The Ultimate Vancouver Brunch Guide: Nicli Antica Pizzeria

Jun 2 2016, 11:50 pm

We’re taking a tasty tour of Vancouver’s many brunches to create The Ultimate Vancouver Brunch Guide. This week we’re devouring Nicli Antica Pizzeria’s recently launched brunch pizza. 

Inarguably, some of the best pizzas in Vancouver are made at Nicli Antica Pizzeria. Perfectly charred Neapolitan pies arrive at the table whole, topped with the seasons freshest ingredients. Now, at the weekend this Gastown eatery is merging two of Vancouver’s favourite obsessions: Pizza and brunch.

Brunch items at Nicli Antica Pizzeria (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

Brunch items at Nicli Antica Pizzeria (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

This is excellent news for pizza lovers as they can satisfy their pizza cravings and receive their brunch fix all in one. Wood-fired oven pies adorned with bacon, sausage, and farm fresh eggs, washed down with mimosas–what’s not to love?

Rather than offering a full-blown brunch menu, Nicli has opted to showcase just the one brunch pizza. This specially-crafted pizza is offered in addition to the pizzeria’s regular menu and served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (or until the ingredients run out) on both Saturday and Sunday.

Brunch-inspired pizza at Nicili Antica Pizzeria (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

Brunch-inspired pizza at Nicili Antica Pizzeria (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

While the toppings on the brunch-inspired pizza differ from week to week, one thing is guarenteed, each pizza will be embellished with an egg. Some may question an egg on a pizza, but don’t knock it until you try it.

The kitchen’s sunny side up eggs go spectacularly well with their classic pies, which on some weekends will feature an extra virgin olive oil base, flor di latte, local hop shoots (which can be likened to asparagus), house-made Italian sausage, roasted red onion, and fresh tomato.

Pizza making at Nicili Antica Pizzeria (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

Pizza making at Nicili Antica Pizzeria (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

Nicli’s blistered and puffed crust, fresh and cooked ingredients, and fabulously gooey eggs (ready to burst with a slight prick of a fork) make for a texturally exciting dish.

If for whatever reason you’re not taken by the brunch feature you can always request an egg be put on any pizza you wish. This could be Nicli’s Margherita, Pesto B.B.T. (basil pesto, grana padano, flor di latte, house-smoked bacon, tomatoes, and fresh basil), or the kind of pizza you’d have to hear about from someone in the know. Let’s just say if you peruse the menu carefully you will be rewarded. 

Nicli Antica Pizzeria's exterior (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

Nicli Antica Pizzeria’s exterior (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

Just like their regular speckled pizza, Nicli’s brunch pies boast a wonderful lightness. This is all down to Nicli’s house-made dough, which consists of four super simple ingredients, flour, salt, yeast, and water, and quick cooking process. Nicli’s wood-fired pizza oven reaches 900F and cooks the pizzas in just 90 seconds. The result of this flash cooking, a thin base that is deliciously soft in the middle.

With beautiful melt-in-your-mouth Neapolitan style pizza, topped with typical brunch items, Nicli is sure to satiate any weekend brunch pizza craving.

Nicli Antica Pizzeria

Address: 62 East Cordova Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-669-6985
Hours: Brunch pizzas are served Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Twitter: @NicliPizzeria

Jess FlemingJess Fleming

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