Life's a Slice at Terroni

Hankering for an authentic, lip-smacking, memory-inducing slice of southern Italy? You're in a little piece of heaven when you walk through the doors of Terroni.

There are three locations: Queen West, Victoria & Queen, and Yonge at Balmoral. I love how each location has a real family feel, furniture and accoutrements so artfully mismatched it matches. The atmosphere is homey and the aromas keep you rooted on line when the place is hopping (don't worry, it moves fast). Whenever I want pizza, it's not pizza I want, it's Terroni.

Our favorite pizzas are Smendozzata (spicy homemade Italian sausauge and gorgonzola: need I say more?), Polentona (with fontina, smoked prosciutto and pine nuts) and the classic Quattro Stagioni that I first tasted at 4am after a night of revelry in Rimini (ok, so it's northern Italy, but so what?). It doesn't matter which pizza you order because they are all fantastic. The dough is always perfectly thin and crisp and topped with excellent fresh ingredients. There is a reason you will see a little sign saying 'no substitutions'. Obey it.

The thing is, it's always an anguishing toss up at Terroni: pizza or pasta? We love the bucatini crazily writhing on our fork with pancetta and pecorino; the homemade parpardelle and tagliatelle are unbelievable, whether you choose to have it with the sausage and oyster mushrooms or bolognese sause, among others; a true penne all'arrabbiata (bless you, Terroni); and a drool-inducing garganelli with gorgonzola, radicchio and walnuts.

Terroni also serves all manner of appetizers, daily mains, and desserts. Try their flourless chocolate torta; yes, I know, everyone's done it, but trust me on this one. I have left the best 'til last in hopes you'll remember to ask for it the minute you walk in: pasta fagiole. It's made only once a week, and believe me, there are weeks when I call every day to see if today's the day. You can call me crazy as you read this, but those of you who've dug your spoon into this delicious beany broth know what I'm talking about.

Every time I walk out Terroni's door, I opine that they don't deliver. Of course, I realize that the quality would be compromised and The Dish in me would never settle for that. How awful would it to have a cooled, soggy pizza arrive at the door? I keep dreaming of ways of cooking en route: portable pizza stones lightweight enough for delivery? I guess Terroni will never be delivery but one can always dream.