Ombrella Pizza Cones in Ottawa

Ombrella Pizza Cones is NOW CLOSED - RIP

I took a trip up to Ottawa recently, but I didn't get any wings.  But I did take some time to check out the food scene. I went to my favorite city blog for Ottawa, Apt613. They had an article from a while ago that I missed about Pizza Cones coming to Ottawa. Then I did a little more internet research and heard more about Pizza Cones over at Ottawa Xpress.

Then I came across an A-Chanel video where they interviewed the owner, Giovanni:

I thought it seemed like a novel concept. I didn't make an effort to actually go there, but LJ and I were out and about in Ottawa, it was past lunch and we were hungry. We were very close to Bronson and decided to pop in. 

I really wish I had brought my camera with me. The place I think used to be a variety store, and they have converted it well. It was very bright inside and made me think of an ice cream parlor. It seems like a strange location too as there isn't too much around it.

Giovanni was there himself, and we all talked while our Pizza Cones cooked. We listened to him talk about the business (it sounds like he's found a franchisee for Toronto, and he wants to expand onto the canal in Ottawa), his life, his competition and pizza cones in general. It was fascinating listening to the man and his story.

If you watched the video above you get the concept, but if you didn't, they have a special dough that is shaped like a cone. They then fill the cone with sauce, cheese, your toppings, then more cheese and sauce. They also have Ombrella Cones, which is a cone with a flat top: it looks like a mini pizza that has a sink-hole in the middle.

We got our Pizza Cones to go, and they were still warm when we got home. It was very hard not to eat while driving, but with lots of snow and wanting to take  photo, I held off.

I went with a pretty simple topping list: sausage, pepperoni, and hot peppers. Then there was lots of cheese and sauce that baked nicely on top.

The cone/crust had a great texture - being resilient to hold its shape and not tasting like cardboard. It was just a little chewy but also crunchy.

The sauce was very mild and tomatoey. Even thought there was a lot of sauce it didn't over power the cone. The sausage and pepperoni was also mild. The pickled  hot peppers were the perfect ingredient to give a bit of zip and tang to the cone. LJ's had only a few variations in her toppings and she agreed about the hot peppers as a must.

This was a great grab-and-go food. It would be perfect for a fair or theme park or walking in an urban environment. I can't believe no one has done this sooner. It can get a bit pricey, but I think this is more than just a novelty item. I hope they do come to Toronto soon.

Ombrella Pizzacones
527 Bronson Avenue, Ottawa ON
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