In this corner .... UNA PIZZA AND WINE BAR (Calgary), February 8, 2015
Mark - 4-maggi: provolone piccante, friulano, or di latte mozzarella + pecorino romano, finished with truffle oil + local urban honey
Sarah - Prosciutto: san marzano tomato sauce, crisp prosciutto, provolone piccante cheese, fresh arugula
AAAAAND, in this corner .... BEAR STREET TAVERN (Banff), March 9, 2015
Mark - Donair: housemade bison donair, onions, tomatoes,shredded lettuce, mozzarella, garlic sweet sauce, pizza sauce
Sarah - The Wheeler Hut: wild forest mushrooms, pine nuts, mozzarella, truffle oil, pesto, pizza sauce (added prosciutto)
Mark - 4-maggi: provolone piccante, friulano, or di latte mozzarella + pecorino romano, finished with truffle oil + local urban honey
Sarah - Prosciutto: san marzano tomato sauce, crisp prosciutto, provolone piccante cheese, fresh arugula
AAAAAND, in this corner .... BEAR STREET TAVERN (Banff), March 9, 2015
Mark - Donair: housemade bison donair, onions, tomatoes,shredded lettuce, mozzarella, garlic sweet sauce, pizza sauce
Sarah - The Wheeler Hut: wild forest mushrooms, pine nuts, mozzarella, truffle oil, pesto, pizza sauce (added prosciutto)
Original Image (c) Capcom/Street Fighter
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG
And both competitors come out swinging ... the 4-maggi is formidable and with an axe-kick it a**-kicked the Donair lettuce which wilted under the onslaught ...
Neapolitan took on Wood-fired Thin-crust ... "All right, we'll call it a draw" ... With all deference to "someone has to lose" the winner of this portion of the cage match is dependent on the proclivity of the pizza proponent. Una is a fold-in-half-and-eat crust, while Bear Tavern is crispier. Although, both are a traditional flat-bread type, it totally comes down to texture preference.
True foodies don't care what the place looks like, as long as the food is good. That being said, a good ambiance contributes to an excellent dining experience. Both restaurants are designed to maximize seating space, bordering on claustrophobic in some areas. Both have minimal waiting areas; we are uncertain about Bear; but Una will take your cell number and text you when your table is ready, that's a bonus! They are both very similar in appearance; Bear has a "hangin' out in the mountains" feel, whereas Una is very urban. We're going to have to call this round a draw.
Let's talk condiments! Unsurprisingly, Bear serves honey as an option with their pizza, in addition to Rosemary Chili Oil; while Una has Garlic Chili Oil available. In true scientific fashion we first tried the pizzas unaltered (as they arrived from the kitchen) before adding condiments; this is a personal rule of ours. Let the experiments begin! Bear's chili flakes and rosemary set in oil possesses a gentle blend of flavours, with neither taking precedence. The Donair pizza from Bear had no need of honey, as the sauce was sweet enough; but it definitely benefited from the chili oil, if only to cut the sweetness back. The Wheeler Hut from Bear was good with both chili oil and honey, kicking the pizza up a notch. While delicious on its own, adding the honey and oil gave it an intriguing blend of sweet, savoury, and spice. The garlic chili oil from Una derives its flavours from chunks of hot peppers and garlic in oil. The oil can be poured on its own, or (Mark's preference) scoop it out with pieces of pepper and garlic. Sarah was too chicken to try it on her pizza. The 4-Maggi, unaltered, was a delightful vegetarian pizza, the 4-Maggi with chili oil was "I must scream it to the world, my excitement from the top of someplace very high" epicurean masterpiece. Mark, being the only one who tried both, declares that Una wins via TKO
Side Note: once the pizza is all gone and there is chili oil left over, what do you do with it? Mark recommends pear slices
Speaking of pairing: Under the terms of full disclosure: we didn't ask our servers for a wine to compliment, we looked at the wine list and made our own decision. Perimeter Syrah/Merlot, USA at Bear takes on Sedara Sicilia, Italy at Una. In this area Una won by dumb-fluke luck ... although the Perimeter was good, it was a unequal partner for either of the pizzas. The Sedara was an exceptional pairing for both of the pizzas consumed at Una. We discovered, upon reading the label, this wine is a recommended mate for pizza. So, maybe not luck after all, perhaps the sommelier at Una just wins ...
A major detractor for pizza is, usually, you cannot consume it immediately and, if you do, you burn your face off. This was decidedly the case with Una. The pies hit the table, you're starving, you eat, and burn the top of your mouth to blisters (fresh out of the oven, yay!) Bear St Tavern pizzas hit the table at the perfect temperature for immediate enjoyment. We are uncertain as to whether that was by design, or inattention. TKO for Bear Street Tavern.
Although, our cage match resulted in Una being the winner by decision, readers are encouraged to conduct their own scientific research to validate/disprove these results. That way, everyone is a winner!
"Pizza Angel, please come to me
Tomato sauce, and cheese so gooey
Pizza Angel, I'm on my knees
I will miss you for eternity!
I'll never forget you, Pizza Angel."
Tomato sauce, and cheese so gooey
Pizza Angel, I'm on my knees
I will miss you for eternity!
I'll never forget you, Pizza Angel."
Silly Songs with Larry
(c) Big Idea Productions
(c) Big Idea Productions