Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.
[Photographs: Erin Jackson]
Though it's located in the Eaton Centre (and College Park), Richtree isn't your typical food court fare. Inside the "market restaurant" are several food stations where you can get everything from fruit and yogurt parfaits to roast chicken dinners, prepared salads, and some of the best muffins in the city. In my 10 plus years of downtown living, I tried nearly everything on offer at least once, but kept coming back for the focaccia pizza ($3.69).
During the lunch rush, you'll have the choice of three veggie options and three meat options, like pepperoni, spicy sausage, or this chicken and mushroom slice.
The pizza is baked in large metal pans, then cut into wide, triangular-shaped slices (which are then cut into smaller, triangle segments). Most elements are the same as a traditional pizza, including the thin layer of slightly sweet tomato sauce, cheese, and generously portioned toppings. What really sets this slice apart from most is the crust. It's chewy, springy, and flavored with olive oil, just like focaccia, but is not quite as dense as the type used to make sandwiches. On the bottom, it's flaky and golden brown, with a good crumb. It's just enough of a departure from traditional pizza to be unique, but not alienating to purists.
I love a slice right out of the oven, but they're also equally delicious at room temperature, microwaved the next day, or just right out of the fridge. With that in mind, the best time to visit (besides lunch, when the pizza is its freshest) is shortly before closing, when slices are usually 2-for-1. Even if you only get through one slice, the second is going to be just as good later.
Richtree
220 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2H6, in the Eaton Centre (map), plus 5 other locations in Ontario
416-351-8783; richtree.ca
About the author: Erin Jackson is a food writer and photographer who is obsessed with discovering the best eats in San Diego. You can find all of her discoveries on her San Diego food blog EJeats.com. On Twitter, she's @ErinJax