Sometimes, being a foodie is hard work, especially when you have to hunt down good restaurants (oh the horror!) That being said, it’s not a chore when you find a favorite. Now, as you may or may not have realized, I am not from Maine. I am in fact, from Chicago. The land of Deep Dish Pizza and deliciousness like you would not believe!! I have had great pizza in Chicago. There is no shame in saying that.
And yet.
I have to commend Otto for great, if not awe inspiring, artisan pizza. There is a reason, ladies and gentleman, that Otto is known in all of Portland for being the BEST. Who else puts mashed potatoes on a pizza and makes it taste good? I remember lamenting the lack of good pizza in Maine when I first got here, my freshman year of college at USM. I am prepared to take back those words, in this post. Otto is the best pizza that I’ve ever had. I love deep dish from the ends of the earth and back, but there is no…creativity to it. It’s dough and sauce and cheese and it’s deep.
Otto is art. And my favorite kind of food is anything that is unique and different and Otto fits the bill. From late night hours for the Old Port crowd, to the $9 lunch special of a slice, a salad, and a drink, it is worth it.
All of these different kinds of pizzas have been a culinary delight to try. Not so much work at all! So what’s the best one? I’ll leave that up to you to decide.
Why Otto is Amazing (a short love letter)
-Golden crust, every time.
I’m not a crust fan, and it’s always been a problem. When I was a kid, my mom used to have to butter my crusts or cut them off of everything because I wouldn’t eat them. She could have said she’d pay me a dollar and I still wouldn’t budge. However, Otto has different crust. Somehow, it actually works with the pizza, instead of against it. Who knew that was possible? What I’m saying is the crust is a necessary part to the pizza, and that’s a big deal.
-Individuality and innovation
Otto Pizza is not ho hum. It’s the opposite. It’s flavors exploding in your mouth, like tomato and eggplant and mozzarella. Mashed Potato on a pizza…it sounds crazy. But crazy is mighty good on pizza, apparently. The only way Otto is able to achieve this is through their dedication to fresh ingredients and unique toppings. I think the unique toppings are the icing on top of a solid pizza that will never let you down.
If you live in Portland and you haven’t tried Otto, you really should put it on your bucket list or something. Because this is pizza that, if you’re like me and a little kooky, you’ll be dreaming about for days after.
Thank you Otto, for making great pizza and never being afraid to try something new! This foodie couldn’t be happier!
