Mmmmm! Edmonton named one of the best pizza cities in the world

EDMONTON – Edmonton is known for its weather, festivals, the Edmonton Oilers (for good or for bad), and now, apparently, its pizza.

Conde Nast Traveler magazine asked people, as a part of its Readers’ Choice Awards survey, this one crucial question: Where can you find the best pizza in the world?

Chicago, New York and several cities in Italy made the list, including Rome and Naples, which is home to the thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizza that’s become all the rage in recent years.

But also on the list: Edmonton, coming in at #8 out of 14.

“In an era when artisanal and hipster pizzerias are all the rage, the old-school joints still rule up north in Edmonton,” wrote Daniel Young, an American food critic who writes for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Guardian.

Young is a pizza aficionado, and has even published a book called “Where to Eat Pizza,” detailing where to find the best pies in 48 countries.

He describes Edmonton’s pizza as old school.

“You know it from the names –Tony’s Pizza Palace, Packrat Louie, Rose Bowl – and of course, the toppings, like meatballs, shrimp, pineapple, and BBQ chicken. In a pinch? The variety of pies at Famoso, a Canadian chain, is not so much soup-to-nuts as white-sauce-to-peanuts (and surprisingly tasty),” Young writes.

The news might not come as a surprise for some Edmontonians. The city is the birthplace of two national pizza chains: Boston Pizza and Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria.

Famoso was launched in 2007 by three Albertans — Justin Lussier, Jason Allard, and Christian Bullock — after Lussier traveled to Italy on holidays in 2005 and fell in love with Neapolitan pizza in Naples.

READ MORE: Famoso Pizzeria on Food for Thought

The style sets itself apart from traditional pizza in that it’s thin crust, topped with a select few high-quality ingredients, and cooked at 900°F for just 90 seconds.

“We weren’t sure how people would receive it in Edmonton because it is a little different,” co-founder Justin Lussier told Global News during a 2011 interview about the restaurant chain’s success.

“The texture is a little different. You actually have to fold your piece in half when you eat it or it will flop down like that, right?”

The company now has 28 locations across Canada (in Ontario, Saskatchewan, B.C. and Alberta,) including 10 in and around Edmonton.

READ MORE: Because it’s 2016: robots will soon be delivering your pizza

The BP’s franchise was founded in Edmonton in 1964 by Greek immigrant Gus Agioritis. The franchise, now based out of Richmond, B.C., grew quickly and now boasts 325 locations across Canada.

WATCH: Boston Pizza restaurant poked fun at some of their ‘picky’ guest, by introducing a funny, but fake ‘Hey! That’s Nacho Food Shield’ for April Fool’s Day.

Here are the 14 top cities for pizza, as identified on the Conde Nast Traveler Best Pizza in the World list.

1. Chicago, Illinois
2. New York City, New York
3. Rome, Italy
4. Orlando, Florida
5. Naples, Italy
6. New Haven, Connecticut
7. Venice, Italy
8. Edmonton, Canada
9. Florence, Italy
10. Palermo, Italy
11. Milan, Italy
12. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
13. Los Angeles, California
14. Las Vegas, Nevada

READ MORE: Pizza delivery driver breaks down in tears after getting $1000 tip

So what is your favourite pizza place in Edmonton? Tell us in the comment section below!