Mmm Masseria

There is no dearth of spots to get your pizza pie cravings satisfied in Toronto, and yet Masseria seems to have carved out a niche for itself.

Think fast-casual but with premium pies. Masseria (which is the Italian word for “farmhouse”) offers 10 wood-oven baked pizzas to choose from (with tons of meatless choices) and for those looking for something different, go for the “Carbone”, that’s their pizza with an active charcoal crust (we enjoyed the very slight earthiness it added to the thin crust) or you can always go ahead and select your personal choice of toppings. Chef Rob Leclair has rounded out the modern Southern Italian menu with fresh sandwiches and signature salads (we drooled over the fresh mozzarella in the sandwich we tried), and the space is a stunner (it’s designed by the firm Burdifilek), with a gorgeous communal harvest table up front should you opt to dine in rather than tote your fare home.

Who would’ve thought a farmhouse (which is what the word “masseria” means in Italian) could feel right at home on the King West strip. —Karen Kwan

Masseria, 577 King St. W., Toronto, 416-263-9999, www.masseria.ca