Today we were at The Greek’s Broadway location, to try their newly launched “late-night no rules Pinky’s Pizza delivery” (as per the press release). This location has the largest kitchen and it is being put to fuller use with this new initiative. Their pizza is only available through delivery via Uber Eats and/or DoorDash.
It was here that I learned about the Greek community’s role in our current pizza landscape. That despite it being Italian in origin, pizza in Vancouver was made popular by the Greeks. Greek entrepreneurs who opened corner store pizzerias and large chains like Boston Pizza and Pango’s, which use to be Panagopoulos (for this old enough to remember). Even Hawaiian pizza was invited by a Greek-Canadian in Ontario.
Where Greek pizza differs from the traditional Italian is in the crust and how hearty it is. Baked in a regular industrial kitchen oven, the crust comes out dense; which is helpful considering how fully loaded with toppings each pie is. The heavier weight is needed to hold it all up, and even then we still had chunks breaking off. But this is exactly what The Greek prides themselves on. Big and satisfying pizzas loaded with meat and vegetable.
The name Picky’s comes from the “Friday” movie series. The owner of The Greek is a fan of the comedy staring Ice Cube, and has always known that he wanted to feature the character some how.
Pinky is a peculiar antagonist in “Next Friday” and “Friday after Next”. He is portrayed as a pimp wannabe who owns a record store and drives a pink Cadillac. He is so memorable that he is now the mascot to his own pizza brand. Each pizza box has his iconic profile with a black and white checkered patterned trim for a nostalgic retro look.
A few of the pizza names are also in references from the movie, like “Pinky’s Masterpiece”: a deluxe style pizza with pepperoni, ham, mozzarella, red onion, green pepper, black olives, artichokes, mushroom, and feta. If you are only going to try one, this is that one. It incapsulated the Greek pizza philosophy of more is more and heavy is best when the toppings topple off. I especially liked the saltiness of the olives and cheese against the tangy tomato sauce. The crust was on the crunchier side, and a little dry. So I recommend ordering a side of their homemade tzatziki sauce to dip them into, and to add flavour to the otherwise plain crust. It also helps with the rest of the pizza, aiding to refresh the flavour in between bites.
The Rancho Cucamonga Special is named after the town where Ice Cube’s character gets sent to live with, with his cousin. This is their vegetarian option piled with classic Greek ingredients including feta, black olives, artichokes, onions, and green peppers. It has a similar flavour profile to Pinky’s Masterpiece, but without the meat.
The Hawaiian pizza is named “The Money Maker”, to coyly point out that this Greek creation is now a staple for most non-Italian pizza shops, and lots of people have made money off of it. The standard pineapple, ham, and mozzarella. I found it heavy handed on the cheese, which I like. Salt and sweet with the sugars of the pineapple pulled out from its subtle charring.
The Mamma Mia is their take on a margarita pizza with mozzarella and basil. It is named after the island where the owner’s family is from. A plain cheese pizza when you get a bite without any of the fragrant herb. A little dull compared to the others.
The Knockout is a meaty mouthful with pepperoni, mozzarella, and mushroom kept larger in half slices.
In closing, this was a great way to learn about Greek style pizza and remember the comedy of Friday’s. Yet another pizza option worth considering for Vancouver delivery.
