Talking Sweet About Nothing

What could I possibly say about Matthew's Pizza that hasn't been said been said already? (just look at the back of their menu) It's not an exaggeration to say that Matthew's tops most people's "Top Baltimore Pizza" list. It's that good.

However, I do know some who are less-than-impressed by Matthew's (gasp!) I guess what one thinks about their pizzas probably comes down to their stance in the thick-versus-thin crust debate. Matthew's is definitely not a typical Chicago-style deep dish, but there is certainly a resemblance. The thick, buttery crust glistens with oil but doesn't lose the crispy. Many amateur deep-dishers (Pizza Hut, I'm looking in your direction) come out greasy. Not Matthew's. It's surprisingly light and fluffy. And I love it when you can actually taste a little bit of yeast in fresh, homemade dough. Most generic take out pizza places use frozen dough balls shipped in from Sysco, and they suffer for it. The crust is half of the pizza experience! Anyway, many others can speak more intelligently about dough/crust so let's not lose our focus: Matthew's crust is awesome.

And it doesn't end there. On top (and baked in) are homemade tomato sauce and fresh cheeses in addition to your toppings. My friend Jim and I (pizza club!) ordered two small pizzas; the Margherita and the "both kinds of cheese" pie. First, let's get this straight...size DOES NOT matter at Matthew's. They offer 8" or 10" pies. At most pizza places, that's pretty dang small. But at Matthew's, two smalls is plenty for two grown men. Katie and I usually split a large and we're stuffed. Believe me, what they lack in size is made up for in texture and flavor.

Obviously, a Matthew's Margherita is not a typical Margherita, but the tomato, mozz, basil combination is difficult to top, no matter what kind of crust you have. Matthew's version = heavenly. "Both kinds of cheese" includes fresh mozz and an imported hard cheese whose name escapes me right now. Regardless, I've never tasted a cheese combination like this before and it was excellent.

In addition to their specialty pies, they offer the option of creating your own from an assortment of toppings. One bonus that Matthew's has above many other pizzerias is that they offer green olives as a topping. Most offer black, but few have green, and that's another point for Matthew's. And the coup de grace at Matthew's??? Dr Pepper on tap! Does it get any better? No.