Zzavia is winning over Leaside with its pizza and Italian sandwiches.

This charming takeout spot is housed in a small white storefront on Bayview Avenue. The sign above the door declares that Zzavia is "reimagin[ing] pizza", a claim that its chefs take very seriously.

Instead of serving standard flavours, Zzavia does pizza with unique toppings, such as soppressata, fennel sausages and rosemary potatoes.

These ingredients harken back to the dish's Italian roots. According to the staff, this was an intentional decision on their part, as they felt that Italian style pizza was underrepresented in the city.
The Prosciutto di Rucola pizza ($21) is a round, Neapolitan style pizza, topped with confit garlic puree, fior di latte, shaved granna padano and vincotto, as well as prosciutto di parma, marinated cherry tomatoes and arugula.If you can't commit to such a large meal, consider giving the Prosciutto di Rucola sandwich ($13) a try. This handheld includes many of the same ingredients as the aforementioned pizza, from the hand crushed tomatoes to the salty prosciutto di parma.

The main difference between the two is the addition of crusty Italian bread, which gives the sandwich its own unique identity.

The Bastacosi ($6/slice) is one of several Roman style pizzas, all of which are baked on large rectangular trays. Its thick, spongy crust is coated with housemade tomato sauce, extra virgin olive oil and fior di latte mozzarella.

Basil, parmesan, San Marzano tomatoes and marinated mosaic tomatoes are then placed on top, giving the slice a tangy taste.

Orecchiette ($19) is a type of shell-shaped pasta, commonly served with pork and white wine. Though both of those ingredients feature prominently in this dish, Zzavia kicks things up a notch by adding fennel, basil, rapini, pecorino romano cheese and chili flakes.

The Chop Kale salad ($14) is a refreshing dish, consisting of chopped kale, black currants, orange segments and pine nuts, topped with pecorino romano and a tart orange-lemon vinaigrette.

Zzavia's take on Tiramisu ($10) is a soft, creamy cake coated in rich cocoa powder. The cake is then garnished with a gooseberry, which not only adds some acidity to the dish, but also gives it a pop of colour.

Sicilian cannoli ($10) come in sets of two, filled with either nutella or ricotta lemon zest filling. We went with the nutella filling, which pairs nicely with the crunchy pastry.

The restaurant also carries a wide selection of imported snacks and beverages, which can be found in a cooler near the front counter. Zzavia is located at 1597 Bayview Avenue.