I also enjoy Pino's, in Cleveland Circle. Thin crust, crispy without being crunchy or burnt, good blend of cheeses, nice sauce, value.
(I realize this is a somewhat controversial choice. In the past, some here have expressed a preference for the pizza served just down the street at Presto.)
As for the entire Boston area, most people seem to have a stiffie for Pizzeria Regina, especially at their original North End location. I have only had delivery or slices from some of their other locations, and it's good, but nothing glorious to me. Every time I walk by their N.E. location there's a line around the corner.
My favorite is Ernesto's on Salem St.
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who and the what now?
... is that someday I'm going to go into The Pleasant, order a pizza, get one entirely unlike what I expect, ask the waitress why, and hear her say, "Oh, the pizza chef died. And nobody asked him for the recipe."
I have a thing for Pizza Oggi over in Harvard Square inside the Holyoke building. Its in a weird spot but always seems to be fairly busy. My beef with them is lack of choices you can get a cheese, pepperoni or a slice of the day... although maybe thats why the pizza tastes good, they do what they do well.
Oggi is great, and I recently saw a tv piece featuring the owner/founder. What a great small business entrepreneur success story. Count me as a big fan of that place.
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who and the what now?
For starters, Boston not Cambridge and that rules two of my favorite spots Beauty's near Kendall and Pinnochio's in Harvard Sq.
Back to Boston, I have to go with my gut on this one...I am a serious addict of the Dogwood in Jamaica Plain and also really enjoy the pies from Bella Luna. But, I would give a warm runners up to Penguin in Mission Hill as well.
If we were discounting any place that wasnt in Boston proper (which would take out my Cambridge choice) my choice would fall to East Boston, theres a place called Kellys Pub or something along those lines, they make some good pizza.
And get over to the Dogwood for its breakfast pizza. Just don't let your cardiologist know (I see Nick's on Washington Street in Roslindale now sells breakfast pizza, too - and daily, through dinnertime, even - but I haven't tried theirs yet).
When I want Pizza, there is never a reason to leave town ...
For "proletarian" pizza, I head to Pranzi's on Winthrop St. or Alfredo's in Haines Square. Alfredo's has amazing pasta.
For a fancier experience, there's Raso's* on Mystic Ave. (Rt. 38 - the extension of McGrath and O'Brien). Much more consistent and less expensive than Pizzeria Regina, Raso's has an extensive menu beyond pizza that includes some amazing panini. I've never had a bad meal there.
At work downtown, I recently discovered Al Capones.(I used to work on Huntington Ave and I really miss Pig's Pizza, which became Penguin's!!! I can't do anything over that direction with the kids without a trip in there.)
*my son says that his classmate, a member of the family that runs the joint, pronounces her name with an "s" sound like "rasso", but others refer to the restaurant as "Razos" with a soft "z" sound
Well, the first thing I would say is NOT Santarpio's or Regina. Though if you prefer the doughy "Boston" pizza, feel free. I'm seriously underwhelmed by both. Its not that either is bad, its just they aren't remotely the best pizza in town.
If you want an old-school parlor pizza, Presto's and Pino's are both good options. I tend to prefer Presto's myself, but was a Pino's partisan in college. The fact is, both are great but also distinct so there is ample room for personal preference.
If you're looking for something New Haven style, Upper Crust is actually a pretty decent approximation. Its not perfect, but its a reasonable facsimile. I'd recommend Crazy Dough's on Boylston Street and Harvard Square as an alternative, though. They have one of the best specials in town and as long as you don't mind reheated slices, an insane number of creative options in addition to a New Haven style plain pie. Their Garlic Cheese Bread is also fantastic. Think pizza without the sauce and with ample garlic. Everyone who I seen taste it has loved it.
As far as the gourmet options, I still tend to like Sorrento's in the Fenway. In particular, their Extra Cheese is the best I've ever had by a wide margin. One of the few places I've seen that lets the extra cheese cook properly instead of pulling it early.
For an underheard of option, try Pizza Pie'r on Mass Ave. Its very different, but its sort of a gourmet option in a sub-parlor style storefront. I'm not a huge fan, but I can still admit its very well executed and some will like it a lot.
