Canada has its maple syrup and back bacon, while Germany has its sauerkraut and bratwurst. Neither country is particularly known for its pizza.
Yet a popular pizzeria in the south Berlin district of Kreuzberg prides itself on its “Canadian-style” pies.
The pizzas at the Ron Telesky eatery are thin-crust, often with a bizarre mix of toppings. The Cronenberg Crash, for instance—named after the Canadian filmmaker and his 1996 film starring Holly Hunter and James Spader—is a mix of mango, peanuts, cheddar and tandoori tofu. The Flaming Quebec is a medley of creme fraiche sauce, bacon and serrano ham.
Co-owner Ole Schack, 32, said that while the restaurant has been around for over a year, the idea behind it was first cooked up after the joint’s other owner, Sebastian Hunold, 33, worked at a pizza place in Peterborough, Ont., as an exchange student in the early ’90s.
The pizzas weren’t American-style items with thick dough and lots of cheese, nor were they Italian-style, with simple and traditional ingredients.
“When he came back from Canada, Sebastian told me about this gourmet pizza we don’t have here in Europe, especially not Berlin,” said Schack. “Coming out of the advertising field, I realized there was a product that could have success if it’s set up right.”
Most of the recipes used at Ron Telesky were lifted from pizza shops Hunold came across during his time in Canada. Customers are encouraged to add free toppings provided at the counter: black olives, arugula and the iconic all-Canadian condiment, maple syrup.
The concept of Canadian pizza is proving popular with Berliners. The city magazine Der Tip named it the third best place to eat lunch in Berlin.
Most customers are German but there is the occasional Canuck who gets excited by the bottled Moosehead and Molson Canadian beer available. (Employees at the Canadian Embassy are also frequent customers, despite being about a 30-minute walk away.)
Schack makes a point of hiring expats from Canada. It helps if they speak German, but that isn’t necessary.
“We like to talk English or French with our employees,” he said. “We had a couple of Americans coming in and asking for a job and we had to tell them we’d rather take Canadians.”
