Cheap Eats - Kicking around in Cabbagetown

The tiny neighborhood of Cabbagetown is brimming with a funked-out charm, and nowhere is that charm more evident than on Cabbagetown’s main drag, Carroll Street. The street is precariously narrow, lined on one side by tidy row houses and on the other by groovy storefronts. The first thing you notice is the artwork of local folk artist Panorama Ray — it’s on display nearly everywhere you look, brash and vibrant but somehow welcoming. I’m always looking for an excuse to venture down to that part of town, so when I heard a new pizzeria had opened on Carroll Street, I got down there in a hurry.

Slack Attack: Village Pizza may be a bit spiffier than its neighborhood brethren, but it’s all Cabbagetown at heart. The cute-but-scruffy slackers behind the counter goof around with each other and are quick to smile and crack a joke. Local rocker types hang out on a sofa, waiting for something interesting to happen. In case you’re picturing the standard-issue, rundown pizza joint, let me clarify: Village Pizza is infused with a bright and airy vibe, from its clean-lined IKEA sofas and coffee tables at the front to the chunky blond wood booths and milk glass pendant lamps that hang over the tables.

Little Slice of Heaven: I’m glad to say the food at Village Pizza is just as satisfying as the atmosphere. There’s a lot to try on the menu, from specialty pizzas and pastas to subs and panini. There’s even a vegan pizza. The Village Vegan Deluxe pie (small, $14.25; medium, $17; large, $19.75) is topped with heaps of soy beef, pepperoni and sausage, and soy cheese. The hand-tossed crust is thin but still has a chewy heft to it — the kind of crust you don’t toss aside, but keep gnawing on until it’s all gone. The girls I recently had dinner with nearly came to blows over the last slice of pesto pizza (small, $11; medium, $13; large, $15), a killer combination of fresh pesto, mozzarella and fontina cheese.

Bolognese Bummer: Riding high on the pizza, I was sad to discover a couple of letdowns. A bowl of fettuccine with Bolognese sauce ($7.75) was a disappointment. The chunky meat sauce lacked the subtle complexity of a slow-cooked Bolognese. This was just a tomato sauce with meat, olives and too much dried oregano. Another lowlight was a lackluster eggplant parmesan sub ($6.50), the whole thing a mushy mess that squirted out the sides of the bun with every bite. I’m not writing off the subs completely — I’d definitely have another go at the meatball sub ($5.75), a honking sandwich smothered in tangy marinara and oozy melted mozzarella.

Melt My Heart: The real star of the meal came out of left field — a lowly, unassuming tuna melt ($5.75). For starters, it comes on slices of buttery foccaccia bread. The tuna is smeared with pesto and topped with mozzarella and fontina. A minute on the grill and the flavors and textures meld into something like sandwich perfection. This is a must-try.

For those of us who love Cabbagetown exactly the way it is, the slow gentrification of the neighborhood is a little sad. But the upshot of that gentrification is places like this, and a great little pizza joint is a welcome addition to any neighborhood.