Corduroy Pie Co.
758 West 16 Ave
604-709-0200
Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 5pm onward.
It’s great for neighbourhoods when good neighbourhood pizza joints are becoming more common than Starbucks locations. Small, independent businesses are always to be supported, and tasty pies are always a selling feature for realtors. On the short length of West 16th between Cambie and Oak, in the midst of several other small, independent retailers and service providers, Corduroy Pie Co. has staked a claim. It’s not the most prominent of locations, but there’s enough walk-through traffic to make this spot a popular one with the neighbours.
If the name sounds familiar, that’s because big sister Corduroy Restaurant and Lounge in Kitsilano has been quietly attracting young locals for its casual, organic and local fare and bar offerings since 2008. The chalet-style décor (minus the antlers) has continued in the new location, which is considerably smaller, with some 30-odd seats. The menu, likewise, is also more concise, focusing exclusively on the pies (with a lone salad obviously added on for health nuts). Happy hour is in effect until 6pm, meaning $4 sleeves of Four Winds et al., and highballs, were most appreciated. My G&T was generous, served in a large, tumbler-style water glass, rather than the traditional rocks glass. Sure, it was a little watered-down with the tonic, but at these prices, I’m not complaining.
The pizza menu features about 10 pies, plus a daily special. The standard Margherita ($14) is here, with “red sauce” (there’s also “white sauce” on other pizzas), mozza and basil. Crusts are thin and well-made, with just enough chew – and blackening – to create a nice nod to a Neapolitan pizzaiolo. I wouldn’t call these authentic, and there’s no claim to that effect; just nice, thin-crust pies that deliver on easy comfort with balanced flavours, for the most part.
The mushroom ($15) was a bit of a conundrum. It came with a veritable mountain of arugula drizzled with a roasted garlic aioli. There was so much salad it required shifting a considerable amount of it with a fork to discover the scarce amount of oyster mushrooms, sprinkled amongst liberal amounts of goat cheese and parmesan. The special ($17) on one visit was excellent. The “white sauce” (think béchamel-style) was topped with suckling pig porchetta, parmesan, smoked mozzarella, Napa cabbage, roast onions, and spring onions, and drizzled with Dijon. It was a balanced presentation, with lots of bold flavours and a slight bite from the mustard.
Lamb sausage (made in-house) with roasted red grapes and onions, smoked mozzarella, charred kale and basil over that white sauce was another good choice, with the earthiness of the meat balanced nicely by the sweetness of the grapes and onions. At $17, it felt reasonable, as do most of the prices, although it’s not the best bargain in town. The one salad ($9) features more of the arugula, pancetta and green goddess dressing. The portion was hearty, but if you’re getting the mushroom, I wouldn’t bother, as that’s your pizza-and-salad combo right there.
Corduroy has been steadily busy each time I came in, and with its strong take-out clientele, will no doubt become a permanent fixture for this under-served area, but it’s never going to be a hipster trendsetter, and maybe that’s not so bad.
All ratings out of five stars.
Food: ★★1/2
Service: ★★★
Ambiance: ★★
Value: ★★
Overall: ★★1/2
Anya Levykh has been writing about all things ingestible for more than 10 years. Hear her every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
Rating legend
★: Okay, nothing memorable.
★★: Good, shows promise.
★★★: Very good, occasionally excellent.
★★★★: Excellent, consistently above average.
★★★★★: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
