Ugo Pizzeria

A New Roman-Style Pizza Place Makes Its Way to Cité du Multimédia | Eater Montreal

"I'm noting a new Roman-style al taglio pizza spot called Ugo Pizzeria, set to open very soon in Cité du Multimédia, the neighbourhood sandwiched between Old Montreal and Griffintown. Named for chef and co-owner Ugo DiNunzio (whose pizza co-owner Frank Candido says he first fell in love with at the now-closed Pummaró), the shop will showcase DiNunzio’s 100-year-old family recipe: cold-fermented dough transformed into rectangular slices. A preview menu lists eleven varieties each of pizza rossa (red) and pizza bianca (white), plus cassone (folded flatbread), piadina, and Bari-style rounded focaccia; the red pizzas use homemade tomato sauce and fior di latte with meats like sausage, salami, bacon and capicollo as well as cheese and veggie toppings, while the white pizzas are layered with fior di latte and include options such as gorgonzola, mushrooms, porchetta and asparagus. By-the-slice prices range from $6 for the Alessia (tomato sauce, fior di latte, anchovies, capers, olives and pesto) to $10 for the Fabrizia (caviar, smoked salmon, capers, dill and crème fraîche), and the menu is rounded out with salads, arancini and desserts. There will also be a takeout DIY option with prepared dough and toppings, and the dine-in plan calls for a few high stools and an outdoor terrasse by summer. Joined by partners Panos Koulouris and Lily Koutsos, DiNunzio and Candido overcame COVID-related delays, sourcing ovens and mixers from different parts of the country, finishing renovations and hiring staff, and now expect to open within the next month or so; as Candido joked, “I’m not interested in running a restaurant, but I am interested in this dough!” Ugo Pizzeria will open at 681 rue de la Commune, offering dine-in, takeout and delivery." - Ivy Lerner-Frank