Restaurants
Homebake Pizza Company
Homebake Pizza Company in Roncesvalles is clearly onto something.
While making fresh pizza from scratch at home is fun, it takes time and effort that I often don't have. Options for good delivery pie in Toronto are also quite limited (I won't touch Pizza Pizza with a 10-foot cardboard pole, Mama's arrives as a soggy messpool, and I'm kind of tired of resorting to and spending money on even the best of the take-out joints like Pizzaaoilo and Magic Oven over and over again).
Although the shop has been around for about a year now, I'd yet to try the Homebake approach. A craving for some delicious pizza, and a desire to indulge in a bottle of South African Chenin Blanc (with my special babe, on the balcony, overlooking High Park, as the sun goes down) sealed the deal.
We stop by Homebake Pizza Company and take our time exploring the extensive list of popular combinations and the seemingly endless list of fresh ingredients including everything from organic slider sausage to baby arugula for the create-your-own types. Basic pizzas are $13.95 (11"x14") and $15.95 (12"x18") and ingredients range in price based on pizza size and topping type.
The Homebake pizza starts with freshly made, hand-rolled, unbleached organic or multigrain crust. The also do a spelt crust and gluten-free version as well. Sauce choices include an organic tomato sauce, organic garlic glaze, and savoury basil pesto sauce. Then come the cheeses, and again the selection is wide (from mozzarella, feta, chevre, asiago, gorgonzola, and more).
We opt to go halvsies on a regular-sized (11" x 14") pizza (fear not, they don't charge you extra for half ingredients like some pizza joints do). I chose the "Saloomi" (spicy Italian salami with roasted and fresh mushrooms) and my sweetie went with a vegetarian option - the "Opa" (baby spinach, red onion, feta & chevre cheeses, and she easily substitutes the kalamata olives for asparagus for a little extra since it's from the premium ingredients list). The're glad to be accommodating of any special requests (they were even quick to make up a special basil-less sauce for the next guy in line, due to an allergy).
Within fives minutes, our pizza is wrapped and ready to go. We talk briefly about how we wish there was an effective and affordable alternative to self-clinging plastic wrap, but overall the packaging seems quite reasonable.
But before zipping home to preheat the oven, I decide to blow my cover and reveal myself as a blogTOer so I can pick the owner's brain a little and take some behind-the-counter photos.
"This [take and bake concept] has been going on in the States for 10 years," Cassidy explains. The brain behind the relatively novel-to-Toronto idea, she used to work in the film industry but gave it all up to pursue the unique pizza shop adventure. "We've always been a big cooking family," she adds.
A year into business, the shop has developed a loyal, mostly local clientele. "Some people come in and pick up three or four at a time," she says. "In the fridge they stay quite fresh for 24hours, and they freeze very well for about a month."
But there was no way we're freezing this fresh and ready-to-bake beauty. We're far too hungry, and the sun is laying low in the sky. Off to the balcony we go.
We preheat to 425F and slide the pie (sitting atop of parchment paper) into the oven for about 14minutes before we deem the crust a perfect golden colour, and see that the cheese is bubbling happily. If the aromas permeating throughout the kitchen and all the way out onto the balcony are any indication, we're in for a treat.
So... how does it stack up against delivery or store-bought frozen varieties? After allowing our pizza to cool for a few minutes, we both sink our teeth in and at first bite are convinced that it's really no contest. Homebake is quite simply a stellar pizza, and well worth the extra cost.
We both agree that the crust is perfect - thin, light, crispy, and it has a pleasant little chew. We're also striking a chorus and both singing the praises of the tomato sauce - it's light, and strikes the sweet/tart/salty balance just right. Ingredients hold well too, ensuring all the toppings end up in the mouth and not on the shirt.
We gobble it up slice by slice. Then my smiling dinner companion tries to convince me that if she lived right in the area of the shop, she'd never order delivery pizza again. I try to convince her that it's worth the drive/ride/hike over there... but either way, we'll be going back for more.
We're excited to try the other crust types and topping combinations, and, when we're feeling motivated, may try the basic pizza and pile on our own toppings at home as well.
And there's something extra neat about the take-and-bake arrangement that is akin to icing on the cake; because we cook it at home, there's no tax added to the purchase!
Tues-Thurs 3-8pm
Fri 3-9pm
Sat 2-9pm
Sun 2-8pm
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BTW, they should have called the place Kramer's pizza.
-- Luciano Galasso
Second, what does it matter if this idea is original or not original. Loblaw's has been doing take and bake pizza for years...it tastes like hell.
Home Bake is the freshest and tastiest option in Toronto for take and bake.
Now if they would only make it delivery and bake (they bring it to you and you cook it) that would be both original and ideal for convenience. Until then, this is a good option if you live close to their location. Don't see many people driving from Leslieville to pick up a pie in Roncesvalles to bake at home in Leslieville.
http://homebakepizza.ca/hbpc/The_HomeBake_Pizza_Company____Torontos_First_Take_and_Bake_Pizza_Shop.html