Must-Try: Porzia’s flaky and rich pizza di nonna

The buttery pizza di nonna at Porzia isn’t really a pizza at all. Like most of the dishes at Basilio Pesce’s three-month-old Italian restaurant in Parkdale, the recipe is a tweak on a family staple—in this case, his grandmother’s freshly baked bread (with her limited English, she referred to anything made from dough as pizza). Although it looks like garden-variety focaccia, it tastes more like a delicious cross between brioche and a scone with a flaky crust and a tender crumb. Pesce stuffs the savoury pastry with melted cheese, mortadella and salty prosciutto, for a mouthwatering sandwich that’s as satisfying and rich as a slice of pizza—without all the grease. $10.

Porzia, 1314 Queen St. W., 647-342-5776, porzia.ca, @porziaparkdale