Located in a rather unassuming spot in a Bonnie Doon strip mall, so far east on 82nd Avenue that the Whyte Avenue hip factor has given way to mid-century subdivisions, Ragazzi keeps churning out the most delectable pies in the city.
The crusts carry the cheese, sauce and toppings very well, they won’t topple or wobble under the strain. I recommend the Calabrese, with spicy casalingo salami and capicollo that aren’t overpoweringly hot, but carry a nice spice throughout the meal. But if it’s your first time at Ragazzi, you have to order, well, The Ragazzi. Why? Because it’s the name of the place.
The capers and mushrooms add earthiness and a series of addictive salt rushes to the Ragazzi. With the fine Italian meats on top, it’s like a deli on a pizza. –Steven Sandor
8110 82 Ave., 780-414-0500, ragazzibistro.ca
At Rosso, you know the toppings are going to be delectable and you know the pizza will be wood-fired to perfection – the biggest issue becomes choosing what type of pizza you want.
When considering toppings, grapes probably aren’t the first thing that come to mind, but when you fire roast them and combine them with drunken goat cheese, house-made ricotta, beemster cheese, toasted pine nuts and rosemary on the Uva Arrosto pizza, the result is delicious. Rosso’s menu claims the staff secret is to add prosciutto, and I fully support that recommendation – after all, what can’t be made even better with a little prosciutto? –Adrianna Szenthe
8738 109 St., 780-433-5382, pizzeriarosso109.com
Pizza doesn’t always have to be complex or loaded with toppings to be delicious – a sentiment that Leva follows faithfully with its simple Neapolitan-style pizza. Each pie is made with minimal toppings (the most having just five), allowing each ingredient to shine through on its own. Even its menu, a small list of 13 pizza con pomodori (tomato base) and pizza senza pomodoro (without tomato), follows those simple guidelines. Here, less is more, and, frankly, we like it that way. –Jasmine Salazar
11053 86 Ave., 780-479-5382,
