The document discusses three pizza restaurants in Alberta - The Bear Street Tavern in Banff, Crazyweed in Canmore, and the Best Western Jasper's Inn Grill. It summarizes the key features of each restaurant's pizzas, including fresh ingredients and unique toppings. It also describes the outdoor patio areas at each location.

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Patios&
Their secret? “Our pizzas are made from
scratch with the best premium ingredients
you can find,” Thomson explains. The dough
is made fresh with olive oil from Italy, the
cheese is shredded daily, and quality plum
tomatoes and fresh basil elevate the flavours.
At Crazyweed in Canmore (p 126), owner/
chef Jan Hrabec says, “the toppings on a
pizza all have to make sense as far as a taste
profile goes.” Her coveted creations are a bal-
ance of salty, savoury, bitter and sweet.
Crazyweed starts with an uncooked tomato
sauce. It cooks when it’s spread on pizzas hot
from the oven, enhancing the toppings in the
process. “It’s simple and herby, a good canvas.”
The pies at the Best Western Jasper’s Inn
Grill (p 162) are the ultimate indulgent treat.
Trendy flavours evoke food truck and ethnic
fare in their buffalo wing, pulled pork and
butter chicken varieties.
“Our cheese-stuffed crust is what sets us
apart,” says restaurant manager Matt Cush-
ing. “We also utilize all fresh ingredients.”
Chefs’ Top Picks
Thomson likes to keep things simple and
delicious. His favourite pizza on the Tavern’s
menu is The Classic. “Once in a while I’ll
treat myself and I’ll have the Godfather,” he
says (arugula, olives, bread crumbs…mmm).
On Crazyweed’s menu, Hrabec is partial to
the Oscar Wilde for the mushrooms. “It’s a
simple pizza, just prosciutto and mushrooms
and cheese with tomato sauce, but it’s deli-
cious and really good with wine.”
At the
Inn Grill,
the Pan-
cetta and
Mango is
an innovative
take on tradi-
tional Hawaiian.
Their fresh veggie-
loaded pie, The Patch,
is a vegetarian favourite,
while meat lovers opt for
the Carnivore’s Delight.
Patio Perks
The Bear Street Tavern’s patio is underrated,
says Thomson. Set inside a courtyard off
Banff’s main street, the patio is quiet and
secluded—a shady respite on hot summer
afternoons. Thomson recommends The Mar-
garita pizza for a light patio meal.
Hrabec says Crazyweed’s patio is an ideal
spot for pizza with pesto sauce paired with
white wine on a hot day. “There’s an amazing
view of Ha Ling Peak,” she adds.
The Inn Grill outdoor terrace is the most
flower-filled of the three. “It’s your own little
getaway,” Cushing says. Outdoor heaters are
a great addition on cool nights.
Other great places to get your wood-fired
pizza and patio fix include: Canmore’s Rocky
Mountain Flatbread Company (838 10 St,
Map 4, 8G) where kids can make their own
pizza on Tuesdays, and the Jasper Pizza Place
(p 161), which has a rooftop patio with
mountain views for miles.
says Kirk Thomson, executive chef of Banff’s
Bear Street Tavern (p 116). The restaurant’s
‘Ridiculously Good Pizza’ has been featured
on The Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here.
A Perfect Pair
Pizzas By Afton Aikens
PHOTO:THEBEARSTREETTAVERN
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You can’t knock a good pizza,