Come for the pizza, keep coming back for the donair

• Name + address: Centertown Donair and Pizza, 422 Bronson Ave.

• Type of food: Sandwiches and pizza

• Appetizers: $3.49-$10.95

• Mains: $10.45-$49.50

• Diet: Meat, limited vegetarian options

• Wheelchair accessibility: No

• LCBO Licensed: Yes

• Website: www.centertowndonair.com

One of our readers had written asking if I knew where to get good “garlic fingers,” a Nova Scotia cheese bread specialty. I confessed I did not, but then I remembered a place on Bronson advertising another Nova Scotia specialty, the Halifax donair. They offered pizza as well so it would be a double duty day. 

I popped in to Centertown Donair and Pizza (before you ask: no, that isn’t a misspelling) and was warmly greeted by owner Terri-Lynn. Celtic-inspired east coast music filled the room bringing back pleasant memories of my many visits to Nova Scotia. I was there for pizza but it had been a very long time since I’d enjoyed a Halifax donair and I couldn’t say no.

I ordered a small combination pizza and a donair sandwich and I knew that I’d be taking something home with me. 

Both items arrived at the same time and I started on the pizza noting that the underside was properly baked and had sufficient structure to hold the toppings. It was also the puffiest dough I’ve had in years.

The sauce tasted fresh and unadulterated and everything was fine but then again this is not really my preferred style of pizza. It did make a satisfactory breakfast the following morning.

Then there was that Halifax donair giving off its enticing aromas through the silver wrapping. In more than one way I was anticipating it as dessert. 

The sandwich became famous when Halifax-based Greek restaurateur Peter Gamoulakos, found his lamb Gyros sandwiches were not very popular. He reinvented the recipe replacing the lamb with beef, eliminated the tzatziki and created a sweetened garlic sauce instead.

In 1973 he launched King of Donair on Quinpool Road in Halifax and in the process it became the first donair shop in Canada. It also launched a sandwich revolution and now the Halifax donair is as Canadian as tourtiere or the Nanaimo bar.

I suppose the pita bread could have been larger because the donair meat was so substantial that the sandwich burst open once unwrapped. It was good to see that it was as it should be, simply dressed with the sauce, tomatoes and onions and I really did appreciate the bread to filling ratio even though it made for messy eating.

It was just bloody delicious and it really did take me back to the Hydrostones neighbourhood of Halifax, where I had my first great Halifax donair. In fact I would routinely bring back this donair meat and garlic sauce back to Toronto so that I could relive the experience.

The beef donair at Centertown was moist and loaded with black pepper making every bite more satisfying than the last with the contrasting effect of sweet garlic. You’ll be glad to know they make both the meat and sauce in house.

Once again, the pizza safari has proved its worth, by revealing yet another of our city’s hidden gems.