Saturday, November 26, 2011

The Half Shell | Cambridge


The Half Shell | Cambridge







The
Half-Shell

Website

n/a

Address

1760
Mass Ave, Cambridge (Porter Sq)

Date Ordered

11/12/2011

Where Consumed

Home

Price

$10.20

Order Method

Phone
(617) 876-9596

Service Method

delivery

Delivery Time

47
minutes

Size (Inches)

15

Price Per Sq Inch

$0.058



Miro
Score

Elizabeth
Score

Average

Look

4.0

4.75

4.4

Miro's Comments: Alas, it's a little crumpled on one side. Otherwise it is
pleasantly cheesy. We were talking about Greek style pizza earlier so I'm
excited to see the thicket crust. A round pie doesn't bother me as much when
it's obviously been cooked a pan.

Elizabeth's Comments: I may have hiccupped with joy over the sight of this one
- so thick & cheesy!!!  (Slight
messed up-ness though, loses the perfect score)

Smell

2.0

3.0

2.5

Miro's Comments: I smell not much of anything

Elizabeth's Comments: Like pizza - cheese, tomato, grease - nothing super
notable

Temp

2.0

3.00

2.5

Miro's Comments: Delivery luke warm

Elizabeth's Comments: Warmish - we've definitely had worse - the next slice may
have to go in the oven

Cheese

2.0

3.50

2.8

Miro's Comments: lots of chewy cheese, but not much flavor to it. If we
were in a pizzeria I'd be reaching for the oregano

Elizabeth's Comments: A lot of it, which I like, but it's coming off in these
large, thick chunks, which I don't like.
It's as if the cheese is dry/not stringy yet it is covered in
oil.  Fascinating.

Sauce

3.5

3.50

3.5

Miro's Comments: Lightly herbed, but I would like more flavor to stand up
to the thick layer of low-flavored cheese

Elizabeth's Comments: The right amount of tomato mixed with indefinable
spices.  No sweetness, just tang,
tomato, and herbiness.  Not bad. 

Crust

3.0

4.5

3.8

Miro's Comments: Very bread like in taste and consistency. Not much to
love, but nothing to object to either.

Elizabeth's Comments:  Thick and chewy
with some crunch. 

Overall
Taste

3.0

3.75

3.4

Miro's Comments: A pizza that defines the word average.

Elizabeth's Comments: Pretty good all put together.  I just finished the slice and the sauce is
already a little heart-burny and I wish the cheesy was cheesier but it's a
solid pizza. 

Value
Score

51.97

64.97

58.47

Overall
Comments

Miro's Comments: Don't get me wrong. I love average

Elizabeth's Comments: I had a dire craving for Greek-style pizza so into Yelp
"Greek pizza" went & out this place came.  Not the greatest Greek pizza ever, but it
fulfilled my craving. 

Thursday, November 17, 2011

A Public Service Announcement

Today, Congress decided pizza was a vegetable. I know, we're shocked too.

As the writers of a pizza blog, and, in Elizabeth's case, someone getting her PhD in early childhood development, we felt compelled to post a little message about this.


PIZZA IS NOT A VEGETABLE.


Yes, Miro & Elizabeth eat a lot of pizza for the sake of this blog (& their wallets). However, they balance this pizza eating with a lot of exercise (Miro bikes as his main source of commuting & Elizabeth is about to compete in her first half marathon). Plus, their other meals mainly consist of whatever they can whip together from their farmshare - a giant box of real, true vegetables (except beets, we give those away).



So, we're not going to get all political on here, but we (ok, Elizabeth) really couldn't go without mentioning something. In the words of the wise Cookie Monster, pizza (& cookies) "are a sometimes food" not the vegetable portion of a school lunch program (especially since tomatoes are not even technically veggies, but that's a whole other issue...)

In case you don't believe America is really this crazy: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45306416/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/#.TsWdyz1Cq0t

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Newtowne Grill | Cambridge


Newtowne Grill | Cambridge




Newtowne
Grille

Website

n/a

Address

1945
Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA

Date Ordered

11/2/2011

Where Consumed

At
Restaurant

Price

$4
(when purchased with a pitcher)

Order Method

waitstaff

Service Method

waitstaff

Delivery Time

15
minutes

Size (Inches)

14

Price Per Sq Inch

$0.032



Miro
Score

Elizabeth
Score

Average

Look

4.0

4.0

4.0

Miro's Comments: Cheesy but greasy

Elizabeth's Comments: Cheesy & delicious but a bit oily.  I'm a little afraid to separate it. 

Smell

4.0

4.0

4.0

Miro's Comments:

Elizabeth's Comments: Like a pizza - tomato, cheese, & oil.

Temp

5.0

5.0

5.0

Miro's Comments:

Elizabeth's Comments: hot! Ouch!

Cheese

4.0

4.0

4.0

Miro's Comments: A little greasy and not refined, but well balanced and
rich.

Elizabeth's Comments: A ton of it but a ton of oil with it; definitely a
blotter if you're into that sort of thing - which I'm not. 

Sauce

4.5

3.5

4.0

Miro's Comments: This pizza really shines in the sauce. I don't care that
it's almost certainly from a can. It tastes right, and I like it.

Elizabeth's Comments: It could use a bit more sauce to balance out the cheesy/oiliness.  What is here is pretty good, but a bit on
the sweet side for me. 

Crust

4.8

4.5

4.6

Miro's Comments: You wouldn't expect a $5 pizza to have such a great
crust, but it's chewy with just a bit of crisp. A great balance.

Elizabeth's Comments: I'm not usually a crust gal, but this is great - chewy
with a hint of crisp and a nice doughy flavor. 

Overall
Taste

4.5

4.25

4.38

Miro's Comments: Wow a good pizza at a spectacular value.

Elizabeth's Comments: All put together, this pizza is pretty great, plus, it's
only $4 with the purchase of a pitcher, which is fitting, since it is definitely
an eat-with-beer kind of pizza! 

Value
Score

138.54

130.85

134.70

Overall
Comments

Miro's Comments: Does the half pitcher of beer you consume before the pie
arrives help it taste better.

Elizabeth's Comments: So cheap!  And
trivia night! And walkable! (And these are probably the closest ratings we've
ever had to each other!)  Why did it
take us so long to come here? I love this place!!!