Edmonton Pizza

Old Harold would like to know where the best Pizza Parlour is in Edmonton. If you dare, please leave a comment below. When Old Harold lived in Edmonton decades ago I figure the best take-outs around the university were Campus Pizza and Miami Pizza. I believe Campus Pizza is still going, but not sure about Miami. Both were not skimpy on the toppings and cheese, had flavourful sauces, and Miami used a freshly baked dough ball in the centre to prop up the lid instead of a plastic gizmo.

Old Harold has had one or two hundred thousand pizzas in his time, and my consumption rate was greatest while attending the U of A. Pizza was always a go-to meal after sporting activities like soccer and softball, combined with a pitcher or two of beer and a serpentine walk home. I was spoiled by having such great pizza around. Every now and then we opted for Pharo’s beside the Garneau Theatre, making sure to get a side of anchovies. There was also Avenue Pizza closer to the U, but Google maps shows that both Avenue and Pharos are gone. Venturing a little further there was BP on Whyte, but we tended to stay away from there as my supervisor did a hog and jog there one night after discovering he had insufficient funds…but returned the next day to pay.

The closest pizza joint, however, was across from the residences. It changed hands fairly frequently, but after a few beers at student bars, it was a convent stop. Campus food at the time was more institutional, designed for high volumes and low input costs, except for a couple holes in the was in HUB where you could get things like Hoho Special Soup, or orders of ‘chicken and chip’ chirped to the cook by a diminutive Chinese lady permanently anchored to the till.

I must confess, we were frequently not in good condition when we got to the pizza place across from the residences. I don’t think the pizza was ever very special as new owners and managers always seemed to be on a learning curve. On one memorable occasion, however, things took a real turn for the worse. The pizza came out with half cooked crust and tomato soup sauce running everywhere. Given our condition, we made due as best we could, finished up and went to settle the bill. The cashier greeted us with the obligatory “how was everything” and my buddy paying said it was some of the worst pizza he’d ever had, and the cashier said “well I’m not surprised, the cook quit and the dishwasher made your pizza”. After not much argument, our bill was cut in half. Alas, however, Google maps shows the place is now a bank, which probably still has the faint odour of Campbell’s soup.
Pizza out. Harold