We went for lunch on a Sunday, maybe that was the problem. We were lured in by the advertisement outside that said "wood oven pizza", but what we received was a not very crusty (almost soggy) pizza. When we asked for the reason the server told us that the oven needs a while to heat up, and it was only 12:30. We thought someone should have told us before we ordered, maybe we could have recommended the pasta then...
We were window shopping through the construction...
We were window shopping through the construction in Little italy and peering at the menu in an outdoor patio. The owner came by and asked us if we liked to come in ( it was about 10.45). We asked when do you open and he said now if you like, so we did. While we had a drink, other employees wandered in for the official 11.00 opening. Service and food were great. We tried a wood fired Pizza and Chicken Parmigiani, terimasu for desert.
The entranceway to this Little Italy landmark is covered by grape vines entwining a latticed roof. Under it, seven tables, dressed in white linen tablecloths and black napkins, make for elegant al fresco dining. Owner-chef Nick Shallal introduced Ottawa to the difference a wood-burning pizza oven can make and his business grew. Calzones, pastas and a handful of Italian mains are available. But gourmet pizzas remain the focus. Two winners: a seafood combination of clams, scallops, shrimp and lobster, and the Venezian, topped with mangos, Brie, braised onions and cinnamon.
After years in the Mediterranean, chef Nick Shallal opened this Little Italy restaurant, well known for delicious wood-burning oven pizzas and calzones. The high ceilings and brick walls decorated with bottles of fine wines and oils create a charming ambiance. The Bella – made with pesto sauce, chicken breast, brie cheese, almonds and mozzarella – as well as the fruity Ostia with papaya, pesto, kiwi and mozzarella are only two examples of the kinds of fusion pizzas that chef Nick creates, specialties that you won’t find anywhere else.