Galleria Umberto

To date, this is the highest rating I’ve ever given to a Boston pizzeria - a city better known chowda, lobsta, & I wanna say potatoes? Boston does have a few old school pizzerias …they’re perhaps better at regional nostalgia than flavor. But @galleriaumberto was named an “American Classic” by James Beard in 2018, so I definitely thought it worth trying.

I joined the daily herd of tourists lining up at this cash-only joint. In line, I was behind the guide of a “Politically Incorrect Food Tour” whose T-shirt included edgy-adjacent rules like “Don’t be a cheap bastard - tip!” and “Don’t be a pain in the ass!”. Alongside the food tourists, the room pulsed with the dull-eyed impatience of locals resigned to defending their square slices as heritage cuisine …with about as much success as they could defend Magic Johnson’s baby skyhook. But hey, it’s only $2.25.

The slice itself featured a bright tomato sauce flavor, with cheese melted and blistered just enough to add a bit of bitter depth. The bottom was lightly fried, with airy pockets and a pale-gold undercarriage. It gives a satisfying initial crunch but softens fast. Flavor-wise, the dough leans white-bready - not much olive oil or other flavor seeps to the center of it. Overall, it hit the spot. And with arancini, it was a filling nostalgic lunch.

Is this a slice worth lining up for? Sure, maybe in Boston.