Best pizza in Boston?
I went to Santarpio's last night and thought it was pretty good, especially the sausage and lamb bbq. I know this is a popular spot, but what are some other pizza favorites? I prefer a thin crust , wood-burning ovens, and natural ingredients.
-
I moved from Boston to Chicago 13 years ago and all i hear around here is that the chicago style pizza is the best anywhere...well i've tried it many times and sorry to say but there is nothing beats Santarpio's...hand down. that's the first stop we make upon landing at logan.
-
Fig's - Consisently good, very thin w/rustic crust and interesting toppings. Classico di Buffeti, Oliver's and Bronx Bomber are the pies to try. Gas-fired brick oven.
Flatbread (Bedford/Burlington) - Wood-fired oven, organic locally sourced ingredients. Great very thin crust pizza. Try the Jay's Heart. The sweet crumbled sausage pie is also good. For dessert, try the chocolate chip banana bread baked in the wood-fired stone hearth oven and served with two scoops of Shaw Farm vanilla ice cream and homemade fudge sauce!
Upper Crust - Very thin crust and it's really a good crust pizza baked in a conventional pizza oven. Super wafer thin sliced sausage is awesome.
Galleria Umberto - North end Sicilian pizza that has been around for decades (in a different location down the street) Long lines. It is very good when it comes out fresh. Buy slices by the box.
Pizzeria Regina (Thatcher St.) - Very good pizza baked in a conventional oven with a cheese blend. The pepperoni is also excellent here.
Country Pizza (Lincoln) - Excellent Greek-style pizza. An amazing crust that you will dream about. Try the pesto with fresh tomato pie. And atmosphere???? It's in a gas station in bucolic Lincoln.
›3 Replies -
-
-
re: Andymayo99
hiddenboston
Jan 9, 2009 10:11 AM
Yeah, Woody's is great, IMO. Off the beaten path a bit, too, so not every Tom, Dick, and Harry knows about it.
-
-
-
cheesecakester
Jan 6, 2009 08:12 AM
Can anyone explain to me why the Pleasant Cafe in Roslindale never gets the respect it deserves whenever pizza comes up in here?!? It's a grand-slam: quality, price, service, and atmosphere. Loads of free parking.... I guess I'll continue to consider it a locals' hidden gem.
›2 Replies-
re: cheesecakester
Actually I really enjoy the pizza at Pleasant Cafe. Nice thin crust, good sauce, very comforting. I do think it's strange though that if you order food at the bar you pay for it separately. Maybe Jimmy doesn't like to deal with the food. Besides the pizza, I love that you can get veal parm with a side of ravioli.
-
-
-
chickendhansak
Jan 6, 2009 06:15 AM
I rate the pizza at La Ronga, the commercial bakery w/ deli on Somerville Ave. in Somerville. It may not be the best, but it is very good.
-
I sampled four major Boston pizzerias (slices of cheese pizza) last Tuesday (would have been five but got full) This is what I thought:
Galleria Umberto, North End: Waited more than 20 minutes in line for a small piece of cold pizza. The crust was soft and chewy, no crispiness to it in the slightest, kind of like thick bread, the sauce was very weak, barely noticeable. The cheese was a four cheese blend according to the people there, scab-like and crusty. Only good thing was the price, $1.35. Zagat's accolades are definitely not applicable, at least to the pizza. I have had similar pizza in my fifth grade lunch room, except that was at least hot.
Pizzeria Regina, North End: Crust was crispy with a minor chew, slight scorched taste. Cheese and sauce were thin and cohesive, very mild taste, not "gooey". Decent size slice, wasn't very hot, $3. It wasn't overwhelming, but would be interested to try a whole pie, because the ones I saw looked good fresh out of the oven.
Emma's, Cambridge: Thin, buttery crust that was chewy in the middle and crispy on the edges. Thick blanket of soft cheese was a cohesive covering, can barely note the sauce, but definitely was an herb-y, garlicky presence. Very reasonably priced at $2.00 and nice and hot. Quite good, and I am not really a fan of a thin crust, but thick covering of cheese and flavoring made it quite good. Added bonus, dining room is pleasant, unlike the institutional feel at Umberto Galleria and crowded, hectic place at Pizzeria Regina.