Not think like Pizza Hut calls thin. We're talking cracker thin here, though, not paper thin. Cracker being especially apt since the crust is usually much crisper than you'll find on pies outside of New Haven. The usually have a bit more sauce, and will always be cooked long enough to get a beautiful golden brown exterior to the cheese. I think someone said that they cook it so the oil seperates from the cheese and rises to the surface to fry the mozzarella. Not sure that's actually what happens, but its good either.
The pies aren't as perfectly round as most you'll find. Slices are rarely cut in a regular manner, either. Its all a lot more naturalistic than the perfect circles you often find. They are generally prepared in wood-burning or coal burning stoves that get hot enough to cook the pizzas very quickly. If you can get to New Haven to try Modern's pies (don't bother with Sally's and Pepe's; its too hard to get in there) then Upper Crust is a pretty good approximation, though I'd say their sauce is a lot chunkier than you'll find in New Haven, they get the crust and cheese just about right.
I had Cambridge One and really didn't care for it. Grilled pizza comes out very different than coal-fire cooked pizza. Its more cracker like than Boston pies, but not so much it becomes pita-like.
They were trying to open a Pizza Pie-er in Inman Square, Cambridge, roughly across the street from Oleana.
I got the perhaps-mistaken impression that they had gotten the lease and approvals, but they never opened, and now there's a storefront church in the space.
The pizza at Galleria Umberto on Hanover Street is the best. Unfortunately they close around 3pm, so it's not available in the evening.
Pino's in Somerville, Crazy Dough's in the Garage in Harvard Square, Ernesto's on Salem Street, Pizzaitalia on Adams Street, Dorchester and Uppercrust anywhere are also pretty good.
I love Crazy Doughs (Ive been to a few of their locations) in concept but the dough is always dry and I dont think Ive ever had a truely fresh slice of pizza from them, they always seem to be day or two day old... Once again the concept is awesome, I mean seriously a baked potato pizza! but the delivery is not so good.
I'm a very picky pizza eater, given that members of my family work in the pizza business back in my hometown in Western NY. I miss my mother's Silician pizza, and can not find a slice like it here - luckily, I know the recipe and can recreate it for the most part.
In Boston, I like Pino's in Cleveland Circle and Pizzanini in Brighton (surprising, I know - a lot of people don't like them, but I like their specialty pizzas.)
I do not like Regina pizza, and I've never had Santarpio's.
Mmmmm...Best Pizza in Boston! They have a couple locales outside of Boston (Woburn and Wakefield at least) but they pale in comparison to the Park Drive/Buswell Street location.
Picco in the South End is the best in Boston, but as everyone knows, the best pizza in the universe is at Frank Pepe's Apizza in New Haven -- but hit Modern for shorter lines.
I live by the Somerville/Medford line, so most of my pizza choices come from out that way.
My personal favorite is Leone's on Broadway. I love the whole slices rather than grated cheese, and their sausage is the best I've ever had on a pizza, nothing else like it period.
As for thinner crust pizza, we've always been a fan of Pini's further up on Broadway, but lately we've taken a shine to Toni's by George on Main St in Medford. Really nicely done pizzas there.
If I'm in Harvard Square, I'm always torn by the dual temptation of Pinochio's or Crazy Dough. Though the addition of a cup of really cheap Pabst at CD usually sways me.
Slightly off topic, but Leone's makes one of the best Italian subs I've had anywhere. I used to live just around the corner, but moved two years ago and miss it. The folks who work there were generally pretty pleasant, too.
when i first moved here from Brooklyn NY in 2004, my answer would have been "There IS no good pizza in Boston!!" however, over the past 4 years i have changed my mind - i really love Upper Crust and Crazy Dough's in The Garage.
Guess I'll stick my plug in for Venice Ristorante on Cambridge Street in the West End. Excellent sauce, not too sweet, the crust chewy and crispy at the same time - Yum!They also have good pasta dishes and subs. The Venice Special is a meat-lover's paradise!
Another voice in support of Venice, which is in fact in a part of Boston that was part of Boston in 1630, no landfill, no annexation, if that counts for extra. Their Pollo Capria is bellissimo!
