Pizza at the Caboto Club: Windsor's worst-kept food secret

Windsorites are fiercely proud of their pizza — and for good reason. The pizzerias in this city produce some of the best pies this side of Italy.

Remo's Brick Oven Pizza is one of those establishments. It's also a place that could be considered one of Windsor's worst-kept food secrets. 

While many people know about the pizzeria, it's also incredibly easy to miss. Remo's is located in the basement of the Caboto Club, in what is commonly called the members' bar. Despite the name, the room is open to the public. 

"I started this business in Italy," says owner Remo Tortola, whose family first opened a pizzeria in the 1970s. "One day I decided to move to Canada. I picked Windsor because one of my best friends lived here. I had a chance to visit Windsor in the 1990s and I really liked [it]. I had a feeling like I was home — since the day I moved to Windsor, I never was homesick."

Remo's Brick Oven Pizza serves thin-crust pies that are markedly different from the Windsor-style found in most other independent pizzerias. Tortola gives two simple reasons why.

"I think pizza should be made in a wood-burning oven, the way it was born. At the beginning of the last century, we didn't have gas or electric stoves," Tortola says. As a result, all his pizzas are baked in a wood-burning terracotta oven imported from Italy, which Tortola says produces a different taste.

The other factor is ingredients. Some of his items, such as prosciutto cotto​, are imported from Italy.

"We pay 30-40% more compared [to the ingredients] you can buy here, [but] I think it's much better," says Tortola. Freshness is also a key factor, so Tortola makes sure to use the best of what Windsor-Essex has to offer, such as Galati mozzarella and Leamington tomatoes.

Forty different combination of toppings are offered. Many of them are named after regions of Italy, featuring ingredients from that area. Others are a bit more personal, with names like "George (My Dentist)" and "Al (My Friend)." There's even a "Mr. Harper," that features ham, Italian sausage and pepperoni salami — toppings the prime minister selected during a visit to Windsor a few years ago.

Even with this large number of combinations, one thing you may notice is that every pizza has no more than four toppings — usually fewer. The limit is strictly enforced, even when customers choose their own toppings. When Tortola receives an order with an unusual number or combination of toppings, he heads to the table to discuss it with the customer.

"I think people should keep the pizza simple — two, three ingredients at the most," he says.

It may sound restrictive, but you'll just have to trust Remo — sometimes the best pizza is the simplest.