Rome in Your Home

The Pitch

I first became aware of chef Guiseppe Sacchetti during a media event at Crescent Street's Wienstein & Gavino's in 2013.  The affair unveiled the longstanding pasta factory's new branding as well as the seasoned chef's revamped menu.  I would later find out his resume included stints at some of the biggest Montreal restaurant groups such as Morentzos (Queue de Cheval), Antonopoulos (Vieux-Port Steakhouse) and Cavalli.

His tenure at Gavino's would not last long and would be followed by stops at the bygone Venti and Newtown, among others.  After years of lending his talents to these flagship names, Guiseppe would pivot to a smaller-scale, independent project; opening his namesake pizzeria/bakery at the height of the COVID-19 shutdown in September of 2020.

After stumbling on some positive reviews of this ghost kitchen, I decided to drop by for some takeout.  Located just above the Décarie Expressway underpass on Saint-Jacques Street in N.D.G., its quiet surroundings blessed me with a parking space right in front.

tagged:  TAKE THE CAR TAKEOUT

The Food

With an impossible-to-notice storefront, Sacchetti must be banking on his reputation and reach for business.  With no banner or window to give it away, I had to confirm the street address on my phone to locate the front door – closer inspection revealed a tiny sticker with a "G" on it on the mailbox to the side.  A small vestibule lead to a large commercial kitchen manned by Mr. Sacchetti all by his lonesome.

His one-man show specializes in Roman-style pizza, which is characterised by its slow-rise, crispy base.  Available in round or square format in two sizes, as heat-yourself or ready-to-eat, the options sure are plenty.  Also on offer are a handful of appetizers, a couple of desserts, Italian sodas and jarred items for your pantry.  For tonight, I went with two different pies from each of the two shapes to share among my family.

The round pizzas were on point, with an uber-thin and crispy crust carrying recherché toppings.  Less successful were the al taglio – square – pies, which were way too hard at the bottom.  I gather Roman pizza tends to be tough, but these were difficult to eat.  At least la rossa softens up at the top; la bianca, alas, was a tooth-shattering brick throughout.

$17

$17

La Marguerite

"tomato sauce, fior di latte, olive oil, basil/daisy buttons pistou"

$15

$15

Classic Cheesus

"pizza sauce, mozzarella, parmigiano, louis d'or, oregano"

$8

$8

La Bianca

"garlic flower, rosemary, fleur de sel, olive oil"

$14

$14

La Rossa

"tomato sauce, oregano, garlic, olive oil"

tagged:  GOOD FOR SHARING

The Verdict

For the product of a journeyman with such a pedigree, my expectations were quite high for G Sacchetti.  Those were partially met tonight with a good round pizza but a disappointing square one.  I may need a revisit in the future to determine if this mishap is an isolated incident; but with so many good pizza choices out there, my attention is stretched thin, possibly thinner than a Roman pizza!

tagged:  DESERVES A RETRY

Price per person:  $21.50