Foodenator

Taking a break from Pizza today, two of the editors from Foodenator decided to check out Qdoba located in Harvard Square. While one of us was too busy smiling at all the complements she received on her Mohawk…I ordered three chicken tacos.

I opted for two crunchy tacos and 1 soft taco. The taco was filled with marinated chicken, pico de gallo, white cheddar cheese and lettuce. I also threw a little hot sauce on the top. First of all, the flavors were great together. It’s a hot day and overall it felt like a healthy light meal. However, the soft taco shell was a little “slimy” so we would suggest sticking with the hard shell if that suits your taste buds. We like the efficiency of the assembly line at the store, its very “subway-esque” and helps the line to continually move.

Definitely an Americanized version of Mexican food but great for something that is fast and on the healthier side.

Babies love it too!

Popularity: 34%

One of my favorite pizza places in Boston is Santarpio’s Pizza, located on Chelsea Street in East Boston. Unfortunately for many people, East Boston is a little out of the way unless you are making a trip to the airport. We really wish they would open a more central location!!!

They have been voted to the “Best of Boston” numerous times and have an endorsement from Rachel Ray on their website.

Their pizza reminds us a lot of the flavor that you might find in Regina’s Pizza because the flavors that you get in the pizza indicate it’s top of the line. We really liked their crust, it was a perfect combination of crunchy shell with softer dough on the inside. The cheese is bursting with flavor, we don’t know what kind they use but it is definitely a mix. The staff will drop your pizza down on a warped metal try but they still smile and are friendly to their customers.

We are giving Santarpio’s our first ever FIVE STARS!!! *****

This is worth a trip to East Boston to try this slice of heaven.

Popularity: 19%

As a resident of Boston for the past two years, I have had multiple opportunities to check out Boston’s famed Pizzeria Regina. They have won numerous awards for the best pizza in Boston from places like Boston Magazine and the Phantom Gourmet. Started in 1926, you can find the main hub on Thatcher Street in the North End of Boston, aka the Italian Section of town.

First let’s talk about the good…Whether you order a traditional cheese pizza, one with pepperoni or all the toppings, you can be sure they will use the freshest ingredients. Their pepperoni is the best that I have ever had on a pizza and their cheese has a very crisp flavor that mixes well with the sauce and the crust. Each table also has a variety of condiments and a entire bottle of a garlic and pepper olive oil that is great to dip your crust in at the end of the slice. There is not a question at all about the overall quality and taste of this pizza. Finally, while dining you can check out all the famous celebrities adorning the walls of the eatery.

Ok so here is the bad…First, the lines at the restaurant are typically pretty long if you are going during dinner time. We have waited up to 45 minutes to get a table and because the place is small, you have to wait on the sidewalk outside. Second, if you want to go somewhere and have a friendly waitress, this is not the place. The goal of the staff is to move people in and out very quickly. We have been there where they have literally dropped the food on the table and not come back to check on us until our check is received. Finally, you may end up sharing part of a table with another couple or family if the waits are long, so don’t plan on having any type of intimate conversation.

Overall, the pizza quality is fabulous but we suggest getting take out if the option is available.

We give Regina’s 3.5 stars ***

Stay tuned for 2 more reviews of Boston Pizza!!

Popularity: 5%

This past weekend, two of the taste testers from Foodenator visited Ledo’s Pizza. This is a smaller chain, contained within the mid-atlantic region of the U.S. which offers square pizza slices.

Pictured below is the Large pizza, which is split between two different trays. We LOVE that you can order a half cheese/half pepperoni and not have to worry about your toppings mixing! They also use a unique pepperoni which is a thicker slice and each cut of pizza is sure to get pepperoni right in the middle of the slice.

The pizza is definitely loaded with grease and after eating the first 2 or 3 slices we did dab a little bit of it off, but the grease does add to the overall flavor. The first bite of the pizza is a combination of both salty flavor derived from the cheese and a fairly sweet tomato sauce. The crust is thinner with flaky and crunchy texture. The flakiness of the crust is best described as a buttery flake that will melt in your mouth along with the pizza. A large pizza is sufficient to feed a family of four, we had plenty left over for an afternoon snack.

The staff at our Ledo’s was fast and efficient…shout out to our brand new waiter!

We give Ledo’s 4 out of 5 stars!! ****

Popularity: 28%

While no clinical trials or scientific data yet exists, anecdotal evidence supports the theory that as little as one Sonoran Hot Dog can cause earlobe cancers to go into immediate and complete remission. Foodenator sent a team of Food Scientists down to Arizona to put the theory to the test. The team descended on  El Quero Canelo at 5201 S. 12th Ave in Tucson, Arizona at 6:46pm. Two of the researchers ordered Sonoran Hot Dogs, while the control group ordered items off the non-weiner menu.

What is a Sonoran Hot Dog?


Subject 1 (Group A): One Sonoran Style Hot Dog, uno Coca Cola hecho en mexico, and an order of Flan with Flan Juice to wash it down.
Subject 2 (Group A): Sammy Dog and Horchata
Subject 3 (Group B): Pollo Tacos
Subject 4 (Group B): Carne Asada Carmelos, Flan with Flan Nectar, and Jarritos.


Food results: Sonoran Hot Dogs are delicious!
Therapeutic results: After dining, no incidence of earlobe cancer was found in Group A. Group B did not develop any earlobe cancer related conditions, so we can safely conclude that there is no Second-Hand Sonoran Style cancer risks. What did we prove? That science is delicious!

Popularity: 41%

Both claim to make amazing pizza. Both claim to be fresh and tasty. Both claim to be .. THE BEST. But who are these guys, anyway? Mafia? Former Food Network Stars (FFNS)?

Papa Gino and Papa John? Are they the same dude? Gino sure sounds like John – there’s no question there. They are never seen in the same place at the same time, either. Are they related? Do they hate eachother? Is their pizza the same? Please comment with some answers – we’re losing sleep over here. Borderline freaking out.

Popularity: 46%

This weekend, two of the editors at Foodenator ventured over to the Upper Crust located in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Mass.

Although the location is very small and the tables are close together, we were able to squeeze into a corner after ordering a “slice of the day” consisting of Pesto & Chicken and a slice of Cheese.  First let’s examine the traditional cheese.   They use a very thin crust that is cooked to the point where it is crispy but not burnt.  The crust is almost flaky.  For a sauce, they use chunks of tomatoes that are pretty sweet with a nice blend kick of tart seasoning.  They don’t make their slice with a tan of cheese but overall we gave their slice 4 out of 5 stars! ****

We also love that they deliver pizza’s on a bike, way to go green!

Our Second Slice, the Pesto Chicken pizza was also very good.  The crust was exactly the same as the cheese pizza.  We really liked the flavoring that we picked up from the pesto but we wish it was dispersed a little bit more evenly on the pizza.  The chicken was also very good but a little on the dry side.  Probably a result of buying it by the slice and re-heating.  We suggest if you like this type of Pizza to order an entire pie and ask for extra cheese which should help to hold some of the moisture into the chicken.  This slice gets 3 out of 5 stars!  ***

Overall we love this chain which has the feel of an individual restaurant.

Popularity: 55%