Steveston Pizza: The Little Pizzeria That Could

To be honest, I've been looking for a local 'house pizzeria' since returning from Australia, 3 years ago. I haven't had too many pizzas since returning and for good reason: Tomato sauce that should have been labeled, paint remover; A pizza so oily it must have been deep fried; and a pizza crust so hard so as to qualify as a dangerous weapon... To my gums!

As my kitchen was unavailable, and my caregiver, Beth, wanted to send some goodies home with my sister for her and the kids, we decided on pizza (a Grade A munchies staple, from what I recall). Anyway, having discovered a brand new pizzeria in Steveston a few weeks ago, I decided to give it a go.

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It seems, others agree, as Steveston Pizza Co. was awarded the Richmond News Readers' Choice Award 2006 for the Best Pizza in Richmond.

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Steveston Pizza, #100 - 3400 Moncton Street.

Steveston Pizza, open for around 2 months by now, looked like it might cut the muster. The owner/chef, Nader Hatami, I was told by a business associate of his, was a hotshot chef for the Holland America Cruise Line. So, Nader, wanting to be closer to home for the wife and 3 kids, launched Steveston Pizza. I've been by twice to check it out and to take pictures. The order area is cozy, so when I roll in, I then have to back out. However, the front area of the shop is well presented, exuding a warm and cozy feeling, just don't bring too many friends.

I decided to order their Basic pizza with Canadian back bacon and pineapple ($17 for large), and something basic for my sister's somewhat picky youngin's. So, got her the Simple Pepperoni, at $13 for a large. The phone order went well enough, with details taken and being told, "It will be ready in 20 minutes."

As Beth had to pick up some groceries, we decided on pick-up and at 15% off the check... Bonus! The pizzas were ready as promised. Now, a little something about their pizzas. Their pizzas are made from organic, non-bleached white flour with no additives. All come with homemade tomato sauce and Mozzarella cheese, unless otherwise specified. So far, so good.

My sis took off with the Simple Pepperoni, and I (Beth wasn't well and wasn't sure if pizza was acceptable sore-throat food) dug into my first slice. Eureka! Pizza nirvana at last. I was starting to wonder what kind of civilized country Canada truly was to not have great pizza within shouting distance of the village. There were fresh herbs liberally sprinkled on the pizza. The other ingredients looked and tasted fresh, and the crust was... Well! Divine.

The tomato sauce was well spiced and lightly sweet. The meat, cheese and pineapple left no bad aftertaste and the thin crust... Did I say, divine? The organic ingredients where showing off well here, with enough crust to have something to hold on to, but not so much so as to put you in the dental surgeon's chair. The crust was crisp and dry at the edges, and just right everywhere else. There was no 'deep fried' look, and the overall taste... Delectable! You thought I was going to say divine again... Ooops! Just did.

My sister liked her Simple Pepperoni, even though she wasn't able to eat it until she got home, and hour from Steveston. She, too, loved the crust, need I say more.

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©Steveston Pizza

REVIEW UPDATE: Nader, the owner of Steveston Pizza, has been asking me since I wrote the first review above to stop by and try others from his menu. I don't order pizza often, so I generally stick to the tried and true, for me anyway; Hawaiian, sometimes with shrimp, sometimes, not. I know! I know... BOOOOOOOORING! Well, I finally took him up on his kind offer of more imaginative complimentary pizzas. I called, what turned out to be 30-minutes before opening, but Nader was there, so I asked him to surprise me as far as pizzas he wished for me to try.

Half-an-hour later, Beth and I turned up hungry and ready to give anything a try. Four hot pizzas were waiting: 2 from The Elements—Water and Earth, 1 Canadian from The Journeys, and 1 Going Back pizza from The Eternal collection. After thanking Nader for the gifts, off we trotted east on Moncton. It didn't take long before Beth decided to stop and open a box to test the contents. Nader had marked each box, so we knew what each contained. Every few-hundred meters Beth would stop again, pull out another delectable wedge, which she, thankfully, shared with me. In time with tasting each new slice, Beth kept exclaiming with glee: "God, this pizza is sooooo good!" This went on all the way home to Railway. By the time we arrived home, we were already down 1-pizza-worth of wedges.

Well, 1 down, and 3 more to go. Again, the star attraction was the delectable thin crust, dry and firm, with just the right amount of crispness around the edge. I liked all 4, consisting of fresh ingredients, including the liberal use of fresh herbs. Beth loved all 3, as the Water pizza had ingredients she is allergic to. All-in-all, a most enjoyable revisit to various yummy pizzas from our 'house pizzeria'. Highly recommended.

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So, it took me nearly 3 years, but I have finally found my 'house pizzeria', and it is Steveston Pizza. Steveston Pizza Company is located at #100 - 3400 Moncton Street, Steveston Village (Richmond), BC V7E 3A2, the corner of Moncton and 3rd Avenue, or call 604-204-0777, or visit the Steveston Pizza website. Wheelchair accessible, but snug.

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