Author: Barbara

#96 O4W

October 24th, 2018

Duluth, GA

A recent work trip took me down to Atlanta. I really didn’t have too much time to explore in my schedule, but I got to my hotel around 7:30 on Wednesday evening, which left me enough time to head out for pizza. My first thought was to go to Antico, which would have been a 25 minute car ride. But instead, I decided to go for a 35 minute car ride North to Duluth, to O4W.

I am so glad that I did. I didn’t end up getting there until a little after 8:30 pm, which meant that I was almost the only one in the restaurant. I pretty much had my pick of table. It was a little chilly out (for Atlanta, anyways), or else I maybe would have considered sitting outside. While O4W also serves slices, they only serve full pies for dinner. So, a full pie it was. I didn’t take long to decide what to order – the Grandma pie came highly recommended.

It felt like it took forever for the pie to come out, but it really was probably only 15 minutes.  I hadn’t had dinner on the plane, so I was definitely hungry.

O4W makes “New Jersey” style pizza. I’m not sure what qualifies it as “New Jersey” style, because the only style that I know that is typical of NJ is Trenton-style tomato pie. Their Grandma pie was more like what I would consider a NY-style Grandma pie. I guess that they call it “New Jersey” style because the founder was trained in NJ.

Whatever style it is, the Grandma pizza is delicious. It was absolutely worth the long car ride, skipping dinner on the plane, and eating by myself in the restaurant right before closing. It’s topped with a good amount of homemade sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and plenty of fresh basil, all on a thin, not-too-crispy square crust. I loved that it wasn’t covered in too much cheese.

I didn’t eat the whole pizza (although, I probably could have). I brought some back to my hotel and then even managed to save a few slices to take home to Eric on the plane two days later. While O4W made the list in 2016 and 2017, it was left off the list last year. We’ll be voting for it again next year.

To visit:

O4W Pizza
3117 Main St
Duluth, GA 30096

BarbaraLeave a comment

#79 L’industrie Pizzeria

October 20th, 2018

Brooklyn, NY

We had a free Saturday and so we decided to take a drive into Brooklyn to try one of the new additions to the 2018 Daily Meal list, L’industrie Pizza. It’s pretty rare that a pizza place that has only been open since 2015 makes it on to the list, but L’industrie has gotten a lot of press since it’s opening, being listed on the “Best New Pizza Places” in NYC for last year.

L’industrie Pizza is based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, so we were able to drive there and find parking relatively easily. It was a much smaller shop than we were expecting – there are a few high seats inside, and a small table out front, but there really isn’t much room to sit down. Luckily, there didn’t seem to be a Saturday afternoon rush, and we found space to sit with James.

The selection for slices here is amazing. You can also order whole pies, but we were glad that they had slices available because it would have been really difficult to pick just one pie to order. They have pre-made red and white slices ready in the window, and then they heat them up and put on whatever additional toppings you’ve requested. It’s kind of a cool way to do it, actually.

We narrowed down the selection to 4 slices that we wanted to try: two white slices – the onion and brie (brie on pizza?!), the fig and goat cheese, and two red slices – the burrata and the spicy salami. It was honestly hard to pick a favorite. The fig and goat cheese was delicious, and who doesn’t love burrata? The slices were also moderately priced (this being Williamsburg, after all).

We imagine that the whole pies here would be even better, since they’d be baked fresh and not reheated.

While doing my background research on L’industrie, I came across this article from Buzzfeed.  It ranks L’industrie as the best pizza place in NYC. My conclusion: you can’t trust Yelp when looking for the best pizza. Yes, L’industrie is a great slice, but is it the best in NY? No way. Also, we have not heard of ONE of the other places on that list.

To visit:

L’Industrie Pizza
254 South 2nd St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211

BarbaraLeave a comment

#81 A Mano

September 1st, 2018

Ridgewood, NJ

I grew up in Ridgewood, NJ, but I had never heard of A Mano pizza until this past year. Of course, the pizzeria opened in 2007, which was about ten years after I moved away, and many years before we became truly pizza-obsessed. The pizza at A Mano has always been real, authentic, Neapolitan pizza. We took a trip up to Ridgewood a few weeks ago to try it with James, before this year’s list was even announced.