Seriously, I think there are way too many choices. Even if we somehow narrow it down to five or six choices from those people have named here, it could end up with far more write-in votes in the comments, as well as the possibility of a flame war :-) Better to just let everyone have a say here and then, if we wish, we can try out a few of them.
Having some sort of "Best Of U-Hub" is a nice idea, though. Adam? Any thoughts?
I think that it would work best as a tiered system. My vision of a best of would start off in the last week of a month with nominations. The culled from the nominations would be choices that would then be broken off into brackets based off of where the pizza was located so round one would consist of pizza that was geographically close to one another so the finals wouldnt all be from the same part of the city. People complain alot less when a tier system is used because everyone gets to make an A or B choice on every option. There would be votes every week until the last week of the month when a winner is announced. Then start it all over again with another item.
I assume the polling system that is available to Uhub may not be robust enough to handle that system, but it was a thought lol.
Cambridge 1. You can do no better anywhere around here and if you're going to complain that it's in Cambridge and not "Boston", then you can go to the one down by Fenway on Boylston St.
And you just can't beat an open grill pizza for flavor or crust. No brick oven, or any other method, is going to even come close.
If you want even *better* grilled pizza than Cambridge 1 and aren't afraid to drive down there, Bob & Timmy's on Federal Hill in Providence can *not* be beat. They put the sauce *above* the cheese! It is SO good that way. It's not just a mozzarella either. They should call their pies Sweet Caroline, because it's just so good. So good. So good.
1. Santarpio's Real Boston Pizza, no one comes close.
2.Galleria Umberto -Amazing and not just for the pizza, have a pizette next time you're in there.
3. Pleasant, oh yeah.
4. The Brown Jug, Chelsea
6. Stella's, Watertown
5. Bianchi's Revere Beach Since I was a kid!
Once you taste all of these pizzas, you'll realize the fraud that is the Upper Crust.
What I love about the Jug (The Brown Jug) is the fact that you would think that nobody ever heard of the place when you look at the building its in (its heavily fortified lol) but its proven to be very popular all over the North Shore, that and the Newbridge are the two places off of Garfield Ave in Chelsea that everyone seems to know about.
Bianchis is good, but I wonder how much of that is because of the location on the beach? Ive noticed that the food at Kellys on the beach seems to taste better when eaten onsite then any other Kellys as well. Even for a shady beach theres something about that beach when you just stopping for some food that makes it fun.
Okay, I've been sitting back to see what you all had to say -- and I've taken notes on a few places I haven't tried -- but I have to pipe up when someone tries to diss Bianchi's as perhaps only good because you're eating it at the beach on a beautiful day. I and the other people who stand out in the rain and the snow all year 'round ('cuz we live nearby or go out of our way for it) beg to differ. Bianchi's has that perfect balance of cheese to sauce to thin yet chewy crust, and the sauce has just the right touch of herbs ... but here's the thing: Sort of like the way Santarpio's is great pizza BUT it should never be carried out because it needs to be eaten piping hot and usually with a fork and knife 'cause the crust isn't strong enough to bear the toppings, Bianchi's pizza should really be appreciated as a plain cheese pie or, if you must, with just one topping that doesn't weigh it down, such as pepperoni. When I make the mistake of ordering what is elsewhere my preferred combination (sausage and onion, of course), I am gravely disappointed. When I get a plain old cheese pizza, it is heaven every time.
Believe it or not, I can't get enough of New York Pizza on Tremont Street near the Boylston T stop. My friends make fun of me, but I try to get a slice from there when I'm in the area and the timing makes sense.
I've actually flown back from Ithaca with a duffel bag filled with pizzas from The Nines, because those were so much better than what I could find in Boston. For folks like me who love The Nines, where should I go around Boston?
I think sometimes taste is about perception. You New York guys are never gonna be happy no matter what we toss at ya.
This reminds me of the time before Boston was sieged by Krispy Kreme. I was told by many people how great they were, I was told there was nothing like it in Boston, I was informed that they would crush Dunkin Donuts in a heartbeat in a head to head competition. I remember even trying to find it everytime I headed south, but could never get in one so by the time we got some up here I waited for the lines to die down, then I rushed out to get some. I made it to the Saugus Krispy Kreme, walked in the front door, was offered a free sample donut , tasted it , thought it was pretty good and decided to call it a day. By the time I made it out to them again they were gone...
