Every pizza is a blessing at 5 Pizza
Owner Jon Block believes in quality ingredients and human connection
5 Pizza is a pizzeria that opened two years ago in the quieter part of La Petite-Patrie, at the edge of Villeray. The restaurant has become a popular spot in the neighbourhood, particularly in the evenings.
The handmade yellow bench out front serves as a meetup spot where people sit smoking cigarettes and, on occasion, conduct Facebook Marketplace transactions.
Upon entering, a potential customer is greeted by the soft chime of the doorbell, mismatched pieces of furniture and monstera plants spilling out from various corners of the small room.
5 Pizza reflects chef and owner Jon Block’s desire to do things differently. He says he sees pizza as working-class food. Therefore, he has attempted to create a space in his neighbourhood where he can feed as many people as possible while keeping prices reasonable.
Block began his culinary career at a McDonald’s in his hometown of Toronto in 1996.
Block’s early job caused him to turn to vegetarianism, and later veganism, in response to what he saw in the industrial nature of food preparation.
I want to show that there’s another way to do things other than the way that we’re doing things. That we can just be human to each other when it comes to food. — Jon Block, owner
Block brings those ideals to his restaurant, where human connection is part of the recipe. He believes in honouring both the ingredients and the people who walk through his door.
Sejal Davla, a patron since the pizzeria opened, is a devoted fan of the garlic-mushroom pizza.
“I’ve never had something like this before, and I’ll keep coming back for it,” Davla said.
The garlic mushroom pizza is savoury, with a slight nuttiness from the garlic confit. It is light on the stomach despite the considerable size of the slices. The crust is paper-thin, and the pizza itself is 18 inches wide, resembling a New York-style pizza.
For Davla and her partner, the shop offers good value; two slices cost less than $20. They also enjoy the atmosphere.
Océane Nzeyimana, who was once a regular at 5 Pizza, now works there.
“I always felt that it was not only serving pizza, but kind of building a community with the people that live around,” Nzeyimana said.
Block has watched the restaurant industry change, and social media has undoubtedly altered the dining game. While 5 Pizza maintains a presence on Instagram, Block has no digital footprint and relies entirely on word of mouth as a marketing strategy.
In its early stages, the menu featured five different pizzas, each cut into five slices. Block clarified that the similarity between the menu and the restaurant’s name was an unrelated coincidence. He chose ‘5’ because it’s universal.
“There are five letters in the word pizza. Five’s a good number. I like five.” Block said.
He added that it would keep him out of trouble with the Office québécois de la langue française.
Since its early days, the pizzeria has moved beyond its original limited selection. It features pepperoni pizza, vegetarian slices with pickled banana peppers and olives, an all-dressed-style pizza and more.
The pizza base was developed from a bagel recipe Block perfected during the pandemic. The dough undergoes 30 to 36 hours of fermentation, allowing the gluten and the flavour profile to deepen. The same care extends to toppings. Block uses cheese from St-Albert Cheese in Ontario, and gets his pepperoni from Aliments Roma. He sources his tomatoes from Italy and California.
The pizzeria welcomes local artists to host vernissages and display their work. The art changes from time to time, giving the small space another layer of movement and personality.
It reflects Block’s approach to the restaurant: the walls and furniture do not simply serve to fill a space, but rather to shape themselves around it.
“I want to show that there's another way to do things other than the way that we're doing things,” Block said. "That we can just be human to each other when it comes to food.”
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