Rosso Pizzeria

It seems that having a rainy day lunch on Thursdays with CJ is becoming the norm. Rain is nice and all, but I'm glad that this weekend had beautiful warm weather and sunshine! Last Thursday, we decided to check out Rosso Pizzeria (www.pizzeriarosso109.com) in the Garneau neighbourhood. It is within walking distance from the University of Alberta, which is always a plus in my opinion. CJ and I have been to almost all the food places in this area, so we thought it was time to cross off the remaining places on our list, starting with Rosso Pizzeria. 

We walked in to find ourselves in a somewhat tighter space, but we were greeted with a friendly welcome. We were told to sit wherever we'd like, so CJ chose a table in the corner to our immediate right from the entrance. Shortly after, the menus were brought over to us. 

Drinks and food menus.

Rosso Pizzeria offers antipasti, insalate (salads), paninis, and red and white pizzas for lunch. "OO" Organic flour is used for their pizza dough, which is then made to become a soft, thin pizza crust in their traditional Forno oven. The idea is similar to the pizzas served at Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria, a pizza chain with many locations across Edmonton (and other cities). CJ and I wanted to get something small so we each got our own Pizzettas, which is a half sized pizza available during lunch from 11 to 3pm. 

Our drinks.

For drinks, CJ ordered a lemon iced tea while I got myself a San Pellegrino Aranciata beverage. I actually just wanted regular orange juice, but they didn't have any. Oh well, a sparkling fruit beverage is close enough. 

Our view.

We actually had a nice view of the central display area. I could see all their desserts lined up behind the glass display case, while I thought the drinks and glasses on the overhang above added a nice modern touch. It seems that all the seating inside are positioned to be around this central area. Rosso Pizzeria also has a patio, but since it was raining it was closed for the day. 

Our Pizzettas.

It only took a few minutes before our food arrived on our table! It looked and smelled delicious! For some reason CJ thought that the pizza would literally be half of a larger pizza, rather than a personal sized pizza. Sigh. 

Margherita Pizzetta.

The dish I ordered was their Margherita Pizzetta ($8). It is made with San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella fior di latte, pecorino romano cheese, and is topped with fresh basil. To be honest, margherita pizzas are the only kind of pizzas I order at Italian Pizzerias. When we were still deciding on what to get, I even asked CJ if I should try something different, or stick with the margherita. He said to get something different, but instead of being adventurous I naturally stuck with my go-to choice. I promise I'll try something new next time! Anyways, I thought Rosso's Margherita Pizzetta tasted yummy! The crust was warm, soft, and had the right amount of chewiness. I really liked the taste of the fresh basil along with the rest of the pizza. I just wished that there was a bit more mozzarella cheese added on top! 

Prosciutto Cotto Pizzetta. 

Next to me, CJ was busy eating his Prosciutto Cotto Pizzetta ($10). This pizza rosso comes with San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella fior di latte, Italian ham, and roasted wild mushrooms. CJ picked this dish because it had both ham and mushrooms, two of his favourite things to eat. I didn't get to try his food, but he didn't have any complaints while he eating. I knew he was still hungry afterwards though. I asked him later what he thought of his pizza, and he said that he prefers the pizza at Famoso better. Hmmm, fair enough. 

Overall, I would have to say that CJ and I had an enjoyable rainy day lunch at Rosso Pizzeria. The service was great, and our food was brought out to us in a fairly short amount of time. I personally thought my Margherita Pizzetta tasted good, despite there not being enough mozzarella cheese (in my opinion). Next time I'll want to try a different pizza (perhaps one of their Pizza Bianca?) and also their gelato for dessert! If you want to go to a place that serves traditional Neapolitan pizzas, I would definitely recommend Rosso Pizzeria. It's not as packed inside during lunch time like Famoso tends to be either. Next time you are in need of a tasty lunch (or breakfast or dinner!) and are in the Garneau or University area, head over here!