Vitta Pizza

A couple weeks ago, Vitta Pizza opened in Canal Park. It’s in the spot that Northern Lights Books used to be in, 307 Canal Park Drive. They cook the pizza in a wood-fired oven, and it’s pretty tasty.


Looking at the website and the front door, you might think Sophia Loren owns the place. I didn’t see her working there though.
No delivery, but they do have outdoor seating, wine and beer.

Pull on your go-go boots, hop on your Vespa and get down there.

60 Comments

edgeways

about 13 years ago

Very tourtista, I'm sure it'll do great in the summer months with that spot right by the hotels. Wonder if it'll survive the winter season.

Patty

about 13 years ago

I was there the first week they opened.  I thought the food was disappointing and the prices too high.  But, I'm going to give them another chance after the tourists clear out and leave some room for us locals.  You have to give local start ups at least a couple of shots before you decide if they're thumbs up or thumbs down.

James

about 13 years ago

Too bad they decided to use non-union construction workers...otherwise I would have given it a try.

conrad

about 13 years ago

Thanks for the info James. Construction Unions are important.

moosetracks

about 13 years ago

Driving by it makes me miss Northern Lights.  I too will not be frequenting it because of the union pickets.

Chris

about 13 years ago

How is Old Chicago Pizza in Canal Park?

wildgoose

about 13 years ago

I totally missed the Union pickets.  Had no idea there was a controversy.  We ate there tonight and I thought that it was fine.  I liked the decor, too. And it at least seemed like a "local" start-up with an interesting idea and fun decor, etc.  So I liked that idea.  Mrs Goose said she would definitely like to try it again but we would never cross a union picket line so ... 

Somewhat unrelated I noticed that there are employee parking spaces for DQ in the parking lot.  We found a spot but it was the only one open beside the employee spaces.

Claire

about 13 years ago

I miss Northern Lights. I'd heard rumors about this new place not using union labor, does anyone have more information? I don't cross picket lines either.

James

about 13 years ago

There is currently a boycott on this restaurant because they hired non-union workers to build the place.  Hopefully the restaurant owners will settle this problem so the boycott can go away.  I am a union member and I love pizza. I hope to grab a slice at Vitta's someday...once they solve thier issues with paying workers a living wage.

dbrewing

about 13 years ago

The prices seem comparable to Luce. As far as the union thing goes, where do you eat if you only patronize union establishments?

Lojasmo

about 13 years ago

DBrewing:  pickwick, radisson, and holiday inn, off the top of my head.

tamara

about 13 years ago

- Pickwick is no longer union
- you can also head up to Giants' Ridge in Biwabik for union dining
- the company that is remodeling the space inbetween BWW and Bed, Bath, and Beyond is using non-union labor, and is under a picket from the Painters and IBEW, but I forget off the top of my head what is going in that space.

udarnik

about 13 years ago

I don't think the Pick ever re-signed when it reopened.  I don't think it's a union restaurant anymore.

udarnik

about 13 years ago

T-Bonz Bar is union, too, although I think it's under new management and I'm not sure of their current status.  Their burgers kick ass.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago

Yeah, the Pickwick was sold a year ago and the employees are no longer unionized.

Since we are fond of lists at Perfect Duluth Day, we might as well start this one:

Restaurants in the Duluth Area with Unionized Workers
J.J. Astor Restaurant and Lounge
The Lodge at Giant's Ridge (Biwabik)
Porter's Restaurant
T-Bonz Bar & Restaurant

Are there any more or is that it? And are we even sure these four are unionized? I think maybe the All-American Club in the West End is with Here Local 99.

On a totally separate tangent: Has anyone reading this been to Porter's in the past 10 years?

Udarnik

about 13 years ago

Twins Bar and the Reef. Is the Afterburner still around?

udarnik

about 13 years ago

And I've been to Porter's a few times in the past 10 years -- mostly for DFL conventions, once for a work lunch.

Patty

about 13 years ago

I just ate at Porters yesterday.  The first time in about 5 years.  I don't think they're open for dinner any more; just breakfast and lunch.  Food was about the same - nothing exciting or particularly delicious.  The service was very slow because they have such a small staff.  Our server was great, very pleasant and helpful, but practically the only one working in that big room so she really had to run.

Bad Cat!

about 13 years ago

I totally support the picketing of any business that is surpressing the rights of their employees and/or using anti-union tactics to bust or prevent an employee union, but I don't really agree with picketing in response to construction.
A business wants construction work done, they get estimates, they go with the lowest bid. If you are hiring a service for a short-term job, does it really matter if they are union or non-union workers?
Sending a picket out to say "You made a business decision, but it didn't benefit us" just seems kinda petty. :/

B-man

about 13 years ago

+1 to Bad Cat!

