Shades of Nonna in North Vancouver
Il Castello’s Napoletana style pizzas come out of a wood-fired oven
Pizza has a long history. It has travelled the world, and apart from some goofy-brained toppings (honey Sriracha chicken? kimchee?), it hasn't strayed too far from what Neapolitans did with scraps of leftover bread dough. A tomato topping has been a constant since the Spanish conquistadors hauled them to Europe from Peru and Ecuador. They love the volcanic soils of Mount Vesuvius and they are still the tomatoes demanded by the strict rules of Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana to be an authentic Neapolitan pizza.
The first pizzeria, Antica Port Alba, with Mount Vesuvius lava-lined oven, opened in 1830, and some pizzerias take you back to that old-time feel. Il Castello Pizzeria in North Vancouver, with its brick-lined wood-fired pizza oven and simple dining area, pulls you to Italy upon walking in. Owner Francesca Galasso displays photos of her mother, her father, her grandmother, her grandfather (as a carabinieri, or national gendarmerie) and other family heirlooms from the old country as nods to what's inspired her.
“Food was always an occasion in the family, always a big spread and a coming together around the table. It wasn't just come over for cookies and tea.”
The pizzeria is in the former Cinnamon's Chocolate location.
Galasso's Italian father married her mom, a Swede, and they lived in Milan. “They met at Il Castello castle in Milan (thus the name of her pizzeria) and my mom learned how to cook everything from Nonna,” she says. “They moved here in 1977, and I was very much inspired by her cooking.”
She seems to regard her community as family and works with Vancouver Coastal Health's North Vancouver Community Mental Health Team in hiring kitchen staff who want to get back into the workforce.
“We've had lots of success stories,” says the 28-year-old, who opened the pizzeria two years ago.
But I wouldn't be writing about her or Il Castello if the pizzas didn't pull their weight — and of course, they do. The 12-inch pies are $14 to $19 and the room is pretty basic, save for the family memorabilia.
Chef Aaron Lobo was last working for the award-winning Joe Beef Group in Montreal, honing skills at Liverpool House (next door to Joe Beef ) where he cooked rustic, farmhouse style food. Galasso hired Phil Tapping, formerly the assistant bar manager at Blue Water Cafe to run the front of house with her. “I'm super, super fortunate,” she says. “They all found me.”
I liked the all-important pizza crust. It's not the Napoletana style of pizza that is foldable in the middle. It's not thin crust and crispy, nor is it cushiony and bubbled like say, the pizza crust at Bufala (which I love) or Nook. It's lightly bubbled, freckled with charred spots, and has a nice chew. Lobo uses '00' flour (fine, low-gluten, good for pizzas) from Anita's Organic Mill in Chilliwack. “We do an overnight cold fermentation and then temper it at room temperature,” says Galasso.
Upon arriving, you're offered a complementary truffled popcorn snack. Then I tried a couple of the eight pizza offerings. The ‘Prosciutto' came with crudo (cured, uncooked) and cotto (cooked) prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, oven-roasted tomatoes and ricotta sauce, topped with arugula. The quality's there and the crust is wonderful. The ‘Funghi' had a nice combination of flavours going on — celeriac purée, generous pieces of garlic-roasted portobello mushrooms, truffle oil, fontina cheese and a topper of fresh arugula — but the large pieces of mushrooms had dried too much in the hot oven.
For the kids, there's a plainer option with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella; for another $2, they can have Italian ham or salami. And by the way, there is no gluten-free crust. “Flour flies everywhere in the kitchen, and I couldn't confidently call it gluten-free,” says Galasso.
For a more ample meal, there are a couple of salads, antipasti and a starter cavatelli pasta (with a different sauce, daily). I liked my roasted beet and cauliflower salad and the cavatelli pasta (translation: “little hollows” that look like little wee hotdog buns) was tossed in a charred eggplant sauce — an earthy, rustic dish.
A lot of the meats are from Cioffi's in Burnaby (good call!) and from Bonetti Meats in the Fraser Valley. “My family's been buying from Bonetti since they came here in 1977,” says Galasso.
There's a short wine list, mostly Italian, and some local craft beers.
Galasso says she sees a lot of “families escaping from Vancouver house prices” moving into the area and she sees it in her business (which includes takeout). And, she says, she is thinking of adding lunch and has plans for a patio. And sometime in the next few years, she'll be looking for a new location. The current building is slated for demolition.