As I said, this is true Neapolitan pizza. When it opened, it was one of only three pizza places in the US that is certified by the VPN AND the APN. The pizzaiolo here back in 2007 was Robert Caporuscio, which, if you are familiar with the pizza world, should mean something to you. (If it doesn’t, he’s the man behind one of our other favorite Neapolitan pizzas in NYC, Kesté). He’s also the president of the APN. I’m taking a wild guess that the other pizzerias currently holding both certifications are his more recent ventures: Kesté and Don Antonio, although I couldn’t find stats on this.

If you are interested in reading about the difference between the VPN and the APN, this is a good article. Basically, to become APN certified, you have to spend many days at Robert’s side (or at the side of another APN board member), learning the “true Italian” standards of making pizza. He’s basically said that he makes the best pizza in the US, and so this is the only way to ensure quality. I mean, I agree that his pizzas are amazing, but having a special certification to say that you’ve learned from him and worked along side him seems a little ego-centric, to me.

But anyway, back to A Mano. We ordered a Margherita pizza, and one with pistachio and pesto. They were both bigger than a usual Neapolitan pie, but we were not complaining. The pizzas were excellent. We wondered how this place hadn’t made it on to the list. Just look at how James stares at it!

We were very pleased to see A Mano make the new 2018 list. It ranks in at #81, probably because it is located in the NYC ‘burbs of North Jersey, and a lot of people probably haven’t made the trip out to try it. We think it should climb the ranks next year.

Now that it’s officially on the list, we will have to go back! We love it when a new place in NJ makes the list – we don’t have to travel so far to enjoy it.

To visit:

A Mano
24 Franklin Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
 

BarbaraLeave a comment

#69 Little Vincent’s

August 4th, 2018

Huntington, NY

We were heading out to Long Island for a BBQ one weekend last August. It was going to be the first time that James met most of my family! The three of us had just driven to Long Island from Boston,  and we needed a quick break before we went to the BBQ. Anyone who has just driven in traffic for 5 hours with a 2 1/2 month old baby can probably relate. Sometimes a pit stop is necessary.

Little Vincent’s was about 15 minutes from where our BBQ was, so it was the perfect place to stop. We were pretty hungry after sitting in the car in traffic for so long. Even though we were planning on eating at the BBQ, we didn’t think it would hurt to have a couple of slices.

Little Vincent’s is most famous for its “cold cheese” slice, so that’s what we ordered. Basically, it is a slice of cheese, with cold shredded mozzarella generously sprinkled over the top. Or, you can order extra cheese in a cup on the side, like the lady at the table next to us did.

The slice itself was pretty basic. It wasn’t a slice that we’d particularly crave on its own, although it wasn’t bad. The crust, sauce, and cheese were all decent. We weren’t sure how we felt about the cold cheese, in the end.  Cold mozzarella is delicious, of course. And we did like the temperature and texture variety when eating the slice. Eric ended up thinking that it was a good addition, whereas I thought that cheese on pizza is better off melted.

Apparently, the cold cheese slice started when kids came home to Long Island from college in upstate NY, where there was a pizza place called Tino’s that had been serving cold cheese slices since 1985. The (mostly drunk) students upstate loved the cold cheese because they could eat it quickly without burning the roof of their mouth. Apparently, they didn’t want to wait another minute to eat at 2 am.

Little Vincent’s is also open late, and we can see why this pizza slice would appeal to the “late night” crowd.  After a few drinks, I think everyone can agree the more cheese, the better.

James couldn’t get enough of looking at this pizza, either.

To visit:

Little Vincent’s
329 New York Ave (Main St)
Huntington, NY 11743

BarbaraLeave a comment

The Best Pizza in London

  October 17th, 2018

London, UK

I’m lucky to travel to London twice a year for work (and some fun, too). Since my colleagues have discovered my love of pizza, they’ve made a point to bring me around to some of the best places in London.  Here are my top 6, ranked.

