Taylor Hanigosky
tmh004@marietta.edu
Pizza is the cornerstone of the college experience. Sure, collegiate life also promises newfound independence, camaraderie, an abundance of crappy beer, and a liberal arts education. But beneath all of that is the late-night slice that makes everything else possible.
For me, hailing from the Italian enclave of Northeast Ohio, the Marietta pizza scene appeared desolate at first glance. I’ve tasted enough horrible pies to nip my pizza cravings right in the butt. But along the way, I’ve found a few hidden gems to keep me satisfied.
In the past week, I’ve stuffed my face with all the local Marietta pizza offerings I could find. Here are my very scientific findings.
- Gilman — Sure, you can grab a slice (or 10) with a meal swipe. I get it; sometimes you’re in a hurry and the Mongo Monday line stretches all the way down the mall. Other times the tater tots are gone and you’re left to choose between the lukewarm enchilada casserole and the Alpine fondue. For a variety of reasons, many of us are drawn to those three trays of Gilman pizza. Hey, they don’t look so bad glistening under the heat lamps. And their toppings are always creative. There must be something about Gilman that numbs your taste buds over time because when you bite into the greasy cheese, its not repulsive. It’s just kind of there. Though, the sauce bears a striking similarity to a can of SpaghettiOs. The whole experience takes me back to those Friday middle school nights spent wild and free at the roller rink—where the pizza twirled on stacked silver platters inside a grimy Plexiglas case. As I finish my first slice and wipe my fingers clean of the grease, I find myself wanting another. But I know I’ll regret it later. We all will.
- Smitty’s — There must be something particularly alluring about an over salted scrap of cardboard because Smitty’s pizza has secured the coveted position of “Official Pizza of the Media Studies Department.” I have spent countless Marcolian meetings gathered around boxes of party cut Smitty’s pepperoni pizza. One thing is for sure, the quality is always consistent. The bottom of the crust has a texture similar to a cat’s tongue. The cheese tends to break apart as my teeth sink in, lacking that familiar stringiness we all lovingly crave. I wish I could say I would never have to eat another piece again, but can anyone really turn down free pizza?
- The Original Pizza Place — For a pizza voted Marietta’s best in 2013 by Marietta Times readers, I’ll admit it was a little underwhelming. The Original Pizza Place (not to be confused with the Pizza Place) is famous for offering both a thin pizza and a deep-dish crust. I’m partial to the wide and flat pizza’s of New York that need to be folded in half before you can pick them off the plate. The Original Pizza Place’s thin crust certainly captures that floppy allure, but the crust is a bit too chewy for my taste. The crust’s level of tension against my teeth was just slightly less than that of Laffy Taffy. This is the kind of pizza you shove mindlessly into your mouth at 3 a.m., hours after it assumed room temperature.
- Over the Moon — Over the Moon pizza has always been a favorite of mine. It’s greasy surface shines like a diamond ring, letting me know I’ve found the one. I grew up on real Italian pizza, and this paper thin beauty brings me right back to my childhood. The cheese has just the right amount of stretch when I steal a mouthful and pull it away from the buttery crust. Over the Moon is straightforward simple pizza. Pair it with a Blue Moon draft, and I have no complaints.
- Marietta Brewing Company — I was quite surprised to find the Brewery at the top of my list. Their burgers might steal the show, but their pizza hosts the best after party around. The thickness of the crust fell somewhere in between thin and deep-dish. It was crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and filled with flavor. I could actually believe the sauce was made out of real tomatoes—it tasted fresh, not salty. Where the Brewery really outshines the rest is with their toppings. If you haven’t had your fill of garlic this week, order the veggie pizza and you’ll get entire garlic cloves atop a mountain of mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes. At around $10 for a 10-inch pie, the Brewery is a little pricey, but its well worth the money.
