Ugo Pizzeria Prepares to Open, Bringing Roman Slices to Cité du Multimédia

A new Roman-style al taglio pizza spot called Ugo Pizzeria is set to open very soon in Cité du Multimédia, the neighbourhood sandwiched between Old Montreal and Griffintown.

The pizzeria is named after its chef (and one of its co-owners) Ugo DiNunzio, whose pizza other owner Frank Candido says he first fell in love with years ago at now-closed NDG restaurant Pummaró. Now, Candido say he wants to try and make Ugo’s pizza famous: “I’m not interested in running a restaurant, but I am interested in this dough!” he says with a laugh.

DiNunzio’s 100-year-old family recipe for Roman pizza al taglio will take centre stage at the new venture, where cold-fermented dough gets transformed into rectangular slices. A menu preview features eleven varieties each of pizza rossa (red) and pizza bianca (white), cassone (a folded Italian flatbread with fillings), and piadina (wrap-ish), as well as Bari-style rounded focaccia.

The red pizzas have homemade tomato sauce and fior di latte mozzarella with various meat (sausage, salami, bacon, capicollo), cheese, and veggie toppings; meanwhile, the white pizzas are layered with fior di latte, with options including gorgonzola, mushrooms, porchetta, and asparagus. The price by the slice ranges from $6 for the Alessia (tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, anchovies, capers, olives and pesto) to $10 for the Fabrizia (caviar, smoked salmon, capers, dill, and crème fraîche). Salads, arancini, and desserts round out the menu.

For those who prefer to DIY, there will be a takeout option for home cooks to assemble prepared dough and toppings. And for those planning to dine in, the goal is to have a few high stools and an outdoor terrasse come summer.

Joined by partners Panos Koulouris and Lily Koutsos, DiNunzio and Candido have had their share of COVID-related challenges in getting the storefront ready to open. But now that ovens have arrived from one part of the country and mixers from another, renovations have been sorted and staff hired, the team is ready to roll within the next month or so — with the exact date still to be determined.

Ugo Pizzeria will open at 681 rue de la Commune, with dine-in, takeout, and delivery.