6. Delfino

This was a last minute stop on my most recent trip to London. Eric had just arrived with James (their first times in London!), and we were looking for a good restaurant to try for dinner. Delfino was a recommendation on our instagram and we liked that it didn’t just have pizza. Also, it looked to have a good wine list. We were not disappointed. Delfino is located in Mayfair, and makes a great thin crust pizza. We split the Caprina pizza, which had sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, pine nuts, and goat’s cheese. It was delicious. The staff was so friendly and accommodating of us and our baby.

You probably won’t find this pizza on any “best of” London lists, but we really liked the variety of pizzas on the menu, and the restaurant in general.

5. Sacro Cuore

I visited Sacro Cuore last October with some friends. It was a bit outside of the city, but I never mind getting out of town a little bit, especially for good pizza. They serve authentic Neapolitan pizzas – and good ones. I got a Bufalina (as usual, are you surprised?). Unfortunately, I couldn’t partake in the wine drinking here, as I was about 2 1/2 months pregnant with James, but my friends said it was decent. I don’t think they care too much about wine quality, though.

They also do serve some starters and salads, but we went right for the pizzas. The one in the back that my friend got had fresh Parmesan on top – which is always a welcome addition to any pie.

4. Homeslice

Homeslice comes in at #4, mainly because it’s been a few years since I’ve been there. From what I can remember, the pizza was really good. I also remember that I went there after a pub night, where we hadn’t had dinner, and so we were all very, very hungry. I should really go back again. Since it was so late when we got there, we got the pizzas to go and we ate them in the courtyard outside the restaurant.

These pizzas are large – 20″. There are a few locations around London. This one had salami, rocket (arugula, for Americans) and parm. We also had one with mushrooms, ricotta, pumpkin seed, and chili flakes. That one was awesome.

3. Franco Manca

Franco Manca is probably my most frequented pizzeria around London. There are several reasons for this. First, there was one right on my walk back from the office to my hotel. Second, there is now one right across the street from my new office. On past trips, I would get it takeaway and eat it in my hotel room. Unfortunately, that meant never getting a good picture. This most recent trip, my colleagues and I went for lunch to the location right near Kings Cross.

I almost got my usual tomato, mozz, and basil pie, but I decided to branch out and get the Veg special, which was a white pizza. These are sourdough pizzas, and the crust is amazing. The ingredients are all specially sourced from Italy and are usually seasonal.

2. Yard Sale Pizza

It’s not a Neapolitan pizza, and it’s not a fancy sourdough crust. But Yard Sale Pizza comes in at #2 on my list. It reminds me the most of a NY-style, although not quite the same. They now have a few locations around London.  My friends brought me here for lunch the day that I landed, and I honestly can’t think of a better way to tackle impending jetlag.

This one is half a margherita and half a TSB (tender stem broccoli, manchego, pine nuts, and garlic). The TSB is possibly one of the best flavor-combo pizzas in London that I’ve had. My friends also liked it here because they have pizzas with vegan cheese. I didn’t try that one, because I couldn’t turn down the regular mozzarella and manchego on these two.

1. L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele

Finally, we’re ending with my favorite pizza in London. My friends had told me about this place for over a year before I finally made it on this most recent trip. L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele is originally from Naples. It’s a famous pizzeria in Italy, and it’s getting the same reputation in London. While I’m usually not a huge fan of traditional Neapolitan pizza, this pizza is phenomenal. The pies are large, and the ingredients are fresh. There is the perfect amount of cheese and the perfect amount of sauce to make the pizza droopy but not soupy.

My friend also tried the traditional fried pizza here – it’s like a calzone. Worth trying.

Let me know if I missed any! I’ll be heading back to the UK in a few months and I may have more to add to this list!

Barbara1 Comment

#63 Tacconelli’s

March 25th, 2016

Philadelphia, PA

I can’t believe that I somehow missed posting about Tacconelli’s back in 2016. Back on the original list (2015), Tacconelli’s was ranked in at #63. It disappeared from the 2016 and 2017 lists, but made it back on the 2018 list at #60.

Tacconelli’s is a Philadelphia classic, having been making pizzas since right after WWII. The restaurant is much older and the brick oven has been used in the family for baking and selling bread since 1918. They started making tomato pies, which had a lot of sauce and very little cheese. The restaurant is now on its 5th generation of owners, but it is still a one-oven, one-man operation.

