The Tomato | Fa(shion).Fi(lm).Fo(od).tography

Appetizer – Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella Balls

Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria, number 53 on The Tomato Food & Drink’s top 100 best things to eat or drink in Edmonton, Alberta, has been a mainstay in the city ever since it opened its first location at Jasper Avenue and 118 Street in 2005. Over the years, Famoso has expanded to 26 restaurants between three provinces with a 27^th franchise opening in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan come this spring.

Pizza isn’t something that I go out for regularly, but, when I do, it should come out of the oven hot, flavourful and it shouldn’t be too heavy in the stomach. Famoso’s pies certainly fit the bill.

Out of all the times I have been, I have not once tried the margherita pizza, which was mentioned in the Tomato’s list. However, I have tried a number of the others, including the Sweet BBQ Chicken and Spicy Thai, and very much enjoyed them.

My latest visit to the original downtown location was a chance for me to use my soon-to-expire Groupon. The voucher included an appetizer, a regular pizza and a seasonal pizza, allowing for a nice variety during our meal.

Immediately upon entering the establishment, I noticed that it looked refreshed. I’m not sure when it happened, but I think the space had a new coat of paint and the booths had been reupholstered fairly recently. We grabbed a table and immediately started perusing the menu. One improvement I noted was that they now include a note pad at the table, so you can jot down everything you want without having to work from memory when you head over to the till to place your order (maybe they always had them, but I had never seen that before and I thought it was great addition). The only thing they should also provide is a pen or pencil as well.

The front counter

As a further comment, I always found it strange that a sit-down restaurant with servers that bring your food over to you and will take subsequent requests for drinks and desserts at the table later requires you to take your initial order to the counter. But, after thinking further about it while dining this time, I can see a couple of benefits. The first is that you can take your time going through the menu and picking out the items you want without the server stopping by every few minutes to ask if you’re ready. The second is that when you are ready, you can make sure you’re not waiting for someone to come by before you can get your order in, meaning you can delight in your meal at your own pace. Service is usually attentive as they make sure they are well staffed to handle and attend to the tables.

Regarding the food, I feel that it has always been tasty, but the menu has diversified and incorporated many more elements that bring in new flavours from different cultures and I love it. This particular dinner, my mother and I shared a small order of the Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella Balls as well as the Cavoletti and Moo Shu BBQ Duck pizzas.

As an appetizer, the Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella Balls are a great starter. The small size comes with three of the mozzarella balls smothered in a light tomato sauce with a side of fresh flatbread. I have never really been a fan of the tomato paste type sauces put on most pizzas, so it’s nice to know that this dish incorporates a simple, quick-cook sauce that isn’t overpowering and still lets the flavours of the prosciutto and gooey mozzarella shine through.

The Cavoletti pizza bianca – one of my favourites!

The Cavoletti falls under the white pizza category (no sauce) and is topped with Brussels sprouts, prosciutto crisps, gorgonzola cheese, dates, walnuts and a bit of honey. I will say that the first time I ate this pizza, I was a little skeptical, but it has become a favourite and is now ordered almost every time I go to Famoso. I’m a sucker for the combination of nutty, salty and sweet flavours that come out in recipes like this. The textures of this pizza are fantastic as there is a nice crunch from the oven-roasted Brussels sprouts, prosciutto crisps and walnuts. On another occasion I added duck as a topping and it paired well, reminding me a little bit of the BBQ Duck Clubhouse sandwich made at Cactus Club Café with its Peking duck, roasted chicken, San Daniele prosciutto and pecan fruit bread.

Our second pizza, the Moo Shu BBQ Duck is seasonal for fall/winter 2014 and falls under the new world pizzas list on the menu. This one has toppings that include house-made hoisin sauce, fior-di-latte (mozzarella), pulled duck, green onions and chopped cilantro (not a flavour that suits my palate, so I typically ask to have it omitted if I can). This was reminiscent of the many Peking duck dinners that I have eaten at New Dragon Palace where you build wraps filled with crispy duck skin, duck meat, hoisin sauce and julienned carrots and green onions. The barbecue taste provided extra bite and heat, which I appreciated as someone who likes spice.

The Moo Shu BBQ Duck new world pizza

Best of all, the food showed up at our table piping hot – not always the case in the past – and I was glad as my mom needs her food to be almost scalding, otherwise, to her, the meal becomes “just okay” or subpar, so big props to the kitchen this time around.

It was also extremely busy at the Jasper Avenue location this particular Saturday. I’m not sure if some people were coming in to use up their Groupon as I was, but having arrived for an early supper at four o’clock that afternoon, we saw the place fill up promptly afterwards, and the stream of people coming into the place did not let up at all.

As a whole, if you love authentic Italian cuisine (all owners and managers of each new franchise go through an intensive training program in Naples, Italy), Famoso will not disappoint.