So the moral of the Krispy Kreme story is simple, if we dont have something that everyone seems to love theres a reason for it, we dont have a taste for it. Thats why Krispy Kreme didnt do well, why Chowder here is white and not red, and why NY pizza and Boston pizza tasts different. Were never going to satisfy you, but we apparently have no interest in making it exactly the same way I guess.
Krispy Kreme didn't shut down because people in New England didn't like it. When the Medford store opened, it set their single day sales records. But in 2005, Krispy Kreme as a whole took a bath in its finances and it was basically a "last one in, first one gone" proposition for them to retract back to their base in the South in order to cut company costs. Their sales were never really any worse here than anywhere else. Their problem was in how the entire company was being managed and their over-aggressiveness in expansion.
If we're still talking Boston, and not Cambridge, Providence or Hartford, Canestaro's on Peterborough St in the West Fens is my vote. It's being delivered in a few minutes. By far one of Boston's BEST pizzas. Second would be Sorrento's.
CityVoter.com allows users to ask questions. There are a half dozen pizza questions asking who's got the best pizza in boston. Lots of answers! Here is an example...
Comments
And, I'll Start
Pleasant Cafe! But, you already knew that.
I also enjoy Pino's, in Cleveland Circle. Thin crust, crispy without being crunchy or burnt, good blend of cheeses, nice sauce, value.
(I realize this is a somewhat controversial choice. In the past, some here have expressed a preference for the pizza served just down the street at Presto.)
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Pino's the best in Cleveland Circle
Pino's kicks Presto's butt.
As for the entire Boston area, most people seem to have a stiffie for Pizzeria Regina, especially at their original North End location. I have only had delivery or slices from some of their other locations, and it's good, but nothing glorious to me. Every time I walk by their N.E. location there's a line around the corner.
My favorite is Ernesto's on Salem St.
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who and the what now?
Pleasant Rocks
Have to agree with Suldog. You can not beat a Pleasant Pizza! Yum! Pleasant Cafe in Roslindale has been doing it right forever. Is it lunch time yet?
My Fear...
... is that someday I'm going to go into The Pleasant, order a pizza, get one entirely unlike what I expect, ask the waitress why, and hear her say, "Oh, the pizza chef died. And nobody asked him for the recipe."
*shudder*
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Best pizza in Boston
C'mon, it has to be in the north end. Ernesto's in the best pie in town ... big slice, lots of toppings, sicilian and thin crust.
Too many!
Haha, I have a hard enough time deciding my favorite pizza in a single neighborhood let alone the whole city.
Now just waiting for someone from NY to tell us that our pizza sucks, is too doughy, and we will never have good pizza in Boston....
I have a thing for Pizza
I have a thing for Pizza Oggi over in Harvard Square inside the Holyoke building. Its in a weird spot but always seems to be fairly busy. My beef with them is lack of choices you can get a cheese, pepperoni or a slice of the day... although maybe thats why the pizza tastes good, they do what they do well.
YES....That's the best in Hvd Sq
Oggi is great, and I recently saw a tv piece featuring the owner/founder. What a great small business entrepreneur success story. Count me as a big fan of that place.
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Best Pizza in Boston
For starters, Boston not Cambridge and that rules two of my favorite spots Beauty's near Kendall and Pinnochio's in Harvard Sq.
Back to Boston, I have to go with my gut on this one...I am a serious addict of the Dogwood in Jamaica Plain and also really enjoy the pies from Bella Luna. But, I would give a warm runners up to Penguin in Mission Hill as well.
If we were discounting any
If we were discounting any place that wasnt in Boston proper (which would take out my Cambridge choice) my choice would fall to East Boston, theres a place called Kellys Pub or something along those lines, they make some good pizza.
Start your Sunday off with some serious saturated fats
And get over to the Dogwood for its breakfast pizza. Just don't let your cardiologist know (I see Nick's on Washington Street in Roslindale now sells breakfast pizza, too - and daily, through dinnertime, even - but I haven't tried theirs yet).
