It seemed like an easy assignment: uncover where to find our city’s best slice of pizza and write about it. However. Ahem. Unless you are a true pizza aficionado (a status few have truly reached), it turns out you have no business entering any discussion about the topic. People LOVE their pizza pie, so beware the sometimes heated debates that may ensue when you mention naming ‘the best’ spot to get it. Peace over pizza, I say.
So instead of the Top 5 or Top 10 or even Top 25 slices, we present here a very unbiased overview of some of Mississauga’s finest pizzerias. We’ll let you decide which is your personal favourite.
But let’s begin with a brief synopsis of the ingredients that constitute the one food group it seems everyone loves, whether you prefer a thin or thick crust, heavy sauce or none at all, a slice laden with meat and cheese or the simplest, most delicate Margherita.
The vessel that holds all ingredients
Fact: no two crusts are alike. There are many different iterations of crust depending on the type of pizza you’re designing and the pizza artist in charge: Detroit/Sicilian style, New York style, focaccia/flatbread, Chicago deep-dish, stuffed—you get the idea.
But the crust is arguably the most important aspect of a great pizza because it lays the foundation upon which all great pies are built. After all, without the crust, you’d be fantasizing about a lasagna instead of a pizza.
Yes, thickness matters, but the most important part is that the crust is chewy and springy and fresh, and that it capably holds all of the pizza’s toppings. Consider it the deliverer, the vessel, the edible plate.
Fresh toppings are key
Essential to a delicious slice of pie: all the ingredients must be fresh, and they must balance each other perfectly. Maintaining the correct ratio of cheese and tomato sauce is extremely important. You don’t want the flavour of the tomato sauce to overpower the complex piquancy of the cheese.
Think of the tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings as musical notes—they’re all meant to be in harmony with each other. When even one ingredient doesn’t stand up to the others, it renders the whole pie unpalatable.
Look for lots of colour
Definitely check to see if the slice you’re eyeing boasts vibrant colours. It means the pizza artist cares enough to ensure their toppings are market fresh and cooked to perfection.
Here’s an example. When tomato sauce is old, it can tend to get dark and give off too much acidity and saltiness. Instead, your tomato sauce should be a vibrant red.
Overcooked cheese is definitely a no-no. Having grainy, crunchy and/or rubbery cheese on your pizza will affect your whole eating experience. It’s still edible, but it’ll be difficult to really get lost in the pleasure of indulging in a gooey slice of pie.
It just makes sense: if the cheese and tomatoes are fresh, everything else should follow. Basil, an important ingredient in many pizzas, must remain tender and vibrant green. Basil is usually added after cooking the pizza in the oven because its flavors are fresh and strong but delicate. If you cook pizza with the basil already on top, this once-delicious herb may turn bitter. Yuck.
Same goes for meats and other veggies. No limp green pepper, thank you!
Olive oil brings the harmony
Topping your slice with good quality olive oil just brings everything together. It’s light and delicate but has amazing notes of fresh nuts and greens, with a slight spiciness as an aftertaste. If the pizza isn’t already too greasy, adding olive oil to help balance all the flavours is always a good decision.
Happy hunting!
Now that you know all the key features of the finest pizza, it’s time for you to test out your new detective skills. Sure, it’s just crust, tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings—but these four simple elements each need to be outstanding on their own. Only then can they deliver the pizza pie experience we’re all longing for.
Local Links
Amadio’s Pizza
360 Revus Avenue Unit #6
amadiospizza.com
Blondie’s Pizza
13 Stavebank Road
blondiespizza.ca
Doughboys Pizza + Chicken
152 Lakeshore Road East
doughboyspizzeria.ca
Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza
209 Queen Street South
goodfellaspizza.ca
Great Canadian Pizza
278 Lakeshore Road East
greatcanadianpizza.ca
JP’s Pizza
5980 Churchill Meadows Boulevard
jppizzeria.com
King Pizza
510 Driftcurrent Drive #12
kingpizza.ca
Lily’s Pizza & Pasta
1107 Lorne Park Road
lilyspizza.ca
Luca Pizza
3415 Dixie Road
lucapizza.ca
Marconi Pizza
3635 Cawthra Road
marconipizza.com
Massimo Pizza and Pasta
1018 Eglinton Avenue East
skipthedishes.com
New Super Choice Pizza
1201 Britannia Road West
Pizzano Pizza & Wings
1125 Dundas Street East
pizzanopizza.ca
Pizza E Dolci
252 Lakeshore Road East
portcreditpizzaedolci.com
Papa Guiseppe’s Pizza & Pints
26 Lakeshore Road East
papaguiseppes.com
Pizza Karachi
812 Britannia Road West Unit 104
Pizza Nostra
362 Lakeshore Road West
pizzanostrainc.com
Pizza Rosso (closed until spring)
121 Lakeshore Road West
Tony’s Panini & Pizza
1150 Lorne Park Road
tonyspizzaoriginal.com
Vito’s Pizza
56 Lakeshore Road East
vitospizza.ca
