I’ve had a few food and drink pairing epiphanies. Blanc de Blancs Champagne with fresh oysters. Aged goat cheese with equally aged Sancerre. Spoon tender lamb shank with Chateauneuf-du-Pape. And Pizzeria Prima Strada’s Margherita pizza with Driftwood Brewery’s Fat Tug IPA.
Okay—before you get all uppity, it’s not just ANY old Margherita pizza (or any old IPA for that matter, but that’s another column). Victoria’s family-owned and-operated Prima Strada has been opened for just more than five years now in my ‘hood, Cook Street Village, and though I’ve tried every single pizza on their menu, plus my fair share of their ever-changing nightly special creations, I only ever order the Margherita. At this point it would be personal sacrilege to not, really. I mean, not having my own amply personal sized pie, simple and delicious crispy, tender round, in the classic Neapolitan tradition, dressed with Italian plum tomato, Vancouver Island’s own Fairburn Farms Mozzarella di Bufala and fresh basil? Unthinkable. Some days I go crazy and add fresh arugula to it, a fragrant mountain of bitterness to play with the sweet tomato and pure, tender water buffalo mozzarella. But it’s not necessary. And, I sate my incessant curiosity by always having a friend to dine with, as long as they are hip to the slice sharing scheme.
It’s fair to say that Cristen DeCarolis Dallas and Geoffrey Dallas didn’t anticipate the devout following that would occur quickly after they opened the doors of their Cook Street Village location in 2008, or their second location on Bridge Street a year and a half later. The couple moved to Victoria from non-restaurant careers in San Francisco, settling on Cook Street Village for the familiar Bay area community feel.
Wanting a change in career and lifestyle, DeCarolis looked to her father’s family’s Neapolitan roots. Combined with a longing for comfortable, casual and delicious place to eat where they could take their two children, they landed on the idea of a pizzeria. Geoffrey toiled for months in the couples’ garage, working on the dough and recipes, until about a year before they opened, when “Birtha” was born. The natural Levin starter feeds on Caputa flour and Victoria tap water daily, continuing to feed the dough and the hungry devotional (like me). In 2011, Pizzeria Prima Strada proudly received designation from VPN Americas, the North American Delegation of the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, an international non-profit organization founded by a group of Neapolitan pizzaiolis. There is no question Prima Strada takes their craft seriously.
Strong community supporters, the Dallas’ feels like Victoria’s extended family, whether you know them personally or not. In addition to their support of Fairburn Farms, they work closely with other artisan producers like The Victoria’s Whole Beast (charcuterie from ethically raised, heritage breed animals), Drumroaster Coffee and, perfectly, the aforementioned Driftwood Brewery, amongst others.
In my ‘hood, the tiled, 875° F wood-fired brick oven anchors the open kitchen, cranking out blistering, thin-crust pizzas while a flurry of black ball-capped cooks stretch, chop and toss to my content. The best seat is at the marble L-shaped bar that boundaries the kitchen, in full purview of the oven and all its alluring aromas. Customers from newborns to octogenarians fill the bustling and cosy room, watched over by striking photographs of Fairburn’s water buffalo. Simple wood tables are quickly covered with glasses of wine (concise and thoughtful selections, with a strong bent to Italy and BC), local and imported beer and steaming pizze, sharable antipasti, and fresh insalate. A few choice booths get snapped up quickly and though there are no reservations, turnover is speedy even with a steady queue of folks through the door. I often call ahead and get take out, walking the pizza two blocks down to Beacon Hill Park for a picnic, or a couple more blocks back home where my Fat Tug IPA is chilling for me. Pairing perfection? Sì, assolutamente!
Pizzeria Prima Strada || 230 Cook Street, Victoria and 2960 Bridge Street, Victoria || primastrada.com
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