Come to Mefuh
When I want Pizza, there is never a reason to leave town ...
For "proletarian" pizza, I head to Pranzi's on Winthrop St. or Alfredo's in Haines Square. Alfredo's has amazing pasta.
For a fancier experience, there's Raso's* on Mystic Ave. (Rt. 38 - the extension of McGrath and O'Brien). Much more consistent and less expensive than Pizzeria Regina, Raso's has an extensive menu beyond pizza that includes some amazing panini. I've never had a bad meal there.
At work downtown, I recently discovered Al Capones.(I used to work on Huntington Ave and I really miss Pig's Pizza, which became Penguin's!!! I can't do anything over that direction with the kids without a trip in there.)
*my son says that his classmate, a member of the family that runs the joint, pronounces her name with an "s" sound like "rasso", but others refer to the restaurant as "Razos" with a soft "z" sound
BS. If you're in medford go
BS. If you're in medford go to Boccelli's on main.
Ditto! Excellent pizza. Who
Ditto!
Excellent pizza. Who else has been there?
Santarpio's
I gotta stick with the classic. The sausage and lamb are also out of this world. Since those are the only three items on the menu, you can't go wrong.
Does New Haven count?
I guess not.
Well, the first thing I would say is NOT Santarpio's or Regina. Though if you prefer the doughy "Boston" pizza, feel free. I'm seriously underwhelmed by both. Its not that either is bad, its just they aren't remotely the best pizza in town.
If you want an old-school parlor pizza, Presto's and Pino's are both good options. I tend to prefer Presto's myself, but was a Pino's partisan in college. The fact is, both are great but also distinct so there is ample room for personal preference.
If you're looking for something New Haven style, Upper Crust is actually a pretty decent approximation. Its not perfect, but its a reasonable facsimile. I'd recommend Crazy Dough's on Boylston Street and Harvard Square as an alternative, though. They have one of the best specials in town and as long as you don't mind reheated slices, an insane number of creative options in addition to a New Haven style plain pie. Their Garlic Cheese Bread is also fantastic. Think pizza without the sauce and with ample garlic. Everyone who I seen taste it has loved it.
As far as the gourmet options, I still tend to like Sorrento's in the Fenway. In particular, their Extra Cheese is the best I've ever had by a wide margin. One of the few places I've seen that lets the extra cheese cook properly instead of pulling it early.
For an underheard of option, try Pizza Pie'r on Mass Ave. Its very different, but its sort of a gourmet option in a sub-parlor style storefront. I'm not a huge fan, but I can still admit its very well executed and some will like it a lot.
I don't think New Haven is
I don't think New Haven is in Boston but since you brought it up. Pepe's or Sally's?
What is New Haven style
What is New Haven style pizza?
New Haven style
Not think like Pizza Hut calls thin. We're talking cracker thin here, though, not paper thin. Cracker being especially apt since the crust is usually much crisper than you'll find on pies outside of New Haven. The usually have a bit more sauce, and will always be cooked long enough to get a beautiful golden brown exterior to the cheese. I think someone said that they cook it so the oil seperates from the cheese and rises to the surface to fry the mozzarella. Not sure that's actually what happens, but its good either.
The pies aren't as perfectly round as most you'll find. Slices are rarely cut in a regular manner, either. Its all a lot more naturalistic than the perfect circles you often find. They are generally prepared in wood-burning or coal burning stoves that get hot enough to cook the pizzas very quickly. If you can get to New Haven to try Modern's pies (don't bother with Sally's and Pepe's; its too hard to get in there) then Upper Crust is a pretty good approximation, though I'd say their sauce is a lot chunkier than you'll find in New Haven, they get the crust and cheese just about right.
Thats not like a Cambridge
Thats not like a Cambridge One pizza is it? It seems like a pizza on a pita.
NO, very different.
I had Cambridge One and really didn't care for it. Grilled pizza comes out very different than coal-fire cooked pizza. Its more cracker like than Boston pies, but not so much it becomes pita-like.
