The Best Pizza in Canada Might Be in Calgary
Noble Pie's crust is in the highest tier
Greetings from Washington, D.C. I’m here for another week and a half until jetting off to the United Kingdom, then I’ll be in Minnesota through the winter holidays. Next year I will be in Philadelphia and then the Boston area, and I have no plans beyond April 2025. Anywhere I should go? Will you be where I’ll be in the next few months? I’d love to see you.
It has been a long time since my last missive, so below is a recap of where I’ve been in the last couple years. Blue dots are where I’ve stayed for a while, and green dots are places I’ve explored short-term.
I spent much of September and October of this year in Western Canada, primarily in Calgary. The YYC Pizza Fest took place in the middle of my stay (YYC is Calgary’s airport code), which highlighted dozens of area pizzerias and made my research easier. I took notes and photos of at least 34 different pizzas I tried in Western Canada during this time.
Noble Pie
Calgary’s Noble Pie is an incredible gem.
My first attempt to try it with a couple friends resulted in failure: they have an online waiting list, and we got on it with a queue of twenty or so parties in front of us. This was untenable for our hunger at the moment. Days later, I went solo at the hour they opened to snag a seat at the bar.
The interior décor of Noble Pie is a nod to the vibe of classic pizzerias with wood paneling, stained glass light fixtures, and classic Coca-Cola branded menu signs. A cabinet behind the bar is decorated with paper menus and postcards from some logos I recognised. I stood up and leaned over to get a closer look, and noticed stuff from Paulie Gee’s and Roberta’s in Brooklyn, Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia, Scottie’s in Portland, Scarr’s in Manhattan, and a bunch more. All souvenirs from the best pizzerias in North America. The pizza I’m about to get has to be good, right?
And it was. When I got my pie, the most noticeable visual feature of the crust is the bubbling and blisters on the edges.
When yeast in pizza dough ferments, it traps carbon dioxide gas which expands when heated. This impacts the flavour as well as the airiness and texture of the crust. In Neapolitan style pizza, which is commonly fermented for 24 hours, it's normal to see the result of this process look similar to a leopard print around the edges and on the bottom. In New York style, which is commonly fermented around 24 hours and sometimes up to three days, seeing some bubbling and a few darkened blisters on the edge of your pie is normal. If you try fermenting dough beyond a couple days, it becomes increasingly difficult to control and to make consistent. That, and if you’re a restauranteur, a multiple-day fermentation process means you are having to start your prep for Saturday’s pizzas that many days prior in the week.
The crust here has a wild combination of large, medium, and very small bubbles and blisters encompassing the entire edge. It’s unique and impressive. I had to inquire with Noble Pie’s owner and pizzaiolo, Mike Lange. He told me their “dough starts with a poolish1 and undergoes a four to five day cold fermentation.” Four to five days! He added, “we’re definitely pushing the boundaries of the fermentation but I’ve found this timeline works best for our dough’s unique character.”
Picking up a slice is reminiscent of a premium New York slice, where you can grip it with a couple fingers and your thumb, and with a slight bend it holds its shape without drooping. It’s firm but pliable, and resists cracking. The flavour richly hits the main tastes oddly evenly: it’s a bit salty, a bit sweet, and a bit sour. It has a thick chew while still feeling airy, with a crisp edge.
I got the “Sweet Cheesus” where atop the crust and tomato sauce is aged and fresh mozzarella, caciocavallo, Grana Padano, and Pecorino. Sicilian oregano and Mike’s Hot Honey finish it off. The medley of cheeses is less of a blend and more of an orchestra, where the notes of saltiness, milkiness, and bitterness played in crescendos as I pondered each bite. Mike’s Hot Honey adds a layer of spice and sweetness, in balance, with a stickiness that keeps the mix on your tongue and inside your mouth for a few moments longer.
On my second visit, a friend and I got the exact same pizza again. We would sometimes pause to look at each other to express that what we were tasting was incredible.
I’ve sought out over a hundred pizzas in all ten provinces and in every major city across Canada and I cannot think of a place that is as close to pizza perfection in the country as Noble Pie. It’s also in the top ten pizzas I’ve ever had in the world.
Noble Pie, Back Alley Entrance, 720 11 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2R 0E4
Archie and Ronnie
For my stay in Calgary, I was housesitting for cats Archie and Ronnie, who quickly became great coworkers. Archie recently had dental work, including removing a tooth, which resulted in a periodic, adorable smirk.
Archie otherwise would follow me around from room to room, cuddle at night, and out of all the cat toys in the home favoured hair ties.
Archie’s adopted sister, Ronnie, would bathe in the sunlight and soak up energy by napping throughout most of the day, and would sometimes get zoomies in the evening. Overall, delightful companions for my stay.
Exploring Calgary
I was lucky to visit a dozen breweries, hundreds of kilometres of bike trails, a couple films at the the Calgary International Film Festival, a bunch of cafés, cultural and art events, a hockey game, and see the aurora borealis a few times. If it isn’t on your radar, look into it!
Bonus Pizza Notes
Posto Pizzeria and Bar. Unique Neapolitan-adjacent pies. I loved the #8 with pineapple, gorgonzola, pancetta, and fresno chilies.
Actually Pretty Good. Understated name. I enjoyed the “Full Nelson” with white sauce, Grana Padano, pecorino, mozzarella, rosemary chili bacon, fermented honey garlic.
Pulcinella. High-tier Neapolitan. I got their namesake pie with vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, parmigiano, basil, and buffalo mozzarella.
Keep in touch!
Yours in cats and pizza,
Aaron
A preferment or starter of water and flour, generally at a 1:1 ratio, which is an optimal environment for yeast.