Have you tasted the Johnny Lombardi Pizza at Volcano Pizzeria in Thorold?
For our February Food Review, we checked out Volcano Pizzeria located in the Pine Shopping Centre in Downtown Thorold. It was a fine time to taste their Johnny Lombardi Specialty Pizza. Our order was topped up with a couple of other hot hits at Volcano.
Why does Volcano call it call it a Johnny Lombardi Specialty Pizza?
We figured the Johnny Lombardi name must be a tribute to the legend in the Italian Canadian community known for his love of all good things Italian. It makes sense to us that the name of the founder of CHIN Multicultural Radio in Toronto and many other successes would be given a tribute by Volcano with a Specialty Pizza branded in his honour.
paul carfagnini
Rocco, the Volcano Thorold manager wasn’t sure how the Johnny Lombardi name was connected to their pizza, but he recommended we give it a try. Stay tuned for the rest of the story as we look into this point.
We ordered the large, 12-slice Johnny Lombardi ($21.99). This specialty pizza is created on a thin crust smothered with a sweet tomato sauce, cheese, prosciutto, arugula, fresh parmesan, and a drizzle of balsamic.
It was like love at first sight as the slice held up for an excellent flop test. My son Jon-Paul verified this flop test, which was proven by the well-cooked crust that was thin and crisp. It tasted light and airy with all the bubbly goodness a delicious pizza crust our family enjoys. My wife Maria feels the colourful collage of foods also created a visually appealing presentation.
We all enjoyed the light taste of cheese complemented by a decent proportion of prosciutto topping spread evenly to complement all flavours. There was a decent balance of prosciutto, so it did not overpower the pizza with a salty taste of the cured pork.
The fresh arugula topping adds texture and tart flavour. The green, leafy topping is a pleasant contrast for a diverse taste sensation.
A sweet, thick balsamic drizzle enhanced the taste and added a pleasant texture creating a smooth mouth feel. Basically, it’s a gourmet creative look.
After the third slice (15 minutes), we noticed the pizza tasted relatively better when hot. As one might expect, this thin-crust style of pizza seems to turn chewy as it cools. As a suggestion, try to eat faster, or heat up a slice after 10 or 15 minutes out of the box.
Meat Lovers Specialty Pizza.
For the second course, we tasted the Meat Lovers Specialty Pizza. ($21.99, Large).
This carnivore’s delight is covered with hefty portions of Pepperoni, Bacon, and Italian Sausage over cheese and tomato sauce on a thin crust.
The meaty toppings made it a filling meal. The Pepperoni was thick and crispy, and the bacon seemed to add a smoky flavour to the pizza.
Jalapeno Poppers
As a side dish, we tried the Jalapeno Poppers ($8.99).
The order comes with six fried jalapenos, breaded, and stuffed with a Ranch Cream Cheese Dip.
The Poppers were crispy on the outer layer and packed with creamy cheese on the inside.
Don’t worry about the heat level on these poppers. It’s a relatively low burn rate, so you really can taste the natural flavours of the jalapeno without scorching your palate. It’s unlike what we might expect from a volcano popper. If you really love the hot stuff, you can add your preferred sauce to kick it up a notch.
Overall, we really enjoyed the tasty foods from Volcano Pizzeria. Check out the local hot spot and try to buy local, Shop Thorold.