“I need Tony.”
I sent the text to my friend Max. We love Tony. Tony is our boy, and he makes us so happy. Tony is delicious.
In case you were wondering, I’m talking about pizza. Really good, greasy, cheesy pizza. I heard the lore of Tony’s Pizza for about a year before I made the journey to Orleans to taste it for myself. Max had told me how amazing it was and how he was loyal only to Tony’s.
It was one fateful day last August that I got my first taste after making the trek to Orleans. Tony’s is your typical obscure pizza place. You walk in to glowing neon signs and barely any space to sit. You wonder if it is a front for money laundering, seeing as no one but the employees are ever there.
But you see, obscure pizza places make the best pizza. Throughout my years in Ottawa I have discovered some gems, and I hope to continue on this doughy, cheesy journey to expand my pizza repertoire. Max and I have this in common, making it one of our friendship goals: to try as many obscure, indie pizza places as possible.
But back to Tony. The place itself is pretty unassuming, tucked away in a strip mall near St. Matthews High School. We bought a large and took our glorious pie back to Max’s house. It was everything I hoped for: so much cheese, pepperoni and the best crust ever. Simple, yet so satisfying. You hate yourself slightly for eating four massive pieces but damn, was it worth it.
Then, one evening a bunch of us were sitting around chatting about school when we decided to order pizza. Being in Centretown, we decided to try the pizza joint down the street—Pizza Shark. Cheese level: greasy gooey goodness. Meat: lots, and it was wonderful. Crust: decent, but not Tony’s. Price: two for one totaling $24—nice. It was a good addition to my pizza portfolio.
Another memorable experience took place on a particularly cold Wednesday. I was on my way home from my class that ended at 10 (yes, that’s a thing). Max was driving.
Every week we passed a pizza place called Isabella Pizza just before the on-ramp to the 417. We said one day we’d check it out, and this Wednesday was that day. So we pulled up, and strolled in to an empty pizza parlour. Isabella Pizza has more seating than most indie pizza shops, but they still have the classic neon signs. We ordered a small with three toppings for eight dollars. Cheese: stringy and tasty (is cheese ever bad, though?). Toppings: pretty good. Crust: crispy, and smells enticing. Price: quite nice. Overall: will return, probably after my final data journalism class. Maybe sooner.
There is talk of trying to find a good pizza place in Kanata so we can claim pizza expertise in each major section of Ottawa. But the distance to Kanata is quite a commitment. For now, Tony is still my main man.
