Low Pan Pie

I found out that Toronto has a pizzeria called Big Trouble Pizza with 2 locations. Given this blog, I knew I had to visit the one in Chinatown. So on a mild, sunny Saturday, I made my way down to the Dundas St. W area.

It was actually inside the smallest of a collection of tiny houses sandwiched between two buildings near Sullivan St. Most of the space was taken by the kitchen so there was just enough room to stand and peruse the per slice display. The four plastic knee-high stools were more hopeful than realistic, as I can't imagine more than two could sit comfortably. In the summer, the little patio out front, if in use, could accommodate a few more people.

The signage had the neon colours with triangle motif from the 80s. The wall/counter mural was a Mad Max convoy across a Planet of the Apes wasteland. But the cars had pizza-related logos and the half-buried Statue of Liberty held up a pizza slicer. But don't try to tie this business to a certain movie, as this seemed to be a sore point with them.

Perhaps they feel the association would pigeon-hole them as kitschy. In which case, maybe don't name one of your offerings Kung Funghi. Which is what I got for $5.65. I actually quite like the slice. The thick cheese, truffle oil, portobello mushroom, and sprinkling of enoki mushrooms gave it a rich, earthy flavour. I didn't love the chili jelly. Its orange colour and slightly sweet aftertaste reminded me of the sauce you put on chicken balls at Chinese-Canadian restaurants. That's a piece of nostalgia I'll avoid.

Big Trouble positions itself as championing "Toronto-style" pizza with its crust. This meant a soft, chewy offering with a crunchier edge. At first, I was thinking a better Pizza-Hut pan pizza. Then I thought: "241 pizza" (at least my local spot). That's not a put-down because I just discovered the latter's addictive quality especially as a late-night bite.

So is BT the definition of Toronto pizza? The Globe and Mail has given that moniker to a collection of Vietnamese pizza makers including Vien Huynh of Fresca. A "city pizza" has to be immediately recognizable, and cheap enough for the masses. As such, I think that designation remains with Mr Huynh and friends, for their combination of garlic/green-onion oil and thin dough. BT is more similar to Maker Pizza, an upscale alternative to the thin-crust hegemony of Pizzeria Libretto and other "traditional" Italian joints.