I wrestle with the notion that pizza is junk food.
In part, this is because I adore pizza and I don't want to feel guilty about eating it. Various flavour combinations emerge when pizza crust is the ingredient delivery system. As a child, pizza was positioned to me as a special treat, and part of my youthful eagerness to reach adulthood stemmed from the idea that I'd one day have the means to consume a delicious pie whenever I wanted.
Another reason I struggle with pizza's unwholesome reputation is that there are so many iterations of the dish, some of which reflect such culinary innovation, artisanal spirit or devotion to top quality ingredients that applying a term like "junk" to describe them feels misguided. In recent years, a number of large chain and franchise pizzerias have set up shop on the North Shore. These establishments have found an audience for signature pies that can be replicated at each location with consistent and predictable results. To be sure, many of these mass-produced pizzas are tasty and their ready availability is convenient. However, it seems to be a growing priority for big brands to cram as many calories as possible into a single pie, with even the humble crust now being exploited for its cheese storage and dipping potential. I believe this trend contributes to the "junk food" moniker.
The North Shore is also home to some great independent pizzerias that celebrate the unique personality of the dish. These locations focus less on trying to offer a suitable pizza for every taste and more on perfecting a handful of house specialties that will appeal to select diners. One such independent purveyor of pizza with personality is Crispy, the self-proclaimed "first Persian halal fast food restaurant on the North Shore." Since late 2012, the family-owned restaurant has occupied a street-level space in a residential complex on Marine Drive. The menu is an even split of pizzas and foot-long, hoagie-style sandwiches. Two hungry friends and I sampled what turned out to be an enormous amount of food, including two medium pizzas, a steak sandwich, macaroni and cheese wedges, and onion rings, a selection that could have easily fed five people. The unanimous highlight of the meal was the Crispy Special pizza, a deep, dense pie topped with chicken, pepperoni, mushroom, onions, peppers, tomatoes and olives. Each weighty slice packed enormous flavour. I only managed two slices in the end, plus one slice of the second pizza, a custom veggie creation topped with onion, peppers and fresh tomatoes. The owners' son, Ali Zare, shared some insights with me about the menu as he simultaneously juggled the restaurant's cash register, grill, table service and frequent interactions with the pizza cook. As a 100 per cent halal operation, Crispy has forged relationships with suppliers around the Lower Mainland. This has allowed the owners to hand select high-quality products, often from small family farms and butchers.
These efforts come to life in the winning taste of Crispy's pizzas; ingredients are fresh, full of flavour and, when combined at the hands of the restaurant's cooks, make for some of the best new additions to the local pizza scene.
A tip for those dining on a tight schedule: all menu items are made to order and take up to 20 minutes to prepare.
Phoning ahead to place your order is advised. Also, given the modest size of the family team running the show, availability of home delivery can be spotty.
Some of my other North Shore pizza favourites: ? Colosseum Pizza (Lonsdale Avenue and East 12 Street): Features the Patate Con Algio, an unlikely pie topped with thinly sliced potatoes, feta, onions, garlic and rosemary. It's a spectacular combination.
Raven Pizza (Lonsdale and 18th): A central Lonsdale annex of the eponymous Deep Cove pub, and is home to meaty, generously topped pizzas available on traditional, thin or whole-wheat crust. The Raven Special is a particularly satisfying classic pie with smoked ham, salami, pepperoni, and mushrooms.
Sorrento Pizza (2385 Marine Dr. in West Vancouver): Offers excellent thin crust pies, including the bold Puttanesca, topped with capers, onions, anchovies, garlic, olives and basil.
Crispy is located at 950 Marine Drive in North Vancouver. Phone: 778-3403143.
Chris Dagenais served as restaurant manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned a sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: hungryontheshore@ gmail.com.