Cambridge 1, Cambridge: I liked the dining room itself, but was soon upset by the pizza. My first thought upon biting into it was "This is cold." My second thought was "This is quite salty". My third thought was "This crust isn't cooked." That was especially curious, given that it is advertised as being "charcoal grilled". The waitress said it can get cold if it waits around too long. She took it back, and I waited a long time for the "reheated" pizza, which came to me just as cold as the other one. Except now the crust was cooked, brown and cracker-like. And a slice was now missing. And the plate was smeared with dried tomato sauce. Anyway, this was a very terrible pizza. Cold, cracker-thin, brittle crust, way too salty, with sparse globs of cold fontina cheese and scattered gobs of tomato sauce, with way too much basil spread on top, like grass, this was not pizza, this was just poor. $7 for a "half" pizza.
›19 Replies-
-
-
-
-
-
re: Dax
galleygirl
Jan 8, 2009 01:33 PM
Yep, they have them at lunch til they run out.. A great way for a quick Regina's fix is to sit at the bar and get a slice...And, IMHO, a slice of a large pizza is way better than a small pizza...
And I gottah say, karl S, I think those slices are just dandy...Maybe you need to get them really hot...(Something the pizza place on my corner automatically does for me...)
-
-
re: Karl S
It's interesting, some places' slices seem to be better than their whole pies, or vice versa. My favorite pizza, Lorenzo's in Philly, is better by the slice. Something about the cooking and second heating. Others don't always work out so well when reheated, or even worse--lukewarm and not reheated at all.
-
re: AHan
galleygirl
Jan 9, 2009 08:31 AM
I can add to the list...
Haymarket Pizza, better by the slice...
Andrea's in Framingham, better by the slice,
Brookline Spa, better by the slice...
Worthy to note is that the latter two places actually sytretch their "slice" pizzas to an extra large, as opposed to a large, so the dough is thinner...-
-
re: AHan
galleygirl
Jan 9, 2009 11:29 AM
No, it's in Nobscot. Remember the Nobscot Shopping Center, that used to have a Star Market? In the strip around the corner, next to the liquor store...
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
re: observor
Karl S
Jan 9, 2009 08:26 AM
Apparently, they are served just from the tray. Knowing RP, I doubt they'd go out of their way to interrupt their massive chain of pizzas cooking to throw slices back in the oven. The NE location does a huge amount of baking for delivery to area offices and then events. Fortunately, the only thing they make is pizza there - and beverages. Zip else is offered or made there.
-
-
-
re: observor
Have had the pizza at Galleria Umberto several times and liked it very much. I've never had it be cold, but whether you get it piping hot depends on whether a sheet pan of just-cooked comes out front when you're at the head of the line or not. It's a crap shoot.
But I don't like pizza to be scorching hot anyway, as I'm not fond of having the roof of my mouth cave in on me after putting molten cheese on it.
-
re: bachslunch
BarmyFotheringayPhipps
Jan 7, 2009 11:11 PM
I can totally see being unimpressed with Umberto pizza if you're expecting something more along the lines of the big floppy foldy slice, but it's one of my favorite things to eat in the entire city of Boston, especially alongside the arancini and the spinach and sausage calzone. I'm just puzzled at how they could have gotten a cold slice, given that I've seen pans come out of the back and be emptied less than two minutes later!
-
-
-
-
-
Haymarket Pizza in Haymarket Sq has great pizza , whole or by the slice. Pete's Pub used to be next door and you could go there and eat it with an ice cold beer. Sadly Pete's is gone and now I think it's an Irish "fern" bar.
›9 Replies-
-
-
-
-
re: Ralphie_in_Boston
I go to Presto's for plain cheese and Pino's for sausage. I used to only go to Presto's but they recently changed from sliced sausage to this terrible tasting sausage drops or something. So when in the mood for sausage I now head over to Pino's. But I really do enjoy them both.
