It has been over three years since I last reviewed Bowen Island Pizza Company for this column. At that time, the eatery was a new addition to Lonsdale Quay and had that scrappy independent vibe to it that appeals to me on an innate level.
The small island venue on the main floor of the market was turning out remarkable pies, with particularly exceptional crusts, rivalling some of the best and most celebrated pizza that was coming out of way bigger restaurants with more expensive and elaborate infrastructure.
Back in 2015 Bowen Island Pizza Company (BIP Co. from here on for brevity) had already curated a nice selection of deli goods and it was through these efforts that I discovered the joy of D-Original’s fennel salami, the thin, semi-dry sticks of densely packed pork goodness with explosive flavour.
Fortuitously, I somehow managed to get myself on an impromptu mailing list and was advised when BIP Co. received a limited shipment of D-Original’s intoxicating truffle salami, a hard to come by specialty that will quite literally take your breath away with its potent tuber funghi aroma.
I have frequented BIP Co. with some regularity since that column and have watched with admiration as the diminutive eatery has continued to grow its selection of deli goods, specialty retail items (they sell excellent quality dried pastas with that rustic semolina dustiness that is so often an indicator of good noodles, as well as giant tins of imported tomatoes that are presumably also used in the pizza sauce), and innovative, ever-rotating pizza offerings. BIP Co. is now one of my go-to places for home assembled charcuterie boards, an approach to meal service that I find particularly handy when guests are over. It is here that I buy mildly brined, juicy green Castelvetrano olives, Comte, Gorgonzola, and B.C.-made cheeses, balsamic-marinated Cipollini onions, roasted garlic cloves, and an assortment of small batch, artisanal meats to display with care on one of countless knotted, imperfect cutting boards that I have collected over the years; I suspect the 20-year-old me would cringe at the things that excite me these days. Sorry, little Bro, but slow grazing on fine foods, sipping big Spanish reds and listening to a meticulously developed playlist at home with friends simply slays the late-night club and bar hopping experience.
I nodded in knowing appreciation as I was asked on my most recent BIP Co. visit with visiting family if I was looking for a pizza-based dinner or a deli-based dinner. The question was telling as either is equally possible here today, with no sacrifice of taste or variety in either direction.
Alas, this was to be a pizza column and so pizza it was, with no fewer than five of a possible seven pies ordered (I’m counting a simple kids’ cheese pizza as an option here, in addition to the day’s fresh sheet). I thoroughly appreciate that neighbour Green Leaf Brewing permits patrons to bring in their meals from other vendors to tuck into as they sip brews made on premise. Indeed, I frequently see diners inside the expansive brewery space, with its excellent South-facing patio in the middle of all the action, eating from the signature mountainous plates from Sharkey’s Chophouse or from the immediately identifiable wooden boards of BIP Co. As I had my three kids in tow for this meal, however, I elected to eat outside at one of the new-ish picnic tables that line the outdoor railing of the Quay’s central square, looking out onto an unmatched view of the city.
Among the pizzas sampled this time around was a tasty and thoughtfully developed vegan option that included roasted zucchini, red peppers, black olives, and arugula set atop a creative and punchy spread of cashews flavoured with lemon, turmeric, and pepper. The pizza was colourful, brightly flavoured and unique, standing on its own as a tasty, well-rounded dish. That said, after two slices of the vegan pizza I moved on to a slice of BIP Co.’s most excellent Margherita, a classic pie with fresh basil and tomato, tomato sauce, and loads of melty, creamy bocconcini. It was only via this immediate, side-by-side comparison that I was able to conclude that for my taste, I really do prefer some cheese on my pizza. Of course, if cheese is not part of your regular diet and you have not fetishized it for its romantic history and prominence in the western culinary pantheon the same way I have, you will not find BIP Co.’s vegan pizza to be lacking in any way.
Our little group of seven proceeded to try the pizzeria’s signature Pear and Brie pie, a creation likely familiar to anyone who has visited here before as it has been on the menu from the beginning and is available by the slice throughout most of the day. Caramelized onions, ripe pear and chunks of creamy brie conspire to make this pizza a rich and complex offering, as well as something you will not find on most other pizzeria menus around town.
A daily creation called the Bee Sting was a creative dish made with heady calabrese salami, tomato sauce, mozzarella, velvety ricotta and a drizzle of honey. The combination of funky salami and creamy ricotta, tart tomatoes and sweet honey worked remarkably well and that pizza, along with the Margherita, was polished off on premise in short order.
Whole pizzas are 35 centimetres in diametre and range in price from $20 to $23. Pizza can also be bought by the slice ($5, while quantities permit), as half pizzas ($10 to $12), and as “take and bake”, which requires completion at home in a raging hot 500 degree oven. Charcuterie boards are also available.
Bowenislandpizzaco.com. 604-770-3660.
