TOM DRESSER
508-693-1050
When high school hockey player BreAnne Russell compared hockey to pizza — it’s always good, she said — I felt obligated as a reporter to verify her statement, not by playing hockey, but by offering my readers a survey of Oak Bluffs pizza parlors.
First, a few questions. Who serves homemade beer? Where can one get free slices? Which parlor has a separate entrance for pizza lovers? Who offers the most delicate crust? Which two parlors are called one name, but housed under another? Who offers two pizzas for $12.99?
Bill Davies runs Pomodoro Pizzaria. “It’s a family-style restaurant,” he says. “I specialize in pizza. We put a lot of care into developing pizza that’s fresh, thin crust, a traditional New York style. We make our own dough and sauce and offer a variety of fresh toppings.”
He adds that Pomodoro has a “secret mix of cheeses” that stiffen the slice and prevent it from being soggy. In short, he said, Pomodoro pizza is fresh and reasonable. And it has a separate alley entrance off Circuit avenue.
At Slice of Life, chef Pete Smyth said, “Our pizza crust is thin, very thin. We offer different varieties from the others. And it comes in an individual size.” Slice specializes in making the most delicate pizza crust.
Where can you get thin crust pizza and peanuts? Try Offshore Ale.
“We have a wood-fired brick oven. Our pizza is crispier and chewier,” said Gabrielle, a waitress there. “And,” she adds with a twinkle, “we have our own homemade beer!”
What about the Ocean View? “Price and value,” says Linda, who tends bar there. “Our pizza is a good value. It’s the most inexpensive, starting at $10.95. More bang for the buck.” She smiles. “And it’s free at happy hour. They bring out two pizzas at 5 p.m., and everyone gets a slice.” That’s hard to argue with.
Simone is busy at Joey’s pizza. “We have good pizza. Cheese and pepperoni are the most popular. We sell a quarter pie.” Which is? For $3 you get the equivalent of two slices. Now that’s a deal. And, in case you didn’t know, Joey’s is nestled into Jim’s Package Store.
“Good recipes,” says Paulo who works at Paesan’s Pizza, housed in the Oyster Bar Grill on Circuit avenue. He has the experience and knows what he’s doing. What’s the favorite? “Two cheese pizzas for $12.99. We sell a lot of those.” Paulo knows his crowd.
There you have it: all the pizza you could ask for, right here in Oak Bluffs, in the middle of March.
For those who prefer popcorn and pop, visit the Oak Bluffs Public Library on Saturday, March 15 for a matinee movie program at 2:30 p.m. It is the screening of a movie about a young man who journeys to Alaska and tries to live alone in the wilderness. For more information, call the library at 508-693-9433.
Marie Allen shared a few news notes with us. The Oak Bluffs Council on Aging commemorated Black History Month with a luncheon on Feb. 20. The featured speaker, Dr. Elizabeth (Betty) Rawlins, is a lifelong educator, who is vice president of the Vineyard Chapter of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. This organization was founded by Carter G. Woodson, who originated Black History Month.
Betty spoke about the African diaspora and its implications on American Black History. She discussed various aspects of the U.S. Postal Service’s Black Heritage stamps and shared well-known African Americans, featured during the past 10 years.
The proprietor and member of the founding family of the historic Shearer Cottages, Mrs. Doris Pope Jackson, recently celebrated her 93rd birthday at the home of her daughter and son-in law, Lee and David Van Allen. It was a very happy event for this member of one of the most prominent families of Oak Bluffs. Family and friends who attended included: granddaughter Loren Van Allen, Audrey Dixon, JoAnn Walker, Marie Allen, Mary Tucker, Gretchen Underwood, Winston English, Jakki Robinson, Michael Underwood, and Jerry Chipperfield. We want to extend best wishes to Doris Pope Jackson.
We confess to a double error in last week’s column when we misspelled Shelley Christiansen’s first and last names.
And now it’s time to pass the reins back to Holly Nadler, who returns refreshed, we trust, from sunny California. Take it away, Holly!
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