Pizza is the epitome of college food: fast, cheap and greasy enough for a drunken late-night snack. Thankfully, we have an endless array of pizza options on College Hill and beyond. Here is a short review of some of the most popular. To ensure a fair rating system, I tried one margherita slice and one toppings-heavy slice at each restaurant. Here is how they stacked up in terms of taste, crust and pricing.
Sharpe Refectory: (5/10), 1 swipe ($13)
It’s as basic as a slice of pizza gets: fresh(ish) dough with standard marinara sauce and cheese piled on top. The pie is grilled to a cheesy perfection on a pizza oven conveyer belt. There’s nothing fancy here, apart from the red pepper flakes and oregano you can add on top. The crust is soft, but still offers a surprisingly good crunch.
It may not look like much, but it’s reminiscent of pizza served at a birthday party when you were seven years old. This nostalgia wins the Ratty some points, and its pricing and unlimited quantity, as part of the meal plan, adds a bonus. The pepperoni slice is not much different than the cheese — the same base with a little bit of extra protein and sodium.
Flatbread Company: (5.5/10), $17-28 for a pie
Tucked behind the CVS on Thayer Street, Flatbread Company is identifiable by the delicious aroma of its baked pizza, filling the parking lot. I always pass by it after going to the gym, and there’s nothing like a long, hard workout to get your appetite going. On one such afternoon, I succumbed to my guilty pleasures and ordered a half pesto margherita, half chicken bacon ranch pie with my friends.
Flatbread Company prides itself on their earthen stone ovens, which the open kitchen puts on display. Customers can see everything from dough portioning to pizza entering in and out of the oven. As for the pizza itself, the pesto margherita was fresh, and the full slices of tomato added an elevated touch. The chicken bacon ranch was a minor disappointment — just a bit too dry, a little too much sauce and left the roof of my mouth a little too scratched up.
The crust was ultra-thin and extremely crunchy. Technically these pies are flatbreads, but they still retain the essence of a pizza.
Al Forno: (8/10), $25-28 for a whole pie
Al Forno is technically on the bottom of College Hill, but I felt their famous grilled pizzas were too good to be left off of this list. Al Forno invented the “grilled pizza,” where they take an ultra-thin dough and spread it on top of a coal-fire grill. By allowing the pizza to char and burn, Al Forno’s chefs create a wonderful, distinct flavor. Long strips of scallions are scattered amongst the dollops of tomato sauce. Picking up a slice can make quite a mess. The pie boasts an incredibly crunchy crust, but a surprisingly chewy bottom, lined with grill marks.
Their corn pizza is definitely the star of the show. Each time you find a piece of corn, the sweetness erupts in your mouth like a little burst of sunshine wrapped in tart tomato sauce and fresh scallions. It’s for sure a one-of-a-kind pizza, and definitely a good spot to take your parents and friends to.
Fellini’s: (8.5/10), $3-$4.25 per slice
First, let’s talk about the vibes. Inside this pizza joint, there’s soft indie rock playing on the speakers, faded neon signs, a dozen or so posters falling off the walls and a statue outside beckoning visitors into the warm pizza hearth. It’s everything you want from an old-school, local pizza spot. I went for a slice of cheese and per a server’s recommendation, the beef and scallion as well.
The cheese slice was solid, with a chewy and flavorful spread of mozzarella. It paired perfectly with the rich, hearty tomato sauce, complimented nicely by a touch of oregano flavor. The slice itself was extremely light. I would describe it as a softer New York slice. On initial inspection, the pizza dough, which uses whole wheat flour instead of the typical plain one, may look undercooked, but the flavor was pleasantly grainy and bread-like. The crust was on the softer side, but the taste more than made up for it.
The ridiculous variety of toppings available truly stood out. From blue cheese, onions and bacon to the “Wok Star” (peppers, mushrooms, broccoli and teriyaki sauce), the options truly seemed endless. While I was a little dubious about the beef and scallion toppings, the flavors came together so well. The freshness of the scallions hits you immediately before settling into the creamy, tangy cheese and rich beef flavors. Nothing overwhelms your palate and each ingredient gets its moment to shine. I will definitely be back to try some of their other outlandish kitchen creations.
My favorite was Fellini’s — It’s been four days since my taste test, and I can’t stop thinking about their whole wheat dough. The flavors are impeccable and after the beef scallion success, I am dying to try more strange combinations. I know I’ll be in for another surprising treat the next time I’m there.
That’s a wrap! I’m personally going to need a short break from pizza, but let me know where you pick up your late-night slices!
Christian Yeung ’29 can be reached at christian_yeung@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
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