Pizza to Drive For
By Rebekah Skochinski
Standing kitty-corner to CP Rail on Syndicate Avenue, Caesar’s Place is somewhat of an institution on the south side of town, and is exactly the sort of place that you hope to find when you’re visiting another city—one that all of the locals know about, tucked away in an unassuming location with authenticity stamped all over it. In their open kitchen, they have been simmering sauce, tossing and topping pizza dough, and folding over their infamous panzerottis for nearly 35 years. Mike Bizzarrino (on the cover) owned Caesar’s Place for 25 years before retiring and turning it over to current owners and family friends Rob and Dawn Marshalok about five years ago. While some things have changed in that time—they are no longer open until 3 am—others have stayed the same: red and white checkered tablecloths, the sworn-to-secrecy recipes for sauce and spice mixtures, and a sense of home that comes from a family-run eatery. People will drive across town for their food (that’s right, all the way from P.A.!) with many patrons from across Canada and the United States stopping to dine and others requesting that they pack and ship their beloved panzerottis, something that Caesar’s is more than happy to do. While mum’s the word on their recipes, it’s certainly no secret that they have worked their way into our hearts by satisfying our stomachs. Buon Appetito!
Extras: Caesar’s Place goes through 50 gallons of crushed tomatoes a week, they bake everything in a stone oven, and they sell their sauce and pizza dough to-go.
