Say It With Flours

At Pizzeria Farina, it's all about the dough. “The idea was, and still is, to open at five, and go until the dough runs out,” explains front-of-house manager Saya Goshinmon. First opened in 2011, Pizzeria Farina is the brainchild of co-owner and executive chef JC Poirier. The popular Main Street pizzeria provides hungry Vancouverites with high-quality, Neapolitan-style pies made with authentic Italian ingredients – at least, for as long as supplies last.

“The quickest we've ever sold out here was a whopping 2.75 hours,” Saya laughs. “It was insane. It's a real testament to how hard these guys work here.”

Oil's Well That Ends Well

The restaurant itself is relatively small – fewer than 20 seats – and given the limited quantities available, service generally lasts until a little after 9:30 pm. And forget the basic pepperoni and Hawaiian pizzas you might find elsewhere; Pizzeria Farina's offerings, based on JC's recipes, are about a more authentic, Italian experience. Extra toppings and sauces are also in line with that mandate; guests are entitled to add such items as fennel sausage, arugula or soppressata  and each table is laden with a variety of infused olive oils, including oregano and chili.

There's an emphasis on high-end ingredients, many sourced from Italy - though some things are local, including the flour, which is milled here in the Lower Mainland. As for the dough itself, it's prepared over a painstaking, three-day, multi-step process that involves mixing, pre-fermentation, shaping and proofing.

“There's a culture around it," Saya explains, "bringing a beautiful flavour to the dough by putting the time in, and letting it rise properly, creating a yeast culture in there. It's very much our own recipe. And we're very proud of that. It's reflected in the price-point, I guess, but I always tell people that when you taste the difference, it's worth it.”

Where It's Dough Or Die

So far Pizzeria Farina's approach has been embraced by the neighbourhood, becoming a staple for hipsters and young professionals from not just Main Street, but all over town. As far as Saya knows, there are no plans to expand or franchise, part of the restaurant's charm lying in its limited, exclusive nature. And given their innovative approach, authentic ingredients, cozy atmosphere and delicious pizzas, it looks like it will be a long while before Pizzeria Farina's time – unlike their dough – runs out.

“We have people who come down from the West End, and we see them on a weekly basis," Saya notes. "There are people from Kits that we know by name. But our popularity was really dependent on being accepted in this neighbourhood. And we've been lucky enough that we have been.”