Go Right Now: Caserta's Pizza

Perhaps this admission will make you trust this blog a little less, but I'm not what you'd call a gourmet. In other words, I don't necessarily appreciate the subtle differences between the porterhouse at two good steak places, or the sashimi at my two favorite sushi joints. Generally speaking, I'm looking for ambiance, quality, and value.

That said, there is no one in the great state of Rhode Island who could possibly confuse or compare Caserta's Pizza with that of any other pizzeria around. It's just in a league of its own. And I don't necessarily mean better, either, though it certainly has a special place in my heart. If you read the reviews on the page I linked to, you'll see a fair number of people who think it is way overrated, or possibly even GROSS.

So here's what you need to know...this is a pizza bomb, not an ordinary pie. Anyone on the Atkins diet would go into carb shock just walking to close to it. The pizza comes out in thick, heavy squares with sauce and cheese pouring over the top and sinking into the doughy crust at the same time. A large is so big that a group of six healthy eaters I was once with couldn't get through half of it; I took the leftovers and had four additional meals from it. (That experience also took three years off of my life, but it was worth it.)


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So get yourself up to Federal Hill and go. One block off the main drag (Atwells), Caserta's is basically a beer hall for pizza: one big room with a bunch of spare tables that give you no illusion it's about anything other than the food. So get a pizza with extra cheese, get a few good friends and a cardiologist to come along, and enjoy the ultimate comfort food.

The Details:
Drinks: Basic beer and wine options won't put you back much more than $5. Get a Peroni for the full on Italian experience
Food: Pizza's never expensive, and for under $20 you can easily order enough for 4 people, and you'll probably have leftovers.
Crowd: If you can't feel comfortable here, the stick up your ass is probably tickling your throat right now.
Pointer: After you're done, head around the corner to Dolce Vita for a coffee or cocktail to wrap up your night.