famoso neapolitan pizzeria, edmonton

Do you guys like pizza?

Because I do and this post is going to be all about pizza. I love it. Always have and always will. (I hope I'm not alone). If you're not okay with that, it's still not too late to close this tab.

I don't think I can imagine life without pizza. It's convenient, versatile and tasty with bold flavours, countless topping combinations, bubbly, melted cheese and an addictive crust. How can you resist?

I couldn't so I couldn't say no to trying Famoso's famous pizzas in Edmonton!

Oooooh the 'famoso' bell oven at Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria.

The pizzas here are hand tossed, and then fired in this bell shaped oven for approximately 90 seconds at around 900 degrees Fahrenheit which produces a consistently soft pizza with a moist centre, thin, crispy and slightly charred crust.

First to arrive was the Sweet BBQ Chicken.

Sweet BBQ Chicken ($14.75):
Honey smoked BBQ sauce, fior-di-latte, fire-roasted chicken, smoked mozzarella, Baked, then topped with diced tomatoes, red onions and cilantro.

My love affair with BBQ chicken began long, long ago. Sweet tangy BBQ sauce, chopped chicken, red Spanish onions, a dash of cilantro and tonnes of cheese. Plus, the addition of fresh diced tomatoes was super refreshing and prevented the BBQ sauce from being too sweet.  You can't go wrong with this combination.

Another safe option is the Ham and Pineapple Pizza.

Italian Ham and Crushed Pineapple ($13.75):
Campania tomato sauce, fior-di-latte, Italian ham, crushed pineapple.

Fruits have always been incorporated into many savoury dishes to bring out a sweetness to many meats. Pineapple combines sweet with a subtle sour zestiness, which to me, is perfect on a pizza. One bite into the smokey ham gives a salty burst of flavour before the sweetness of the pineapple, hot tomato-y sauce and a rich creamy cheesiness hits you. It's no different at Famoso. It's just so simple and so great.

Siciliana ($14.75):
Oven-roasted Italian sausage, Italian ham, baked prosciutto, pecorino romano. 

Flavoursome chucks of lean and spiced Italian sausage combined with thinly sliced ham added a smoky flavour to the pizza. The cheese was salty and creamy while the tomato sauce was just right - it wasn't too tart or too sweet.  It would have been even better with just tiny bit more basil.

The next pizza was probably my favourite for the night. The Korean BBQ Pork.

Korean BBQ Pork ($15.25):
Slow-roasted spiced pork butt, Korean BBQ sauce, fior-di-latte, green onion, cheddar cheese, hoisin sauce. 

Through this pizza, Famoso is introducing its new house-made Korean BBQ Sauce. You can taste the distinct flavours of Korean 'gochujang' hot chilli paste which is then flavoured with sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, pineapple juice, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. It has a tangy, sweet, spicy and savoury kind of flavour going on all at the same time, which pairs so perfectly with the smokiness of the tender, buttery pulled pork for this pizza.

Upon your first bite, you'll be hit with the strong and sweet taste of hoisin sauce. This is then immediately followed by a punch of heat and tang from the 'gochujang' based sauce. And to finish things off, a sprinkling of finely chopped green onions was a great way to help cut the richness of these flavours.

Don Andreas ($15.25):
Creme Fraiche, fior-di-latte, roasted chicken, corn and chipotle salsa, avocado, chopped cilantro, lime wedge, side of Valentina hot sauce 

Oooh look at those fresh chunks of avocado. I imagine the Don Andreas would be absolutely perfect for the Summer.

I loved the combination of tangy sour cream, lime, buttery avocado and chopped cilantro with the sweetness of the corn, pungent flavour and aroma of the chipotle salsa without the explosion of heat.

Add a generous crack of black pepper to this, fold a slice in half, dip it into that Valentina hot sauce and you have a masterpiece.

For dessert, we decided on the Dolce & Banana and the Nutella Pizza.

Dolce & Banana ($9.00):
Carmelised, oven-roasted bananas, crushed pecans, caramel sauce and vanilla bean gelato. 

I've had countless bad experiences with bananas served warm in deserts but I couldn't get enough of this! The bananas were roasted until crisp, drizzled with a sweet caramel sauce, sprinkled with crushed peans and topped with a huge scoop of vanilla bean gelato. It was soft, crunchy, sweet, luscious all at the same time and I absolutely loved the contrasting hot and cold.

Nutella Pizza ($8.00)
Pizza crust in hazelnut chocolate spread, folded and cut into strips. Served with whipped cream. 

The Nutella pizza arrives hot, is generously drizzled with chocolate sauce and served with whipped cream. Each bite was filled with oozy, warm Nutella, followed by a cold dollop of whipped cream, which just instantly melted in your mouth. Again, that contrasting hot and cold business was a great sensation.

I'm totally coming back for some more of that Korean BBQ pizza.

Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria
11750 Jasper Ave NW
Oliver, Edmonton T5K0N3
f: https://www.facebook.com/FamosoJasperAve
t: (780) 732-0700
w: http://www.famoso.ca/