Toronto likes to think it can hold its own when it comes to pizza, so the latest 50 Top Pizza rankings are going to sting for local slice fans.
Not a single Toronto spot made the global list this year, and the only Canadian pizzeria to make the cut isn’t in Toronto, Montreal or even Windsor (the self-proclaimed pizza capital of Canada).
Pizza Culture Napoletana in Calgary landed at No. 80 on the world rankings, earning the title of Best Pizzeria in Canada. The neighbourhood spot on Edmonton Trail uses imported Italian “00” flour, a 24-hour wild sourdough ferment and a custom wood-fired Stefano Ferrara oven shipped straight from Naples.
According to 50 Top Pizza, its anonymous inspectors evaluate the entire dining experience— from the crust and ingredients to the service and cleanliness. That’s how Calgary managed to beat out the country’s top pizza spots.
While Calgary took the sole Canadian nod, pizzerias across Europe, the US and Asia dominated the top of the leaderboard with Napoli on the Road in London, England clinching the top spot with Una Pizza Napoletana in New York and Confine in Milan coming in second and third. Cities included in the top ten include Rome, San Francisco, Brazil, Tokyo Madrid and Jersey City.
Meanwhile, Toronto favourites like Pizzeria Badiali, North of Brooklyn and Danny’s Pizza Tavern were left out in the cold. Considering the massive lineups those places pull every single weekend, being shut out of the top 100 is going to be a tough pill to swallow for local foodies.
For now, Canada’s official pizza bragging rights belong strictly to Calgary.
To see the full list, click here.