Chorney-Booth: Chef Daniel Ramon’s passion for flour shines at Letty and sister bakery Otie

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A few weeks ago, on one of the hottest days of a steamy Calgary summer, I found Daniel Ramon standing in what’s become his natural habitat — at the front of a pizza oven. The executive chef/operating partner of the new restaurant Letty is known for his fixation on absolutely mastering specific baked goods. His three-year-long pizza odyssey has led him to this sleek new restaurant, which has already earned status as one of the most anticipated new spots of the year.

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Ramon has the credentials to back Letty’s early fanfare: he’s skilled as both a pastry and savoury chef, having worked most extensively in recent years with the Teatro Group. A stickler for detail with an immense capacity for innovation, Ramon has long yearned for a restaurant of his own where he can fully execute his vision. When the opportunity to open Letty, which sits at the bottom of the BLVD Beltline residential building just across Macleod Trail from the Stampede Grounds, came up, Ramon knew he was ready.

“This space is something I’ve been dreaming about for 10 years,” he says. “I’m very passionate about anything that involves flour – I’m a bit of a flour geek – so pizza was a no-brainer for me.”

Letty is a long, lean, 50-seat room with warm wooden decor and exposed concrete walls. It has a lengthy chef’s bar encasing an impressive oven. Pizza is undoubtedly the backbone of the menu, though Letty is positioned as more of a chic, full-service restaurant than a traditional pizzeria. Without giving all his secrets away (though he’s more than happy to talk about his method), Ramon came up with a formula that is a hybrid of sourdough and yeast fermentation with a higher hydration level than your typical pizza dough. He also cooks the pizza at an ever-so-slightly lower temperature for a little longer than a traditional Neapolitan pie.

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The result is a crust that is light and fluffy yet still thin, marked by a toasty flavour without the bitter char that often comes with Neapolitan pizzas, and sturdy enough to act as a strong foundation for multiple toppings without sagging or turning to mush. The topping combinations range from classic Margherita ($23) and pepperoni ($24) to creations like shaved asparagus with fig jam, cream cheese, and arugula ($24), spicy nduja with mascarpone and honey ($24) and a smoked pork belly riff on a Hawaiian ($25).

The other half of the Letty menu is comprised of a robust list of seasonal small plates, which Ramon intentionally constructed to be vegetable and protein-heavy to counteract the carb load of the pizzas. While this menu promises to change regularly and with little notice, early favourites have included irresistible fried enoki mushrooms doused in Buffalo sauce and served with a side of ranch ($17), root beer-glazed capocollo with grilled green onions ($24) and grilled prawns with chilli-garlic butter ($22).

Ramon also wanted to do something unique with Letty’s bar program (led by Kat Brodie), which is focused on highballs. The drinks – spirits combined with some sort of soda and additional flavours – allow guests to enjoy mixed drinks without the high alcohol content of a typical cocktail. The drinkable creations are as fun as the food, employing flavours like citrus, jalapeno, cardamom and mint. Wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages are also available.

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Letty is only half of Ramon’s vision: just around the corner in the same building, he’s also opened Otie, a casual bakery and coffee shop with an equally strong attention to detail. The coffee, sourced from the local Chronicle Coffee Roasters, is designed to be on equal footing as the pastries, a tall order, given how excellent those pastries are. Ramon is in charge of anything made from laminated dough, such as sweet pain au chocolat, almond twice-baked, and snickers croissants, as well as savoury tomato and mozzarella, cheese, and cacio e pepe versions, along with a few others.

Otie also serves surprisingly light (and impressively symmetrical) focaccia sandwiches as well as a selection of beautiful desserts created by pastry chef María de los Ángeles Delgado. Ramon himself isn’t a fan of ultra-sweet flavours, which Delgado respects through a selection of extremely pretty and well-balanced desserts. Items like the pistachio choux, lemon meringue, and pina colada tart may look precious, but all pack a substantial punch of flavour. Otie is a convenient amenity for BLVD residents, but with its smart modern design and dedicated space for laptop workers, it’s also worth travelling to for a coffee and a treat.

Letty is located at 247 12th Ave S.E. and can be contacted at 587-393-1989 or through pizzaletty.com. It is open daily for dinner and also for brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Otie is just around the corner at 1225 Macleod Trail S.E., can be contacted through otiebakes.com and is open daily from 7 am to 4 pm.

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth can be reached at elizabooth@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @elizabooth or sign up for her newsletter at hungrycalgary.substack.com.

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