First, to all the Moms, Happy Mother’s Day. Special recognition and love to Shelley’s Mom, Eleanor, who turned 98 last month and Larry’s mom, Doreen, who passed away 4 years ago at 95. One day a year is certainly not enough to recognize and celebrate moms. Thank you!
Seasoned Calamari Rings served with house made tzatziki sauce. Photo credit supplied photo
There is something about walking down Corydon Avenue that is always fun and makes you realize that summer is here. It seems like some of the first patios to open in late spring are on Corydon. You may have a jacket on while enjoying a cup of coffee instead of a cool beverage but you’re outside, looking at our beautiful Manitoba blue sky and enjoying the sun. There are many restaurants, gelato shops, bakeries to indulge your sweet tooth and little shops to wander through and find unique items.
This week, we dined at Santa Lucia Pizza Corydon, a block east of Stafford Street. Most people know Santa Lucia Pizza as it has over a dozen locations throughout Manitoba. It was founded in 1971 in Thompson, Manitoba by the Simeonidis family. In 1974, the family moved to Winnipeg and originally opened at Waterloo and Corydon. The name, Santa Lucia, comes from Saint Lucia (Santa Lucia), a revered figure in the Mediterranean especially in the Italian and Greek traditions. The Simeonidis family chose the name to reflect their heritage, cultural roots, and the Greek and Italian style of their food.
A look behind the scence with Alex topping a pizza in the kitchen. Photo credit supplied photo
We have walked many times to Santa Lucia Pizza on Corydon over the years and have never been disappointed. There are so many items on the menu that sound wonderful but that we haven’t tried as we are always drawn back to the pizza! The wings, meaty bone-in fried, tossed in salt & pepper or various sauces are also outstanding.
Corydon is one of four Santa Lucia Winnipeg locations with dine-in. It is open for lunch and dinner, for dine-in, pickup and delivery. It has a large dining room and a separate sports lounge with many TVs. There is also a small patio in front facing Corydon.
Stefan in the kitchen adding the final topping – mozzarella cheese. Photo credit supplied photo
We were fortunate enough to be able to talk with co-owner Imran Fahim before we ordered dinner. Imran started working at Santa Lucia Pizza Corydon when he was 17 years old. A part-time job after school that he absolutely loved – delivering pizzas. Fast forward to 2024 and Imran had an opportunity to become an owner after a previous partner, George Simeonidis Jr., passed away a few years earlier. Today, Imran, along with his partner Stavros Athanasiadis (who also owns Red Top Drive-In) own Santa Lucia Pizza Corydon.
During our discussion with Imran, he spoke passionately about the quality of Santa Lucia food and how the ingredients were carefully chosen to ensure the best tasting meals. What really struck us was how often he talked about his great team members. How he loved coming to work every day because of the people he worked with and how lucky he was to have them. Our server, Ivanka, was excellent, allowing us time to chat but ensuring that we were taken care of. Sarah, another server, who helped Ivanka was also great. Both were very welcoming and friendly.
Santa Lucia Raising Dough for Charity Pizza. Photo credit supplied photo
Santa Lucia Corydon employs over 40 staff that together cover 7 days a week, 364 days a year only closing Christmas Day. Imran was kind enough to take Larry for a quick peek behind the scenes into the kitchen where the magic happens. He met Alex and Stefan who were expertly adding the toppings to several pizzas with big smiles on their faces. Further into the kitchen, fresh cut fries were being prepared, as we later found out, were for the table next to us.
We started off with a few appetizers. Calamari Rings served with house made tzatziki and Mediterranean 4 Cheese Dip were good decisions. The 4 Cheese Dip, a blend of feta, cream cheese with artichoke, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes baked with mozzarella cheese on top was a cheesy delight. For dipping, there is a nice option to choose grilled, baked or deep-fried pita bread – we picked half-baked and half deep-fried.
Larry enjoyed a Santa Lucia Special Caesar, vodka, clamato juice, Worcestershire sauce, pickle juice and wait ….. secret pizza sauce! Yes, pizza sauce. The presentation of the garnish was like a piece of art, a pizza pepperoni, pickle and olive.
Santa Lucia Special Caesar Cocktail with secret pizza sauce. Photo credit supplied photo
With mocktails being on the rise in popularity, Shelley tried a Mojito Mocktail. If you didn’t know that this was an alcohol-free drink, you would not know the difference. It was like a traditional mojito with fresh muddled lime and mint, super refreshing.
As mentioned, the pizza at Santa Lucia is so good. We believe the difference is in the ingredients. Fresh pizza dough, the right amount of sauce, fresh toppings and the best Manitoba cheese on top! We shared a Raising Dough Pizza, side bacon, ham and pineapple – delicious.
Fun fact – did you know that Hawaiian Pizza was first created in 1962 by Sam Panopoulos, a Greek-born Canadian? It was inspired, in part, by his experience preparing Canadian Chinese dishes which commonly mix sweet and sour flavours. Pineapple on pizza is Larry’s favourite!
Mediterranean Four Cheese Dip with pita bread. Photo credit supplied photo
Santa Lucia Pizza partners with 92.1 CITI, Virgin 103.1, Power 97, Country 99 and 680 CJOB on three highlighted pizzas. A portion of the proceeds of these pizzas are donated to local charities. “The Koz” pepperoni, Italian sausage and side bacon, “Hal & Joe” pepperoni, side bacon, mushrooms and extra sauce and “Raising Dough” which we really enjoyed.
We suggest you take time to enjoy Corydon Avenue. Stop in at Santa Lucia Pizza any day or maybe before attending the famous Corydon Avenue Concert series just down the avenue. You could enjoy dinner and then dance under the stars to live music by talented local musicians. The concert series (Jazz, Rock, Pop, Soul and Blues music) runs June 26 to August 29 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm every Friday and Saturday evening.
Santa Lucia Pizza is located at 905 Corydon Avenue. Dine-in is open Monday to Thursday 11 am to Midnight, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 1 am and Sunday Noon to Midnight. A separate pickup door is on Wentworth Street. Any deliveries are made by team members to ensure food arrives quickly and piping hot.
Larry & Shelley retired from Peak of the Market after more than 27 years and are Food Columnists for Klein Media. They would love to know your favourite restaurant. Please email Larry@LarryMcIntosh.ca.