Montreal's latest pizzeria Hang Time Pizza serves both New York circles and Detroit squares

The pandemic's effects on the Montreal restaurant scene has caused a comfort food boom, and chef Jordan Bikerkraut is among the culprits. He knew that a 9-to-5 office job wasn't for him. but what he didn't know was that he was going to open his own pizzeria combining two styles, New York and Detroit, in the heart of downtown Montreal: Hang Time Pizza.

The story begins a few months before the pandemic, when Bikerkraut's love for food led him to work with pizza dough for fun. That quickly turned into a fascination with the dough, and then being seduced by Detroit-style pizza—baked in a square dish and overflowing with cheese—which sports a chewy center and a very crispy exterior. From handing out free pizza to friends to taking a hundred orders a week, that's when Fungool Pizza was born.

Following a temporary residency at the Pigeon Café on Monkland in NDG, the chef's dream has come to fruition: His own pizza shop on the street. Totally self-taught, Bikerkraut felt that simply offering a pan pizza was too niche and, in order to satisfy Montreal's insatiable cravings for good pies right now, the choice to offer both New York and Detroit styles wasn't a difficult one to make.

Hang Time Pizza is a tribute to the 1990s. The slogan, "Come for the pizza, stay for the hang", says it all: "When you go to get a slice of pizza, it's always a treat. I wanted to create an environment that would put a smile on people's faces as soon as they walked in," the chef told Time Out Montreal.

Bright colors are abundant, 90's hip-hop music is playing on a loop and a basketball hoop is used as a pizza stand. Then there's the menu: Each of the pizzas is named after a TV shows from the 1990s.

As for the pizza, the New York style is a little thicker and more gourmet than the others of this style in Montreal. More toppings, more cheese, more chew... With a soft dough in the center and a crispy crust. The same goes for the Detroit style, which is fluffy, airy and has crispy, cheesy edges.

Hang Time Pizza is open seven days a week, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 1390 Boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest.

You can order online right now here.