Woodenheads

Regular readers may remember that I have a bit of a problem. I’m hooked on the pies, pizza pies that is. After a late night snack involving a few slices on Saturday, I couldn’t stave off the mid-morning craving on Sunday, which made my mouth water for a wheel of glorious wood-fired thin crust ‘za, topped with tomato sauce, smoked mozzarella, pepperoni, green peppers and mushrooms. The following is an account of my journey to the best damn pizza joint this city has to offer, and it will explain why you’ll never get a table without a reservation.

On a typical Sunday morning, droves of hipsters, weekend alcoholics, and grey-haired retirees converge on restaurants to consume coffee, bacon, eggs and other traditional brunch-like fare. I am usually lumped into this group, but as I mentioned above, last Sunday I was craving something a bit less familiar to the breakfast set. As I arrived at Woodenheads Gourmet Pizzeria, I wasn’t surprised to find the place nearly packed just past noon. Had I stumbled into some sort of pizzaholics anonymous meeting, or is this place so good that people would choose pizza over omelettes and eggs Benedict?

By some sort of miracle, we were shown to our table immediately, handed menus and left to ponder all the delicious possibilities. Now that shouldn’t come across as a strike against the quality of service at Woodenheads, but rather it should highlight the risk associated with simply showing up without a reservation. Time and again I’ve called Woodenheads upwards of two days in advance, only to have my dinner dreams dashed by the fact that they were booked solid. So my advice to those of you who are virgin Woodenheads, is to plan your pizza outing at least a week in advance.

Noticeably there are no “food porn” photos from my latest ‘za-tastic adventure, as I was too hungry and my meal was too delicious to be gawked at for any length of time. I started with a Caesar salad, which if you don’t mind garlic, is the best Kingston has to offer. Quickly following our insalate, pizzas were delivered to nearly every person at our table. The sights, sounds and smells were simply magical. Everything from the little bits of charred crust – proof of the wood-fired oven, to the sweet yet spicy tomato sauce, and both the generous portions and fresh toppings have made a believer out of me. If you’re as passionate about thin crust, home style pizza as I am, this is the finest Kingston has to offer.

In addition to the crowd pleasing menu, the well stocked bar and ambiance will keep you coming back. Regarding the latter, Woodenheads mixes upscale elegance with a cozy wood-fired atmosphere that’s second to none (check out our Flickr for a few pics). Newcomers and regulars alike just can’t get enough of their dome-shaped, brick-clad oven. If I am so lucky as to have one of these in my home some day, I will die a happy man. Even if you don’t like pizza, the smell of burning wood and bubbling mozzarella is enough to entice you.