One of B.C.’s favourite homegrown pies looks to fill a gap in the market with its fresh ingredients and gourmet menu
Yuvraj Chopra sees a gap in the Whistler market.
“When we were here researching, trying to open a new store in Whistler, we didn’t find that much Neopolitan-style pizza that wasn’t dine-in, like a grab-and-go restaurant,” said Chopra, store manager at Pizza Garden, which opened in Whistler Village this July.
The Vancouverite, along with owner and longtime restaurateur Nima Pirayeghgar, hit on a reality of the resort’s restaurant scene. While there is a glut of options at either end of the dining scale—fast, casual pubfare at one and white-tablecloth fine dining at the other—there is a relative lack of quality, affordable menus that straddle the middle ground. Part of that is the economic reality of running a restaurant in a luxe ski destination: commercial rents aren’t getting any cheaper and fine-dining spots can charge a premium to well-heeled guests willing to pay, while at the other side of the scale, pubs and casual eateries can get away with cutting costs on mediocre to middling food knowing there will be a new carousel of hungry visitors waiting for them the next day ready to open their stomachs and wallets.
Enter Pizza Garden, a homegrown Vancouver pie that opened its first location in 2012 on Commercial Drive and has since added 15 shops province-wide, its latest in Whistler Village. Inspired by Naples, Pizza Garden isn’t the only Neapolitan-style slice in town—Pizzeria Antico’s tasty offering also lays claim to pizza’s birthplace—but Chopra believes the product stands out in a crowded market.
“The other pizzas we see in the village, it’s all New York-style pizza,” he said. “Ours is that Neapolitan style where we make everything from scratch and everything is made fresh in-store every day.”
Like any good pizzaiolo will tell you, that process starts with the dough. Pizza Garden’s living sourdough crust made with imported Caputo flour is cold-fermented for up to 72 hours and shaped by hand before going onto a hearth stone in the Italian fire oven. The result is an airy, thin crust with a distinct crunch on the outside and a delectably chewy bite on the inside.
Chopra, who worked with owner Pirayeghgar at a past restaurant, said he trained for six months as store manager learning all of Pizza Garden’s different processes. His favourite? Dough stretching.
“It sounds weird, but I have to feel the dough,” he explained. “There are many stretching techniques and it depends upon the pizzamaker what techniques he’s most comfortable with. There are around five to eight steps in stretching the dough. It’s a lot of trial and error. I may use one method for one tray, then the second dough might be a bit softer, so I’ll have to change the method.
“As an example, if we go to the gym, there is a muscle-mind connection. Here, I have to connect with the dough.”
Unlike the standard mozzarella, Pizza Garden uses a fior di latte fresh mozzarella, giving it its milky flavour and soft, elastic texture. Known for its fresh ingredients—frozen is a bad word at Pizza Garden—the menu is known for its premium toppings and unique combinations. There’s the Fig and Prosciutto Cotto, topped with creamy ricotta and arugula; the Alaskan Blaze with grana padano cheese, bacon, ground beef, pepperoni, hot soppressata and green peppers; and Chopra’s personal favourite, Pollo Al BBQ, with a drizzle of house-made barbecue sauce, grilled chicken, mushrooms, and red onions.
“That one’s really popular as well, because our barbecue sauce is totally different from other barbecue sauce that you see in the market,” he added.
Pizza Garden also prides itself on its vegetarian-friendly menu, with 14 different options ranging from a unique baked potato-based pizza with alfredo sauce, gorgonzola and caramelized onions to its Pizza Magic with artichokes, roasted garlic, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil.
“Sometimes if you go somewhere else for pizza, after one or two slices, you feel a little bit guilty,” Chopra said. “But if you have a slice from our restaurant, believe me, you will not feel guilty, because we use 100-per-cent olive oil. It’s not greasy.”
Pizza Garden is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Learn more at pizzagarden.ca.