East-enders’ prayers are answered: Pizzeria Libretto to get second location this summer
This is the most exciting news we’ve heard all week: Max Rimaldi, Daniel Clarke and chef Rocco Agostino, the partners behind Pizzeria Libretto, are planning to open a second location of their wildly successful pizza joint on the Danforth. Less than a year after Enoteca Sociale, their second venture, opened to raves, the trio is close to finalizing a lease on an east-end space. We caught up with Agostino to find out the details on the new location, set to open as early as the end of this summer.
Agostino says the Danforth felt like a natural fit for Libretto’s casual vibe. “It’s a great area. There’s a lot of foot traffic, a lot of families. It’s a real neighbourhood. We’re all about neighbourhoods.” The new location will feel slightly larger than the Ossington Avenue one, he says, though it will have about the same number of seats. Just like at the original, a new wood-fired oven will be constructed for the space by a third-generation pizza oven maker from Naples. While decisions on the menu are not yet finalized, Agostino says east-enders can expect the same thin-crust Neapolitan-style pizzas and rustic appetizers that made the Ossington location such a hit.
As for the challenge of keeping three successful restaurants running, Agostino says it comes down to hiring the right people. “You definitely have to be comfortable with the people you have,” he says. “You have to be comfortable that they share the same ideas that you have.”
“Third-generation” Neapolitan. Whoop dee doo. If he/she were born in Canada, wouldn’t that make the person Canadian?
A good argument for using solar panels.
Wow. Canadian-Neapolitan then. Lighten up. No wonder everyone hates Toronto.
Re-read the sentence. It states that the wood-fired oven is being made by a pizza oven maker from Naples, whose family has been in the business for three generations. Not by a third-generation Neapolitan.
Anyway, a third-generation Neapolitan would be Neapolitan. Not Canadian.
I guess I’ve just given more reason for everyone to hate Torontonians.
“The most exciting news!!?? you must be kidding.
Congrats on the growing business. Lighten up people. These posts sound more like anger management therapy rants. The restaurant business is filled with short term pains and gains with little long term success. For anyone to put their ideas, money and hard work out there for everyone else to critique is gutsy. Now give them a break.
I’m gonna have to agree with Scott. Entirely
@steven – If you’re a) from Toronto b) live in Toronto’s east end c) realize the city’s east end lacks the resto selection of the west end d) love really great pizza and realize there’s a shortage of it in Toronto e) are really into food and f) read The Dish on TorontoLife.com because you’re really into food, then yeah, Libretto’s impending east-end presence probably qualifies as “the most exciting news” of the week.
If this doesn’t apply to you, feel free to go read about the Oscars nominations.
I can no longer appreciate their unhealthy, salt ladden gourmet pizzas anymore, for most people I guess salt and beer goes hand in hand!
@Rosa B – Where did you get this info from? I’m curious. As someone who works in the health industry, I only eat out at places with healthy options (ie. spelt crust at Libretto). I would have to disagree about their pizzas being unhealthy and/or salt ladden.
I think this is great news. Congrats to Pizzeria Libretto!
While I wish them the best of luck in their new endevour the East-enders don’t really need to wait for their prayers to be answered. There’s already a great place to get authentic Neapolitan pizza at Queen Margherita Pizza.
I’ve had both and I wasn’t impressed at all with Libretto. It was okay but for the price I wouldn’t go back again.
http://www.queenmargheritapizza.ca/
Lighten up. God forbid someone in this city is successful.
Food is beautiful, take time to enjoy it. Food & restaurants brings people together, more jobs for the community and their focus on local supports our farmers.
I think the people who are telling others to lighten up should lighten up.
I’m definitely an east ender so I’d like to see how Libretto does against the Queen.
tried both and it’s really ntohing compare to Libretto both food and service wise. I went there for lunch a while back and the service was totally lacking… we had pizza and one was too salty and one was too bland and I have to agree that they only win by the chili oil compare to the one at Libretto =P