At many pizza joints in Toronto, you'll often see panzerotti or calzone on the menu. While the names are often used interchangeably, tradition usually dictates that calzone are baked while panzerotti are deep-fried, but even that will vary from place to place. Either way, they are generally like a pizza turnover, with cheese, sauce and other fillings cooked into a sealed dough pocket, making it a popular and portable lunch-on-the-go option.
A less-common variation on this folded pizza theme is the stromboli. Theories on the origin of this calzone cousin vary, with some claiming it was first made in Philadelphia (apparently, creating the Philly cheese steak wasn't enough for them!), while others say it has the more likely sounding birthplace of the Italian island of Stromboli.
Wherever its roots may lie, the stromboli has both similarities and differences to it's dough-encrusted kin. It features a pizza-like dough wrapped around a mixture of cheese and other fillings. But unlike the sealed turnover appearance of panzerotti/calzone, a stromboli looks more like a flattened tube with open ends, and sauce is served on the side for dipping rather than included inside with the other fillings.
I haven't seen stromboli at many places in Toronto, but it's on the menu alongside pizza, calzone and sandwiches at Slice of New York (locations at 689 King Street West & 64 Edward Street). They have four varieties available - meat, vegetarian, Manhattan & Italian ($4.99 each) - all featuring a dough wrapper that is crispy golden-brown on the outside with a chewy and slightly sweet interior. They're well stuffed with an assortment of fresh ingredients, with the veggie version including onions, spinach, red pepper, mushrooms and lots of gooey cheese. They're served with a chunky and fresh tasting marinara dipping sauce on the side, and if you're feeling extra hungry, you can add a side salad built from a selection of a couple of dozen toppings for an extra $1.79. Throw in a can of Vimto fruit soda (one of several touches from the primarily Middle Eastern staff) and you've got a quick and relatively healthy lunch for under ten bucks.
