ALEXANDER QUON

Recently opened Neapolitan-style pizzeria Famoso provides a distinctive first impression that delights all five senses.

Small and packed with a line-up of customers that was almost pushing outside the main door, it’s easy to see that Famoso is a restaurant in constant motion. The servers move between tables, drinks are being poured at the central bar and pizza is being tossed by hand at the dough station that dominates the rear of the building.

Though the restaurant is always moving, that doesn’t mean that you will be seated right away. The long line and the recent opening meant that even for a table of two on a Thursday, it was a 30-minute wait before we sat down. However, the wait did give me my first experience of Famoso’s pizza.

The serving staff near the door offered complementary marinara pizza to all those waiting at the door. A cheese-less pizza, this tasty treat’s best feature was its sweet tomato sauce with just a hint of garlic, which allowed it to serve as a scrumptious preview of what was to come.

Despite being a Canadian franchise with locations in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver, Famoso prides itself on its Italian authenticity.

Famoso imports flour and tomatoes from Italy in order to produce its traditional Neapolitan pizzas. All the pizzas are cooked in a forno fire oven that gives them a soft, tender and fluffy texture. This cooking method also leaves the finished product very moist in the middle with just a little bit of crunch at the crust.

The pizza really is the highlight of Famoso but the menu also features dishes such as caprese salad, gorgonzola walnut salad, the meatball sandwich and the prosciutto arugula sandwich — many of which were being served around me and looked delectable.

As an appetizer, my dinner companion and I began with a polpette al forno which consisted of six meatballs made in house, smothered in a tomato sauce and topped with ricotta cheese. Famoso offers a small but tasty variety of appetizer options including Mediterranean flatbread, tomato bisque soup and prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella balls.

We gobbled down those delectable starters before ordering the main feature of the night — the pizza.

I chose to go with the Korean barbeque pork pizza while my companion ordered the abruzzo. The Korean barbeque pizza was topped with spiced pork rump, green onion and cheddar cheese which resulted in a sweet base for the pizza that was tempered with the heat from the barbeque and hoisin plum sauces. While it had a bit of a kick to it, the spice was balanced enough that I could enjoy the sweet Asian flavours while still reaching for a drink of water after every bite.

My companion’s abruzzo pizza wasn’t sweet and felt more like a traditional Italian pizza. The dough was topped with Italian sausage, red onions, mushrooms, smoked mozzarella and fennel seeds which gave the pizza an earthy, natural flavour that lingered on the palate.

Pizzas range in price from $9 to just over $15 depending on what type you order — not half bad on a student budget.

There is no decision to be made about size, however. Each pizza rings in at 11 inches wide and because they are made using traditional methods — incorporating no tools or machines along with being hand stretched and tossed — each one is unique.

To finish off the night, we split an order of white chocolate panna cotta. The creamy white pudding was served in a small jar and topped with shaved dark chocolate and strawberry sauce. It made a sweet but light end to the night.

It is hard to find a restaurant that feels traditional while also putting a new spin on classic dishes. Famoso may be one of the rare few. For busy students who don’t have the time to dine in and prefer to enjoy their pizza on the comfort of their own couch, Famoso also offers a take-out option. If you are hungering for a unique piece of pizza then come grab a slice!

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Photos: Kayle Neis