I love pizza. I really love pizza after a night out seeing live music. The only things that could be better to complement a slight ringing in the ears than a hot greasy slice at 1am would be good tacos (not likely), delicious falafel (not a chance), or hot dogs (Papaya King, where you at? – gotta follow up on that one!).
More photos for this post can be found in the gallery here. Full review after the jump.
So we’ve got what we’ve got – and I have to say, it’s not half bad.
Despite conflicting reviews from the Phoenix and Psst (no surprise there), I’m going to go with the more positive of the two – though I do agree with the “more tvs = worse food” concept in general – because a decent pizza shop that’s open until 2am is a beautiful thing. I stopped in the other night after the Kino Proby show at the Big Easy and enjoyed a delicious slice of pepperoni (possibly followed by one of bbq chicken, but I’m not willing to admit to such indulgence publicly). A followup trip the next day (better light, less yelling drunks on Fore St., more sobriety all around) confirmed that this pizza joint is actually getting some things right. The toppings are in the proper proportions, the sauce is slightly spicy and tasty, and the crust is thin and you can fold it just so (if you’re not a folder, here, have fun).
Surely it’s not perfect, right? Of course. I said it’s good, but it’s far from perfect. The crust could use some work. A patron on Friday night suggested that “what it needs is a little herb! If you know what I mean!” No, actually, I don’t. It just needs a little flavor adjustment, but hopefully they’ll get that right. Also, pizza should never be dipped. No thank you, I will not take the blue cheese to dip my pizza in. Gimme a slice on a paper plate and let’s call it a night. And, since you asked, yes it is a chain.
So what was this all about? Well, it’s about having options for late-night snacking. Tips on other worthwhile establishments with late hours are very much welcome and encouraged.
Tried my first slice at Joe’s New York Pizza today and it was really quite good. It really is New York style pizza, unlike all the other pretenders in Portland. My main complaint is that most of the pies in Portland have too much dough and sauce, and the sauce tends to be on the sweet side, but if you like that kind of thing then OK.
I had a warmed up slice of pepperoni, and the crust, sauce, cheese and pepperoni were all done in the right proportions. In some ways it reminded me of Pizzeria Regina in Boston, but the crust was a little bit crispier, yet still chewy, and they use a little less sauce than Regina. By the way, the sauce was very good, true tomato sauce without any overpowering oregano or other herb flavor. They put plenty of pepperoni on the slice and the cheese appears to be top notch. I’m a pizza snob and until now haven’t been impressed with Portland Pie or any other pizza in Portland, with the possible exeception of Vignola and maybe flatbread, but Joe’s is really better than both if you’re looking for true New York style.
Finally, I don’t know what to make of the submitter’s comment about the crust needing a “flavor adjustment”. Pizza crust is made from flour, water, yeast and salt. What are you going to add to it?
Thanks for the comment. I just meant that the crust tasted a little on the bland side to me. I’m no expert on pizza crust (or any food for that matter, aside from enjoying it!) but sometimes it can taste slightly sweet, a bit salty, or a little bit burnt. I think what I was looking for what just one of those, as it stands the crust doesn’t hold quite enough flavor to me.
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Ate at Joes 3/14/09 it was simply amazing as said by beefoe the dough was amazing had just the right sauce and cheese and lots of pepperoni! definatly try it at “420 fore st” … 420 is interesting :))
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