As my friend Holly likes to say, a good pizza should be like a couch for your teeth.

I’ve lived in Calgary for almost 11 years and since having moved here I’ve been on the lookout for the city’s best pizza.

But, I didn’t find it until I joined the up! team. To welcome me on my first day, they took me to Coco Brooks—where I found a pizza crust both soft and crispy.

About Coco Brooks

When Richard Osiowy moved to Calgary in 1997 from Regina, all he craved was a good pizza.

Unhappy with the city’s selection, he set up his own test kitchen in his own garage (genius!) and tested his pizzas on neighbours and family.

His concept? To serve pizza with an irresistible crust, great tomato sauce and outstanding toppings.

With already three locations open in the city, Richard has served more than 800,000 pizzas in only his first three years of business.

What’s In Store

The Coco Brooks on 42nd Ave. S.E., near Macleod Trail, has soaring ceilings and charming wall murals. The busy lunch hour will remind you of a bustling high school cafeteria, but in a good way.

Expect to be empowered by the motivational and uplifting quotes on the insides of the pizza boxes and menus, too.

Inspirational stories and anecdotes on life will get your philosophical mojo running. You’ll leave the restaurant happier than when you first came in—and not just because you’ve filled your belly.

Superb Ingredients

I was surprised to discover that Coco Brooks offers 30 pizza menu choices to choose from. But don’t get too overwhelmed by the big board of choices above the cash registers.

Though it might be a daunting experience at first (read: indecisive), just remember to pick up the small menu at the door when you walk in and, when you’re ordering, act nonchalant as though you’ve always come here for lunch.

Despite the quick moving lines, the queues can get rather long if you’re filing in with the lunch-hour crowd.

A word of advice to the novice: try not to get caught standing in a line if you’re undecided. As the indecisive person that I am, I took a while to settle on a proper choice.

Decisions, Decisions

After intense consideration (and a bit of prodding from my coworkers), I chose what has become one of my newest pizza favourites from my handheld menu—The Bootlegger. It has irresistible dry-cured pepperoni, really thick-cut mushrooms, fresh green bell peppers, and heaps of mozzarella.

It was cheesy, tangy, crispy and delicious, all at the same time.

Quite frankly, I was shocked to find that the vegetables actually tasted fresh and crispy, and thrilled to discover that my personal pan pizza wasn’t drenched in grease like most take-out pizzas would be—bonus!

The up! Team Favourites

Now if you’re feeling more meaty, and a bit more adventurous, go for something like the Mile High, which is what our up! web editor Rhett thoroughly enjoys.

It’s a meat lover’s dream, topped with black forest ham, sliced salami and pepperoni. It’s like a meat skewer, but on a pizza.

Allison, our assistant editor, keeps things simple with the Three Cheese pizza. It’s a no-fuss, no-hassle classic that says we don't have to live as dangerously as Rhett.

And if pizza really isn’t your thing, opt for the salad bowls, made to order in a freshly baked bowl of bread.

Since the bowl is made with double the crust, it’s a awesome choice for crust-lovers who want to forgo the traditional pizza experience.

With pizzas available for take-out, sit-down, delivery and even frozen, Coco Brooks has three different locations in Calgary: two in the southeast and one in the northeast.

Now, if only they would open 10 more locations scattered across the city, my pizza dream would be complete.