Disclosure
This website contains “affiliate links”. We receive an affiliate commission or advertising fee for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. Our participation in affiliate programs include those with the following companies:
- Follow.It
- Bluehost
- Creative Market
At The Drive Thru is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.ca.
For more details please read our Disclosure Policy.
Introduction
As the title says this is all about the love of pizza. I have to admit, if I have a weakness, it is pizza.
This weakness extends all the way back to my childhood days when at age 12, I won a pizza eating contest at a local fair in Victoria, BC. I devoured a 16 inch pepperoni pizza in 14 minutes and 23 seconds. Yes after 45 years I still remember the time.
If I have passed on anything to Lee it is this very same weakness and love for pizza. I am not sure that I could match that 14 minutes, 23 seconds now, but I am convinced Lee could shatter that mark.
Although Lee and I love pizza it seems like it comes under the classification like for Ruth. Surprisingly though, Ruth is the only one of the three of us to have ever worked at a pizza restaurant. Maybe she is just a closet pizza lover and hiding the true facts!
Even more so than our love for pizza, this is about the love for pizza of one of the co-founders of a relatively new pizza chain named PiCo.
History
PiCo has been around for about 2 years now and is predominantly with locations in Toronto. Locations also exist in Ottawa, Kitchener and Hamilton, Ontario. The only locations outside Ontario are the two that exist in Saskatoon, SK.
My research indicates that one of the co-founders of PiCo has a restaurant background and the other a love for pizza. The one with the love for pizza it seems was inspired by a US chain based in Pasadena, CA named Blaze Pizza. His background also includes social media promotion and in addition to PiCo he owns a social media company and a frozen pizza company.
The two co-founders played soccer together as children and this inspiration for a Wood Fire Pizza Restaurant lead to the birth of PiCo.
The Facts
The pizza is a Neapolitan style cooked at a high temperature(approximately 1000 degrees) for a very short time, just 90 seconds. One unique feature is that you pay one price and select your choice of sauce, combination of cheeses and as many toppings as you like. There are approximately 30 toppings to choose from. Although there are many toppings you may consider customary on pizza there are several that you might not expect such as pear and corn.
In addition to the pizza PiCo also makes salad and desert pizzas(combinations of pizza crust with Nutella, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey’s Cookies ‘n ‘Cream, Caramilk and other choices).
I believe PiCo’s continued growth and popularity can be attributed to its unique approach, menu choices, friendly atmosphere and above all its love for pizza.
The Fun
First off, something not so fun, Lee had a little accident on his scooter this week and managed to scrape his leg, so on this adventure we let him stay home and rest his leg while Ruth and I picked up the pizza and brought it back home.
Prior to leaving home we ordered the pizzas using PiCo’s App. The process is very smooth and you get to pick your choice of sauce, choices of cheese and all the toppings you want. We paid through the App too so we just needed to pickup.
The pizzas are approximately 10 inches in diameter so we each ordered our own pizza. There are two varieties of tomato sauce to choose from. Lee and I both went for the California sauce which has a little more kick. There is also a sweeter San Marzano tomato sauce to choose from. Ruth went for white sauce on hers with mozzarella and Feta cheese. Lee and I actually did identical pizzas. We had cheddar and mozzarella cheese with pepperoni, bacon, ground sausage, pineapple and red onion. Ruth finished off her order with chicken, cherry tomatoes and basil.
After making the order Ruth and I headed off to pick up the pizzas(about a 15 minute drive). I no sooner got inside at the restaurant when the first of Lee text messages arrived, it read “Where are you guys right now? I am hungry.”, followed shortly by “Did you get the pizza yet”, “Are you guys coming with the pizza soon?” and “I am hungry!”. Did I say I passed on a love of pizza to him?
While driving home I counted how many times Ruth said “This smells good!”. It was 8 times. Figure that into a 15 minute drive and yet get how often that is. Did I say closet pizza lover?
After arriving home it was the usual battle to get a couple of photos before everyone descended on the feast.
Do we love pizza? I think it goes without question.
What Next
If you like this you may enjoy Awesome Sound.
Products We Like
To get more recurring visitors we like follow.it to notify subscribers when there are new posts.
Mmmm! I love a good pizza pie!! This sounds great! I’m from NJ originally and we are big pizza lovers! I’ve moved to Florida and it’s hard to find a good pie but I make a pretty great one! Thanks for sharing!
Pizza is hard not to love. If you are ever in Jacksonville Beach, Biggies Pizza is good.
Who doesn’t love pizza! I need a tangy sauce, and a great crust is key.
The sauce we had was just the right amount of kick.
I will take all of them! I never eat pizza anymore and these look amazing!
They were delicious!
My husband and son are pizza fanatics too! What I found most interesting is that a pizza can be baked at 1000 degrees for only 90 seconds!
It is very thin crust so maybe that is what allows this to work so well.
We love pizza! Pie Wood Fire Pizza is one of our favourites located in Barrie and Muskoka – just north of Toronto!
We will have to check that out the next time we are up that way. A friend of ours also introduced us to Pizzeria Italia on Mulcaster in Barrie that we really enjoyed too.
I’m hungry just reading your post! Sounds delicious.
