- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Pizza e Pazzi
Categories: Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Italian Pizza, Italian [Edit]
1182 St. Clair Avenue WestToronto, ON M6E 1B4
Neighbourhood: Corso Italia
(647) 352-7882
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 11 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Validated
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
10 reviews for Pizza e Pazzi
10 reviews in English
-
Review from Vikas S.
Toronto, ON
2/3/2012
Last night, I was lucky to have gone to PIzza e Pazzi for a second time.
I went with a couple of friends (based on my recommendation).
Although we noticed one bottle to be over-priced, considerably, on the menu, I believe we had a very reasonably priced, and good-tasting, Chianti.
We shared a appetizer of rice balls with mozzarella - it was crispy and tasty.
One of my friends ordered a red pizza and was brought a white version.
When we questioned our waiter on this, he said "I think that one should be on the white menu" ... well, that's not really a good enough answer; he definitely should have informed us before finalizing our order.
While our table had very mixed reviews of the pizza, I was extremely pleased with the product. I had the Tre Funghi.
The crust was crispy in parts and bagel-like in other. Perfect in my mind.
The sauce was tasty ... the mushrooms delectable.
The spicy oil was good ... however, I would have loved some pepperoncini like they have at Terroni (which happens to be one of my fave spots for pizza).
Most importantly, I was blown away by the engagement of the owners ... Sandrelle and Danilo. They stayed at our table for a good while chatting with us about everything and nothing.
We were treated to Grappa at the end of the evening ... and for dessert, Danilo put together a plate of everything so that we could try it all.
The new location is opening soon at Christie and St. Clair ... watch out LIbretto and Queen Margherita, there is a new kid in town, and they want to take the crown!
Salute Pizza e Pazzi! -
Review from Juergen S.
Toronto, ON
5/12/2012
Nice place. Good atmosphere. Pizza is really good!!!! Strongly recommend it.
The lasagna was just ok. Little bland.
Would go back for the pizza for sure. -
Review from Ellie A.
2/5/2012
Maybe my expectations were too high, given it's comparison to spots like Pizza LIbretto, but I was disappointed. And Libretto this ain't.
The atmosphere at Pizza e Pazzi was bustling and full of good energy. The owners (or managers?) actively on the floor and the servers hustling continually. Lots of engagement. We had to wait about 15-20 minutes for our reserved table because the party before us took their time, but it wasn't a big deal.
They started us off with some chewy walnut bread and nice condiments (caramelized onions, a vegetarian dip that I couldn't quite identify, sauteed mushrooms). Service was attentive, although the server seemed very disappointed that we weren't ordering lots of alcohol.
We all ordered salad and mains. The salads were decent. My mixed greens were literally just that with some very sweet cherry tomatoes. A little watery, maybe. My husband ordered a special salad of bufalo mozzarella and shaved truffles which should have been spectacular (especially for the $25 price tag) but was instead just average. The cheese was maybe a little too salty and water-logged. Not as nice as some high quality mozzas I've had in the past.
Pizzas were very good - just not outstanding. My tre funghi was yummy, but was under-seasoned to my taste. The margarita was much better (probably because they use the salty mozzarella that we tasted raw on the salad earlier) so it had more flavour.
Overall, it was very good pizza, if a bit doughy for this style. I agree with a recent reviewer - in this area I'd pick Marcellos over this place. It's more homey and less elegant but the flavours are just so much richer and they are much more generous. Pizza e Pazzi should focus more on their flavours and not try so hard in the "We're new and chic" category. Why would we spend $75 for a dinner for two (sans alcohol) when we could spend so much less and get better food elsewhere?
Vegetarian Score: 6.5/10. Not as much choices as in other italian spots for veggies, but you won't walk away hungry.Listed in: The St. Clair Strip, Pizza Pizza Pizza
-
Review from Vicky W.
North York, ON
1/9/2012
This was on someones top 10 list for 2011 so I really wanted to try it.
Space: dark, intimate, yet inviting. (does that make sense).
Food: LOVED The bread. It's perfect. As for the pizza - it rocks too. It has those black bubbles on the crust, the perfect sauce as and just the right amount of cheese. It all worked. $16 and happy.
Service: wonderful friendly waiter. Cant complain. -
Review from Madelaine D.
Toronto, ON
9/12/2011 ROTD 1/20/2012
One of very few places in the city to sells authentic Neapolitan pizza. What is Neapolitan pizza you ask? Well there are a few rules (http://www.pizzanapole...). Basically it comes down to very specific authentic ingredients and a cooking time of 60-90 seconds in an oven 905°. (WHOA!)
Anyway, this pizza is superb. A million times better than the stuff you get for takeout and to top it all off the restaurant itself it trendy and comfortable, the service is friendly and quick and the prices are pretty reasonable.
Check it out. You won't be disappointed!Listed in: 5 Star Reviews - The Best of…
-
Review from Renay R.
Toronto, ON
12/11/2011
I arrived sceptical on a Saturday night as I didn't have a reservation and I've been hearing a lot about this place so I thought it would be impossible to get into. I was really surprised because we walked right in. thought it would be packed - it SHOULD have been packed - it was great!
The pizza is really good - I had the Diavola and for those that don't like too much spice it would be manageable. I might have made it a bit spicier but it was flavourful. My friend had the type that had four different toppings. She really liked it. I thought the crust was really good - it was thin, but not too thin - it had some oomph!
The room was quite comfortable and our server was great. Highly recommend it! -
Review from Andrea H.