Because there is only one pizza maker and one oven for baking the pizzas, the best way to make sure that you get a pizza is to call ahead and reserve your dough. They serve pizzas from 4:30 pm onwards, but you can call ahead as early as 10 am.

When we went, we tried the recommended white pie with spinach and fresh tomatoes. The crust was charred as much as a New Haven pie. The crust was thin, and they didn’t skimp on the toppings, although they recommend that you not order more than two toppings per pizza. Not too cheesy, either.

We were glad that we had called ahead here and reserved our dough. Usually, they sell out of dough well before closing. When we got there, we saw that many families would reserve two doughs and take one to go. That’s a really great idea that we may copy next time. Also, because they only can make one pizza at a time, you should be prepared to wait a bit for your pizza. Fortunately, they let you bring your own salad, and beer and wine! We didn’t do this and we were starving by the time our pizza came.

Two other pieces of information that you should know. First, they are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Second, the original location is in Port Richmond in Philadelphia. There is another location in Maple Shade, NJ. This is run by a Tacconelli family member, but is NOT associated with the original.

We should really go back here soon. We know so many people who grew up ordering this pizza, and it’s hard to believe that we’ve only been there once.  Especially now that it is back on the Best Pizzas list!

To visit:

The Original Tacconelli’s Pizza
2604 E. Somerset Street
Philadelphia, PA 19134

BarbaraLeave a comment

101 Best Pizza Places 2018

It’s that time of year again. We look forward to the list coming out every year, and now even more so since we get to vote on it! This year, over 1000 pizza places were considered, narrowed down to the top 101. We were two of 59 “pizza experts” who voted this year.

So, the results.

