Watching students buy groceries is like watching the food pyramid crumble: the average university student diet consists of Kraft Dinner, coffee, beer, and frozen pizza. This last item disturbs me the most, because frozen and delivery pizzas that taste like their cardboard packaging do not do the dish justice. Chain companies that sell two pizzas for the price of one are making up in quantity what they lack in quality, and the ingredients are far from fresh. Real pizzas made with freshly sliced mozzarella, seasonal vegetables, and authentic tomato sauce passed down through the generations are rarely seen on campus or in grocery stores, but they're all over Montreal. A traditional pizzeria, minus the checkered table cloths, may even be date appropriate. Here are two very different pizzerias that are a short walk from campus and will make you boycott the frozen pizza aisle.
Prato: 3891 St. Laurent; 514-285-1616
Prato is a cross between a bistro and a pizzeria. Floor to ceiling windows with views of bustling St. Laurent meet pizza the Sicilians might actually be proud of. The exposed brick on the walls extends to a pizza oven that is bigger than most Upper Rez rooms. There's less of a student crowd at Prato, which makes it a perfect escape for a date.
Atmosphere aside, Prato has mastered the thin, crispy crust with a chewy centre. A pizza crust shouldn't crunch and flake like a cracker, nor should it have to be chewed to the point that it has no flavour, and Prato has found the balance. The traditional margherita pizza, dressed in mozzarella, tomato sauce, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil is simple enough to satisfy any palette. Other specialties include the Pizza Fausto, with tissue-thin prosciutto, basil, goat cheese, and garlic. The more adventurous should try the tomato-free Pizza Bianca, which is dressed in a cream sauce, mozzarella, bacon, and rosemary. A list of two dozen additional toppings is available, including sundried tomatoes, red peppers, Italian sausage, and, of course, extra cheese. Diners can watch their pizza cook work in the brick oven. And to emphasize its freshness, each pizza is directly brought from the oven to the table while on a steaming cookie sheet. The accompanying charcoal aroma is unique to the brick oven and can't be found in a frozen pizza. Prato's combination of fresh ingredients, simplicity, and elegance makes you wonder how anyone ever thought pizza could be reproduced in a microwave.
Amelio's: 201 Milton; 514-845-8396
When it comes to convenience and satiety, Amelio's delivers-literally. If you live outside the ghetto, or are drowning in textbooks and term papers, Amelio's ultra-filling pizzas will come to the rescue. Delivery or takeout may be faster options on most nights, as the dining room is small and a line forms quickly. Anyone lucky enough to nab a seat will be charmed by the soft lighting and cozy feel of this partially underground pizzeria. Their pizzas are hearty, to say the least, with at least an inch of dough below the mound of cheese and toppings. A well stacked pie will cost between $10-15 per person, and includes salad and steaming bread. Their famous white pizza, with five cheeses and a cream sauce, will make your arteries cringe but your stomach say yes. It's not humanly possible to eat more than a few slices of an Amelio's pizza, so one pie is an investment for future meals. For a quick, carbohydrate-filled meal, Amelio's is a casual and inexpensive option right in the McGill Ghetto.
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