Dear world, I think I have a new favorite pizza place.
To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever had a true favorite pizza place, besides Pizza Roma on Perry Highway, and that was only because when I was little, they had placemats we could draw on, and I would make my dad draw me silly pictures about the Steelers (someday I’ll have him re-do the classic ‘Jack Lambert’s big toe’ picture and scan it for this blog).
However, I’ve always loved Papa John’s – but not for the pizza so much as for their incredible crust and garlic dippy sauce. When I lived in Cambridge, I would frequently order just a box of breadsticks and extra dippy sauce, and have one or two a day (I do love being married, but sometimes, I miss the single girl’s meal plan).
We got a takeout order from Aiello’s pizza one afternoon and discovered that not only do they make an all-around, generally good pizza…
They put the garlic dippy sauce directly on the slice.
I feel like I should say that again, for good measure: they put the garlic dippy sauce directly on the slice.
While I could never eat this pizza on a regular basis (unless I decided to just give up on my arteries), it sure was a nice treat. And I appreciate the fact that Aiello’s is open wicked late, because I cannot think of a better time for garlic butter dippy sauce pizza than after you have closed the bar. I am going to have to test that theory sometime (but that is an Achievement for a different year…).
Murray Avenue, you done good.