For a more in-depth look at the establishment’s involvement in the Edmonton community and its efforts towards sustainability visit The Local Good to read my profile of Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria.

Pork belly with poached egg

We might be a little late to the game, but my friend and I recently came across The Tomato Food & Drink‘s list of the top 100 best things to eat or drink in Edmonton. Naturally, the two of us decided that we would use 2014 to make our way through, at least, each and every restaurant, market or merchant mentioned. I say “at least” because some of the places are cited more than once as the list consists of not just, for example, the venue as a whole, but, rather, specific dishes or beverages.

The first establishment we chose to visit was Three Boars Eatery (@ThreeBoars). I’m not sure how long the restaurant has been around, but I only recently realized that it has been tucked along 109th Street and 84th Avenue. We dined on a chilly Thursday evening, arriving a little early for our reservation. Walking up to the door, it was unassuming. Stepping into the place, we were practically standing at the bar, which had a couple of patrons already dining. The space on the main floor is mostly taken up by the kitchen, and the seats that are available consist of stools in front of the bar and along the window that looks out to the street.

As soon as we entered, the bartender acknowledged us and the host came down to greet us. Since we had made a reservation, our table was ready despite our premature appearance. The dining room on the second floor is quite tiny – only eight tables that seat a total of 26 people in various configurations. However, it didn’t feel cramped or like we were in the midst of someone else’s conversation. Sparsely lit upstairs, it certainly set a mood – intimate, yet cool with its rustic wood and lack of extraneous decor.

Our server explained how the menu works – all plates are meant to be shared tapas-style and, for two people, she recommended ordering four to five dishes. The two of us mulled over the menu for a few minutes and opted to choose two each. I chose a caramelized onion and oka tart along with the pork belly. My friend chose a roasted carrot and beet salad plus the lamb neck croquette. We both ordered a drink as well.

A sample menu from Three Boars Eatery’s website. It changes regularly.

Upon ordering, we inquired if the four dishes would be enough and the server reassured us that it was. Our drinks were brought over promptly and the food made its way to our table at regular intervals shortly after.

The first plate we had was the lamb neck croquette, which was essentially shredded lamb shaped into a cylinder and breaded on the outside, so it had a crisp outer shell and warm meaty center. The two croquettes (perfect for sharing) sat atop what I believe was a vinaigrette with lentils and was garnished with some sort of slaw (I really should have paid more attention to what it said on the menu). I really enjoyed this dish. The bite to the meat with the consistency of the breading married well with the crunch of the slaw, and all of that soaked up the delicious sauce.

Lamb neck croquette

Plate number two consisted of the roasted carrot and beet salad, which also contained pickled egg, mixed greens and smooth goat cheese. I’ve never been much of a fan of carrots, beets or pickled anything, but I’m willing to give almost everything a try and I have to say this was a fantastic salad. The beets were tender, the carrots weren’t too hard, the egg was nice and soft and they did not skimp on the goat cheese (the best part!).

Roasted carrot and beet salad

The remaining two dishes arrived as we were just finishing our salad. We began with the tart. To be honest, I could not remember what oka was when I ordered the dish, but I’m a bit of a sucker for a good pastry crust and it just sounded tasty. I wasn’t wrong. It is a simple dish, but one that I think has wide appeal. The sweetness of the caramelized onions layered with the copious amount of warm, melted oka cheese and the slight bitterness from the arugula that topped the tart made it delectable. To finish off, the two of us split the pork belly dish. The belly is quite fatty – something I tend to forget – but it was cooked in a way so that the outside was browned and the meat had a springiness to it. To the side was, I’m guessing, steel cut oats (based off of the sample menu I pulled off their site and posted above) with a poached egg. All of that was sitting in a pool of broth. We split open the egg and the yolk ran out and mixed with the broth and oats. The result was a slightly salty meat with a side of what reminded me of a creamy custard in terms of texture and taste.

Caramelized onion and oka tart with arugula

While we were too full to indulge in dessert, we weren’t rushed and were able to chat over what was left of our drinks. All in, the bill came out to just under $40 per person, not including tip.

Stiegl Radler

I really enjoyed the evening and the food was memorable. In fact, with their menu changing so frequently, I would certainly consider returning to try some different items. Although that likely won’t be anytime soon, I would say that the service and the thoughtful preparation to the dishes will keep this place firmly planted in my mind for the future. And, since the cost can be a little high depending on the plates ordered, it may be a special occasion that finds me there next.

Fa(shion).Fi(lm).Fo(od).tography

Tag Archives: The Tomato

Edmonton Restaurant Review: Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria (Jasper Ave)

Edmonton Restaurant Review: Three Boars Eatery

Spread the word:

Spread the word: