New York, New York sandwiches and calzones have always been the traditional Kjel.org meal for football watching. However, the Chief Photographer got a calzone this weekend and was a bit disappointed. Sure, it tasted good, but a few years ago they both tasted good and were the size of a frisbee, and not one of those cheapy give-away frisbees either. Pat’s lucky I’m too afraid of him to ever complain. Sounds like maybe I should try the pizza — this is from ExtraMSG, a Portland food blog:
Pat Desiervi has the thickest New York accent I’ve seen outside a Sopranos episode. And with one of his slices in your mouth and one of his humorous anecdotes in your ears, you might just think you are in New York.
The restaurant is just south of the Terwilliger exit off I-5 on Barbur. It’s a small half-restaurant, half-bar, that only sells slices during lunch and sells out quickly.
They’re the best slices I’ve had in town, yet. The crust is too thin to be rigid, but is cooked until slightly blistered underneath and around the edges. The extra cooking enhances its flavor.
The sauce is thin but assertive, with both depth and tanginess. The cheese is flavorful with enough salt to keep it from being bland. Toppings are good as well. Pepperoni is spicy, sweet, and meaty. Mushrooms are sauteed before going on a slice to reduce water and add flavor. Like Escape, slices can be greasy. But it’s a flavorful grease.
Slices are gigantic, but also spendier than most places, starting at $3, plus $1 for each additional topping.
If you ever want to be entertained, try to convince your dining companion to special-order something vegetarian from Pat. Go on, just try it. You won’t be disappointed.
