The city has historically been left out of the pizza conversation. But here’s why Boston pizzerias have much to offer.
I know this may rile up some feathers, particularly of the New York-transplant flock, but I recently explored the city’s pizza scene over a two-month period, sometimes eating different pizzas three times a week. I searched high and low for what could have been Boston-style pizza, and I talked to several pizzeria owners about the state of their business (hint: inflation is hurting pizza prices, too).
To be fair, I didn’t try everything. I physically and financially couldn’t. But after the dozen or so pizzas I ate, I came to this conclusion: Boston is a pizza city. A good one, in fact.
Just look at how many people responded to our pizza bracket — more than 74,000! With it came an unexpected win from Brighton newcomer Ziggy’s.
Pizza is one of the most fun foods, bringing back memories of childhood birthday parties and movie nights. But I also discovered that people take pizza very seriously.
I received emails from readers telling me that the bracket was flawed because it left out their favorite pizzeria. (Reader, this is why it’s so important to show up and vote.)
But the passion I saw from pizza eaters in Greater Boston was exciting to see. Because my life revolved around pizza, I’d talk to strangers about their preferences, and listen as folks delivered their fierce pizza opinions as if they were right, and everyone else who disagreed was wrong. It also revealed that while taste is important, nostalgia, proximity, and value play a huge role in people’s favorite pizzerias.
Thankfully, we’re living in an area where we can have all four. There’s so much more pizza to try — slice shops, sit-down pizzerias cooking wood-fired pies, South Shore pizza, New Haven apizza, even Detroit style — that pizza can be for a family of four on Friday, a date night, a celebration dinner, and a post-bar snack.
I’ll leave you with some of my field notes — five of my favorite pizzas I ate during this journey. But I’d also love to hear your pizza opinions because I know you have them.
- Galleria Umberto: I typically prefer thin crust, but this didn’t stop me from eating up three Sicilian-style slices from this storied North End spot. I’ve thought long and hard about it, and this may be a return spot for me when it comes to North End pizzerias (though the obvious pizza big wig was still very good).
- Picco: I mentioned this in my last newsletter, but my favorite kind of pizza is well done, has a charred crust, and isn’t too greasy. Picco perfectly delivered. I didn’t feel grossly full after, and the experience was made much better by eating the pizza there, paired with a glass of wine.
- Frank Pepe’s: I know it’s a chain. I know it’s not even a Massachusetts chain. But New Haven apizza really is top-tier, from the crushed tomatoes that make the sauce and the Pecorino Romano that dusts the pizza to the sooty, crispy crust. I’ve only had pizza from their Chestnut Hill location; I can only imagine how a pie would taste from the OG shop.
- June Bug: It didn’t make our bracket (upsetting!), but I have sung its praises before in this newsletter, and I’ll do it again. The team behind Field & Vine makes pizzas that are some of the most creative, fresh, and tasty I’ve had in all of Boston. You won’t find a basic pepperoni here, but you will find squash puree on pizza.
- Stoked Pizza Co.: This is my neighborhood pizzeria, so it has the proximity factor. But it’s also my favorite pepperoni in all of Greater Boston because it comes crumbled. They also offer some of the best vegetarian options. Plus, they were runner-up in our bracket.
