A look at pizzeria destinations across the U.S.
Cascarino’s Brick Oven Pizzeria & Ristorante | Montgomery, NY
Cascarino’s has been serving its community for just under 20 years. “Our pizzeria is defined by the outstanding customer service, as well as the authenticity and quality of our food,” says owner Anthony Cascarino, who always greets every customer with a “hello” and “goodbye”. It’s a family affair with Anthony’s wife, Diane; son, Anthony Jr. and his wife, Marisa; and son, Vincent and his daughter, Breanna, along with her husband, Robert, making the restaurant truly family owned and operated. “Along with our amazing traditional cheese pizza, Sicilians, and grandma pizzas, we have a tremendous following for all of our specialty pizzas. One pizza that has taken off recently is the Wild Boar, which features hot soppressata, sweet capicola, fresh basil, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella and shaved sharp provolone.”
Gracie’s Apizza | Portland, Oregon
This food turned brick-and-mortar pizzeria blazed onto Portland’s pizza scene with its opening last September. Gracie’s built its fan base all over Portland from a food truck that began rolling in 2018. Owner Craig Melillo calls Gracie’s pizza style neo-New Haven-style. People love the classic Tomato with red sauce, fresh oregano, garlic and grated Pecorino. The pizza menu also offers a half a dozen other pies. The Onion Pie is topped with red sauce, basil, red onions, onion cream and mozzarella. Briney Pie features red sauce, oregano, Castelvetrano olives, oil-cured olives, capers and herbs. Gracie’s even serves house-made ice cream, including a brown sugar ice cream with cognac preserved plums.
Sonny’s Pizza | Washington, D.C.
Nestled in the Park View Neighborhood, Sonny’s has become famous for its grandma slices and cool restaurant vibe. Its huge outdoor seating is called the Pizza Garden, equipped with a patio food truck for easy pizza and beverage ordering. The inside is just as hip with unique booths. Sonny’s menu is concise with four to five options of slices and whole pies. Slices are classic pepperoni, cheese, mushroom or sausage and peppers. Whole pies include the Pesky Mario with tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, rapini and Calabrian chilies. Sonny’s also menus a handful of sandwiches, a few salads, garlic knots and meatballs.