Piola is the newest gourmet pizza resto to hit Queen street, and one of my favorites. Piola is located at 1165 Queen St W, across from Drake and the Gladstone hotels. Piola is part of a global chain that originated in Italy. They have locations all around the world, and this is the first in Canada.
Piola serves up authentic thin crust pizzas and handmade pastas. I stopped by for lunch and ordered a signature pie- the Piola. This pizza had fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, basil and tomato sauce. ($13.50)
Before my pizza arrived, I was served fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Confession: I am a bread snob. I will judge you on your bread. The worst is when you go to Italian restaurants, and they serve you cold, stale bread. I realize that the bread is complimentary, but that’s really no excuse for bad quality.
I am happy to report that that was not the case with Piola. The bread was fresh, warm and delicious. The olive oil was also good, and I loved the funky labels.
Let me also take a moment to say that I really enjoy Piola’s branding. It’s funky and I like the colours. The tables have cute food themed illustrations, the napkins have an artistic flair and the space is laid out in a beautiful way. The staff were also friendly and polite.
My Piola pizza arrived and it was superb. The tomato sauce was tangy and a little bit sweet, the basil was fresh and the crust was thin but chewy. If I had to pick something I would change, it would be that I wish the crust was a little thicker, but that’s just personal preference.
I plan to visit again with a larger group so that I can try some of the delicious looking pastas and desserts.
No Comments