On Silly Side By Jimmy Del Ponte

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My silly story about carrying a pizza home a couple of weeks ago fueled some controversy among pizza lovers in the city. Where is the best slice in the ‘Ville? A lot of you left your comments on my Facebook page when I asked this question: Where are the best Somerville Pizza joints, past and present?

First of all, let’s look back at some of the pizza joints of yesterday. I know I will miss one or two, but I will do my best to list as many as we could remember.

Gone but not forgotten was Broadway Café, Lucy’s, Speedy Pizza, Napolis, The original Bertuccis, Frascatis, and, of course, The Venice Café on Holland St., where Orleans is now. I guess Davis Square was the Pizza center of Somerville. There was a pizza truck that used to drive around the city. Back then a slice and a coke was probably around 50 cents. Renaldo is still hawking slices around town in his truck.

Then the real pizza lovers chimed in with Leones, Mama Lisa’s, The Paddock, Mikes, Pini’s, and Angelina’s. Caesars’ Pizza on Somerville is pretty good.  When I lived a few doors down from Caesars’ we ate their pizza 24/7. Speaking of Somerville, enemy cousins and my family used to go to The Continental (Candellinos) on a weekend night and have pizza and soda. That’s where my love affair with pizza started.

Lots of Villens expressed their love of La Hacienda restaurant’s pizza on Medford St. under the bridge. Amelia’s Kitchen puts out one tasty slice of pizza, old style Italian. Of course, Mike’s has a good pie, with a special two-for deal on Mondays. Of all the pizza places mentioned by nearly 100 facebookers, no one mentioned Dominos, or Sal’s, for that matter. Personally, I like Sal’s (there is one in New Hampshire that we like). Someone mentioned Mama Gina’s in Union Square, Dial a pizza on Beacon St., Pizza King on Highland Ave, Mama Lisa on Broadway, Davis Square Pizza and subs on Highland Ave., Pizza Palace on Somerville Ave., Papa John’s on Somerville Ave, Andrea’s House of Pizza on Washington St., Union Square Pizza, Mystic House of Pizza on Mystic Ave., Christos in Davis Square, Boston City Pizza and subs on Highland Ave., Top Speed Pizza on Highland Ave., Venus Pizza on Broadway, Primos on Broadway, and Leones on Broadway.

We all have our favorite pizza places, and most people swear by their pies. Here are the results of our unofficial little pizza poll: Of all the pizza places in Somerville, past and present, the winner is (…drum roll, please) gone but not forgotten, The Venice Café! La Hacienda came in second, with Leones and Mama Lisa’s coming in third.

Here’s a tip I’d like to share: When re-heating pizza, use the oven and it will come out crisp. Microwaving a slice makes it limp and soggy.

Congratulations to the Boston Bruins for winning the Stanley Cup.