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Pizzeria No. 900
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If there was nothing more to Pizzeria No.900 than its chewy, bubbly, yeast-scented pizza dough, you’d still be clamouring to occupy one of the chic room’s dozens of seats. As luck would have it, the Neapolitan-style pizzas are just one of the restaurant’s many draws. Inviting and modern, with a traditional Italian menu, a cellar of natural wines and a team that’s chummy and well-informed, Pizzeria No.900 makes a solid case for eating out on the daily.
That there’s more to Pizzeria No.900 than its authentic Neapolitan-style pizza is not lost on Luke Sauvé, owner of the chain’s first Ontario location. Well-known in Quebec, where the company owns 30 restaurants, Pizzeria No.900, says Sauvé, is the whole package. Having dined there with his wife a few years ago, Sauvé’s fate was sealed.
“Start to finish, the food was phenomenal, the service was phenomenal, the atmosphere and environment was perfect. When we walked out we sort of looked at each other and said, ‘Would you ever want to own one of these?’”
Fast-forward to summer, 2024, and you’ll find Sauvé sitting in the chain’s newest outpost in the heart of The Beaches. The room is decked out in the brand’s signature white and black, gold accents upping the elegance quotient considerably. “It’s a clean, sharp, timeless environment without being pretentious,” says Sauvé.
At the centre of it all stands a hand-made, wood-fired Marra Forni oven. “The oven is the showstopper in all our restaurants,” affirms the chain’s chef of research and development, Fiodar Huminski. Beyond its eye-catching appeal, the oven also gives the restaurant its name (pies are fired at 900°F for 90 seconds), and plays an integral role in giving each and every pizza its distinct texture and flavour.
At any given moment, the team has 19-20 pizzas on rotation, including red- and white-sauced options and seasonal specials, explains Huminski. “For me, inspiration comes from all directions,” he adds, explaining that pizzas range from the über-traditional to the avant-garde. “Mirko, the executive chef, is Italian so he’s our compass. He keeps us in check,” he adds. “For me, I’m a bit more crazy, impulsive. I try to bring a twist, a little zing and jazz things up but not get too crazy so that we still stay true to our traditions.”
Those traditions include hewing religiously to the standards for making Neapolitan pizza, from using Antimo Caputo 00 flour and filtered water (a specific pH is essential), to fermenting the dough, stretching it correctly, and garnishing it just so. “If you go to a place and people say the dough is fresh, you run,” laughs Huminski. “You will never get that developed taste from fresh dough. Dough needs time. Fresh dough is a no-go.”
Traditionalists will swoon for the team’s Margherita and Marinara, pizzas awarded the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) certification. There are also pies lavished with house olive oil (the company harvests its own olives from land it owns in Sicily), then topped with fior di latte or salumi, herbs or grilled vegetables. Applied delicately, add-ons aren’t meant to overwhelm. “Neapolitan pizza, in a nutshell, is a light pizza. Less is more,” says Huminski.
A signature creation inspired by the brand’s roots, the team’s Smoked Meat pizza is a surprisingly elegant Canada-meets-Italy combo. “We wanted it to resemble a Montreal smoked meat sandwich but we didn’t want to go the simple route,” explains Huminski. “We wanted to go the sexy, finessed route. We decided to pair smoked meat with espresso aioli. Italians love spicy stuff, salty stuff and espresso. It’s something more sophisticated than just a smoked meat sandwich.”
Given the circumstances, you might be tempted to devote every speck of stomach space to Pizzeria No.900’s fantastic pies. Still, with a selection of starters and desserts, cocktails and wines tended to with as much finesse as the main attractions, that tight tactic might lead to regret.
A seasonal mozzarella menu includes downy Stracciata di Burrata paired with caramelized red grapes, crispy speck and a dusting of taralli crumbs. Sweet and salty, creamy and sharp, it’s a luscious way to start an evening. Crisp and vegetal, spinach and ricotta Arancini, meanwhile, are a sturdy diversion you’ll want to snack on as you wait for drinks to arrive.
Those drinks might take the form of classic or signature sips, depending on your mood. From a textbook Negroni to a bold Espresso Martini, an amaretto-laced Italian Mule and a bright Basil Sour made with apple juice and herb-flavoured syrup, there’s a slew of libations made to pair seamlessly with every one of the menu's timeless dishes.
Subtle sweets sure to satisfy diners with a habit of lingering, Cannoli and Tiramisu are cheery add-ons to any meal.
It took just one visit to Pizzeria No.900 to turn Luke Sauvé into a fan. “It was the feeling that we left with after walking out. It was so memorable, so warm. It was just so right,” he gushes. At the brand's newest outpost, the transportive pizzas and the team's dedication to detail are poised to captivate droves of new diners.
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