The South Portlander: Dining

When you’re on a budget and a busy schedule, you can forget about haute cuisine. The best you can hope for is hot cuisine. But don’t abandon expectations for taste over value. Here’s a quick take on one of America’s favorite fast foods—pizza—and what some of the more popular South Portland joints have to offer.

From: Amato’s Cost: $6.69 for 9-inch, no slices sold Review: Too saucy, not enough cheese or pepperoni.

From: DiPietro’s Cost: $2.75 per slice Review: A perfect mix of gooey cheese and spicy pepperoni. Least expensive, too.

From:Sbarro’s Cost: $7.90 for 2 slices Review: Three strikes: soggy crust, cold cheese and and not cheap.

By SUBURBAN GUY
When I’m looking for a cheap lunch or even a snack, a slice of pizza can really fit the bill. But it can’t be any slice of pizza. It needs to have a crunchy crust, spicy pepperoni and just the right amount of melted cheese. And it needs to be inexpensive. Two slices and a drink better be well under $10.
When I had the urge for pizza Friday afternoon, I was near the Maine Mall in South Portland. The new Amato’s and Sbarro—both at the Food Court—seemed like a sure bet for a hot slice of pie.
I tried Amato’s first. The walk-up counter service is located on the edge of the Cafe seating area. It was getting close to lunch and people were queuing up for fast food, Italian style.
But it turns out that Amato’s doesn’t sell by the slice. They do offer a “personal” nine-inch pizza, which has four slices. A pepperoni version was $6.69, including tax. It was hot and cheesy.
But where were the pepperoni? There were about three per slice—not enough for me. The pie was awash in sauce; the crust was doughy. Filling, yes. But the pie did not quite satisfy my hunger for a fresh and flavorful pizza.
In my quest for that perfect slice, I sauntered over to Sbarro, where slices of pepperoni pizza sell for $3.69 each, plus tax. Hardly cheap. The slices were big and hearty. But the taste left something to be desired. The crust was thin and soggy, not a good combo. There was plenty of big pepperoni on top, but not much cheese and the crust was chewy. Thin and crispy is fine for crust. So is thick and chewy. But this was thin and chewy.
After hitting both Amato’s and Sbarro, I was pretty full. But the next day, I was in DiPietro’s on Cottage Road buying some batteries for my TV remote. That’s when I spotted a single remaining slice of pepperoni, under a heat lamp, next to the cash register. It called to me. Now that’s “Amore.”
The slice was piled with pepperoni and had just the right amount of melted, white-yellow cheese . I could not resist. Even though I had already eaten lunch, I picked up the slice to go and enjoyed it in the car on the way home.
Now these are New York-style slices. They’re just right for Maine tastes. DiPetro’s sells good-sized slices from a big pie, with plenty of spicy pepperoni and melted cheese. The DiPietro family is busy in the store’s kitchen throughout the day. They keep the slices hot under a light next to the cash register and replace them quickly. Best of all, they’re only $2.75 each (with pepperoni).
DiPietro’s is the clear winner here for me. Anyone want to join in on the pizza conversation? Use the comments link to tell me where you like to eat pizza, or to agree or disagree with my assessments.

Comments

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