-
-
re: hungryone
cassoulady
Jan 2, 2009 08:16 PM
I grew up a stones throw from cleveland circle, and we only ordered from Prestos (and there were nine of us, so it was always a big order). It was never explained why we ate from prestos not pinos, it was just a fact. So i will have to go back and compare a slice of each.
-
-
-
-
-
-
re: BostonTparty
MC Slim JB
Jan 2, 2009 07:31 PM
Fern bar? Holy cow, I haven't heard that term since I was in short pants!
I think this term refers to the kind of bar which would have live ferns in hanging planters, the implication being it's kind of effete and upscale (the sort favored by "yuppies", to use a newer but still antique term), as opposed to a manly-man bar, which has pickled eggs for sale and no leafy greens anywhere in sight.
Did Durty Nellie's represent that much of a gentrification of Pete's? I haven't been in since the handover, but would find that development surprising.
-
re: MC Slim JB
BostonBob would be the best person to answer the Pete's question, but I'll give it a shot since I was there this past weekend. For the most part the regular day-time old timers don't come around anymore. They seem to prefer the Point. On the weekends it's a mix of tourists, produce people from the market , and a few regulars. While they supposedly now offer food, it depends on who is working. That's ok though since you can still bring in a slice from Haymarket.
-
-
-
This changes from moment to moment, but for a long time I've really really enjoyed Presto Pizza in Cleveland Circle. The crust is not that thin but it is on the thin side, The sauce is good and the cheese and toppings are tasty. It folds well and has the taste finish of crisp bread. When ever I'm near by I get a slice or two and it never dissapoints. I've not had Gran Gusto yet (and I've had Pizza in Naples so I can't hardly wait) but for my money Presto is better than Upper Crust, Sweet Tomatoes, Bertucci's , Dogwood (it's kind of similar to Dogwood but better) and much better than Santarpio's. I haven't been to N. end Regina's for awhile but I used to like that too.
-
-
Ernestos in the north end has excellent pizza, some of the best I have ever had. It's small inside with very little seating and noisy but delicious. I saw people out front with big pizza boxes eating it with their friends and children and with each bite they were oohing and ahhing and I asked if it was that good and they all shook their heads yes.
›1 Reply -
This is a random place, but try Teatro across from the common they have a great grilled pizza
›2 Replies -
im not even sure why (which may be its highest recommendation) but today i woke up thinking about a well done garlic sicilian from imperial pizza in brighton center. i love this place, from the completely unpretentious atmosphere to the older men in the joint arguing in italian. thirteen dollars? feed three easy.technically, i have had better pizza (sally's) but i keep coming back here
-
I just got back from Woody's Grill & Tap and am...underwhelmed. We've been here under two months and are trying to become better acquainted with Boston and its restaurants, and my husband thought it would be a good idea to peruse Boston Mag's "Best Of" list. They voted Woody's best pizza in 2007, but I don't quite understand why. I really wanted to be wowed by it because it's just around the corner from my apartment, plus, it has a wood-burning oven, but, alas, it was not meant to be. I know there's technically no such thing as "bad" pizza - I mean, let's be realistic: bread + melted cheese + sausage, et al = good meal - but pizza CAN be great and inspired. My Woody's pizza was fine and the service was pleasant, but the crust was unevenly baked and wimpy. It was soggy, and even the bits that were treated to a bit more flame-licking were soft - more like dinner rolls than pizza crust. Also, the sauce was rather bland -- Santarpio's gets a thumbs up in that department.
I'll be sure to try one of your many rec's next time I need a slice.
›4 Replies-
re: High Heels and Frijoles
sfumato
May 28, 2008 06:59 PM
That's too bad- we used to get a really nice white clam pizza at Woody's (a year or so ago). The crust was a lot like Regina's (which I love), and the clams were tender, flavourful, and not rubbery at all. I wonder if yours was a fluke, or if they've changed. Too bad about the disappointment!
I will take Modern's in New Haven over anything here, save Regina's, anyday.
