(dined May 28, 2008)
Two reviewers: ts and js
JS's order: "margherita" (note quotation marks)
[ts]We stopped by for lunch here once day. Since they are the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, we decided to stick with their "flatbreads" (aka pizza).
I went with their special flatbread of the day with tomato sauce, mozza, brown mushrooms, ground beef, roasted red peppers, japapeno-stuffed green olives and Asiago. That fork's there for scale. =) The pizzas were about 8".
[ts]
Mine was "OK." The crust wasn't that soggy in the center, but otherwise, it was average. It (crust) didn't have much flavor. The toppings were also "OK". All in all, "OK". Not bad, per se, but not good either. I actually don't have anything to say about it. It's all a little blaaaahh. Underwhelming, I guess.
[js]
I suppose they hedged their bets a tad with the word "flatbread" instead of "pizza." No way this was "authentic" pizza -- that is, pizza that's more in keeping with the Italian tradition rather than American.
There was too much on the flatbread, too much cheese, too much sauce that it just made the whole flatbread soggy. Big bias: I dislike soggy pizza.
Frankly, I was appalled at the addition of mushrooms to their margherita. It's one thing if the mushrooms actually enhanced the dish. That would have been a consideration for forgiveness. The mushrooms just had no place in the margherita.
I suppose it was my fault for not reading the menu descriptions fully -- but come on, if somebody writes "Margherita," thus invoking the storied tradition behind the name, then I expect them to adhere to the "authentic" way of preparing the aforementioned dish. I've never read that mushrooms were ever a part of the margherita, but if there is an obscure reference that I should know about, then please point me to the proper direction.
This really gets my goat, this bandying about of names with no respect for the tradition behind these names. Long rant on this theme and variations was here deleted.
Everything is forgiveable if the food had been good. However, the food was mediocre at best.
Oh, one more thing was the basil on the margherita was not the sweet basil that is usually used in Italian pizzas. However, I am not taking points off for the basil (I think the mushrooms just took off so many points that it doesn't really matter anymore), because I have no idea if the basil that is identified as "sweet Italian" or "Genovese" basil is the "authentic" basil for this dish. The basil they used had notes of anise or licorice.
[ts]
The quest for great pizza in Vancouver seems a futile one.
Wow JS, you sure are one serious foodie. I agree with you Pizza Margherita should be like the Italian flag, red, white and green (tomato, cheese and basil) and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I like about your food blog. You are honest in your opinions. You tell it the way it is. No sugar coating. Good work girls!
It certainly looks good from wayyyy over here in TO!
ReplyDeletehi to all eatingclub vancouvers,
ReplyDeletegot to apologise on my ma lai koh recipe, the measurement of the baking soda is a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon. The bitterness ccame from the baking soda.
joseph:
ReplyDeleteHaha, sooner or later we're going to get flamed! Well, we sort of have gotten flame already. ;D
peter:
It was "OK"... Maybe youc an do a grilled pizza!! Yes? Yes?
BB's Oven:
We'll keep that in mind when we try the recipe again. I guess the small amount will still result in the required volume/leavening?
I do enjoy reading and participating in food blogs, especially the huge swing between authentic judgement and inaccuracy.
ReplyDeleteIf Rocky Mountain Flatbread was Italian and had a Margherita on their menu then of course it should be authentic to that great Italian work. However, they are not Italian or American and they don't have a Margherita on the menu. What the writer refers to is a pizza they call Basil Boccocini which is one of my favourite.
Personally I have never had such good pizza (sorry, Flatbread) anywhere in the world - and I have eaten a lot of food in over 30 different countries (including pizza in most of them!).
But, these guys go way beyond making a great and healthy product, they care about the community, the environment, the source of our food (the land, farmers, the chefs and all people that bring it to our mouths).
I say thank you Flabread Folk for not only making good and interesting food, but being great community ambassadors. Alfie
While it is a good pizza place, frankly their service leaves much to be desired. We finished out pizza and 3 secs after paying were asked to finish our drinks away from the table to facilitate the next sitting - and to think I pointed out an error in their favour!!
ReplyDeleteAvoid this place...