Italian restaurateur Tony Migliarese (D.O.P.) started the retro-Brooklyn-inspired pizzeria Pizzaface with his former partner, Mike Garth, more than five years ago as a pop-up. They were operating out of Diner Deluxe when Garth’s idea for a pickle pizza was born. The pizza was an instant hit and has been on the menu ever since, following Pizzaface into its current bricks-and-mortar space on 17th Avenue S.W.
We caught up with Migliarese to learn the “knead-to-know” details about the beloved pickle pie.
The Dough
“[The dough] is something we’ve been working on for the last five years,” says Migliarese. “Our dough is airy and light, so it does become hard to work with, but the end product is something we really enjoy.” The combination of the dough’s high moisture content and the oven’s high heat helps the crust crackle up nicely. To help keep the dough consistent, Pizzaface has the same person make all the dough daily.
The Sauce
The sauce is creamy and simple to avoid losing the pickle flavour, with a whipped consistency that makes it spreadable and prevents the pizza from getting too wet while cooking. “It’s just basic cream, made almost like a whipping cream,” says Migliarese. “We add minced garlic and a little bit of black pepper to it.”
The Pickles
Pizzaface covers the pie with Strub’s pickles, a holdover from the days as a pop-up at Diner Deluxe. “We just used the crunchy pickles that they used for their sandwiches,” says Migliarese. The tart Strub’s pickles bring a refreshing acidity to each bite.
The other toppings
Pizzaface uses a basic low-moisture mozzarella for Mike’s Pickle Pizza and finishes with fresh dill and cracked black pepper after it’s cooked.
515 17 Ave. S.W., 403-300-2022, therealpizzaface.com, @pizzafaceyyc