Plain pizza at Papa’s Tomato Pies. (Photo Credit: Harrison Wolk)
Since its founding in 1912, Papa’s Tomato Pies has captured the attention of local residents along with popular food review channels. In fact, One Bite Pizza rated Papa’s a 8.6/10! With this “bite” of confidence, I had to try it for myself.
Starting with the presentation, I was surprised to see such an overwhelming sauce to cheese ratio. Yet the sweetness of the tomato sauce made me understand the reasoning behind this disproportion. The incredible sweetness took my taste buds for a rollercoaster ride, leaving me wanting even more sauce in the end.
Beneath the blotches of sauce, a crispy crust held together the thin layer of irrelevant cheese. I’d like to note, if you're a fan of extremely cheesy pizzas, Papa’s may not be the place for you.
Perhaps I’m not alone in using a napkin to blot off grease from my pizza; yet Papa’s recipe leaves minimal grease for the taking, both beneficial to the taste AND my napkin consumption!
Papa’s Tomato Pies is the oldest family owned and run pizzeria in the United States. (Photo Credit: Harrison Wolk)
When assessing the pizza elevation profile, minimal air/cheese bubbles caught my eye. And while there was certainly a flop to the undercarriage, the cheese and sauce had minimal slippage, leaving my sweatshirt in good condition!
Overall, Papa’s Tomato Pies makes an incredible slice. The unique layering of cheese and sauce pairs nicely with the thin, crispy crust. While I was a huge fan of the idea, I’ll admit that I would have liked to see a bit more cheese to hold in the sweet and flavorful tomato sauce. Nonetheless, this pizza is a solid local option to check out and earns a 9.2 in my book!