Lunch At Famosa

The other day, my parents and I had lunch at a new pizza place in Edmonton called Famosa Neopolitan Pizzeria (11750 Jasper Avenue). My parents had already been there and swore that they had experienced authentic Italian food (my parents also went to Italy last summer and also fell in love with the simple and delicious cuisine). After eating there with them, I am inclined to agree.

The menu is simple: 6 salads, 3 appetizers (all flatbread based), 15 pizzas and 2 sandwiches. They have both pizzas rossas (with tomato sauce) and pizzas biancas (without tomato sauce). This is not a good place for celiacs, although our gluten-free friends could still take part in the many flavours of gelato offered at the restaurant. There are only three vegetarian main dishes on the menu (two pizzas and one salad), but there are many items that could be made deliciously vegetarian by simply omitting an item or two. Vegans: they have veganrella soy cheese!

The atmosphere of the place speaks quietly of a chain restaurant, with posters made specifically for Famosa and subtly over-stylized decor. Nonetheless, the small restaurant is cute and the service was good. And the food. Oh, the food!

The three of us shared the Primavera Pizza ($13.50) and the Gorgonzola Walnut Salad ($9). (My parents also shared a non-veg pizza, and this was more than enough food for us three).

The salad (pictured at the top of this post) was a simple version of a classic nut and blue cheese salad: romaine lettuce, dried cranberries, gorgonzola cheese and chopped walnuts in a light dressing. The freshness and quality of the ingredients combined with an adept execution to make this simple salad quite delicious. The dressing tasted homemade and did not overpower the other ingredients, and the dried cranberries were plump and tasty. My only complaint is that the gorgonzola was too soft to crumble properly, which made it difficult to take small bites and combine it with the other ingredients. Famosa would be better off using a drier blue cheese (like a Stilton), but maybe it's worth it to get to say "Gorgonzola". As it was, we spread the cheese on the provided slices of flatbread, and found that to be a delicious alternative.

The Primavera Pizza (pictured at the bottom of this post) left me with no complaints at all. Topped with roasted red pepper, mushrooms, olives, caramelized onions and artichoke hearts, this pizza was not overpowered by the fresh mozzarella and smoked gouda that were melted through the other ingredients. The mushrooms and onions were both sauteed to bring out their complex flavours and the olives were of high quality (no canned olives or mushrooms here!). The homemade crust was fresh and thin, but not too crispy like some thin crusts. Instead, it had the chewy texture of fresh bread.

This was a pizza bianca, meaning that the crust was seasoned with olive oil, herbs and garlic rather than the tomato sauce that we are more used to in North America. I was skeptical at first, but I did not miss the tomato sauce at all once the pizza arrived and I got to enjoy the subtle ways in which the flavours of veggies, cheese and herbs combined.

In conclusion, Famosa is highly recommended. My specific recommendation? Go with a friend and order a salad and a pizza and split both. Do it now.