101 Best Pizza Places (2018) : places in bold are new to the list in 2018!

#101 Micucci’s Grocery, Portland, ME
#100 La Nova, Buffalo, NY
#99 Inferno Pizzeria, Darnestown, MD
#98 Pizza Wagon, Brooklyn
#97 Pizza Rock, Las Vegas
#96 Zoli’s NY Pizza, Addison, TX
#95 Joe Squared, Baltimore, MD
#94 Luke’s Craft Pizza, Charleston, SC
#93 Jay’s Artisan Pizza, Buffalo, NY
#92 Timber Pizza Company, Washington, D.C.
#91 Margherita Pizza, Queens
#90 Cloverleaf Pizza, Macomb, MI
#89 Dino’s Tomato Pie, Seattle
#88 Il Forno, San Antonio, TX
#87 Pizzeria Bebu, Chicago
#86 Margot’s, Brooklyn
#85 Slab, Portland, ME
#84 Bocce Club Pizza, Buffalo, NY
#83 Lorenzos’ and Sons, Philadelphia
#82 Bruno’s, Clifton, NJ
#81 A Mano Pizza, Ridgewood, NJ
#80 Coalhouse Pizza, Stamford, CT
#79 L’industrie Pizzeria, Brooklyn
#78 La Piazza, Merrick, NY
#77 Metro Pizza, Las Vegas
#76 Delancey, Seattle
#75 Pizza Hacker, San Francisco
#74 Del Popolo, San Francisco
#73 Arizmendi Bakery, San Francisco
#72 Zaffiro’s, Milwaukee, WI
#71 Pizzeria Lola, Minneapolis, MN
#70 Vito & Nicks, Chicago
#69 Monza, Charleston, SC
#68 EVO, Charleston, SC
#67 Joe Santucci’s Square Pizza, Philadelphia
#66 BAR, New Haven
#65 King Umberto’s, Elmont, NY
#64 Roseland Apizza, Derby, CT
#63 Bonci, Chicago
#62 Vito’s Pizza, Los Angeles
#61 Jon & Vinny’s, Los Angeles
#60 The Original Tacconelli’s Pizza, Philadelphia
#59 Pizzeria Vetri, Philadelphia
#58 Zuppardi’s, West Haven, CT
#57 Ernie’s Pizzeria, New Haven
#56 Galleria Umberto, Boston
#55 Cane Rosso, Dallas, TX
#54 Flour + Water, San Francisco
#53 Ken’s Artisan Pizza, Portland, OR
#52 Loui’s Pizza, Detroit
#51 Salvatore’s Coal Oven Pizza, Port Washington, NY
#50 Pizano’s, Chicago
#49 Papa’s Tomato Pies, Robbinsville, NJ
#48 Serious Pie, Seattle
#47 The Cheese Board, Berkeley, CA
#46 Pizzeria Delfina, San Francisco
#45 Via 313, Austin, TX
#44 Pizza Brain, Philadelphia
#43 Keste, NY
#42 Juliana’s Pizza, Brooklyn
#41 Star Tavern Pizza, West Orange, NJ
#40 Santarpio’s, Boston
#39 New Park Pizza, Howard Beach, NY
#38 Sofia Pizza Shoppe, NYC
#37 DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies, Robbinsville, NJ
#36 Al Forno, Providence, RI
#35 Louie and Ernie’s, Bronx
#34 Scarr’s, NYC
#33 Rubirosa, NYC
#32 Santillo’s Brick Oven Pizza, Elizabeth, NJ
#31 Emily, Brooklyn
#30 Umberto’s Pizza and Restaurant, New Hyde Park, NY
#29 Speedy Romeo, Brooklyn
#28 Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, San Fransisco
#27 Emmy Squared, Brooklyn
#26 Colony Grill, Stamford, CT
#25 Apizza Scholls, Portland, OR
#24 Pequod’s, Chicago
#23 Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
#22 L&B Spumoni Gardens, Brooklyn
#21 Paulie Gee’s, Brooklyn
#20 Motorino, NYC
#19 Roberta’s, Brooklyn
#18 Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix, AZ
#17 Una Pizza Napoletana, NYC
#16 Lucali, Brooklyn
#15 Buddy’s Pizza, Detroit
#14 Joe & Pat’s, Staten Island
#13 Modern Apizza, New Haven
#12 Sally’s Apizza, New Haven
#11 Patsy’s, NYC
#10 Lombardi’s, NYC
#9 Grimaldi’s, Brooklyn
#8 Prince St Pizza, NYC
#7 Joe’s, NYC
#6 Totonno’s, Brooklyn
#5 Di Fara, Brooklyn
#4 John’s of Bleecker, NYC
#3 Lou Malnati’s, Chicago
#2 Razza Pizza, Jersey City, NJ
#1 Frank Pepe Pizza Napoletana, New Haven

So, there are a lot of new additions this year. Last year there were 18 additions, this year there are  24. It’s a good thing that we have trips planned in 2019 to San Francisco and Washington, DC area. There are a few around NY that we will definitely make it to, and we really do need to plan a trip to Chicago. We’re heading out to Portland, OR next year too, and may need to make a pit stop in Seattle.

Overall, we have 25 pizza places on this list that we haven’t been to yet! There are a few carry-overs from last year’s list that we still haven’t been to (mostly those in Chicago), and we’ve been to a few that are new on this year’s already, so be looking out for those posts!

Ok, now for our analysis. First of all, we are SO EXCITED to see Pepe’s staying strong at the top of the list. We are also very happy that it beat out Razza, because we just weren’t so impressed by the pizza there.

There was a lot of switching around in the top 20 this year but for the most part, the places are the same. Pizza places that were in the top 10 last year (Modern, Keste, Bianco, Lucali, Sally’s) all dropped. We were glad to see Totonno’s and Prince Street break into the top 10, though. We still don’t think that Lou Malnati’s belongs there. And Joe’s is way too high being in the top 10. It’s better off back where it was last year – at #19.

Una Pizza Napoletana has moved from San Francisco back to its original home of NYC. It’s not technically a new addition to the list, and so we’re counting it as a pizza we’ve already had. Although, I am sure that we’ll make it to the new location this year, especially since its move to NYC corresponds with a jump in rank from #43 to #17.

