The Italian Centre is not a new discovery but I’ve been holding out on trying the cafe side of the market as I’m not really a fan of the traditional crust. Well, when the weather beamed to be a sunny and “let’s hang out on your barely used deck” kind of day; I went to pick up some desserts and made eye contact with the oven. Lo and behold; my encounter with Spinelli.

As crowded as you’d expect the space to be since looking in you don’t deem the whole shopping centre to be all that roomy, I was pleasantly surprised with how well lit the space was and how they managed to have so many tables available. The cafe side is attached to the baked goods sharing the same glassed display. Walking towards the counter you’ll find pre made sandwiches and panini’s where you can order and get reheated. There were three separate menu’s scattered around the counter. Pizza menu, cafe menu and a specials menu.

I only decided on ordering a pizza this visit, service was quick and friendly. The wait for the pizza took around 15 minutes. They do make each pizza per order though!

Prosciutto Arugula - ($15) - 3/5 - One of their white pizza’s, decorated with prosciutto, bocconcini, arugula, and cherry tomatoes; Finished with olive oil and a balsamic glaze. All ingredients tasted incredibly fresh and we never bit into one tomato that wasn’t sweet and juicy, granted not a lot of pizzerias are in the same vicinity to a grocery store. Portion size was huge. Especially for $15. Uhm yes please.

Verdict. Pizza wise, I like it better than Famoso’s. Would I be craving this specifically anytime soon? Doubt it.

I’ve frequented the Italian Centre many times but have never ate at their cafe, Spinelli’s Bar Italia. Well, my friends wanted to check out the west end location, which is the only Spinelli’s that offers pizza (Little Italy and south side location do not). The café is located to the right of the grocery store but there are a few tables outside if you want to enjoy the sunshine. Order at the counter and wait for the food to be brought to your table. Very basic, cafeteria style but the place was reasonably busy for a late Monday afternoon. Pretty smart of the Italian Centre to open a café in their stores. All the ingredients are right there for them to use!