Restaurant Review: LDV Pizza Bar

 

My must visit list always seems to be growing, even though I often feel like I eat out more than I should. There are too many great establishments around town, plus with new ones always making its debut, it’s hard not to indulge. LDV has been on my wish list for a while but for some reason that I can’t seem to comprehend, I’ve yet to make it down there. So when YYC Pizza Week rolled around in Sept and I realized that they were partaking, I seized the moment and immediately made a reservation before I became too distracted.

Atmosphere: Attached to La Dolce Vita, this pizzeria has a refined Italian bistro feel. Situated on the second floor, the restaurant overlooks Bridgeland and allows diners to enjoy the views of the busy neighbourhood.

Price Range: Mid $10s

Food & Wine: Although we were there for their pizza week specialty, we definitely wanted to sample some of the featured items on their menu. The Mussels, which was prepared with a white wine tomato sauce and served with pizza bread, was a great start to our meal. The sauce was robust and flavourful, perfect for scooping on top each of the mussels. It was also delicious with the accompanying bread, which is made from their chewy pizza dough. Next we had the Meatballs. Homemade beef and pork meatballs served in a tangy tomato sauce and served with the addicting pizza bread that also came with our mussels. The serving size was very generous and the meatballs themselves were moist and tender. It’s a great sharing dish for those that are looking for a small bite before their mains arrive.

We were pretty excited for the pizza, which was called the Clint Eastwood, sadly only a special for YYC Pizza Week. Made with fiore di latte cheese, tomato sauce, and topped with bresaola, arugula, shaved grana padano and smoked paprika. All the flavours of the toppings were a perfect blend, the saltiness of the bresaola combined with the creamy grana padano and fiore di latte cheeses coupled with peppery arugula and smoky paprika. Add on to that the chewiness of the crust and it made for one of the more memorable pizzas I sampled that week. I really hope they decide to bring it back!

To end our evening we ordered the homemade Chocolate cake for dessert. I really enjoyed the gooey chocolately cake and the side of ice cream was really just a bonus. For those who know me know I love hot and cold desserts. There’s just something special about that combination. We decided on the pistachio gelato and it really elevated the chocolate cake. Plus the chocolate was the perfect pairing for our Terre De Priori Chianti. An inexpensive red, that’s not quite as aromatic as a typical chianti but still provides the cherry notes that pair well with a nice chocolate dessert.

My Picks: Meatballs, Any pizza

Overall: With so many great places it’s often hard to make it out to a restaurant, but after our experience at LDV I’ll definitely be adding it to my rotation. Even though the pizza we tried was a special feature that night, I was truly impressed with their pizza dough and can’t wait to try their other offerings.

 

LDV Pizza Bar
916 1st Ave NE
Calgary, AB
(403) 263-5999
Website: ldvpizzabar.com