A few other opinions: Emily is DEFINITELY better than Emmy Squared. Micucci’s Grocery’s slab is better than the slab at Slab. We’re glad to see L&B Spumoni Gardens move up on the list. Also glad that the Cheese Board is still hanging strong here. Glad to see Sofia Pizza Shoppe move up – its a great NY slice. And we’re really looking forward to checking out Scarr’s and Pizza Wagon – which have been on our personal lists for a while now. Also, Margot’s is back on the list. We have mixed feelings about this – yes, the pizza is good, but MAN is it hard to get tickets. We aren’t even going to try again this year.

Since almost a quarter of the pizza places on this year’s list are new, it means that a bunch of places from last year were dropped. Which ones? Well, Coalfire Pizza is no longer on the list, and we are SO upset about that. Also missing: Williamsburg Pizza in Brooklyn (one of our favorite NY slices!), Gjelina and Sotto in LA, and Pizzeria Beddia in Philadephia, which unfortunately has closed down. Some of the other classic Deep Dish pizzas in Chicago are left off as well.

So, where should we go first?

 

Barbara1 Comment

5 Boro Pizza Challenge

September 22nd, 2018

New York City

Last weekend we had the opportunity to participate in the 5 Boro Pizza Challenge. This was the third year of the challenge, but the first year that we were actually free on the weekend to take part! The premise of the challenge is simple: 5 slices of pizza, one in each of the 5 boroughs, as quickly as you can, using only public transportation or your own manpower.

Last year, the winners completed the challenge in about 4 1/2 hours. We were not looking to beat them this year, as we were carrying along little baby James. Instead, we decided to just try and hit as many pizza places as we could, while avoiding any 4-month-old baby meltdowns.

The challenge started at 11 am, and we all met downtown Manhattan. There, we were given a paper with the 5 slices and addresses and sent on our way!

First stop: Best Italian Pizza, Bronx

Since we were carrying a baby in the Ergo, we were limited to walking/scootering and the subway. We hopped on the 2 and decided to head all the way up to the Bronx for our first stop.

The rule of the challenge is that you have to get one slice per stop, photograph it, and tag it on social media. You also have to photograph yourself at the pizzeria.

We decided to go with one veggie slice and one plain cheese slice here. These were BIG slices. We ate them pretty quickly because we were really hungry for lunch at this point, but then we worried that we wouldn’t be able to eat too many more slices!

These slices weren’t our favorites, although they were decent. It’s hard to find good pizza up in the Bronx.

Second stop: Sal & Carmines, Manhattan

We hopped on the subway again to our second planned stop, Sal & Carmine’s. This place has been on our list to try for ages  so we were really glad to see that it was a stop in the challenge! We got two plain slices here.

These were great NY slices. The sauce was on the sweet side, and they were a bit greasy, as a NY slice should be. Also, very large. I admit that I did not finish the whole slice (we still had 3 boroughs to go!)

In case you were wondering, James did great on the subway making friends. He was full of smiles for everyone. He also really liked checking out the pizza. We dressed him in a pizza-themed onesie for the occasion, too.

While we took the subway around to each of the different pizzerias, we also borrowed our 9-year-old neighbor’s scooter, so that we didn’t have to walk so much. James really liked facing forward in the Ergo while we were scootering.

Third stop: Sunnyside Pizza, Queens

Sunnyside Pizza ended up being our third (and last) stop of the challenge. We ended up getting two fancier slices here – one with mushroom and spinach, and one with eggplant and ricotta. They were both excellent. Again, the slices were very big and the toppings were generous.

We also really liked that Sunnyside Pizza had a sesame seed crust. It added just a little something different to the traditional slice. These slices weren’t as greasy as the others. We also got a chance to really sit and enjoy them, because James decided that he needed lunch at this point too.

We thought about going down to Brooklyn to go to Luigi’s Pizza, but decided against it. We were full and James was tired, and we actually were attending a wedding that evening and still needed to get back to Manhattan to get all dressed up. Also, we had been to Luigi’s before, so it wasn’t as exciting for us to go again.

The last stop in Staten Island was at Pier 76. We haven’t ever been there, but we’ll have to add it to the list for another day.

Overall, we had a blast doing this challenge and can’t wait for next year. We got to spend a little bit of time at the after party talking with the group of friends who started the challenge, which was really fun. We missed seeing the winner come in, but I think he won using a combination of biking and subway. We left with full bellies, awesome t-shirts, and a cool medal (even though we didn’t really finish).

