On the road to the chalet, a good pizza helps out! And when it’s Lupi caliber (which means wolves in Italian), it doesn’t just help out: it’s downright fun. With its terrace and its new gelato offer, the address that constitutes the perfect winter après-ski is now fully in summer mode.
From day to day, it is Jason Thivierge (at the pizza oven), Ève Lapierre (at the sommellerie) and Jean-Christophe Ducharme (in the dining room) who keep Lupi rolling, along with other employees, of course, because the place can get very busy. Dominic Tougas and Marie-Michèle Desmarchais (formerly of L’Épicurieux) are also co-owners, but in the shadows. The place is the realization of a recurring pizzeria dream that friends Jason and Dominic had been doing for many years.
It was after returning from a weekend in the Laurentians that my “wolf” and I made a quick detour to find out what the fire was like at the Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard pizzeria, which opened in February 2022. It was early, a Sunday evening, and the 900-degree oven was eager to cook the dough in no time and leave its little black bites in it.
But he would have to wait a bit longer while we ate our entrees (shown as “sides” on the menu) in the beautiful late afternoon light. The pretty room adorned with blond wood and forest green ceramics reminds us that we are not in Naples here, but in northern territory.
There are few enough items on the Lupi’s menu that each one has become a “classic” in a year and a half of existence. If there were five or six of us, we would have ordered (almost) everything, but we had to say “see you next time” to the house sausage, burrata and porchetta to settle for two nice “sides” that perfectly complement each other.
We could have settled for just one pizza after these starters, but it would have been a shame not to try at least two. “Chicken Ranch” (white sauce, mozzarella, chicken, red onions, lettuce, ranch dressing, reggiano) isn’t normally the kind of eccentricity my palate gravitates towards. And it’s certainly not the best choice if you plan to leave with slices to reheat the next day. But never mind, my curiosity won out and I didn’t regret it.
We had to compensate with a traditional one. As we had been touted the pepperoni from a secret supplier, we let the Peppe win our favor. In both cases, the dough with well puffed edges and speckled with black was just cooked.
As for secret suppliers, it seems that the Lupi gelato, which was not yet available when we passed, came from “an Italian from Saint-Léonard”, recommended by a friend of the house. We will have to go back to taste it, just like the tiramisu, of which the table next door had ordered the last part. Nice attention: Jean-Christophe apologized with crunchy cannoli!
Local spirits – beer, wine, spirits – rub shoulders with European products. The choice is not endless, but well thought out enough that no one lets themselves die of thirst. Pinard and girls by the glass and Italian maceration whites, we do not say no!
Generous “sides” range from $10 to $18, while pizzas start at $16 (basic marinara) and go all the way up to $28 (for the “Meat lover”). Wine is also offered at a fair price. The glass will cost you around $12-15.
Fancy a little getaway? There are a few accommodations in the area, including the pretty gîte and café Les Conifères, in the village itself.
Pizzeria Lupi is open Mondays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., then Friday to Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
