I stumbled upon a starred email sitting in my inbox, sent from a colleague last summer.

Plans to visit kept shifting, until Tuesday night when 8 of us finally sat down for some Roman pizza.

A few things Italian I learned that night:

• The SPQR initials, within the laurel wreath in their logo, allude to the ancient Roman senate. SPQR in Latin is Senātus Populusque Rōmānus, the Senate and People of Rome. Today, the symbol is the official emblem of the city of Rome. At Falasca SPQR, the initials have been modified to stand for Specialità Pizza Quadrata Rotonda, referring to the shop’s square and round pizzas.
• The pasta dishes take about 15-20mins to be served, because the pasta is handmade once ordered.
• Take-out pizzas are measured by weight.
• The Supli al Telefono (Tomato, Rice Ball with Mozzarella) was a staple for Craig when he spent 4 months in Rome. We ordered some. They was good.
• Fior di Latte refers to mozzarella made from fresh cows milk.
• Scarmoza, similar to mozzarella, is a matured cheese.
• Pinterest isn’t for everybody.

Recommended: every pizza.

Capricciosa: Tomato, Fior di Latte, Mushrooms, Italian Prosciutto, Olives, Artichoke, Hard Boiled Egg

Do you also miss those warm Istanbul nights, sitting on the patio of a mom-and-pop shop far away from İstiklâl Caddesi, eating hot pide (Turkish pizza) and drinking ayran with the rakı soon to follow?

Pizza Pide, in Leslieville, is a little gem where you can reminisce over amazing pide while listening to Turkish banter and tunes… though the Turkish music isn’t guaranteed. “We hear the same CD too much,” the owner said during my last visit. Fair enough.

The menu is extensive. The servings are huge. The pides are delicious.

Recommended: The Karisik, #18 and a bottle of ayran.