I didn't know about asking for Regina's pizza well-done, but that makes sense. We did make the mistake of sending a pizza there back because it was quite underdone (the people in our group who sent it back are friends' parents and aunt who grew up in the North End from late 1940s on). It was slammed down at our table- the crust verrrrrrrry black, and the lesson was reinforced: at Regina's, you ask for it the way you want it the first time, or suck it up!
-
-
This question can only lead to a can-of-worms pizza.
But, I'll throw my two cents in anyway.
Pizzeria Regina's (the original in the North End). No more than two toppings and order well-done.
Picco, in the South End, Their "Alsatian" is one of the best pizzas I've ever had.
Gran Gusto for a classic Neopolitan-style.
Dogwood Cafe in JP, but you really have to stress "well-done." They almost always undercook.
-
Emilio's in the south end... de-greased with a wad of paper towels, coated with hot sauce, then pan fried cheese side down, sliced balsamic soaked tomatoes across the congealed mess of CRISP cheese and hot sauce and you have
Emilio's double fried.
Other than that, I was hard pressed to find decent pizza by New Haven standards
There was a place near the corner of mass ave and tremont? or columbus that was excellent but you risked your safety going for the pie after dark.
The place across from figs on Charles street was always good.
-
-
-
-
MC Slim JB
May 3, 2008 10:35 AM
Arguing for a "best pizza" here is like saying your religion is better than the other guy's, but here are a few favorites of mine: Gran Gusto (margherita), Emma's, Picco, original Pizzeria Regina (order well-done), Fig's (Charlestown and Beacon Hill), Antico Forno, Woody's Grill & Tap, Santarpio's (no more than one ingredient, usually the house-made sausage, eat it fast before it gets soggy, though frankly the kebabs and atmosphere are better reasons to go). It's not great, but there's a charming homemade quality to the bar pizza at J.J. Foley's Cafe in the South End.
In a fancy restaurant setting, the pies at Stella, the enoteca at Via Matta, and the bar at Al Forno in Providence are worthwhile. For Sicilian slices, I prefer Galleria Umberto, Pinocchio's, and Romano's in Roslindale.
For delivery to the South End, I rely on Mangia Pizza (a decent whole wheat crust), though I got a pie from the new South End Upper Crust the other night and it was pretty good. I'm increasingly of anti-delivery mindset: I shouldn't eat any pizza that's not being whisked from the oven directly to my plate.
›2 Replies-
re: MC Slim JB
Bob MacAdoo
May 29, 2008 06:32 PM
MC, your pizza palette is a rainbow of the city's finest pies. Might I suggest a visit to Bocelli's of Medford in the space formerly occupied by DePasquale Brothers. It's a pretty good Regina-style pie.
-
-
-
TheTrout
May 3, 2008 08:12 AM
IMO: Sweet Tomatoes on Langley Rd in Newton Centre and Cafe Fiorella on Belmont St. in Belmont. In particular the crust at Fiorella is wonderful, not too thin or thick. It has the most amazing aroma, some of which comes from the wood burning oven, and some from....... I don't know what. Blindfolded, I could easily pick it out from a half dozen assorted pizzas. Sweet Tomatoes is not as unique, but they deliver quantity & quality. There larges are truly that !
-
TrishUntrapped
May 3, 2008 08:07 AM
Try the pizza at Antico Forno in the North End. Wood burning oven, delicious pizza.
-
hiddenboston
May 3, 2008 08:05 AM
Wood-burning oven? There are very few in the Boston area. Even Regina's doesn't do that. One that does come to mind is the Dogwood Cafe in Jamaica Plain. They make a decent pizza, though there are definitely better in the Boston area if you don't mind gas ovens or coal-fired ovens.
›6 Replies-
re: hiddenboston
There is a new wood-burning oven pizza place on Route 1 North in Saugus called Angela's. It is the former Papa Gino's. They only serve pizza (ours was a tad black on the edges), salads (huge) and chicken wings. From what I have heard, the owner ate at an Angela's in FL., loved it and opened one in MA.
-
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/483614
Here is the latest among literally dozens of other threads if you take a minute to search...
