The Pizza Garage… More Like an Expressway

There’s that old adage — “assume” makes an ass out of you and me.

So, in my occasional role as a total dumbass, I took the family to St. Albert to visit the Pizza Garage. This place has come up in a number of conversations I’ve had about great pizza places in town, so I decided taking the family out for dinner would be a good way to introduce myself to the Garage’s fare. Because, being in St. Albert, of course, it’s a sit-down restaurant, right?

No, it’s a takeaway spot in a strip mall, and it’s busy. The place is filled with people waiting on orders, and, when I get to the till, I am asked what order I’m there to pick up. Like, there’s no way anyone would show up without calling ahead. Well, I’m committed to trying the pizza, and I’m told that the wait will be at least a half-hour. “We’ll do our best.”

I overhear phone orders, and people being told that it’s going to take an hour to get the pies to their doors.

But, the thing is, no one minds the wait. Let’s face it, when it comes to Edmontonians lining up for food, we’ll put up with a lot. So, as Helix plays on the sound system, I wait for my order — a large Detroit style “La Ferrari,” and a basic “Chevrolet” (pepperoni and cheese) for the kids. The Detroit style, a big rectangle with toppings laid to the edges, was recommended to us by the person at the counter wearing, shocker, a Detroit Tigers shirt. But, Pizza Garage offers choices — you can also go for a bar-style thin-crust pizza, or a New York crust that’s good for folding.

When the boxes make their way to the counter, I’m surprised by how heavy they are. And that’s because the Detroit pizza is dense. The crust is thick, with lots of air pockets, and La Ferrari packs a mighty punch. The toppings are generous, to say the least. Dollops of ricotta cheese support Kalamata olives (none of the sliced black ones). There are diced up spicy peppers, and then a lot of meat. Pepperoni, salumi, spicy Italian sausage and some Calabrese. It’s nothing short of gobsmacking.