Chicago Pizza Review: Humboldt Pie

Humboldt Pie
Originally uploaded by The Pizza Review

Humboldt Pie is a cafe that has the good sense to include pizza on the menu. Its pies are pretty thin and square-cut, with above average sauce. The biggest problem with Humboldt Pie's pizza is its overuse of herbs. When applied selectively, herbs and spices are a great way to enhance the flavor of a pizza. Carpet-bombing the pie with clusters of herbs, however, overwhelms the palate and prevents the other great pizza flavors from emerging, ruining the entire eating experience. Including an excess of herbs is an easy way to mask poor ingredients in a pizza. Humboldt Pie's sauce, crust and cheese are all satisfactory, though, so it's a shame they bombard their pies with a glut of herbs. Three Stars

See more pictures of Humboldt Pie pizza here.

HUMBOLDT PIE
(773) 342-4743
1001 N California Ave
Chicago, IL 60622

Providence Pizza Review: LaSalle Pizzeria

LaSalle Pizzeria
Originally uploaded by The Pizza Review

LaSalle Pizzeria is located on Smith Street near Elmhurst. They claim to be the official pizza of Rhode Island College, and sometimes it seems RIC -- not the food -- is the main focus at LaSalle. The pizza is fairly run-of-the-mill. While nothing wows or offends, there were a few too many air bubbles in the pie. By far the weirdest part of LaSalle Pizzeria was that they cut the pizza into ten slices. Not only is the 36° slice a bizarre angle, but it is difficult to make the five cuts even enough to ensure roughly uniform slices. Another quirk: rather than dispensing Coke or Pepsi, LaSalle's vending machine serves the mysteriously labeled "Cola." Perhaps a reader can shed light on this. In any event, LaSalle is a fine option for tasty, if ordinary, pizza. Three Stars

See more pictures of LaSalle Pizzeria here.

LASALLE PIZZERIA
(401) 228-3004
1005 Smith Street
Providence, RI 02908

Stadium Pizza Review: Palermo's Pizza at Miller Park

Palermo's Pizza at Miller Park
Originally uploaded by The Pizza Review

We recently stopped by Milwaukee to see a Brewers game at Miller Park. In addition to seeing an exciting game, we were given a natural opportunity to try some ballpark pizza. The Brewers are exclusively served by Palermo's Pizza, an unusual arrangement since most stadium pizza comes from Domino's, Papa John's or Pizza Hut. Early in the game, a few fans in the row ahead of us returned to their seats with Palermo's. At first glance, the pizza appeared to be highly promising, given ballpark standards. Those hopes were dashed, however, when we got our own pies and actually tasted the atrocity. While the cheese and crust were nothing special, the sauce is the real culprit. It tasted so unappetizingly sweet that it rivaled low-grade bake-at-home pizza. Even for stadium pizza, this was an embarrassing performance. Upon returning home and conducting a bit of internet research, everything started to make sense: Palermo's is bake-at-home pizza! Oh well. Brewers fans are advised to stick with peanuts when attending games, or fulfill their pizza hunger before arriving at Miller Park. One Star

See more pictures of Palermo's Pizza at Miller Park here.

MILLER PARK
1 Brewers Way
Milwaukee, WI 53214

Chicago Pizza Review: The Art of Pizza

The Art of Pizza
Originally uploaded by The Pizza Review

The Art of Pizza is one of Chicago's most renowned pizza establishments. Newsweek hailed it as the best deep dish pizza in the country, and the Chicago Tribune named its pizza Chicago's best in 2001. We tried a variety of slices, focusing primarily on their signature deep dish offerings. The spinach and mushroom slice was enjoyable, featuring quality ingredients and a tasty combination of flavors. Another positive aspect was that the pies consistently displayed a superior sauce and top-caliber cheese.

There were a few problems, however. First, we don't really see the wisdom of deep dish pizza. It's a fun way to mix things up now and then, but unlike lighter pizza fare, it is simply unsustainable as a frequent meal option. Who needs 12 cubic inches of cheese in every slice? Pizza should be -- and usually is -- a fun and delicious experience, but eating a couple of deep dish slices can feel like trying to shove a Dodge Ram into your stomach. Of course, this complaint is not specific to the Art of Pizza, so it is not a complete deal-breaker. Unfortunately, the Art of Pizza includes a healthy dose of butter in their dough, which results in disaster. Navigating Titanic deep dish slices is a task in and of itself, but adding a stick of butter to the mix pushes us over the edge. The butter crust is certainly the worst part of their pizzas. And finally, a quick negative aside: when ordering a salad, one expects to receive at least a few greens. Apparently the Art of Pizza is unaware of this principle.

The Art of Pizza charges $2.75 for each slice, a good deal considering the quality of ingredients and heftiness of their pies. If you're a fan of deep dish pizza and the thought of a truly buttery crust sounds appealing, then this is the spot for you. If not, you may be in for a disappointment. Three Stars

See more pictures of the Art of Pizza here.

THE ART OF PIZZA
(773) 327-5600
3033 North Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL

Portland Pizza Review: The Mississippi Pizza Pub

The Mississippi Pizza Pub
Originally uploaded by The Pizza Review

Sam writes in from the West Coast...

Hi all... I just started a full U.S. tour with my band, so I'll be bringing you guys reviews from this fine country of ours along the way. After we woke up today everyone wanted to get breakfast, but when we pulled up to the breakfast spot I remembered that a) Mississippi Pizza was a couple blocks away and b) the breakfast place we were going to was breakfast only... ie eggs... I hate eggs. Anyway, I walked down to Mississippi Pizza and picked up a cheese slice and a pepperoni, sausage and bacon slice. Because it was Tuesday I scored the Tuesday lunch special: two slices and a soda for $5. The slice style was typical for a West coast "NYC" styled pie. The crust was great. It had cornmeal on the bottom of the slice, which gave it some nice additional flavor without being overwhelming. The sauce and cheese were pretty good too. I guess my only complaint was that crust was a little thin and a touch overcooked. Four Stars

See more pictures of The Mississippi Pizza Pub here.

THE MISSISSIPPI PIZZA PUB
(503) 288-3231
3552 N Mississippi Ave
Portland, OR 97227

Good Pizza We've Eaten Lately: Via Via IV

Via Via IV, originally uploaded by The Pizza Review.

When we're too lazy to write up a new review, we'll occasionally post a picture of one of our tastier pizza escapades. Via Via IV's margherita pesto pizza fits the bill. It's a little pricy, but try it if you feel like splurging.

Chain Pizza Review: Dunkin' Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts
Originally uploaded by The Pizza Review

Dunkin' Donuts has been heavily promoting their (new, as far as we can tell) pizza line, so we decided to give it a try. The pie is on the smaller side even for personal pizzas, and it is a tad bit overspiced. Unlike eating a personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut, for instance, the Dunkin' Donuts variety is less likely to do a number on the digestive system. It's less greasy and less filling, which may be a positive aspect for some. On the other hand, if you're aiming for classy pizza, Dunkin' Donuts is probably not the best place to start. If fast food pizza is your goal, the Pizza Hut personal pie better embodies the form. In the end, perhaps the best part about Dunkin' Donuts pizzas is their price. In Seekonk, Massachusetts, a cheese pizza cost just $2.61. This could be a temporary promotional price for a new product, but take advantage while it lasts. Three Stars