Pizza Pie-er
They were trying to open a Pizza Pie-er in Inman Square, Cambridge, roughly across the street from Oleana.
I got the perhaps-mistaken impression that they had gotten the lease and approvals, but they never opened, and now there's a storefront church in the space.
Best Pizza
When you only want the best: Pizzeria Regina. Hands down the greatest slice in Boston.
Galleria Umberto
The pizza at Galleria Umberto on Hanover Street is the best. Unfortunately they close around 3pm, so it's not available in the evening.
Pino's in Somerville, Crazy Dough's in the Garage in Harvard Square, Ernesto's on Salem Street, Pizzaitalia on Adams Street, Dorchester and Uppercrust anywhere are also pretty good.
I love Crazy Doughs (Ive
I love Crazy Doughs (Ive been to a few of their locations) in concept but the dough is always dry and I dont think Ive ever had a truely fresh slice of pizza from them, they always seem to be day or two day old... Once again the concept is awesome, I mean seriously a baked potato pizza! but the delivery is not so good.
Crazy for Crazy Doughs
My son will grab his charlie card and make a trip to the Garage on some school early release days for the sole purpose of a Crazy Dough's raid.
With the beer option, it is a good lunch stop for the grownups, with out the high prices.
Maybe thats my problem, I
Maybe thats my problem, I need to drink some of the cheap beer too lol
Not a lot of good pizza in Boston, but...
I'm a very picky pizza eater, given that members of my family work in the pizza business back in my hometown in Western NY. I miss my mother's Silician pizza, and can not find a slice like it here - luckily, I know the recipe and can recreate it for the most part.
In Boston, I like Pino's in Cleveland Circle and Pizzanini in Brighton (surprising, I know - a lot of people don't like them, but I like their specialty pizzas.)
I do not like Regina pizza, and I've never had Santarpio's.
My Brothers Place
Mmmmm...Best Pizza in Boston! They have a couple locales outside of Boston (Woburn and Wakefield at least) but they pale in comparison to the Park Drive/Buswell Street location.
Nothing to See Here, Folks
As a BU alum, I have to disagree about My Brothers. Absolutely ordinary.
PICCO
Picco in the South End is the best in Boston, but as everyone knows, the best pizza in the universe is at Frank Pepe's Apizza in New Haven -- but hit Modern for shorter lines.
Ice cream at Picco = yum.
Ice cream at Picco = yum. Pizza at Picco = ew.
Medferville Pizza
I live by the Somerville/Medford line, so most of my pizza choices come from out that way.
My personal favorite is Leone's on Broadway. I love the whole slices rather than grated cheese, and their sausage is the best I've ever had on a pizza, nothing else like it period.
As for thinner crust pizza, we've always been a fan of Pini's further up on Broadway, but lately we've taken a shine to Toni's by George on Main St in Medford. Really nicely done pizzas there.
If I'm in Harvard Square, I'm always torn by the dual temptation of Pinochio's or Crazy Dough. Though the addition of a cup of really cheap Pabst at CD usually sways me.
Leone's
Slightly off topic, but Leone's makes one of the best Italian subs I've had anywhere. I used to live just around the corner, but moved two years ago and miss it. The folks who work there were generally pretty pleasant, too.
My favorite used to be
My favorite used to be Newbury Pizza. They closed a while back and Bosstone Pizza, which took over in its place, isn't as good.
I, TOO, WAS A HUGE NEWBURY PIZZA FAN
Now I like Pizza Oggi, slices at the Same Old Place and Sweet Tomatoes.
Same Sweet Tomatoes?
We went to a really good place on cape cod that was called "Sweet Tomatoes". Is it the same people?
Their pizza is a lot like Emmas in Cambridge, but a bit less fancy and bigger.
SANTARPIOs. any other
SANTARPIOs.
any other response is wrong. and to the person saying new haven.. please go away.. forever.
Pizza Pie-er
Pizza Pie-er on Mass Ave... mmm.
Woody's on Hemenway St. in
Woody's on Hemenway St. in East Fenway.
East Fenway
Are there two Hemmenway Streets?
Almost:
One is Hemenway, and one is Henway
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who and the what now?
What's a henway?
Oh, about four pounds.