1/31/2012
Definitely gives Pizza Libretto a run for its money. Pizza e Pazzi is a new addition to the tiny group of Toronto restaurants that serve authentic Pizza Napolitana. And it's very good Pizza Napolitana too. The basic Margherita was perfect in its simplicity - perfectly blistered crust, perfectly melted mozzarella di buffala, fantastically flavourful tomatoes and basil. Bonus points to the server for upselling me on a great glass of Falanghina before my meal instead of the pinot grigio I was contemplating. The service was a bit slow and inattentive otherwise, though, and the environment a bit cluttered and uncomfortable. I will need to go back and delve deeper into their menu, but the pizza alone makes Pizza e Pazzi well worth a visit.
-
Review from Corey C.
Toronto, ON
8/6/2011
Right off the bat I can tell you that I am not a pizza elitist. I'm just a guy who absolutely loves pizza in all it's shapes, sizes, flavors and permutations from the absolute greasy of the greasiest, to a perfectly flat crusted, gourmet-topping-covered pie.
A welcomed addition to what some might say Toronto's burgeoning Neopolitan-style (read: http://bit.ly/pnrVnr) pizza craze is Pizza e Pazzi - loosely translated as "Pizza and Crazy" - in the increasingly popular Corso Italia neighbourhood of St. Clair West.
Planning a Friday dinner with my lovely mother, whom I had not had a standard dine-out night with in quite some time, I thought I'd give PeP a shot given the wonderful review posted on BlogTO (http://bit.ly/q9MuDJ). Although they accept reservations via a dedicated e-mail address and phone number, I was told that the place wouldn't be busy enough to warrant a 7:00 PM reso for this particular Friday night. Cool.
Upon entering, we were sat immediately. My first impressions, visually, were quite pleasing. A definitely casual environment, lots of seating with an open kitchen and the piece-de-resistance wood burning pizza oven in the back makes me feel comfortable and yet, hungry. No pretension here!
Checking out the menu, despite the requisite offerings of salads, pastas and mains, my eye is caught to a few important pieces of information that sets my mouth a-water. In addition to being a certified, authentic creator of Neapolitan pizza there are three important rules: "no pineapple * no half/half * no subsitutions [sic]". This is great because I abhor pineapple on my pizza and it means these people are SERIOUS.
We are first brought a wire-cone of freshly baked bread & pita triangles, which go very well with the easy to pour canisters of EVOO on every table and the delightful surprise of a trio of antipasto, including a couple green olives, marinated mushrooms and another tasty veg spread that we quickly devoured without even having ordered a thing!
Buoyed by hype from the BlogTO review, I don't hesitate to order us the Fried Risotto Balls with Fior-di-Latte mozzarella. They arrive minutes later with a Bruschetta garnish and we dig in. WOW. The rice is perfectly cooked, and the cheese is both gooey and adds a delightfully creamy texture. Coupled with a great crispy deep fried-ness, these tasty (albeit quite heavy) balls are a win.
Okay, now on to the star of the show. I take complete control of the meal here and order the standard Margherita, which all pizza-heads know is the standardized test of a purportedly authentic Neapolitan style pie. Our pizzas are served to us atop giant pizza style plates with the word "Pizza" strewn across in all sorts of kitchy fonts. Nice touch.
Upon my utensils hitting the pie, which meets my expectations at first glance with a smattering of melted buffalo mozzarella, risen and slightly blackened crust, light-red tomato sauce and delicately adorned basil leaves, I can already tell I'm in for a treat. I cut my first slice and realize immediately that a new contender for the Toronto pizza crown has arrived. The dough is soft and fluffy without being mushy, the tomato sauce is tangy, tasty and kind of addictive and the mozzarella is the slippery white gold that keeps me on a steady rhythm of intense pizza consumption.
Having devoured our pies, sopped up the remaining tomato sauce using the thick crust and paid our (reasonably priced, I might add) bill, we both agree that Pizza e Pazzi is absolutely deserving of it's namesake; Yes, they have pizza here. And yes, it is absolutely crazy if you don't take a date, loved one or perhaps a solo mission over to one of the best new authentic Neapolitan pizza places in Hogtown! -
Review from Adhish V.
Toronto, ON
2/11/2012
By far the best Pizza in Toronto. I still haven't had a chance to try Marcello's which I hear is good too but I would say that Pizza e Pazzi is better than Pizza Libretto which is a close second and Terroni which I didn't like at all. I believe its the only other pizzeria other than Pizza Libretto that is certified by the AVPN which has a few nutty rules including regulations on the oven which has to be flown down from italy, a certified pizzaiolo trained by the AVPN, a certain procedure for making the dough etc All the effortts paid off and I would say that this is some of the best pizza I have had in my life. I ordered a margherita which was full of flavour, had a nice thin non greasy crust and tasted excellent. The place was fairly empty when I visited and we got a fresh pizza 5 minutes after ordering. I just had to get dessert after enjoying the pizza so much and ordered a tiramisu which was served in a glass and was excellent as well. Since this is a new property everything looks really nice and new. I thought that some of the tables were a bit too close to each other but I guess they have to work with the space they have. While this wasn't a problem when I went there and there was barely anyone there, I can see it being a problem when the restaurant is packed and you're eating your meal a few centimeters away from a stranger. I'm probably just nitpicking and can confidently say that this is one of the best meals I have had in Toronto.
-
Review from Emily S.
Scarborough, ON
11/14/2011
Space is tiny. My group and I had to wait 1 hour to get seated and another hour before we got our food. The pizza is thick, doughy and pricey and a friend's pizza was half cooked! And what's up with all the 1/2, 3/4 marks? Taking my business elsewhere next time.