I had work done at my house (by me) and could not afford to use Union Labor due to the price being 100% higher than non union (me).  I guess I need someone to picket my place now too.

Shane

about 13 years ago

If there are no longer people actively picketing, then it seems to make sense one would not be crossing a picket line.

davids

about 13 years ago

As someone who likes to read books, and who doesn't really eat much pizza, I have to say I'm sad that a space that was one of the primary independent bookstores in our community will now be a pizza joint. It looks like they're aspiring to be a decent pizza joint, but, you can't read a pizza for very long. (Yeah, I know, you can't eat a book either, least not without some digestive discomfort.)

James

about 13 years ago

It's not really a matter of whether or not the actual workers in the restaurant are union or not...but rather that the owners did not use union workers to build the place.  Yes ... we all know that it is next to impossible to find a restaurant with "unionized" employees ... however, hiring non-union workers to do the actual construction is an entirely different story.  A person has to go out of their way to hire non-union construction in Minnesota ... and the cost of paying workers a good wage is negligible in northern Minnesota ... not 100% as B-man wants us to believe.

Rebecca

about 13 years ago

I have no idea what unions have to do with good food and vice-versa. It doesn't at all surprise me to see this as a focal conversation in Duluth. A new restaurant, a small, local business is taking a chance and opening it's doors in this town and folks still have to take the opportunity to find a problem with it. Go figure. Back on track with a food related comment, I did eat there during the first week and they burned the crust pretty bad. Chalking it up to opening week issues. Otherwise, it was pretty tasty.

dbrewing

about 13 years ago

Why don't restaurant workers deserve the protection of Unions? Why do construction worker deserve it? If all union trades people boycotted nonunion restaurants there would be a lot more unionized kitchens and better working conditions for all food service workers.

Question

about 13 years ago

Did they hire local workers?

Would those workers have been sitting idle if they did not get this job?

If the answer is yes to both of those questions, I don't see an issue with patronizing this establishment.

Bad Cat!

about 13 years ago

I don't have any experience in hiring union/non-union construction, but I find it hard to believe that a business would through extra effort to specifically find non-union labor. If a business needs construction work done, they're not going to want to spend a lot of time on the selection process (if they had the time, they'd probably do the work themselves). Most business owners will put in a little bit of effort to get an extra bid or two, maybe check to see that they have a good reputation, but they're most likely going to just pick the lowest and go with that, union or not.
Again, I'm not anti-union, I just don't believe in picketing a business because they chose "Construction Firm A" instead of "Construction Firm B" for their short-term construction contract.
If a union decides not to patronize businesses that don't use union labor, that's all fine and good, but when they stand outside with a sign, I have to wonder if there's something better they could be doing to protect the rights of their workers.

James

about 13 years ago

It's all about paying workers a good wage.  That's it...unions ensure that workers get paid what their workers deserve.  When a business owner contracts "non-union" they are essentially lowering the wages of all workers in the Northland.  Everyone talks about "good paying jobs" in Duluth.  If businesses keep hiring the folks who make the least, how does that benefit our community?

B-man

about 13 years ago

@ James
"It's all about paying workers a good wage"  well how about the person paying the wage?  If my only option is to hire a shop that is union and I can not afford to pay scale, I will not build/ remodel.  How will that benefit our community?

I appreciate all the benefits that I reap in my current non-union job because of the reforms that unions have made in this country in the last 100 or so years.  I do not see that level of social influence anymore from the unions.  It seems they mostly exist to make money for them selves.

Union leader's lavish pay, perks draw fire (PDF)

Shane

about 13 years ago

Anyone know the specific details of the picketing?
What union was doing the picketing and why?

Shane

about 13 years ago

I can't find a single news story on them being picketed.

Mildred

about 13 years ago

Really BadCat? I wouldn't find it hard to believe a business would go out of its way to avoid unions - especially a big corporate chain like BB & Beyond. The owner of BBB happens to be a prominent Republican party supporter, and the Republicans happen to be targeting Unions heavily in the past few years since that's where the Democratic Party gets most of its funding. Would a Republican do anything they can to undermine labor? Well, that's been how class friction has played out for many years now, so yes.

Shane

about 13 years ago

To me it seems a little silly to expect a business with less than 6 employees to be unionized.  

http://www.manta.com/c/mmfntwn/kiminski-cement-works
http://www.manta.com/c/mm0pgpl/simco-electrical

tamara

about 13 years ago

I don't think the Afterburner and the Twins are union and the Reef bartenders are not union for sure. HERE is now Workers United Local 99/150. 

Shane, the pickets were being done by IBEW and the Painters' Union. 

There is a definite benefit to using union construction labor, but there are many who can speak much more eloquently than I can, so I will get them to this discussion STAT!

