It’s a white, Alfredo sauce-based pizza. Yes, yes, we know the very idea of Alfredo sauce is almost as divisive as pineapples on pizza. But, in this case, it works pretty well — the bacon adds the needed pops of salt. The crust was fluffy, almost bread-like. Look to find some of the ingredients under the cheese, like many of the old-school prairie pizzerias. (We could probably have a pizza debate about this, as well.)
With the health regulations being what they are, with most of us not getting out nearly as much as we’d like, it’s easy right now to miss the openings of new places. And it’s spots like these that can really use support right now.
PINE & DINE
10111 117 St. NW
587-635-3963
