Colonnade Pizza
{{Short description|Pizza restaurant in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada}}
{{Infobox restaurant
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| name = Colonnade Pizza
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| logo = Colonnade Pizza logo.png
| logo_width = 200px
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| current-owner = Kalil Dahdouh
Peter Dahdouh
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| food-type = Pizza
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| street-address = 280 Metcalfe St.
| city = Ottawa, Ontario
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| country = Canada
| coordinates = {{Coord|45|24|56.85|N|75|41|29.36|W|type:landmark_region:CA-ON|display=inline,title}}
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| website = {{URL|https://www.colonnadepizza.com/}}
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Colonnade Pizza is a small chain of dine-in and takeout pizza restaurants located in Ottawa, Ontario.
History
The restaurant was opened at its long standing Metcalfe Street location in 1967 by Lebanese-Canadian immigrant Kalil Dahdouh. Dahdouh first arrived to Ottawa from Lebanon in 1959, and saved money to open the restaurant.{{cite news |last1=Egan |first1=Kelly |title=Egan: Pizza and a life of pie — Colonnade celebrates its 50th |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/egan-pizza-and-a-life-of-pie-colonnade-celebrates-its-50th |access-date=19 March 2025 |work=Ottawa Citizen |publisher=Postmedia |date=10 October 2017}}
It is considered one of the more popular spots for Ottawa-style pizza in the city.{{cite web |last=Pizzuti|first=Jordan|title=The best pizza spots in Ottawa by neighbourhood, from city to suburbs (MAP) |url=https://www.narcity.com/ottawa/best-pizza-in-ottawa-by-neighbourhood-map|access-date=February 10, 2025}} Ottawa-style pizza is influenced by the city's large Lebanese immigrant population. The style of pizza known for often being eaten by fork and knife, being greasy, having sweeter sauce, crispy, thick cheese, a thick crust, and toppings under the cheese.{{cite web |title=Pizza Time! My Favorite [sic] Ottawa Pizza Joints|url=https://mindofaformerchef.com/pizza-time-my-favorite-ottawa-pizza-joints/|access-date=February 10, 2025}}{{cite web |last=Gankina|first=Sonia |title=Ottawa Pizza Podcast celebrates the uniqueness of Ottawa-style pizza|url=https://apt613.ca/ottawa-pizza-podcast-celebrates-the-uniqueness-of-ottawa-style-pizza/|access-date=February 10, 2025}}{{cite web |last=Hum|first=Peter|title=Where to eat pizza in Ottawa — according to five years worth of Ottawa Citizen resto reviews|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/local-food-reviews/where-to-eat-pizza-in-ottawa|access-date=February 10, 2025}}{{cite web |title=Ottawa Pizza Podcast releases its first season finale|url=https://apt613.ca/foodie-friday-ottawa-pizza-podcast-releases-its-first-season-finale/|access-date=February 10, 2025}}
Instead of using mozzarella to top the pizzas like most restaurants, Colonnade sources brine-salted brick cheese from Oak Grove Cheese Factory located in Southwestern Ontario.{{cite news |last1=Lunau |first1=Kate |title=Italian ovens are hot, hot, hot |url=https://macleans.ca/society/life/italian-ovens-are-hot-hot-hot/ |access-date=19 March 2025 |work=Macleans Magazine |publisher=St. Joseph Communications |date=17 January 2012}} The process to make the pizza's sauce and dough has been kept a family secret, with only three individuals knowing the process. The dough is made using traditional Lebanese bread making processes.
Colonnade also served as a jumping-off point for former staff who went on to open their own Ottawa-style pizza joints, including Moe Atallah's Newport Restaurant.
Peter Dahdouh, son of founder Kalil Dahdouh, currently oversees the restaurant's operations and has led its expansion to five other locations across the city.
Recognition
In 2024, Ottawa Citizen restaurant critic Peter Hum described Colonnade as an iconic Ottawa brand. While praising the nostalgia and signature cheese, he noted that the pizzas felt somewhat lacking in sauce and seasoning, with the Colonnade special appearing soggier than the others. In 1986, the Citizen's then restaurant critic Shirley Foley wrote the pizza was “as it should be: piping hot, lots of green pepper, pepperoni, mushrooms, runny cheese, with a crust that let you know who was boss."
Maclean's Magazine described Colonnade as "an Ottawa institution."
The restaurant gained a reputation as a popular spot for politicians in the city. Former Canadian Prime Ministers Kim Campbell and Stephen Harper were noted as regulars at the restaurant.
Actress Annie Murphy, who grew up in Ottawa, lauded Colonnade as her "favourite pizza in the entire world" and "would be [her] last meal request."{{cite web |title='Schitt’s Creek' star Annie Murphy shares her favourite hot spots in her hometown Ottawa |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20180515127022/annie-murphy-schitts-creek-favourite-ottawa-hot-spots/ |website=Hello! Magazine |publisher=Hello! |access-date=19 March 2025}}
{{Portal|Canada|Food}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Restaurants in Ottawa}}
Category:Pizza chains of Canada