James

about 13 years ago

@Shane...it's not about being unionized, it's about paying union wages.  Simco doesn't need to unionize its workers, just pay them what the prevailing wage.  Otherwise all workers' wages trend downward.

emmadogs

about 13 years ago

Thank you, Bad Cat and Shane.  I am a union member.  Believe me, I believe in unions as mine was just taken away in Wisconsin.  That said:  let's not stereotype small business owners.  My father was one, and his employees were non union, and he ate a lot of financial losses, sold off a lot of land, etc, so his employees wouldn't lose their jobs, benefits, etc.

Were these workers actually screwed by their employer?  In the absence of any information, let's just go support a local business owner.  They have a tough enough time as it is.

James

about 13 years ago

@emmadogs...thanks for your comments and I am very sorry about the loss of your union.  I think we can all agree that what Scott Walker is doing in Wisconsin is terrible.  That being said, we need to remember that unions are NOT "anti business."  In fact, we are just the opposite.  After all, without business, where would we work??  Union members want a strong and healthy economy just like everyone else.  We just don't want to be undercut by big businesses and/or greedy folks looking to save an extra buck.

OGDuluthian

about 13 years ago

Scott Walker Rocks!!!!!
You whining crybabies need to get a life and focus your anger on something that actually matters in this big bad world we live in.

Bad Cat!

about 13 years ago

@Mildred:
I'm sure that many large national/global corporations go out of their way to save money by using non-union labor, but Bed, Bath, and Beyond has over 900 stores with over 45 thousand employees!
Vitta Pizza is one locally-owned store that probably has 10 employees tops. If they want to use union labor, I'm all for it, but if a small local business is just starting out and can't afford to pay extra for union labor, I can't really fault them for that decision.

@ndy

about 13 years ago

The only thing I know for sure is they definitely win the award for the lamest website I've visited in the last few weeks: http://www.vittapizza.com/

James

about 13 years ago

@OGDuluthian....what else can I say except that you are unintelligent.  Maybe you should head on over to the Duluth Citizens Blog where the rest of the stupid Duluthians post their biased opinions.  

@BadCat...do you support workers or business?  Why not support both? Unions only want business folks to pay the prevailing wage.  Why is that a bad thing?

Shane

about 13 years ago

@James. I am curious, what is the prevailing union approved wage for a union electrical worker and a union cement worker? I am not sure if there were other unions involved, but that is what the signs in the photo said.

Bad Cat!

about 13 years ago

If I don't believe in retaliatory pickets and can understand the small business need to save money where they can, does this mean I am anti-worker? Because let me reassure you, I am not!
I understand the purpose of a union, I understand what union workers have risked, how much blood has spilled, and who died in order to ensure that I am privileged to work in a safe work environment with adequate pay. I support unions, but like my support for everything else in life, my support is not limitless and it is not unquestioning. 

Do I wish that we lived in a world where every worker had the support, rights, safety, and wages that are fair and just? Fuck yea! But we're not going to get to that by griefing local businesses about their basic business decisions. If a local businesses does things that are unfair to workers and a violation of their rights, hell yea get out their with the pickets and boycotts, but the decision to hire "construction firm A" instead of "construction firm B" does not oppress worker rights and does not violate the law.

Real change is made by supporting the most oppressed workers, pushing for change in the most unfair work environments, and through lobbying for pro-worker legal change, not by having some old guy stand in front of a small business with a sign that says "I don't like the fact that you didn't choose me"! The only thing that can possibly come out of this is an environment of local businesses doing business with the unions, not because they believe in the union and want to support their practices, but only because they fear the consequences of not complying. These tactics can only serve to drive the support of the populous away from the unions.

Danny G

about 13 years ago

There you go being sensible again.

Bad Cat!

about 13 years ago

Even a crazy clock is right twice a day. ;)

Bad Cat!

about 13 years ago

(And when I say my crazy clock is right twice a day, I'm not saying that my beliefs are right and everyone else is wrong, I'm just responding to Danny's comment that I am occasionally sensible - just didn't want anyone to think that I was being an ass (this time...))

ruby2sd4y

about 13 years ago

Sometimes I cannot believe the shit you people here go off about.
Sometimes this blog is so cool, yet recurring of late, it's becoming more suck.

Some users starting troll wars in posts vs the troll zone.

People are entitled to their opinion and posts, regardless of other's views. 

Deal with it for fucks sake and comment your own, or something to constructively coincide with the original poster. 

Some of us are really starting to tire of the hometown crowd being all high and mighty, and constantly stirring the pot with this vs that posts/comments.

