Carmine Costantino has been in the service industry for years. He founded Zaza Espresso Bar in Yorkville, and he’s owned a slew of restaurants across the city. So when he decided to open his own Neapolitan pizzeria, Sip Wine Bar, he got serious. He placed a job ad in a Naples newspaper and landed three chefs from the motherland, including pizza maestro Pasquale Ponticiello.

Sip Wine Bar, opened near Yonge and Eglinton at the beginning of this year. The focus is, of course, pizza, done according to strict Neapolitan standards (Costantino is seeking certification from Italy’s pizza police, the VPN). But the menu also offers a selection of appetizers, pastas, meats and fish.

Sip Wine Bar's head chef Andrea Robustino does a linguini ($22) with asparagus, shrimp and cherry tomatoes, while a meatball appetizer ($8.95) is made from a recipe passed down from Costantino’s mother. Flash-baked pizzas include the obligatory margherita ($14.99 with buffalo mozzarella, $13.99 with regular mozzarella) or the signature Sip pizza ($16.99) with ricotta, prosciutto cotto, mushrooms and mozzarella (to keep things interesting, part of the crust is folded up like a calzone).

As for wine, the selection is heavy on Italian options, and the restaurant makes use of two Enomatic preservation systems, which allow for efficient by-the-glass service. Sommelier Andrew Paradis tells us that the wine collection is unique — none of the wines on offer are currently available at the LCBO.

Published on: Jan 22, 2014