With spring in the air, now is as good a time as any to grab a slice of pizza. If only it was that easy. Pensacola has at least 10 local pizza places, not counting any fast food like Domino’s, or places that have pizza tacked on the menu as a second thought. Now, I may not have the time (nor stomach) to visit 10 places, but even a few places is a good way to start. A quick search showed a few popular places, so I gave them a visit to see if their pizza held up or fell limp.
Before we get to the crust of the matter…We need to look at the toppings. What makes a good pizza? Firstly, the dough should be firm, with a little give and should complement the other components without losing the focus of flavor. Next is the sauce, which can vary from style to style. For simplicity we’ll say the sauce should be a little sweet with a savory or tangy edge and not taste like straight up tomato. Then comes the cheese, which should be creamy and rich but not overwhelming or too funky. Finally, the toppings are added, which again needs to be simplified for the sake of fairness. The most common topping is pepperoni. If a place can’t do pepperoni right, then the other toppings are probably lacking. So, with all this in mind, I ordered a pepperoni slice or small pepperoni pizza from each place. Without further ado, let’s have a slice of Pensacola!
My first stop was Graffiti Pizza, once upon a time it was my go to for a slice of New York pizza. Set up at 210 S. Palafox St., across from the tax office, its exterior is relatively unassuming. Inside is lined with spray-paint murals and local art. It felt open and clean and had plenty of seating inside and out. Placing my order felt more like a fast-food place, however. I simply walked up to the counter, placed my order and payed. The price felt a bit high. Five dollars for a single slice. The person at the register gave me a number; however, wait times were reasonable—only five minutes, but the pizza was nothing to write home about. The dough was bready, and the sauce was practically non-existent. I wouldn’t say it was bad; the toppings were decent and the cheese was of quality, but it was far from perfect. Final verdict: Good for a quick slice, but you can get better.
As a recent convert to Papa’s Pizza, I can reasonably say that they are alright. Every bit of this place is relatively plain, but it has an honest feeling. During my visit, they had decorated the inside for Pensacon; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adorned the inside. The seating is a little tight, booths along one wall, barstools on the other and two tables outside. The wait times and price are comparable to the nearby graffiti pizza, only 10 cents cheaper. It took about eight minutes for my slice. The pizza, however, is leagues ahead of graffiti. The crust is crisp, the sauce is slightly sweet, the cheese is rich, and the toppings help complement the flavor and mouth-feel of everything else without being too overpowering. The only problem is that nothing really shines through, as none of the flavors are prominent; it is a very simple flavor. Final verdict: Great place to get a simple slice, just be wary of the limited seating choice.
Even from the outside, the charm of The Tuscan Oven is apparent. The building looks like an old house. A neon sign hung in the window that shows a slice of pizza and says “Aperto”, Italian for ‘open’. The inside has dim lighting, but enough windows so that daylight can soak in, adding to the inviting atmosphere. The namesake oven is in plain view, situated in the back corner of the dining room behind a counter. It was quite novel to see the pizza being made right there. There is abundant seating, both inside and outside. I placed an order for a 10-inch pepperoni pizza, which was only eleven dollars, to my surprise, and it was out in 12 minutes. The pizza was decently made, the sauce was sweet with a little bit of tang, and the cheese was rich and creamy; although, the pepperoni was a little bland. The dough was a pretty limp but tasted wonderful with a little bit of a wood hint from the oven. A large pizza would probably be firmer due to the heat distribution in the oven. Final verdict: Great place to bring your family and the price just can’t be beat.
My last stop was not a disappointing one. Sandwiched between a few cafes and a salon, East Hill Pizza ended up being my favorite pizza of all. The building has that ‘old East Hill’ feel; with a wide wooden door between two large windows that makes it look like an old shopfront. Once more, the seating is tight. A few tables inside and a few outside. Brick lines on one wall with wood tables and counters to help make the place feel homey. This place had the longest wait time, about 20 minutes, but the wait was more than made up by the pizza. The crust was crisp and brushed with garlic butter and adorned with a slightly savory sauce. The cheese was rich and melted, but not gooey. The pepperoni tasted wonderful: savory, salty, and perfectly complemented by everything else. There wasn’t a single thing about this pizza that I didn’t like. Final Verdict: Good things take time, and this pizza is really worth the wait. East Hill Pizza is well worth a visit anytime you want pizza.