Nonavo’s wood-fired pizzas missing flair

Editor’s note: A relative of writer Karen Livingston works at a different pizza parlor in Vancouver and was her dining companion mentioned below. Livingston said that the relationship did not color her review of this restaurant.

Why: Nonavo Pizza opened up in downtown Vancouver about seven months ago. Family owned and operated by chef Joey Chmiko and his wife Alder Suttles, the family friendly, casual dining restaurant specializes in Naples style wood-fired oven pizza made with farm fresh ingredients. The menu offers 11 pies, including two vegetable options, on a regular basis.

What I tried: I tried the kale salad and pesto pizza, and my dining companion had the mixed green salad topped with pickled vegetables and the bolognese pizza. We also sampled the pound cake dessert.

The kale salad combines golden raisins and radishes with the kale. The dressing is ginger-miso and liberally applied. The salad’s ingredients were well matched, but the dressing had such a strong presence that it overwhelmed the salad. I tired of the flavor mid-way through. My dining companion’s salad was equally doused in its respective dressing, and although the ingredients were wonderfully fresh, they too lacked luster due to the copious amount of dressing applied.

The pizza crust was very moist and slightly doughy underneath the top, which was puffy with thin-walled bubbles that were quickly browned by the heat in the oven.

The pesto pizza had a base of arugula pesto, which had a creamy consistency. On top of the pesto was garlic, lemon olive oil, dollops of sun seed ricotta and tiny wedges of lemon.

The bolognese pizza was topped with garlic, oregano, dollops of mozzarella, spoonfuls of ragu bolognese and a hearty sprinkling of grana padano cheese.

The pesto pie tasted strongly of lemon, and I was surprised how mild the arugula pesto was. The bolognese pie was somewhat soupy and distinguished by the grana padano. The toppings on both pies were tepid, which I did not find appetizing.

The pound cake dessert consisted of a round slice of cake, approximately three-quarter inch thick, covered with a berry sauce and fresh whipped cream. The cake was denser than typical pound cake and reminded me of a gluten free variety because it was a bit dry and not very sweet. The berry sauce and the whipped cream were not very sweet, either, so the dessert had an overall dessert substitute sort of character instead of that of a sweet indulgence.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere feels somewhat sterile. It is void of significant color, with a white ceiling, white walls and white-painted church pews paired with white chairs for seating. Tables are topped in rich, walnut wood grain. Lighting consists of drop lights, some with simple white shades and some with black, wire-formed shades with soft, white, globe bulbs which cast a flat light amid the color-starved surfaces. Split wood logs are stacked under the pews along the wall. Clusters of black-on-white drawings of faces framed in white decorate the walls. The oven is featured center stage in the open kitchen, and is tiled in black and white. Overall, I did not find the atmosphere particularly welcoming. Entering the restaurant feels like walking into a black and white movie — if that was possible.

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The mushroom pizza is topped with garlic, basil, wild and farmed mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. The prosciutto pizza includes tomato, basil, mozzarella cheese, arugula and aged balsamic vinaigrette with the prosciutto. Some of the less complex options include a Margherita pizza, a marinara pizza, a tomato pizza and a pepperoni pizza. Beets and spiced carrots with hazelnuts and Olio Verde olive oil is on the menu, as well. There are specialty pizzas which change weekly and rotating desserts. In addition to the regular menu items. Beverages include cider, beer and wine.

Other observations: Orders are placed and paid for at the counter and table service follows. The payment system prompts you to leave a tip before your dining experience. Pizzas are all 10-inches to 12-inches and considered personal sized. There are no gluten free options. Service was attentive and friendly. The food, in my opinion is overpriced for the portion sizes, especially the salads at $8 and $9.

Cost: Salads cost $8 to $10. Pizzas range from $9 to $16.