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Giardino's restaurant offers authentic pizza pie

A Canadian sparkling wine may not be called Champagne as that designation is protected by law.

A Canadian sparkling wine may not be called Champagne as that designation is protected by law.

In fact, many countries have outright banned the use of the term Champagne for domestic products, reserving it exclusively for wines hailing from the clearly demarcated parameters of the Champagne region of Northeastern France.

Champagne is perhaps the best known example of a legally protected, geographically contingent food product, but other examples abound, including cheeses (Stilton, Gorgonzola), specialty meats (Iberico and Westphalian hams) and condiments (Balsamic vinegar).

Perhaps the most interesting instance of a legally protected food is pizza Napoletana. Traditional Neapolitan pizza, that hand-shaped, thin-crusted, simply topped culinary marvel that has arguably paved the way for all other garnished flatbreads the world over, has a strict set of criteria that define it.

In 1984, a not-for-profit group, the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), was formed in Naples, Italy, to protect and promote the traditions of the region’s celebrated pizza making techniques. The AVPN put forth a comprehensive set of standards that pizzaioli (pizza makers) must uphold if they wish to call their pizzas true Neapolitan.

These standards include the type of flour and yeast used to make the dough, the thickness of the crust, and the baking temperature of the pizza.

Unlike most other foods with protected names, the Neapolitan pizza may be produced outside of its traditional geographic boundaries provided the product bearing the name conforms to these standards.

I recently learned that right here on the North Shore efforts are being undertaken to produce authentic Neapolitan pizza.

Giardino, a new entry into the casual Italian dining scene, offers fine examples of this celebrated pie alongside traditional Italian pastas, salads, and panini. The restaurant occupies a small space on West 15th Street near Lonsdale Avenue that has seen a number of failed ventures in recent years.

On the evening of my visit, the room was dimly lit but welcoming, its brick and wooden interior exuding a certain warmth.

An etched light fixture on the far side of the room projected a giant geometrical flower on the wall. Tables were set with small bottles of home-infused olive oils, some with chilies and some with sprigs of thyme.

The small but thoughtful wine and beer list was clearly developed with food pairing in mind and the restaurant offers a mid-week reprieve from corkage fees for those looking to bring their own bottle.

I suspect the trend of relatively frequent turn-over in this space is going to stop here, as word spreads of Giardino’s meticulous attention to detail in the preparation and service of accessible Italian fare.

For its pizza dough, Giardino uses an imported specialty flour from Caputo, a renowned producer in Naples. The flour is precisely milled for use in wood-fired ovens operating at temperatures above 700° F and boasts a balance of glutens and other proteins that yield the uniquely crispy, chewy textures for which Neapolitan pizza is noted.

My wife DJ and I sampled a healthy cross section of the menu, beginning our meal with two, eight-inch pizzas, a traditional margherita and a funghi. The eight-inch pizzas are billed as appetizers and are very reasonably priced at just $8 each. Immediately evident was the quality of the crust on these pizzas: springy, thin, crisp in places but soft enough to fold over or eat with a knife and fork.

The margherita offered a decadent amount of fior di latte mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil with a drizzle of fragrant olive oil. The funghi, packed with sliced mushrooms, was finished with a handful of tart and peppery arugula, a nice contrast to the earthy richness of the main topping. Based on these initial samplings I’d be keen to try Giardino’s other pizzas, including an unusual creation topped with pistachios.

Though Neapolitan pizza might be Giardino’s focus, one would be remiss to overlook the excellent pastas on offer here.

I tried the restaurant’s take on spaghetti carbonara, for me easily one of the richest and most consistently enjoyable traditional Italian pastas.

The parmesan and cream-based, egg-finished sauce was expertly prepared to just coat the noodles without being soupy while a healthy dose of black pepper enlivened the dish. Sumptuous, thick-cut morsels of bacon contributed a welcome salty crispiness.

DJ sampled a complex and flavourful creation of fettuccine tossed in homemade pesto with cherry tomatoes and sliced olives, a garlicky, robust dish that lent itself particularly well to the wine we paired with the meal, a straightforward and nicely acidic Barbera with subtle notes of licorice and sour cherry.

To balance our hearty mains we tried a novel and surprisingly addictive riff on calabrese salad, made here with broccoli, sunflower seeds, loads of parmesan cheese and a light dressing.

Giardino is located at 115 West 15th St. in North Vancouver. 604-770-4484 giardinopizzeria.com (Be sure to check out their nicely produced, behind-the-scenes video on pizza preparation.)

Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: hungryontheshore@gmail.com.