Elena fed rock stars pizza for four years—now Griffintown gets a slice of that pie

After spending summers perfecting a New York-style pizza recipe for festivals' backstages, the Elena team is opening a corner slice shop in Griffintown.

J.P. Karwacki

J.P. Karwacki

10 octobre 2025- Read time: 5 min
Elena fed rock stars pizza for four years—now Griffintown gets a slice of that pieYou spend four years perfecting a pizza recipe for artists backstage at music festivals, and so you open a slice shop in Griffintown. | Photography by Scott Usheroff / @cravingcurator

For the past four years, the team behind Elena have been running a side hustle only rockstars would have access to: cranking out a thousand slices a day at Osheaga, ÎleSoniq, and Lasso.

"The artists love Osheaga because of the food," Ryan Gray explained. "It's unlike any other festival. The best chefs in the city putting together this incredible catering—it became something we looked forward to all year because we loved making it. We thought we had a really good product on our hands, something special."

They did: They weren't cooking up the wood-fired Neapolitan pies they're known for in Saint-Henri, but proper 18-inch New York-style pizzas baked in deck ovens, designed for volume, reheating, and feeding very discerning crowds—pies that are on offer at Elena Pizzeria in Griffintown.

Article réservé aux membres

Découvrez Montréal autrement. Rejoignez la communauté The Main.

Lisez cet article gratuitement.

Entrez votre courriel pour débloquer votre premier article et recevoir The Bulletin, notre infolettre sur la bouffe, l’art et la culture locale.

  • 5 articles gratuits par mois
  • Sauvegardez vos adresses et guides
  • Infolettre hebdo The Main Brief
  • Restez branché sur la culture montréalaise

Allez plus loin. Devenez Insider.

Faites partie d’une communauté qui soutient les histoires montréalaises indépendantes et célèbre les gens qui font vivre la culture.

Subscribe
  • Accès illimité à tous les articles
  • Contenu exclusif & perspectives locales
  • Offres spéciales et invitations à nos événements
  • 10 % de rabais à la boutique
  • Soutenez les médias locaux indépendants

Déjà membre? Se connecter

Related articles

The Best New Bars in Montreal [November 2025]
Version Anglaise
J.P. Karwacki

The Best New Bars in Montreal [November 2025]

An industry-forward haunt with precision mixology, a new live music venue, Japanese inspirations at a hotel bar, and one big German beer hall.

A (mostly) spoken history of Pasta Casareccia and 40 years of feeding NDG
Version Anglaise
Tom Zalatnai

A (mostly) spoken history of Pasta Casareccia and 40 years of feeding NDG

How a kid who swore he'd never run the family business ended up exactly in the institution where he belongs.

Montreal gets its first German beer hall in 30 years with Wünderbar
Version Anglaise
J.P. Karwacki

Montreal gets its first German beer hall in 30 years with Wünderbar

The 3,500-square-foot beer hall on Plaza Saint-Hubert serves Bavarian drinking traditions with liter steins of German imports along long communal tables.

Brocard proves traditional Syrian food can feel brand new
Version Anglaise
J.P. Karwacki

Brocard proves traditional Syrian food can feel brand new

A young team, an open kitchen, and recipes passed down through generations: Meet Talal Sabbagh's new spot on Saint-Laurent.

How Monkland Tavern shaped Montreal's restaurant scene over 30 years
Version Anglaise
J.P. Karwacki

How Monkland Tavern shaped Montreal's restaurant scene over 30 years

The NDG institution and best-kept industry secret that helped launch some of Montreal's best chefs.

The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [November 2025]
Version Anglaise
J.P. Karwacki

The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [November 2025]

Lebanese home cooking meets halal Caribbean fusion, natural wine bistros, pop-up delis with house-cured meats, New York-style pizza perfected, and more.