Ignite Pizzeria

The Neapolitan pizza game in Vancity has slowed down a bit over the years with a few spots opening up every now and then.  For awhile there, it seemed like a new one came onto the scene every week.  Some thrived while others disappeared (even before I could try them!).  One untapped market is the Neapolitan-style slice pizzeria (go in, grab one or two slices to go).  Some purists might point out that is not the optimal way of eating this style of pizza, but really, I personally don't mind and accept it for what it is.  Pizza Garden seemed to have the market cornered in this regard, but a new place just down the road on Main Street, Ignite Pizzeria, attempts to do the same thing.

We decided to check it out after Monday night softball with the 6 of us.   Looking over the menu, it seemed like a better deal to get 4 large pizzas rather than a smaller one for each person.  So we started with the Meat Lover sporting Parma prosciutto, soppressata, Italian sausage and bacon.  This was a hearty and flavourful pizza due to the amount of meat on top.  As such, the middle of the pizza was a little soft, but the rest of it was crispy and chewy (can be as such since the large pizza has more surface area).  I found the outer edges a bit thicker, but it wasn't a problem.  Underneath, there was sufficient leoparding where the crust was nutty and aromatic.  Next up, the Pesto Chicken exhibited more discernible flavours with a bright pesto, tender chicken, sweet red peppers and woodsy mushrooms.  The crust also held up a bit better due less moisture.  There was plenty of mozzarella and fior di latte atop the tangy tomato sauce.

My favourite of the 4 we ordered had to be the S+B Guiseppe Cortinovis' Choice consisting of tomato sauce, fior di latte, mozzarella, sopressata, bacon, caramelized onions and black olives.  Although it shared similar qualities as the meat lover, the addition of onions (could've been more caramelized) and olives added different layers of briny saltiness and sweetness.  This really helped elevate the impact of flavour.  Furthermore, the crust on this one remained more crispy and was actually thinner for some odd reason.  The result was a delicious pizza in taste and texture.  Our last one was the Parma Prosciutto with the aforementioned meat and arugula along with the same tomato sauce, fior di latte and mozzarella.  This didn't skimp on the prosciutto and hence, the aromatic saltiness really came through.  It was nicely balanced off by the large amount of fresh peppery arugula.  Predictably, the crust was even crunchier on this one due to the absence of wet toppings.  Overall, we enjoyed the pizza at Ignite and wouldn't hesitate to come back to grab a slice or two.

The Good:
- Generous with the toppings
- Chewy crunchy crust (except for the more moisture-ladened options)
- Liked their rosemary garlic oil

The Bad:
- Outside crust portion can be slightly dense
- Is a pricier slice pizza option (but toppings and quality make up for it)