Pizza at FCO

I have an hour to eat between meetings in Old Montréal. The weather is beautiful and I head for  FCO di Fiumicino. 

The Pizza

Montréal has many good pizza places but this is my personal favourite. I stand in line and order at the counter from a good selection of pizza by the slice. I usually choose two pieces from my three favourites:

  • Diavola – soppressata, spicy bell peppers, and mozzarella
  • Patate e Salsiccia, potato and Italian Sausage
  • Margherita, the classic tomato and fresh mozzarella, the simplest ingredients but the most difficult to get right

I like the soggy-bottomed pizza available at many of the “Napolitano” styled pizzerias but I far prefer the thin-style crispy crust. It is even better when there are a few very dark blisters on the surface. FCO delivers on both counts.

The Ambiance

FCO serves the pizza on paper plates and utensils are rudimentary, but I really don’t care. After adding a touch of spicy olive oil, I try to bag a seat at the counter by the front window and just watch people go by. Heaven cannot be much better than this. There is an additional counter along a side wall and some seating on a mezzanine. There are a variety of available beverages including Brio, beer, and wine. Food, simple or complex, made to a high standard  results in happy people so the atmosphere is always good. 

The Gelato

While I eat, I cross my fingers that I will still have room for gelato. This dense Italian-style ice cream has become more available in Montréal. Overall, quality has improved steadily but FCO’s is the best. I have probably spent more than 250 days in Italy over the past nine or ten years. I have eaten gelato at least once a day while there so I consider myself an expert. FCO limits the available flavours to seven or eight and not the fifty or more often available in an Italian gelateria. However, flavours that they do serve are outstanding and super-creamy. I like the classics, nocciola (hazelnut) and pistachio. Often, I will take my small cup of frozen gold next door to Caffé Différance to enjoy with a fantastic macchiato. That would be a real, tiny macchiato unlike the sugary slop from Starbucks. Batteries now charged, I am ready for the afternoon. 

I hope that FCO is doing great pick-up and delivery business. Post-pandemic, I want to head to FCO.

FCO Pizza and Gelato, 451 Viger Street West,  Montréal, QC 514-861-3636

Delivery available through Foodora, Uber Eats, and A La Carte Express

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