Most students in Toronto don’t live in the Junction, where Toronto’s
original pizzeria is located (see below), so few of them pop in after
last call. But no matter where students live, they are no more than a
few blocks from a joint where a meal of baked dough and cheese can be
purchased for less than $5. EYE WEEKLY doesn’t have much of a travel
budget, and neither do most students, so we’re confining our research
to the area between Dupont and Queen, from Yonge to Ossington.
Obviously, to simulate student conditions, we’d have to be drunk and/or
stoned. We did our best to get into character. Here, in ascending
order, are the results:
MASSIMO’S
302 College, 416-967-0527, $3.75
A thin crust has serious crispiness. But a pool of lubricating grease causes the layer of mozzarella, tomatoes and basil to slide around like a loose toupée. The whole mass pulls off with the first bite.
CORA’S
656 Spadina Ave, 416-922-1188, $4
Cora’s and Papa Ceo’s share the corner of Spadina and Harbord, the nexus of student gastronomy (there’s a Subway in between to round out the undergrad diet). Maybe they have such a torrent of student traffic that they can afford to sell pizza this leaden. When cheese is initially cooked, small beads of fat sweat from the surface, eventually rendering the solid into a liquid as the casein protein bonds collapse. If the pizza is then left under a heat lamp, the moisture evaporates, the cheese returns to a solid state and a flash in the oven will not restore it to gooeyness. Cora’s should have a sign about this, the way 7-11 warns that there’s no more than $50 in the register.
PIZZA GIGI
189 Harbord, 416-535-4444, $4
The best thing about Gigi is that it’s not filled with the scary teenagers who hang out across the street at the less expensive Mama B’s. But the $1.25 premium shows up on a slice brimming with mozzarella and generous amounts of spinach over a moderately thin crust.
CICCIO’S
887 Dundas W, 416-363-8686, $3.50
Obviously, it’s going to be hot in any pizza parlour with a couple of ovens going at 600 degrees, but Ciccio’s is Vietnamese-prison-camp hot. No fancy, fruity toppings. Just solid, greasy, large, journeyman pizza slices. A TV on the wall that ought to be playing soccer or crazy Italian game shows is, curiously, tuned to CBC.
PAPA CEO’S
654 Spadina Ave, 416-961-2222, $3.50
Naming slices after famous Italians is a cliché too silly to hate on — it really ought to occur in all pizza parlours. Who wouldn’t order a pizza named after Rudolph Giuliani or the chubby guy from *NSYNC? A slice named Rambo is suitably loaded with X-chromosome toppings like ground beef, pepperoni and ham. A thick, fluffy crust keeps the tummy warm through all-night study sessions.
MAMA B’S
268 Lippincott, 416-840-8484, $2.75
A thick, crunchy crust — almost a ciabatta — awaits those who can brave the local toughs from Central Tech, likely attracted by the super-low price. And they carry Jones black cherry soda, too.
THE BIG SLICE
385 Yonge, 416-977-8451, $3.50
One being Vic Tayback and 10 being Kevin Federline, the Big Slice hits the grease scale somewhere around 8.5 (Travolta). It works for them, though. The thoroughly fused, juicy wedges are just what Ryerson students need to insulate themselves against the Yonge Street riff-raff.
SUPERMODEL PIZZA
772 College, 416-533-9099, $4
Their slogan, “Our Crust is as thin as Super Models,” while typographically and grammatically incorrect and not helped by a creepy photo of a baby eating pizza, is nonetheless validated by a solid carpet of cheese clinging to a moderately thin crust via a sparse application of tangy sauce.
John’s Classic Pizza
591 College, 416-537-0078, $4
John’s beats Supermodel at their game by providing a truly anorexic crust that requires one hand on each end to prevent sagging. A pesto and goat cheese slice is shining with bright, green basil. All slices carry the sheen of newness.
Magic Oven
270 Dupont, 416-928-1555, $5 (spelt or rice flour crust, $6)
Slices made to order with at least 30 toppings (organic smoked bacon, Asiago, baby scallops, etc.) and alternative wheat-free crusts available raise Magic Oven to another level. Staff are informed. Slices even come with a small salad! The spelt crust, crunchy and salty, bears no trace of health-food stigma (for only $1 more).
PIZZA PIZZA
558 Bloor W., 416-967-1111, $3.15
Totally awesome! Best slice ever! Maybe the best meal ever! Ridonkulous! (In true student style, this was written at about 3am after 4 beers, 2 shots of something green, and tequila guzzled out of a toque. Also in true student style, I’ll have no memory of writing it in the morning.)