Foods from Il Vicolo
Comments
2018 Mar 18
During the off season, they're only open at dinner time and only on certain days of the week. I visited on a Thursday with my son and we were the only customers at 5:45pm. A couple other people came in well after 6.
My Margherita ($14) was great as always. This is a thin and lean pizza that really benefits from some chili oil to lubricate the delicious crust.
My son's Holy Shiitake ($17) was a flavour explosion! A creamy garlic sauce, loaded up with various mushrooms, mozzarella, white truffle oil, and parmigiano, this is a hearty pie that would be perfect for sharing. He ate the whole thing.
They offer a new option... for $12.95 you can get a "piccolo" 8-inch pizza and a salad. This is great for those who don't want the delicious monotony of eating just one giant pie for dinner.
My Margherita ($14) was great as always. This is a thin and lean pizza that really benefits from some chili oil to lubricate the delicious crust.
My son's Holy Shiitake ($17) was a flavour explosion! A creamy garlic sauce, loaded up with various mushrooms, mozzarella, white truffle oil, and parmigiano, this is a hearty pie that would be perfect for sharing. He ate the whole thing.
They offer a new option... for $12.95 you can get a "piccolo" 8-inch pizza and a salad. This is great for those who don't want the delicious monotony of eating just one giant pie for dinner.
2017 Dec 3
We stopped in to try their pizza for the first time and we were not disappointed. Delicious crust and tasty sauce are the highlights here. The cheese is perfect as well. My Veloce pizza had banana peppers and, to my taste, a very untraditional cubed sausage topping. Not bad but I would try a different pizza next time. Just a heads up that the seasonal nature of their building means that it can get a bit cool inside.
2017 Nov 25
For an outdoor restaurant, they're pretty cozy in the winter! The terrace surrounding the bar has been enclosed with sun-room style temporary windows and there are heaters so you can be comfortable even without a coat.
And the pizza is still as delicious as ever! The dough under the sauce tends to be a little raw—a feature of truly authentic Neapolitan style Margherita pizza—so you do need a knife and fork for the tip of each slice.
The dough, sauce, and cheese have so much wonderful and subtle flavour that I never even consider ordering anything other than the Margherita. This is beautiful pie!
And the pizza is still as delicious as ever! The dough under the sauce tends to be a little raw—a feature of truly authentic Neapolitan style Margherita pizza—so you do need a knife and fork for the tip of each slice.
The dough, sauce, and cheese have so much wonderful and subtle flavour that I never even consider ordering anything other than the Margherita. This is beautiful pie!
2017 Sep 16
We returned for a second visit on “the other Pi Day”**. Again, my pizza was cooked really well and my coworkers’ pies were underdone and pale. We mentioned it and the (presumed) owner said he'd tell the kitchen.
This Margherita is a true joy. The cheese has good flavour, the basil is in sufficient supply, and that sauce is amazing. Put all those things on a top notch crust recipe and magic ensues!
** You may know March 14th as Pi Day (3/14) but I'm trying to get some recognition for September 14th too, as it is exactly half a cycle (6 months) away from Pi Day. Half a cycle is 180º, which in Radians is Pi.
This Margherita is a true joy. The cheese has good flavour, the basil is in sufficient supply, and that sauce is amazing. Put all those things on a top notch crust recipe and magic ensues!
** You may know March 14th as Pi Day (3/14) but I'm trying to get some recognition for September 14th too, as it is exactly half a cycle (6 months) away from Pi Day. Half a cycle is 180º, which in Radians is Pi.
2017 Aug 19
We dropped by for lunch on Friday during their first week in business and things look promising! This is an open-air pizzeria, meaning you are exposed to the elements. Some tables are shielded from potential rain while others are open to the sky above. Service was friendly and conversational. Water was offered right away but I was happy to see that they also carry Kichesippi Beer, which is certainly one of Ottawa's best brews.
My Margherita Pizza ($14) was the best pizza I've had in a long time. The basil and mozzarella were as good as any but what really shone were the crust and the tomato sauce. The crust could have used a little more char on top but OMG was it delicious. The dough flavour was right up there with the best I've ever had. To top it off, the tomato sauce had the glorious flavour and pinkish colour that I've only ever encountered when making from-scratch sauce from in-season tomatoes at home! I enjoyed every bite of this and was kind of dreaming about it all afternoon.
Even though there were only a handful of customers our food took a good half hour or more to arrive. I attribute this to the expected teething pains of opening a new business. Similarly, they only had the pizza part of the menu available and our pies arrived cooked to differing levels. Two were very thin and a bit black on top, another was a bit pale and undercooked, and mine was a little light on top but featured a beautiful naan-like char on the bottom. I look forward to returning over and over again to see if the consistency improves! 😉
My Margherita Pizza ($14) was the best pizza I've had in a long time. The basil and mozzarella were as good as any but what really shone were the crust and the tomato sauce. The crust could have used a little more char on top but OMG was it delicious. The dough flavour was right up there with the best I've ever had. To top it off, the tomato sauce had the glorious flavour and pinkish colour that I've only ever encountered when making from-scratch sauce from in-season tomatoes at home! I enjoyed every bite of this and was kind of dreaming about it all afternoon.
Even though there were only a handful of customers our food took a good half hour or more to arrive. I attribute this to the expected teething pains of opening a new business. Similarly, they only had the pizza part of the menu available and our pies arrived cooked to differing levels. Two were very thin and a bit black on top, another was a bit pale and undercooked, and mine was a little light on top but featured a beautiful naan-like char on the bottom. I look forward to returning over and over again to see if the consistency improves! 😉
warby
Don't get me wrong, this is an excellent Margherita. I used to say it was head and shoulders above the rest but I'm starting to see pizza in Ottawa as a tie between the top restaurants due to variability from visit to visit.
It still takes a good 30 minutes for our order to arrive so my experience almost a year ago was not a ramping up thing. No worries, it's a very pleasant place to sit and wait. Especially with a drink. :-)