In December, Winnipeg welcomed Vera Pizzeria, a brand new pizza place in south Osborne. The restaurant, at 670 Osborne Avenue, features a selection of Neapolitan-style pizzas, as well as a variety of wines, beers, and sodas. 

Terik Cabildo is the owner and operator of Vera Pizzeria. His passion for cooking and cuisine is no coincidence; Cabildo is a native of Neepawa, where his parents owned a restaurant while he was growing up. Today they run the Kopper Kettle, a restaurant in Morden.

Cabildo, a graduate of Vancouver’s Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, worked at Pizzeria Prima Strada in Victoria, British Columbia where he was introduced to cooking Neapolitan pizza.

“I fell in love with Neapolitan pizza for many reasons. You’re working with something alive: the yeast in the dough. The fire in a wood-fired oven is dynamic, not static. You’re cooking food that has direct connection to something done for hundreds of years,” said Cabildo. 

Cabildo brought his culinary skills and passion for Neapolitan pizza back home to Manitoba, and opened Vera Pizzeria. The pizzeria has attracted restaurant-goers from the neighbourhood and beyond, who are eager to try the crispy, thin crust style of traditional pizza. 

Vera hosts a warm, easygoing atmosphere; patrons of the restaurant can easily see into the bustling open kitchen from the cozy dining room and the staff are authentic and friendly. 

Vera’s authenticity extends beyond the ambience. The restaurant boasts a menu full of traditional Neapolitan-style pizzas made with authentic Italian ingredients. Fresh mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, oregano, Italian sausage, and a handful of other simple ingredients come together in different incarnations to make up the nine pizzas on Vera’s minimalist menu.

Aside from the straightforward ingredients and compact menu, the dishes are all reasonably priced and the interior is clean and uncomplicated. Their slogan, found on their website, is “Keep it simple, stupid.” So far, Vera has been living up to their slogan, attracting restaurant-goers to their dining room with promises of good food and a comfortable atmosphere. 

Cabildo says the human side of the restaurant business and creating a space for people to come together is the priority for him and Vera Pizzeria.

“I wanted to create a space and offer something that I can do. I guess it’s pizza.” 

Vera Pizzeria is located at 670 Osborne Street. They are open Monday-Wednesday 5-11 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday 5 p.m.-12 a.m.