We’re already looking forward to next year!

Barbara1 Comment

#48 Galleria Umberto

September 3rd, 2016

Boston, MA

Back in July, when we were visiting Boston and had these great slices for lunch, we also first stopped at Galleria Umberto. The plan was to grab slices at both places because they are both conveniently located right in the North End of Boston. We planned this strategically because Galleria Umberto is only open for lunch, Monday through Saturday, and is closed on Sundays and after 2:30 pm (or whenever they run out of pizza). We planned to get there first thing when they opened to make sure that we got slices.

This was the first time where our plans didn’t quite work out. Galleria Umberto was closed for construction, just for that weekend. We were bummed, since we didn’t have any more plans to come up to Boston together in the near future.

Luckily, Eric planned a guys weekend for the fantasy football draft in September in Boston. He talked one of his friends into grabbing slices at Galleria Umberto early on Saturday morning.

The line often starts before the pizzeria opens around 10:30 am, and it doesn’t let up throughout lunch. Luckily, the pizzas just keep coming out every few minutes so it moves very quickly. Galleria Umberto keeps it simple and only offers one type of pizza – Sicilian.

Their Sicilian slices are really all about the cheese. The pies are baked in large square baking sheets and cut into smaller square slices. The slices may look small, but they are certainly filling. The cheese actually overflows from the pans when the pizzas are taken out of the oven. You will definitely get a slice where the cheese is still hot and oozing down the side of the crust. The cheese also gets those nice burnt bubbles on it – not too dark, though. The crust is a bit lighter than your usual Sicilian slice and isn’t as thick. Honestly, we forget what the sauce was like because the cheese is so overwhelming.

After hearing Eric’s thoughts on the pizza, I knew that I had to go myself and see what it was like. I ended up making a stop there for lunch one weekday when I was in Boston for work. The pizza actually reminded me a bit of the pizza that we had in Buffalo, but maybe just because those pizzas were also heavy on the cheese.

We’d recommend not taking these slices to go. They are the type of slice that would not be as good reheated, so plan to eat in. The restaurant has plenty of space to sit. Make sure to bring cash, since Galleria Umberto is cash-only. And also check to make sure that the restaurant isn’t closed for construction, or the owners aren’t away on vacation (I see right now that the restaurant is closed the month of July this year).

To visit:

Galleria Umberto
289 Hanover Street
Boston, MA 02113 USA

BarbaraLeave a comment

#65 Home Slice Pizza

August 14th, 2016

Austin, TX

When we finished our dinner at the Backspace, we still had one more pizza place to try in Austin. Since our flight back to NJ was early in the morning, we had our second dinner at Home Slice Pizza.

Home Slice serves New York style pizza, which was a nice change up from the Neapolitan pies that we’d been having around Texas. They serve pizza by the pie or by the slice, and since this was our second dinner, we opted for the latter. We ended up with three slices for a variety: a regular cheese, a spinach and ricotta, and a pepperoni with mushroom.

The slices were definitely NY-style and were just like any slice that we would have gotten walking around Manhattan. Our favorite was probably the spinach and ricotta. Just look at the globs of ricotta on that slice! We usually prefer fresh spinach on our pizzas, but ricotta makes even blanched spinach taste amazing.

Home Slice recently opened a second bigger location in Austin. The original location, on South Congress, is pretty tiny and gets pretty busy. We just grabbed our slices and sat outside at the counter, but we were lucky to even get a spot there. Apparently the new location in the North Loop also serves Sicilian slices. It also has a full bar.

Overall, we were really impressed by the pizza in Texas. We wouldn’t have thought that we could get such good Neapolitan pizza, let alone New York-style and more recently, Detroit-style, pizza so far away from New York or Detroit. It was a really nice surprise!

Also, don’t think that we just came down to Texas and only ate pizza. We also stopped at had donuts (we got the massive Texas-sized donut on our way up to Dallas) and some BBQ before we left. Breakfast tacos were also enjoyed. We were lucky that Austin has such a nice running path along the river. Otherwise, I think we both would have gained a few pounds.

To visit:

Home Slice Pizza
1415 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704

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