Just have fun, so out-of-towners I referred this blog to, don't see what a bunch of whingin bitches you all can be, submarining the very reason for this blog: 
TO PROMOTE PERFECT DULUTH DAYS and HOW TO ACHIEVE ONE 
aka
ENJOY ONE (a PDD) ON YOUR VISIT as WE COLLECT YOUR DOLLARS!¡!!!111! *smiles everyone* the plane!, the plane!*

Meaning: you are totally purposefully deflating your own boner.

This blog seems pretty closed minded/viewed sometimes.

I can see being family rated, but not so cowering with their hands_covering_genitals_embarrassed_look sorts, nor becoming labeling, or political in the most innocent of posts.

People warned me about this.

Buncha ignorant trolls.

off with ya now, try and sort yerselves proper.
*rolls eyes*
straighten up and back to business!
And don't make me tell you again.

*eyedarts*

zra

about 13 years ago

...and still you keep reading.

...and bitching about how much you hate it here.

adam

about 13 years ago

It's "whinnying bitches." And I'm here to keep out the riff-raff.

Jason

about 13 years ago

Question time.  Since most retailers around here are non-union, where do you union lovers shop?  Make your own clothes?  Hemp?

Claire

about 13 years ago

Thrift stores. Consignment shops. I do a lot of shopping in NYC - all union shops. But then that's just me.

Admackbar

about 13 years ago

I buy most of my clothes straight from the designers in Milan, so I wouldn't know.

dbrewing

about 13 years ago

The All-American Club just laid off its last union bartender.

Michellelebeau

about 13 years ago

Ummmm back to a review of Vitta Pizza: I went there this past week with a friend and two kids.  The prices are OK, but other than that I wasn't impressed.  Beer/wine: they had a pretty good selection of beer but the wine was BAD! 1 choice for red and 1 for white and neither was any good.  The pizza was nothing special, they do 9" pizza's and serve them on what looked like a 12" round piece of cardboard which gives the impression that you are getting a very small pizza.  The decor was pretty run-of-the mill - nothing outstanding.  They do have an outdoor patio which was nice.  The staff seemed a little overwhelmed - I ordered a salad and got the wrong one.  Speaking of salads it was terrible!!! I don't think I'll be back - if I do I will wait several months and then see if they have improved.  Also, sad to be in the Northern Lights space - I miss that book store!

maria

about 13 years ago

I tried their pizza today and I thought it was great! I got a 9" margherita pizza. Based on just one try I would say it's definitely the most authentically Italian pizza in town. (Although Clyde Iron Works makes a pretty good Italian pizza.) They use the right flour, the sauce was sweet and flavorful, and the mozzarella was as good as any you can get around here. (More or stronger basil would have been nice but I must admit to being vegetable-obsessed.) 

As far as atmosphere, this is not a proper dinner restaurant and shouldn't be judged as such. This is more of a fast food type place (I can't think of a similar local joint, but think "upscale" national chains like Panera/Chipotle/Noodle & Co). You order at the counter and food comes fast. So to criticize the atmosphere or decor (or wine list) seems a little unfair. You wouldn't want to linger over drinks in the restaurant (although the outside seating looks great for that purpose, just smuggle in your own good wine). 

As far as price, for my bare-bones pizza it was less than $9, which is definitely a better price than Lake Ave Cafe or Luce. 

These comments are all based off only one visit...but I am looking forward to going back for more.

Nathan Amundson

about 13 years ago

Have to agree with Maria here. This is authentic Italian pizza, just as you'd  get in Italy. Thin crust, basic ingredients. They seem to be using #00  flour for their crust and the sauce is fresh and wonderful. A far cry from the wonder bread smothered with extraneous toppings that Luce has the gall to charge $20+ a pie for. This is the real deal. Closest comparison is Clyde Iron Works but Vitta wins for authenticity and proximity for me.

Nancy Wolfe

about 13 years ago

Finally, a decent pizza in Duluth. Sorry Clyde, you may have wood-fired ovens, but your pizza is the same pizza everyone else is serving. This place is amazing; they know how to do it right.

Having dined on pizza in some of the best little family owned restaurants in Italy,this is pretty darn good.

Best wishes for success. I will certainly make it a summer and winter destination.

Signed,
~not a tourist

Nancy Wolfe

about 13 years ago

And, what do unions have to do with good, authentic food.  

PS: Go to any good Italian restaurant; they place a carafe of the house red, usually Chianti on the table. That's how it's done. 

If you want good beer, go to the Brewhouse. Yeezz.

Claire

about 13 years ago

We had dinner there tonight: 2 9" pizzas, a salad, a beer, a glass of wine = $40. Pizza was excellent, salad too. It's kind of a fast food kind of place, and I know when I want to "hang out" I'll go to Luce. But this place was pretty good.  Pizza truly was excellent. I'll be back.

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