Nonna's Ristorante

After hearing great things about Nonna's from my co-worker, Shawn and I went there for dinner tonight. Being a huge fan of white pizza, I ordered the Gianfranco alla Bandiera ($15.99), which is a thin-crust pizza with fresh mozzarella, sliced garden tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil, and prosciutto crudo. What I loved most about this pizza was the simplicity of the ingredients and the purity of the flavours. You could taste every single individual topping and distinguish every single texture. The salty, slightly smoky flavour of the prosciutto complemented the sweetness of the basil; likewise, the milkiness of the mozzarella balanced out the tartness of the tomatoes (which were cooked to perfection — not soggy or watery or stringy like overcooked tomatoes). The crust was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and perfectly flavourful, drizzled with olive oil and baked with herbs. It's not too thick that it overwhelms the toppings, nor too thin that it's not substantial enough. This is not a crust you leave on your plate.

What you see is what you get, and it really works here. Unlike most of the pizzas found at fast food chains, this one is light and not greasy at all — as authentic Italian pizza should be. One pie is more than sufficient for one person, but it is tempting to order more than one just to try the different toppings. Our waitress was nice, efficient, informative, and attentive but never hovering. The space, while small, is clean and simply decorated, and has a very relaxing, rather romantic atmosphere with dim lighting and red walls. I will definitely be returning here — I want to try the Pizza alla Calabria or the Quattro Formaggio next, and then venture into the pasta.