01/05/19
Back to back pizza scouting reports in a row. Why not. Pizza has now climbed into the favorite foods list. Taken for granted as a child, pizza was always just there at: birthday parties, school cafeteria, classroom pizza parties, end of season youth sports team gatherings, concession stands, and the occasional family dinner table. Now I’m able to appreciate the actual taste, ingredients, preparation, and styles of pizza. The pizza slices are Goliaths at Benny Pennello’s. Biggest slice I’ve ever had. It takes up the size of two paper plates. Could easily be equivalent to three regular slices. I got two - a slice of pepperoni and a slice of cheese. A slice of cheese costs $4 and the pepperoni is $5. Essentially, the pepperoni is exactly the same as the cheese pizza, but with pepperoni toppings. This isn’t always the case, as other pizza places I’ve been to have a tomato based sauce that would be different on the pepperoni & cheese. This pizza was fairly dry. Which is odd because I saw them preparing the pies in the back and on top of the dough they were spreading a red based sauce, but very lightly. Once the pizza came hot out of the oven, it must of dissolved into the cheese because I didn’t taste any sauce at all. The texture was warm crunchy and I enjoyed that part. The dryness will definitely make you want to dip the crust into some ranch, bleu cheese, or honey (offered at another pizza restaurant and I was surprisingly a fan). To sum it up here is my overall rating. Taste: It was fair. Pizza slices were dry and crunchy, but if you’re looking for a jumbo slice or two, they are affordably priced. Atmosphere: A groovy spot in NoDa with a diverse range of youthful vibes. Mixture of skater, hipster, drunks, grunge, college kids, and family. Open very late until midnight on weekdays and 3:00 AM on weekends. Service: The worst. Unattentive/rude employees. Don’t expect to get in and out with your pizza quickly. There will be a wait. Bring cash, their systems always seem to be down. They don’t accept call ins for slices either, only full pies. Pies are only offered in one gigantic size - 28”. Conclusion: Last resort place to grab a slice when that late night craving hits. Fun, hip scene. Pizza is a 6.5/10. Bonus: Food challenge - eat a whole 28” pizza in under an hour. Grand prize = $500 and a champion t-shirt.