While some people may enjoy a cold leftover slice the following day – especially after a night of debauchery - having pizza at its peak freshness and temperature is important to me. So, I visited Descendant Detroit Style Pizza shortly after it opened on Friday to ensure I could dine-in.

It’s a cozy dining room with four tables for two and six stools along the window. And while it’s not a large space, every inch of it is used smartly, especially the window seating where they’ve built a ledge to help set away bags and create an uncluttered dining environment.

Descendant creates a chill atmosphere playing easy rock, which made the ~30-minutes wait for the pizza go by quickly, especially while enjoying a can of lager ($7). Sure, it may have only been 11am, but it’s the start of the weekend and a beer seemed smart. Although, 15-minutes in I did want to sing along with the tunes, restraining myself so the other eight patrons wouldn’t give me weird looks.  

The No Name pizza ($24 for small) had a meaty quality to it from the Ezzo pepperoni and Italian sausage. Yet, it wasn’t overly heavy since the tomato sauce is place on top of the cheese blend, adding a freshness that coats the tongue against the greasiness of the meat and cheese.

It’s a pizza of many flavours: a spiciness from the Calabrian chilis and at the centre a slightly sweet creaminess from the ricotta and honey. I especially liked the bites where there was a bright basil finish.

Cooked in a greased pan, the tables turn as the crust was the best part of the pizza with it’s crispy exterior and bits of caramelized cheese seared into the dough. The crust is thicker (even more than Pizza Hut’s pan pizza) and has an oily finish that’s fluffy and crunchy… almost like a lighter crispy focaccia. Having had deep dish pizza, I found the Detroit style has a better balance of toppings to crust.

Of course, it’s still a heavier pizza - I could only get through two slices of the small – but I also felt very satisfied and experienced a nostalgic child-like feeling before diving into the pie. It’s gooey, greasy, and messy; maybe the kind of pizza that doesn’t give a f*** and would belt out 80s rock amongst a room of strangers.