Thank you, thank you.
Unless you're talking metric
...
I think it's about the same
as a Grecian urn, or maybe a Hertz doughnut.
DAMN YOU
punch-line stealer! I stole that joke fair and square.
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who and the what now?
I Usually Have A Stein With My Pizza
What's a stein weigh?
A piano.
Duh.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Pinocchio's or Dogwood tie.
Ernesto's is pretty good, and I used to like Newbury.
when i first moved here from
when i first moved here from Brooklyn NY in 2004, my answer would have been "There IS no good pizza in Boston!!" however, over the past 4 years i have changed my mind - i really love Upper Crust and Crazy Dough's in The Garage.
i was surprised to find out
i was surprised to find out that a a Pic-a-Pasta in Brighton (oak square) has a really good pizza, even though they don't specialise in pizzas.
Guess I'll stick my plug in
Guess I'll stick my plug in for Venice Ristorante on Cambridge Street in the West End. Excellent sauce, not too sweet, the crust chewy and crispy at the same time - Yum!They also have good pasta dishes and subs. The Venice Special is a meat-lover's paradise!
Another voice in support of
Another voice in support of Venice, which is in fact in a part of Boston that was part of Boston in 1630, no landfill, no annexation, if that counts for extra. Their Pollo Capria is bellissimo!
Suldog, great topic.
Suldog, great topic. Are you going to roll this up into another post with finalists or a poll so we can vote on the
...The Best of Uhub?
Thanks, No.
Thanks, Anonymous.
Seriously, I think there are way too many choices. Even if we somehow narrow it down to five or six choices from those people have named here, it could end up with far more write-in votes in the comments, as well as the possibility of a flame war :-) Better to just let everyone have a say here and then, if we wish, we can try out a few of them.
Having some sort of "Best Of U-Hub" is a nice idea, though. Adam? Any thoughts?
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
I think that it would work
I think that it would work best as a tiered system. My vision of a best of would start off in the last week of a month with nominations. The culled from the nominations would be choices that would then be broken off into brackets based off of where the pizza was located so round one would consist of pizza that was geographically close to one another so the finals wouldnt all be from the same part of the city. People complain alot less when a tier system is used because everyone gets to make an A or B choice on every option. There would be votes every week until the last week of the month when a winner is announced. Then start it all over again with another item.
I assume the polling system that is available to Uhub may not be robust enough to handle that system, but it was a thought lol.
Santarpios
It's a pain to get to if you're not from E Boston, but OMG, those people know how to make pizza.
Nothing better than grilled pizza
Cambridge 1. You can do no better anywhere around here and if you're going to complain that it's in Cambridge and not "Boston", then you can go to the one down by Fenway on Boylston St.
And you just can't beat an open grill pizza for flavor or crust. No brick oven, or any other method, is going to even come close.
If you want even *better* grilled pizza than Cambridge 1 and aren't afraid to drive down there, Bob & Timmy's on Federal Hill in Providence can *not* be beat. They put the sauce *above* the cheese! It is SO good that way. It's not just a mozzarella either. They should call their pies Sweet Caroline, because it's just so good. So good. So good.
nino's on charles st. thin
nino's on charles st. thin sourdough crust. nuff said
1. Santarpio's Real Boston
1. Santarpio's Real Boston Pizza, no one comes close.
2.Galleria Umberto -Amazing and not just for the pizza, have a pizette next time you're in there.
3. Pleasant, oh yeah.
4. The Brown Jug, Chelsea
6. Stella's, Watertown
5. Bianchi's Revere Beach Since I was a kid!
Once you taste all of these pizzas, you'll realize the fraud that is the Upper Crust.
What I love about the Jug
What I love about the Jug (The Brown Jug) is the fact that you would think that nobody ever heard of the place when you look at the building its in (its heavily fortified lol) but its proven to be very popular all over the North Shore, that and the Newbridge are the two places off of Garfield Ave in Chelsea that everyone seems to know about.
Bianchis is good, but I wonder how much of that is because of the location on the beach? Ive noticed that the food at Kellys on the beach seems to taste better when eaten onsite then any other Kellys as well. Even for a shady beach theres something about that beach when you just stopping for some food that makes it fun.