It is a good thing I write them after eating when I am not hungry!
I love pizza shamelessly any kind. I like to try the old along with the new. Adventuresome but must admit, I have not had a really good pizza of late. This sounds delicious…not sure they would deliver here! The dessert pizza would be a great way to round out the meal (as well as me!). Thanks for your post.
Pizza does tend to want to stick around on the waistline!
This looks so good! I’m from Ohio but would love to try this on a trip up more north!
It would be worth the trip if you get an opportunity.
I love all kinds of pizza. A lot of my favorite restaurants are actually pizza places. My husband and I have a favorite here in Orange County – Rance’s Chicago Pizza – and I don’t think we’ve gotten any other pizza around home since we discovered it.
I find that its the same. When you find a favorite pizza place, you stick with it.
I love pizza. This looks like a great place to try, too bad they’re aren’t any around me.
It is delicious pizza!
Neopolitan pizza is #1 for me – love reading this today as we are making our own in our lil pizza oven tonight!
I hope you enjoyed!
I love a good pizza. It’s the perfect go-to on days you don’t feel like cooking!
I totally agree!
Pizza is a family favorite around here, but we all have different types of pizza that we prefer. White sauce is my absolute favorite. We enjoy going to places like this where everyone can build their own pizzas. We usually go to Blaze pizza.
It is without a doubt my favorite food. I hope to get an opportunity to visit Blaze Pizza in our travels.
WOW wht an amazing place! The one food I could never give up is pizza.. I love it and always like to hear about places that make a good one… especially when I’m traveling!
If you are are ever near PiCo it is worth the visit.
That looks really delicious! I love specialty pizzas (a little too much, probably).
Yeah, it is something that maybe needs to be done in moderation.
That looks delicious! I like being able to make my own pizza so I can pick what I want!
It is nice that you get to pick as many toppings as you want all for the same price.
MMM…PiCo’s pizzas look really good! Since the quarantine, we have been having pizza night once per week. Got any diet advice?! Thanks for you fun post; now, at 9:30 a.m., I want PIZZA!!
I guess balance it with other maybe less fattening meals and I think the real key is exercise.
Now you’ve done it – I am craving pizza like crazy! Since living in Arizona, I haven’t found a pizza that is excellent, but did find a couple of good ones. Enjoyed your article!
Sometimes excellent pizza is hard to find. Glad you enjoyed the article.
I’ve been to Blaze pizza here in Wisconsin! Love how quick it is and delicious! There is a gluten free crust too which is great for me.
When we can travel back to the US we will to try Blaze Pizza. PiCo has gluten free crust too.
My family owned a pizza place for over 10 years. I enjoy pizza again now after over 10 years of really not enjoying it after my parents closed it down. After working in and owning a pizza place it is hard to come by pizza that was as good or better around my area.
I hope you do find a local pizza restaurant that you really enjoy!
Looks fabulous! Love stone fire pizzas!
It was awesome!
We’ve got Blaze down here and it’s good. I’m a huge pizza fan and will eat any kind, but after living in NYC it’s tough to be fully satisfied with any other (unless in Italy).
I would love to have the opportunity to eat pizza in Italy!
Pizzas are one of my favorites!! They’re so yummy and there are so many varieties!
You are true about many varieties and of course true that they are yummy!
Pizza is my weakness too! I love it with all my heart!
If you are going to have a weakness I think it is the best one to have. maybe not so good for the waistline though.
I’m so hungry for pizza now! I’m so picky about my pizza though. I like a sweet sauce and can’t find a good pizza joint in Virginia yet. I love the pizza we get in Pittsburgh, PA, and Nashville’s Stillery had amazing pizza. mmmmmm pizza…
I hope you come across one in Virginia soon that you love. Great pizza restaurants are hard to find.
I have a pizza weakness as well! And I love white pizzas too!
It is hard not to have a weakness for.
Pizza is one of our absolute favorite Friday night movie night dinners. We have to make our own as we have no spots to pick or deliver local to us however. Yours looks yummy….now I don’t know if I can wait til Friday, LOL!
There is no rule that says you can’t have pizza twice in one week!
I never realized there were SOO many different types of pizza!! Loved learning more about the combinations and will try some. Your video was great to be able to hear about your trip, history, and story. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you and glad you enjoyed the video.
Yummy! We just had pulled pork pizza last night with pineapple (gasp!), bbq sauce, red onion, and jalapeno. I love those places you can customize each pizza personally! Yum!
That sounds like an awesome combination of toppings!
That looks great! (and is making me hungry)
It was yummy!
I eat vegan gluten free pizza now BUT my mom and step dad owned a pizza restaurant. I learned how to make a really mean pizza working there as a teen. 😀
That must have been a lot of fun!
Oh wow! Devouring 16 inch pizza in 4 minutes and 23 seconds, what a feat!! My husband can eat pizza 3x a day. We treat ourselves every week with a pizza. Sadly, most of the pizza place here is commercialized. We love Wood Fire Pizza’s last time we had it was in Costa Rica
I think I would be fine with pizza 3x a day too!
Even cold pizza gets a thumbs up!! 🍕
I would have agree that is a fair statement.