Bramoso Solves Halifax’s Toughest Pizza Dilemmas…
What do former American president Bill Clinton, the film Food Inc., and a mechanical engineer who specializes in automotive manufacturing have in common?
They all played a big part in inspiring one of my favorite places to eat in Halifax…Bramoso Gourmet Pizzeria on Quinpool Road.
With over 30 types of pizza on the menu, each made with primarily local ingredients; it is not hard to see (or in this case, taste) why Bramoso is building a loyal customer base across the HRM.
Pat Ryan is not your typical restaurant owner. Just over three years ago, Ryan, a born problem solver, set out to solve Halifax’s dilemma of a lack of delicious, healthy, and premium pizza establishments. He was inspired two big factors:
1) A speech by former American President Bill Clinton about the irrepressible trend towards re-localization of economies that is happening world-wide, particularly in the food space (if you thought I was going to say the speech about not having relations, or the one about not inhaling…sheesh… give the man some respect!)
(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
2) The uneasy feeling he got when he watched the controversial film Food Inc., which reveals how little we know about the things we eat.
The result: a dynamic menu of delicious pizzas that couldn’t be any fresher… as Ryan will proudly tell you, Bramoso doesn’t actually even own a freezer! (Don’t worry – they have a fridge, and it has many delicious local beers and wines in it!)
Bramoso purchases many of their ingredients direct from producers at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market and has developed custom beer and wine pairings for many of their dishes – selecting only products that are locally or sustainably produced.
I’ve been a huge fan of this restaurant ever since my first experience at the Quinpool location last summer. Following an epic game of Ultimate Frisbee, the members of the illustrious Broccoli Stumps Ultimate Frisbee squad (yes, that is the name, and yes, we all wore bright green) and I feasted on the fantastic Lombardy’s Fire pizza, which is topped with made- from-scratch red sauce, pineapple, jalapenos, local smoked bacon, a three-cheese blend, and REAL FIRE:
This pizza is a thing of beauty with the kick of the jalapenos being perfectly complimented by delicious pineapple sweetness. Fact: Many of Bramoso’s pizza are created through experimentation by staff. Fact: Delicious.
On the occasion of this particular blog, I was meeting up with a few of my colleagues on the Halifax Awesome Foundation. We figured if we needed to brainstorm awesome ideas, awesome pizza would supply perfect brain food. We were correct.
Our crew opted to test Mr. Ryan’s claim that Bramoso makes the best garlic fingers in town. As a chartered accountant and professional auditor, naturally, I had to test the validity of this claim.
Based on my professional judgment…..delicious! I’d recommend you also test this claim (and try the whole wheat crust)!
We also mowed down on a…
Mediterranean: a delightful vegan-friendly option with olive oil glaze, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, diced tomatoes, local feta and oregano (left center); and
Mia Dela Riva: an amazing ‘za with olive oil glaze, fresh garlic, local smoked chicken, local bacon, diced tomatoes, red onions, oregano and a three-cheese blend (which included gorgonzola….. AWESOME!) (center).
One thing Ryan prides himself on is the healthy angle Bramoso brings to pizza. He recognized the need to provide customers with dietary concerns (gluten and dairy sensitivities) with options to enjoy pizza.
Bramoso offers a wide range of vegan, gluten-free and dairy free items that are heavy on flavour… and you can even custom design a Take-n-Bake pizza that meets all of your dietary needs.
Tired of eating oatmeal for breakfast? Bramoso has solved that dilemma too (Pat Ryan, is, in my humble opinion, the MacGyver of pizza problems).
Feast your eyes on this little ditty, available at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings:
I’ve started a few weekend morning’s off right with this slice of heaven… and by heaven I mean tons of fresh veggies, a local free-range egg and bacon.
Mr. Ryan is excited about a number of things happening at Bramoso over the next few months. The Quinpool location is being expanded to allow more customers to enjoy a premium pizza experience in person. I caught a sneak peak of the blueprints – and can’t wait to see it when it’s done. There is also a menu expansion to fresh pastas in the works. Ladies and gentlemen, fasten up your taste buds’ seat belts; expect this to come online in early spring 2012.