Foodenator

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Popularity: 8%

People all over the world have been enjoying pizza for years. Although now it is considered a decidedly American food, it has origins in Europe and many national variations. Every war since the 19th century  has had an annual unofficial Pizza for Peace Day (or Pizza pour la Jour de Paix), where fighters lay down their arms and join each other for a hot slice. Genghis Khan probably would have succeeded in wiping out more than just Persia if it wasn’t for his becoming fat and lazy after discovering pizza in his attempted Mediterranean conquests. Anthropologists and archeologists are currently working to prove a theory that Pompeii only exploded because a group of Neapolitans operating out of Salerno tried to tap into the volcano to create massive pizza ovens.

Pizza consumption has seen explosive increases worldwide since the 1970s. Until recently, that is. In 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) saw a dramatic downturn in overall pizza sales growth, and since 2007 sales have actually been decreasing. What is behind this dramatic change? Some blame the liberal media’s obesity epidemic claims, others blame the influx of new franchises in abandoned Pizza Hut buildings, such as Chutney Hut. Foodenator’s own studies found quite another cause, however. In scientific polling, we found that people had simply grown bored with the “standard” pizza toppings. Working with grassroots and paramilitary groups, Foodenator activists began trying to stymie the pizza sales downturn by marketing new toppings: Buffalo Chicken, Pesto, and Margherita style pizzas. But this only slowed the bleeding. Fortunately, Pineappleope Research and Development teams got an early look at the data and were able to begin research on the next “Killer Topping” in the pizza world: fire. Later this summer, fire based toppings will begin to be offered alongside pepperoni and nutmeg at Bertucci’s and Dominos, and we expect fire-based toppings to be picked up independent pizza parlors across the world. PAO R&D shares went up an amazing 111 points this quarter, with further trading expecting it to cause a stock split and make investors jump up and down.

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Popularity: 15%

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: 16%

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: 4%

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: 19%

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: 31%

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: 38%

The Editors at Foodenator had the opportunity to check out some pizza in Midtown West, Manhattan recently. After searching the internet for a tasty piece of New York Pizza, we decided to check out Il Mare, located right by Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.

You can choose to purchase your pizza by the pie or by the slice and there are a variety of flavors to choose from as well. We decided to try the traditional slice of Cheese Pizza and a slice of the Tomato Basil.

First we tried the Cheese Pizza. The first bite was literally heaven in our mouth. There was a perfect amount of each ingredient and it almost melted. The crust is thinner and by the time you get to the end you just want to grab another slice before finishing the crust because the toppings are so good. The sauce used on the pizza is a little too sweet which was our only regret with the pizza.

The Tomato Basil pizza was also very good. They use several different kinds of cheese on the pizza including a fresh mozzarella. We liked that we had a variety of choices by the slice and the staff was very fast and efficient. The prices are very reasonable and you can be in and out of the restaurant in about 15 minutes.

Overall, we give Il Mare 4 out of 5 stars!! Work a trip to Penn Station to check out their pizza.

Popularity: 13%

On a recent trip to Chicago, an editor for Foodenator decided to check out the famous Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.

The restaurant chosen was Giordano’s. The restaurant has been a Chicago staple since 1974 and has since become a local chain. Patron’s have the option to dine in, carry out, delivery or ship a pizza to their homes in a different state. www.giordanos.com

We decided to check out their Tropical Delight Deep Dish Pizza, dressed with cheese, pineapple and Canadian bacon. First of all, the pizza must have weighed at least 10 pounds and we only ordered a small. The first bite was a wonderful mix of flavors but the cheese was so plentiful and stringy that we almost choked on it. The sauce was excellent, a perfect blend of tangy and sweet. There was a good amount of toppings other than cheese. However the crust left us unsatisfied. Not only was it very dry but it really didn’t contain a lot of flavor.

At over $17.00 a pizza, we give Giordano’s 2.5 out of 5 stars.

We are certain there are better deep dish pizza’s in Chicago.

Popularity: 28%

Most of the time when you are buying a frozen pizza, you are sacrificing quality and taste for the convenience of throwing the pizza in your own oven. California Pizza Kitchen has been offering several flavors of their large pizza for quite some time but more recently started to market a personal pizza made for one. The most common flavors you might see at the grocery store include the cheese pizza and margherita flavors. At first glance, the pizza appears to be the same as their larger pizzas but once you take your first bite you will know there is a difference.

1. The crust of the personal pizza is not as crisp or flaky when following either the microwave or the traditional oven directions.

2. The cheese pizza does not have the same amount of cheese as their large pizza

3. When microwaving the pizza, the edges will cook almost too much and the

center will still need additional time.

When your grocery store is having a sale on these pizzas, you can often purchase them for about $2.00 a pizza. The price and the size of the pizza make it perfect to take to work for lunch as well. Overall the pizza is a good deal but don’t go into the purchase thinking it will compare in any way to actually visiting the restaurant.

Foodenator gives this product 3.5 out of 5 stars

Popularity: 25%