My pizza analysis brings me back to Towson, where the neighborhood continues to grow.  And many shops, services, restaurants, and of course pizza places (more to come) are popping up.   This ain’t a college town anymore. But what has remained a constant is Strapazza.  There is nothing fancy or avante garde about this place.  You know what you’re getting from here.  And it’s usually a winner. I have been eating here since the early 2000’s, and they are the model of consistency.

Aside from getting a sandwich or a pasta dish on rare occasions, it’s all about the pies for me. The interior of the place is quaint and feels like what an Italian restaurant might feel like. So I ordered the New York Style (Thin Crust) Cheese and the Campagnola, which is the aforementioned cheese pizza, but with chicken sauteed with mushrooms and onions over it.

Here’s how they turned out :

I’ve always liked the concept of random toppings going over the same plain pizza.  For one simple reason, if the toppings don’t taste right, you can take them off, and it’s back to being cheese, with a little remnants of what you didn’t like.  But it can’t be too bad, right?

For this round, the add ons remained and the Campagnola tasted great.  It helped that I had a huge appetite and I barely ate anything all day.  The chicken tasted real, as did the veggies.  The grilled onions easily could go on any cheesesteak sub.  They were delish.

The cheese pie, by itself, was delightful.  And the thin crust brought me joy.

There is nothing blow away about their creations, but sometimes you need that.  And since I was starving, this was the perfect kind of pizza to have.

Not every pizza has to be immaculate or artisan, to be called great.  Sometimes you just need some reliability and comfort. And that’s what Strapazza is. There are some intriguing selections on the menu, and I will be back soon to try.  And a corresponding review will follow.

Finally, I will always support the local restaurants first, pizza, or any food for that matter.  So that’s why I try to stay within the mom and pop, and independents, if at all possible.   Thanks so much and I can’t wait to do this again.

Best,

Ideen

This will be the first post of the the Pizza Pals.  Currently I am the only pal posting. So hi.   I don’t know where this blog is going, other than when I encounter a new pizza place or something pizza related, a post will follow.  So there could be two days between posts or two weeks.

I went to The Arthouse in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore last night.  It was my only my second time visiting.   The first time was earlier this year and I thought it was incredible.  I honestly don’t remember what pie I had.  But I loved it.   Maybe I had massive expectations the second time around.

The three pies purchased are pictured above –  Cheese; White; and French Onion.  The latter to try something different.

I thought the cheese was decent, but I have had better slices at local pizza parlors near my house.   This is not to discredit this pie. Something just seemed missing here.  It was a notch below what I feel a pricier restaurant pie should be.

The white pizza was really tasty. I have never heard of white sauce referred to as Behamel Sauce.  So that was pretty cool.  With the Ricotta, garlic sauce, and mozzarella mixed together; we have a great combination.   A very tasty medley of flavors.

The French Onion tasted just like the soup.  It was a very creative idea.    The caramelized onions were delicioso.  The chives were a nice touch and I could really taste them.

The dough was thin and cooked very well in their brick ovens.   A definite complement to the cheese, sauces, and seasonings.

But all in all, maybe I had such massive expectations, that overall I thought this go around was just good.  Nothing amazing.  I really wanted to love everything, but it did not quite happen.   I will be going back again.

Thanks so much for your time.

Best,

Ideen