Bye-bye, pizza... hello, pinsa! With scissors!
We tried this place on a whim, having seen their sign advertising "PINSA" and thinking "What's that?" We looked it up online and learned it was a unique flatbread-type thing from Rome - a bit like a pizza, but not pizza - pinsa! Friends had planned to go to Rome, but the pandemic forced them to cancel, so we suggested we eat like they do in Rome instead - and headed to Venga Cucina.
Big menu: there's a huge assortment of pinsas to choose from - both meat and vegetarian offerings (in the 15 to 22 dollar range). There are weekly specials, too, which all sounded tempting when described. But we were here to sample the pinsa.
Each of our foursome chose a different type. Pinsas are more oval-rectangular shaped, made from a special mix of flours, and prepared by a special technique. When they arrived, we were especially charmed to see that they were served with SCISSORS! No struggling to try to slice through that crispy-chewey deliciousness with knives and forks here. You just snip, snip, snip!
That first bite: WOW! Thin and crispy and chewy and oh-so LIGHT! This dough was truly something different. So airy and bubbly. And hot out of the oven!
We tucked into our pinsas so fast and furious it wasn't until they were almost gone that we remembered we should exchange with each other. I chose the margherita, with fior di latte. The fresh tomato sauce was so fresh and light and lovely. The other pinsas were delicious, too. All of the topping combinations were unique and had so much flavor. Pro tip: check the pinsa menu online first so you don't spend way too long deciding what to order, like me. We paired with a bottle of waiter-recommended house Chianti - which was great ($50).
The dining room along Dundas in The Junction strip is lovely - spacious, elegant, comfortable. This would be a great place for an event or party. (And there's a side outdoor patio.) Our server was super friendly - efficient, informative and relaxed. He set the perfect tone for this place which is confident about their offerings, helpful in all the right ways, but not overly swooning over you as a customer.
After we were done, the pinsa master came to our table to tell us all about his craft, show us the special flour mix he uses, and describe what goes into making the pinsa dough - which needs to sit for 3 days! Because of that, their planning has to be spot-on... or they might run out of pinsa dough!
Venga Cucina takes an enormous amount of pride in their food and their craft - and it shows :) I'm glad I discovered the pinsa - we'll definitely be back to try more. read more