Pizza Pide
/On Gerrard, just east of Pape, Pizza Pide is the no-nonsense spot for Turkish pizza. You clearly don't come here for the ambiance, after all.
Nobody would fault you for missing it. It’s just another nondescript storefront along the Gerrard strip you might’ve passed 100 times. But what’s cooking inside has all the makings worthy of a neighbourhood gem.
Pizza Pide is a purveyor of Turkish pizza. Yes, it’s a thing, and one visit to this family run hole in the wall might be enough to make you hail Turkey, not Italy, as the motherland of all things soft and doughy.
So just what makes it different? First, it’s elliptical, not round, and its dough is rolled thinner than your average wheel of za. It’s got a delicately crispy crust thanks to a brushing of butter and egg. The edges are folded over, holding richly spiced toppings from ground beef and pastrami to chicken and lamb and eggs. Vegetarians are also in good hands. The spinach and feta pide is one of their most popular.
For your first time, try the karisik — a greatest-hits of flavours in which every slice is a different taste. The bonus here is that all pides are served with what seems like a pound of fresh tomatoes, pickled hot peppers, onions and lemon wedges. Blend it in or eat as a salad, either way it’s tough to not be a convert.
Signature: Try the Lahmacun, a thin-doughed wonder of spiced ground beef blended with peppers, onion, tomatoes and parsley.
949 Gerrard St. E
pizzapide.ca
