March 27th, 2006
Pizzeria Regina
Crazy Dough's is one thing and Pizzeria Regina is certainly another. The latter easily serves Boston's best pizza in its old-school North End locale.
I ate lunch at Pizzeria Regina every single Saturday in December as a means of fueling up to face the Christmas-crazed shopping crowds but had never visited at dinnertime until Friday. As it was a weekend night, I expected a line and was not disappointed. Bunches and I arrived at 6:30pm and were PROMPTLY hustled outside by a no-nonsense waitress who said she'd call us when a table for two opened up. Fortunately, about twenty minutes later she retrieved us from the line, which now contained ten to fifteen people, and plunked us down in one of the wooden booths lining the wall.
As usual, the entire restaurant was a frenzy of hurried servers, awkward North End natives waiting for pick-up orders, and large groups fighting over menus. A tiny bar area serves draft beer and sodas to those lucky enough to grab a stool. I was thankful that the awesome 80s mix was pumped pretty loud over the din.
I can't exactly say why Pizzeria Regina's pizza is so amazing, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the homemade garlic and oil sauce they drizzle over every pie. There's also the fact that the toppings are incredibly fresh, thickly cut, and heavily interspersed between layers of mozzarella, parmesan, and romano cheeses. Lesser crusts might sag under all this weight but not those on Pizzeria Regina's pies; each one is soft, chewy around the edges, and thin but sturdy. A meal in itself could be made by mopping up the tableside olive oil with discarded crusts.
Because squabbles over choice of toppings are inevitable, Bunches and I usually kill seven birds with one stone by ordering a large Giambotta ($18), a massive pie with three pounds of traditional toppings: pepperoni, Regina's sausage, mushrooms, onions, salami, peppers, and anchovies. Each bite of the Giambotta is orgasmic, cheesy, meaty, tomatoey bliss. A large could probably feed three normal people with normal appetites (i.e. not me).
"Small" individual pizzas ($10) are also available of course, and although you're free to pick and choose your own toppings, I suggest you order one of Pizzeria Regina's established creations like Melanzane (ricotta, roasted eggplant, red onions, Italian parsley) or the St. Anthony's (Regina's sausage, sausage links, peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic). Don't ponder too long because Regina's waitstaff has people to serve and pizza to make and they don't take kindly to wishy-washy orders.
Pizzeria Regina has several other locations throughout the Boston area including Faneuil Hall Marketplace and South Station, but nothing can compare to experience at the original joint in the North End. If paper plates, and cheap cans of PBR and Schlitz don't scream authenticity I don't know what does. Pizzeria Regina's has been serving extraordinary pizza since 1926, and thankfully, they don't plan on stopping anytime soon.
The Info
Pizzeria Regina
11 1/2 Thacher St., Boston
www.pizzeriaregina.com