A plug for Bianchi's
Okay, I've been sitting back to see what you all had to say -- and I've taken notes on a few places I haven't tried -- but I have to pipe up when someone tries to diss Bianchi's as perhaps only good because you're eating it at the beach on a beautiful day. I and the other people who stand out in the rain and the snow all year 'round ('cuz we live nearby or go out of our way for it) beg to differ. Bianchi's has that perfect balance of cheese to sauce to thin yet chewy crust, and the sauce has just the right touch of herbs ... but here's the thing: Sort of like the way Santarpio's is great pizza BUT it should never be carried out because it needs to be eaten piping hot and usually with a fork and knife 'cause the crust isn't strong enough to bear the toppings, Bianchi's pizza should really be appreciated as a plain cheese pie or, if you must, with just one topping that doesn't weigh it down, such as pepperoni. When I make the mistake of ordering what is elsewhere my preferred combination (sausage and onion, of course), I am gravely disappointed. When I get a plain old cheese pizza, it is heaven every time.
-Ms. Cynical
The Upper Crust!
Or so I've been told....
New York Pizza
Believe it or not, I can't get enough of New York Pizza on Tremont Street near the Boylston T stop. My friends make fun of me, but I try to get a slice from there when I'm in the area and the timing makes sense.
Chariot and The Nines in Ithaca
I've actually flown back from Ithaca with a duffel bag filled with pizzas from The Nines, because those were so much better than what I could find in Boston. For folks like me who love The Nines, where should I go around Boston?
I think sometimes taste is
I think sometimes taste is about perception. You New York guys are never gonna be happy no matter what we toss at ya.
This reminds me of the time before Boston was sieged by Krispy Kreme. I was told by many people how great they were, I was told there was nothing like it in Boston, I was informed that they would crush Dunkin Donuts in a heartbeat in a head to head competition. I remember even trying to find it everytime I headed south, but could never get in one so by the time we got some up here I waited for the lines to die down, then I rushed out to get some. I made it to the Saugus Krispy Kreme, walked in the front door, was offered a free sample donut , tasted it , thought it was pretty good and decided to call it a day. By the time I made it out to them again they were gone...
So the moral of the Krispy Kreme story is simple, if we dont have something that everyone seems to love theres a reason for it, we dont have a taste for it. Thats why Krispy Kreme didnt do well, why Chowder here is white and not red, and why NY pizza and Boston pizza tasts different. Were never going to satisfy you, but we apparently have no interest in making it exactly the same way I guess.
Not quite
Krispy Kreme didn't shut down because people in New England didn't like it. When the Medford store opened, it set their single day sales records. But in 2005, Krispy Kreme as a whole took a bath in its finances and it was basically a "last one in, first one gone" proposition for them to retract back to their base in the South in order to cut company costs. Their sales were never really any worse here than anywhere else. Their problem was in how the entire company was being managed and their over-aggressiveness in expansion.
More detailed info here.
Best in the West Fens
If we're still talking Boston, and not Cambridge, Providence or Hartford, Canestaro's on Peterborough St in the West Fens is my vote. It's being delivered in a few minutes. By far one of Boston's BEST pizzas. Second would be Sorrento's.
Imperial Pizza in Brighton
Is my local favorite for plain cheese, perfect with a cheap beer. A large is $10 even, I love it. Their toppings are terrible though.
NY Pizza
New York Pizza on Mass Ave
Add Sal's on L Street to the list
While Galleria Umberto on Hanover is my favorite, among the others I like is Sal's on L Street in South Boston.
Sal's is a nice little Italian eatery which has great pizzas in addition to other dishes.
Pini's
The best pizza in metro-Boston is at Pini's with shops in Somerville and Waltham.
I haven't found a pizza as good as Pini's in Boston proper, but the pizzas at Dogwood Cafe in JP are pretty good for non-traditional "yuppie" pizzas.
Check out CityVoter.com
CityVoter.com allows users to ask questions. There are a half dozen pizza questions asking who's got the best pizza in boston. Lots of answers! Here is an example...
http://cityvoter.com/competitions/439/best-late-night-pizza-spot