"Via Tevere is like the old friend you catch up with every once in a while and say “we should hang out more often,” and then you wonder why you never do and feel a little sad about it. An East Vancouver staple, Via Tevere is always there when you need it, making the city’s absolute best pizza out of a cozy house with affordable wine and surprisingly great salads. (We’d come just to have a glass of primitivo and that crunchy prosciutto and arugula salad.) The crust is chewy without bordering on dense, and the toppings can get as unusual as you want them to, like a rapini pie bitter enough to challenge your bravest dining companions. Or the pizza gatto, layered with whipped potato and crushed black pepper, which tends to take over the conversation as soon as everyone’s had a bite. Yes, it’s mashed potatoes on pizza—but don’t worry, because you can down a Fernet and go for a nice digestive walk along Commercial Drive and see a quirky part of town most tourists never do." - Andrew Ryce