The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Prince St. Pizza is famous for having one of the best slices in New York City and now, they're here to take over that title in Toronto with the opening of their first international location.
I got invited to check out the new spot located in Toronto's much-anticipated project, The Well, and was impressed by everything, from the ingredients to the branding and, most importantly, the taste.
You've probably seen Prince Street Pizza's version of a pepperoni pizza on Instagram or TikTok, but now you can actually try it for yourself. And let me tell you, Toronto will be glad to have a pizza like this in the city. Trust me.
Here's a first look and taste test of Prince St. Pizza in Toronto.
The story behind Prince St. Pizza
Different pies from Prince St. Pizza.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
Like a Detroit-style pizza, Prince St. Pizza's Sicilian offerings come in rectangular shapes, but the difference is that it's thinner and less doughy than its Motown counterpart.
The Sicilian slices also have more sauce and less cheese when compared to a Detroit-styled pie.
But if you prefer just a round pizza cut into triangles, Prince St. Pizza has those too. In fact, one of my favourite ones was a round pizza, so don't overlook it.
Prince St. Pizza was founded in 2012 by a father and son duo, Frank and Dominic Moran, who wanted to bring Sicilian recipes to the Big Apple. Since then, the pizza joint has opened restaurants in Los Angeles, Miami and now, Toronto.
The new Toronto location will probably be a fan-favourite, but you can also expect to run into a celebrity from time to time. That's because Lawrence Longo, the owner and CEO of Prince St. Pizza in Toronto, is best friends with Pretty Little Liars' Shay Mitchell, and much of their friendship revolves around food.
Other Prince St. Pizza locations have attracted big-name celebs such as the Kardashians, Usher, Joe Jonas, Wayne Gretzky, Ryan Seacrest and more. There's a whole picture wall to prove it.
Longo told Narcity that Mitchell wants him to open another store in Vancouver, which could quickly become a reality — so stay tuned, Vancity.
Longo says he loves his hometown of Toronto and while he's always wanted to bring Prince St. Pizza to the 6ix, he says he's got plenty of respect for the other pizza joints in town.
"Toronto's got amazing pizza, like Badiali would probably be one of the best pizzas in any city," he said. "We're not coming here being like, 'Oh, we're the big bad boys from New York City.'"
He said Prince St. Pizza is in its own category that's "completely different than everybody else," and he wasn't wrong.
The Pizza
Spicy Spring pizza.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
The pepperoni slice at Prince St. Pizza, also known as the Spicy Spring, looked the most delicious of all the options.
I personally don't eat pepperoni, but the smell and look of the thick slice still made me want to take a bite.
Instead, I asked a friend who loves Toronto's food scene to take a bite and let me know what he thinks compared to the other pep pizzas in the city. He said it was "actually pretty good" and the "pepperoni was absolutely loaded with pepperoni."
"Super high quality and tasty," he added. It "has a unique sweetness to it that I haven't tasted before."
Prince St. Pizza is also famous for its Spicy Vodka option, and if you like pepperoni, vodka sauce with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, you will love this slice.
For non-meat pizza eaters like myself, Prince St. Pizza had a lot to offer and it wasn't just your basic vegetarian pizza.
The Sunset Square and The Fancy Prince.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
One of my favourite vegetarian pizza options was The Sunset Square. It has the perfect balance between sweet and savoury with every bite. The cheese was also super fun because it gave that stringy pull, which makes for a great pizza experience. I don't think I've ever had a pizza slice like this before.
The Sunset Square has sweet marinara, fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, pecorino romano and garlic. Yum!
Even though it's a thick pizza, I could've quickly eaten a couple of slices, mainly because the dough was more like focaccia than your average pizza crust, which made the whole experience even better.
Another favourite of mine was The Fancy Prince. It's a round pizza similar to a classic margarita but so much better. The thin crust slice comes with fresh mozzarella, original pizza sauce, fresh basil, pecorino romano and extra virgin olive oil.
If you're looking for something light and flavourful, this slice would be a great option.
Many pizzas in a box.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
The Green Machine is another vegetarian option with a nut-free pesto base, mozzarella, ricotta and black olives.
As you can see, Price St. Pizza has 16 different pies available at their Toronto location, including a vegan option too. Slice prices vary from $5 to $7.50.
Even though the restaurant's concept is mainly a grab-and-go pizza slice kind of vibe, you can also opt to buy a whole pie for yourself, and those prices vary from $29 to $40.
But the best experience, in my opinion, is to get a box and fill it with a bunch of different kinds of slices to do your own taste test at home.
The Ingredients
Prince St. Pizza box and pie.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
Many things need to be considered to keep the pizza authentic to its NYC roots. Longo said finding the same ingredients "was definitely a battle" and the biggest one regarded a main ingredient: water.
Prince St. Pizza actually tries to replicate NYC water to keep the same taste. They use a special water filtration system that changes Toronto's water into New York's version because it's an essential ingredient in pizza dough. In fact, the same system is used to re-create New York water at bagel and pizza shops across the United States.
Everything is made fresh in-house, including their cooked pizza and pasta sauces. Longo added that Canada has tighter food safety rules than the U.S., but that only makes for a higher-quality product.
Even though the recipes originate from the New York location, the pizza place is looking for ways to make a special that would only be available in Toronto. Got any ideas? Maybe a maple syrup-based pizza?
The Location
Pep pizza.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
Prince St. Pizza is located in The Well on 470 Front Street West in Toronto. It's right underneath Sweat & Tonic, one of Toronto's busiest gyms.
There isn't a seating area, and it's pretty cozy. So, if you were looking for somewhere to sit for dinner, this wouldn't be it. But if you want to grab a slice, walk around, or take it to-go, this is your spot.
The merch and decor on the walls give customers much to admire while waiting in line, especially the wall of fame. You'd be surprised how many celebrities have visited the pizza joint in America.
Prince St. Pizza
Mira wearing Prince St. Pizza merch and eating a pie.
Price: 💸
Address: 470 Front St. W., Toronto
Cuisine: Pizza
Why You Need To Go: To try authentic Sicilian-styled pizza from New York City that tastes and looks fantastic. You can quickly flood your Instagram page with drool-worthy slices, just like you probably did with a slice from Pizzeria Badiali.
But I'll warn you, the flavours get pretty addictive, so don't come for me if you have a Prince St. Pizza craving the next day.
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