Localvore: Middlebury pizza pies satisfy

Pizza: there is something inexplicably appealing in the word, and the possibilities its myriad of forms suggest. In the United States, it has become a cultural icon and a phenomenon, a comfort food and, among other things, a bribe for family time. Whatever else it is, the majority of mouths agree that a good pie is delicious.

That is not to say, of course, that all pizza is good. On the contrary, there exist ample ways to commit sacrilege in the sacred rite of pizza-making: the underdone dough, the carbonated crust, the unmelted cheese and — Alas! — the ever-so-slightly-gelatinous vegetable toppings.

The trick, then, is sorting out the wheat from the chaff. And the question of the hour is where to find the best Middlebury slices: Green Peppers, Ramunto’s, Sama’s Café or Pazzo’s Pizzeria. For the purposes of this investigation, Flatbread (of Marble Works) will be excluded, falling under a separate, albeit delicious, category.

Sama’s Cafe

Closest to campus we encounter the pizza selection of Sama’s Café, where pizzas come in entire pies of the buyer’s design, or by the slice in three varieties: cheese, pepperoni or Margarita.  All are baked within the large and rustic wood-burning oven, which warms the atmosphere of the quiet café. The pizza itself is served in generous portions at $3.99 a slice; the cheese is fully melted but not burned, its flavor fresh and in excellent complement to the sauce — a subtly spiced but nondescript tomato. The crust is fluffy and holds up well to its toppings, chewy and never underdone. In short, it is the familiar New York rendition of the pie, and it is done very well.



Pazzo’s Pizzeria

Further in town, a few doors down from Carol’s Hungry Mind Café, the delights of Pazzo’s Pizzeria are tucked into an alley. Pazzo’s, formerly under different ownership and known as Neil and Otto’s, is open Monday through Saturday for dinner and delivery at 4 p.m. The service is warm and dedicated, and the fare is large in selection, including the offer of $9 large cheese pizzas for college students. Like Sama’s, Pazzo’s pizza is sturdy, thin but chewy.  Of all the Middlebury pizzas, theirs boasts the sauce with the best spice, basil and oregano in elegant and quiet complement to the rich tomato. It is also impossible not to note their delectable Pizza Sticks, confections of cheese, garlic and butter.

Green Peppers

Across from Shaw’s, the pizza odyssey finds Green Peppers, open from 10.30 a.m. daily through dinner. Unlike Pazzo’s, Green Peppers does not deliver, but has a menu of great variety. Their pizzas are available by the slice at $4.95, or in small, medium and large pies. The slices are served in large portion — and the cheese in even greater proportion, overwhelming the crust hidden beneath; this latter part is the highlight of the pie, a deeper and pan-fried dough, surprisingly herbed and delightfully buttery.

Ramunto’s

Finally, nestled next to Middlebury’s Discount Beverage and Greg’s Meat Market, is the jewel of the Middlebury pizza scene: Ramunto’s. By the slice, it is the cheapest in town, charging between $4.50 and $5.50 for two slices, depending on the toppings. The choices abound; you will find yourself pleasantly overwhelmed in a world of Sicilian and New York crusts, Pepperoni and cheese, Meat Lover’s and buffalo chicken. The crust is hand-tossed and tastes like it, the Sicilian a triumph of fluffiness that perfectly balances the acidic and fresh tomato covering it. The New York crust is equally well done, emerging both crisp and chewy from the oven. The wholeness of flavor prevents much else from being said of the pizza: it speaks for itself. By the slice, Ramunto’s is the best in town.

As this frigid Vermont winter comes to its nigh-unbearably slow end, one of the best ways to finish off a long eve of study — or desperate procrastination — is in the comfort of a cardboard delivery box and the company of friends. Whether you seek convenience, an off-campus break, a thick-crusted Sicilian, a quick slice or late-night pizza sticks, Middlebury’s collection of pizza parlors has something to sate your desire.