The Real Pizza Experience at Pizzeria Libretto

Well, ladies and gentleman, I have found it. The pizza crust that true pizza lovers dream about can be found at Pizzeria Libretto on Ossington. It’s thin, melts in your mouth, and has that natural taste that only real pizza ovens from Naples, Italy can bring. This pizzeria is the only certified “Vera Pizza Napoletana” in Canada, translated as a “true Neopolitan pizza” experience. When you taste pizza like this, you wonder how places like Pizza Pizza can even claim to be selling the same thing. They should be ashamed of themselves!

Unfortunately, I’m not the only pizza aficionado who feels this way about Pizzeria Libretto. It is a hugely popular spot, so expect to be waiting at least half an hour to be seated. We went on a Monday, thinking we could avoid the line, but we still had to wait 45 minutes before we got a table. The convenient thing is, and it makes you wonder why every restaurant doesn’t do this, they take down your cell phone number to call you when the table becomes available. That way, you can go for a drink elsewhere while you’re waiting.

And it’s worth it. Your taste buds will be satiated while you wait for the pizza, with fresh bread and olive oil with a dash of chilli spice. I sampled two pizzas: the “Hot Peppers” and the “Duck Confit”. The first pizza consisted of house made sausage, fresh basil, tomato, mozzarella in small concentric slices, and of course, hot peppers. Being a fan of spicy food, I will say that I could have taken the hot peppers a little hotter, but otherwise, the pizza was terrific. The sausage was fresh and had some kick to it, and I just couldn’t get enough of that crust. On the other hand, the unique duck confit pizza with pears and a white sauce was a sweet alternative to the more traditional tomato pizza, and the flavours were expertly combined.

We ordered two bottles of red wine between six of us, and each ordered our own pizza. Even with the alcohol, it was a very affordable meal, at approximately $36 including tax and tip. The service is friendly, and they are gracious about taking any leftovers home. You might wonder how I avoided eating the whole pizza right then and there; it was challenging, but my will power paid off for a delicious lunch the next day.

When the pizza crust is right, my favourite thing to do is fold the pizza over itself, for a multi-layered bite; my friend Nicole like to roll hers up like a wrap, and let the olive oil drizzle down. Whichever way you like it, Pizzeria Libretto will live up to your expectations.

Pizzeria Libretto: 221 Ossington Ave., Toronto, just south of Dundas.

Recommended Summer Reads

Here are a few summer reads to get your list started. There is a focus on Canadian historical literature so far, but I will add more titles soon.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
This historical novel is based on the true story of Grace Marks, a servant girl from Ireland and a celebrated murderess, who divided social opinion in the mid-1800s, as many believed she was innocent. It takes place in Richmond Hill, Toronto and Kingston, and Atwood does a meticulous job of weaving Grace’s tale with accurate details from the social and economic realms of the time. Dr. Jordan has a curiosity for the ebbs and flows of the human mind and memory, and interviews Grace, to see if he can recover any clues to her innocence. Grace narrates her tale, full of trial and tribulation; a girl who just happened to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time. She tells of precise memories both believable and inconceivable, leaving the reader to decide whether Grace is speaking the truth. A real mystery, this novel plunges the reader into a colourful time period, rife with superstition, spirituality, and extraordinary theories about the landscape of the human mind.


The Birth House by Ami McKay
Set in Nova Scotia in the early 20th century, this novel focuses on a young woman named Dora Rare, who is learning the secrets and mysteries of being a midwife from the wise, spiritual Miss Babineau. It explores the tensions between old world medicine and new world ideas from Dr. Thomas, who pushes to open a clinic for pregnant women near the small town of Scots Bay. This novel explores Dora's journey from a young, easy influenced teenager, who must deal with town gossip, the trials and upstarts of young love, and the tragedy of losses both big and small, to an experienced, confident woman. McKay's descriptive, historical prose, and insight into the hearts and minds of women at the time, make this an indelible summer read.

Women in the 1960s according to Mad Men

I have a slight addiction to watching television shows on DVD, and my most recent obsession is Mad Men. Although I watched the first season when it first came out in 2007, I was put off by the protagonist, Don Draper. He came across as having little to no redeeming qualities, and I found him hard to identify with. But with all the buzz and awards attributed to the show, I decided to give it a second chance. Now, I can’t get enough of it, and find various excuses to watch it instead of doing work, and to bring it up as a point of conversation. Sadly, many people haven’t seen it! Perhaps I can convince you otherwise.

As a starting point, I think it’s important to note the time period in which the show is set: the 1960s. It was an era jam-packed with historical significance; the unprecedented changes in race relations, politics, fashion, gender roles, science and technology, and social customs make a perfect recipe for any dramatic screenwriter. Yet, it would be very easy to do this all wrong. For example, the movie Down with Love. Despite the fact that I really do love this movie, it satirizes the drama of the 1960s, particularly Betty Frieden’s The Feminine Mystique, with a fairy tale ending in which female empowerment is complete.

However, Mad Men takes a more realistic look at the challenges of womanhood at the time, identifying how difficult it is for many women to take control of their desires (both physically and intellectually), in a society still mostly ruled by men. Perfectly sexy Joan Holloway is the “ideal” secretary: she is discreet, pro-active, and has a rack that makes Pamela Anderson look bad. The ad men therefore love her, and many of them tumble over their words just looking at her. Joan’s character takes control of all situations according to her job description, but when she is asked to help with reading television scripts as a favour, this task is quickly taken away from her when they hire a male associate to do the job. Although we see that both Harry Crane and his clients acknowledge her job well-done, Joan is still put aside and plopped right back into her place as a secretary.

Women also struggle with their sexuality, and the many mixed messages in the media do little to help this. Peggy lacks Joan’s sex appeal, and strives to be more like her. When she asks Joan for advice, she tells her to stop dressing like a twelve-year-old girl, while the one “outed” member of the ad team cuts Peggy’s hair without her permission so that she can look sexier. Meanwhile, Peggy is on the creative team, writing copy for advertisements, yet still feels that she must portray sex appeal in order to be accepted. She even sings “Bye Bye Birdie” in front of the mirror, mimicking Ann-Margret whom all the men at the agency love, in her attempts to change.

These are only a few examples of the many nuances and social commentaries seen in the show, and despite my bias Mad Men certainly appeals equally to both sexes. The men will be drawn to the male camaraderie of the advertising world - a world filled with whiskey and women – while women will be drawn to the variety of female characters who struggle through a stereotypical men’s world, but with the luxury of having fabulous outfits.