Mmmm, Pizza…
I lived in Boston for many years during my stint of would-be rock stardom. Being young, broke and a lousy cook, I ate a lot of pizza – and I do mean A LOT of pizza. And although I got tired of many things during that time – such as being broke – I never got tired of pizza. I still love a great slice.
What is a great slice? Give me a plain cheese slice, with a thin perfectly cooked crust – not burnt or doughy, slightly sweet tomato sauce with a hint of garlic, and mozzarella cheese that is not too oily and definitely not part-skim. That’s it. Is that too much to ask?
Well, actually it may be too much to ask. I gave up searching for a decent slice after a half dozen years in Seattle. All I can say is that it is great to be in Portland and have easy access to Escape from New York Pizza.
This place is bare bones and serves up authentic NY pizza, right down to the attitude. There are no specialties here – no “Extreme Veggie” or “Southwest Chicken” or “Hawaiian
to be found. Just the basics – cheese, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, etc.
Step on in, order at the counter, grab a stool, and savor a slice or two. Or skip the authentic, kitschy, cluttered and some what scruffy decor and take your pizza to-go. Either way, there is no other real pizza place in Portland or the great Northwest as far as I can tell.
Escape from New York Pizza, 622 NW 23rd Ave, is cheap but cash-only. Kid-friendly but technically they aren’t really friendly to anyone (good thing they don’t charge extra for the ‘tude!).
