TORONTO – More than four years ago, we wrote that Toronto has “many pizzerias, but only one ‘pinseria’…” (here the article) …we discovered it at 3076 Dundas Street West in Toronto and we gave it ample coverage. It was had a good idea. Today, that ‘pinseria’ is among the top 5 best ‘pinserias’ in the world.
“Venga Cucina,” at 3076 Dundas Street West in Toronto, has been included in the first international guide dedicated to “Pinsa Romana,” a special type of pizza made exclusively with high-quality ingredients—starting with the flour (a blend of rice, soy, and wheat flour created by the “father” of pinsa, Corrado Di Marco)—and whose key characteristics are fragrance, digestibility, and… creative toppings.
The Toronto restaurant-pinseria, opened and led by Gino Benevenga, who immigrated to Canada 45 years ago from the province of Salerno, Italy, has officially entered the elite of global ‘pinsa’ restaurants thanks to the publication of “50 World’s Best Pinsa” (Filia Edizioni), the first international guide entirely dedicated to the world’s best pinsa restaurants. Conceived and curated by Press Food, the guide was recently presented in Rome at WeGil Trastevere, the headquarters of ARSIAL.
Recognized as a Traditional Agri-Food Product of the Lazio Region, ‘pinsa’ today represents one of the most distinctive products of contemporary Italian cuisine and, in just a few years, has conquered tables around the world, with over 7,000 dedicated restaurants across five continents. And out of 7,000 restaurants, Toronto’s “Venga Cucina” is fifth in the ranking, preceded only by Roberta’s “Pinseria” in Lecce (1st place), Anton’s “La Pinsa” in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France (2nd place); La Pratolina in Rome (3rd place); Pinsa Rossa in San Francisco, USA (4th place).
Not only that: “Venga Cucina” was also recognized as “Best Beverage,” within the same guide that gathers the 50 best international pinsa restaurants, the result of meticulous editorial work and on-site visits to numerous countries to closely evaluate the quality of the best global interpretations, led by journalist and food critic Bruno Petronilli.
He says of Gino Benevenga’s pinsa: “…it is made to perfection, with a dough that rises for over two days… there are 13 types offered, plus a special one each week. In our experience, a succulent “sausage and ‘nduja” is a testament to Gino’s masterful skill in the preparation of the seasonings…”. A skill clearly unmistakable among the thousands of ‘pinsas’ that prepare them around the world.
In the pics above, Gino Benevenga and Mary outside the restaurant-pinseria “Venga Cucina” in Toronto and a “pinsa” prepared by Gino
