Friday pizza night with the girls has become quite the tradition in our household.  We’re always looking forward to the end of the week so we can suss-out a new spot and see it stacks up.  We’ve just found a hidden gem in the Woodbine Gardens/Topham Park neighbourhood of East York.  On this lesser-known stretch of St. Clair East you will find Dino’s Bakery.  These guys recently opened during COVID and are doing one thing really, really well.  So well, in fact, that we’re inclined to get the word out on the blog here.  They have no social media accounts yet… just a website: www.dinospizzeria.ca

This cozy little joint has become a regular go-to and currently sits atop our pecking order of favourite Friday pies.

“Friday night we’ll be dressed to kill, down at Dino’s…“

Pepperoni is really the Cadillac of pizza, isn’t it?  The high-water mark as far as comparisons go.  Dino’s starts by seriously knocking back their sourdough.  This creates a thin, firm and foldable crust that holds and travels well.  They call theirs “Cup & Char”, and their wood fire delivers an absolutely beautiful finish up top.

Their menu boasts a variety of options for the carnivore and vegetarian alike.  Some of their custom pies include:

• The Swine (pancetta, pancetta and pepperoni)
• Pesto Supreme (sundried tomatoes, olives, artichokes, feta)
• Greek Chicken (chicken, feta, tomatoes, olives, onion)
• The Italian (meatballs & ricotta)

There are also “standard” offerings like Mushroom & Gorgonzola; Arugula & Prosciutto; Hawaiian; Vegetarian; Buffalo Chicken; Bianca/White Pie.

And, of course, you can build your own pizza to suit.  We recently ordered a meatball, hot pepper & green olive pizza… and are hoping it makes Dino’s menu one day as the Toronto Food Blog Pie (wink wink).

It’s not all pizza at Dino’s.  Enthusiasts of the Caesar Salad will be pleased to know that we give their creamy rendition two thumbs up.

In this sleepy pocket of East York, it’s really nice to see some new businesses rolling in.  Truth be told, when the sign first went up, us locals assumed by their branding that this bakery would focus on the sweets.  We’re thrilled that our new local has fully-realized their savoury sensibilities.

The Toronto Food Blog is aligned in supporting local small business as much as we can right now.  Ontario dining rooms are reopening today (Feb 1, 2022) at 50% capacity…. so we’re heading back inside and getting the good stuff while we can.  Speaking of which, we can’t wait to return to Dino’s this Friday for another Toronto Food Blog Pie.  Will update this blog post with a snapshot of that ASAP (we ate it too quickly last time).

“Been hangin’ down at Dino’s!”