Who’s Got the Best Slice?

A pizza taste-test in Maplewood Village? Locals have their favorites that they swear by, and I was probably going to face some level of stoning (or saucing) for picking a winner out of the three heavy-hitting contenders: Arturo’s, Roman Gourmet, and Village Trattoria. Clearly it was going to be a tough job, but somebody had to do it.

The Mission: A blind taste-test (a cheese pie head-to-head-to-head for the baseline and a specialty meat pie head-to-head-to-head for best overall composition)

The Criteria: Sauce flavor, crust texture and flavor, cheese/toppings level, grease factor and slice tip droopage

The Contenders: Arturo’s Osteria & Pizzeria, The Roman Gourmet Restaurant, and Village Trattoria Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

The Judges: Patch food critic (born in NYC and raised on pizza) and three other pizza-obsessives.

Our mission began at 5 p.m. on a rainy Friday night, when I called all three pizzerias and warned them that a pizza taste-off would be held that evening. I did not say what time, how, or what we would be ordering, but all three contenders were given the chance to get their game on. At 7:25 p.m., we placed phone orders for three cheese pies—virtually anonymously, since we placed it under a random first name. Roman Gourmet gave the shortest wait time: 20-25 minutes, with Village Trattoria in second at 25 minutes, and Arturo’s falling behind at 35-40 minutes.

At the 25 minute mark, three of the judges were dispatched to pick up the pies, and we all rendez-voused at a quiet side street. Since all of the restaurants are in walking distance of each other, we chose a tasting spot smack in the middle of all three. However, trouble began early on when one of the judges came back empty-handed. Village Trattoria had no record of our order but promised a new pie would be ready in 10 minutes—not a good sign for the competitor.

Not wanting to let the other pies get cold, our designated “in the know” judge quickly distributed a cheese slice to each member of the group on identical, white paper plates. But even with the unmarked plates, it was pretty obvious which slices came from Arturo’s. The blackened crust gave the brick oven pizza away without a doubt.

Village Trattoria was true to their word, and in no time their slices were also handed out—and given ample time to cool down to match the temperature of the other two pies. The cheese pie taste-off continued, which we followed up with a second round of phone orders for the contenders’ specialty meat pie (as listed on their take-out menus). The judges were dispatched to pick up their second batch of pies. This time, Roman Gourmet’s selection wasn’t ready, and the pizza maker admirably refused to pull it from the oven until it was ready. Luckily, the pie only needed a few minutes more, and soon our “in the know” judge handed out all three pizzeria’s meat slices on a fresh batch of unmarked, white plates. The final leg of the taste-off was underway.

Before the taste-off, we all thought Roman Gourmet and Village Trattoria weren’t going to stand a chance against Arturo’s. How could you possibly beat a brick oven pie? The idea was unfathomable, even though we all vowed to be impartial. Six pies later, wouldn’t you know it; we were wrong.

In the end, we decided that Village Trattoria’s pizzas had the best of everything: a basil-dusted, flavorful sauce, a crispy-chewy-airy, thin crust, and a generous amount of toppings that when combined, really made its pies stand out from the pack. Not to mention that their cheese pie is, as one of the judges eloquently put it, “a screaming deal!”

The Roman Gourmet’s pies took silver. They are definitely an acceptable, totally fine option for your average slice of pizza. You won’t be disappointed, but you won’t write home about it either. You will, however, be very full. Their large pie is an enormous 18”!

As for Arturo’s, we gave them points for going more upscale with its ingredients, but ultimately we couldn’t get over their dry crust issues which one of the judges compared to matzo. The brick oven eatery placed third, and it was certainly a shocking turn of events for the tasting panel who had hoped the brick oven pizzeria would match its NYC Soho namesake (even though the two restaurants are not affiliated).

No matter which camp you’re in, the pizza makers at all three restaurants are friendly, good-spirited, and really take pride in their craft. Maplewood is lucky to have such a bevy of choices, and frankly, I’d never turn down a slice at any of them.

Here’s how the three Maplewood Village pizzerias stacked up:

Arturo’s Cheese Pizza ($11.95, large)

Sauce: Not much flavor, no bits of tomato, and too little of it

Crust: Thin, dry and “tastes like matzo”

Cheese: Generous amount of cheese, without being too much

Greasy factor: Not much (a good thing)

Slice tip droopage: Not much (a good thing)

Roman Gourmet’s Cheese Pizza ($11.68, large)

Sauce: Average flavor, bits of tomato, totally acceptable but not outstanding, decent coverage

Crust: Thin, average flavor, chewier than Arturo’s, a bit undercooked but ok

Cheese: Really thick layer that starts off melty-stringy, but gets pretty chewy as it cools down

Greasy factor: Crazy greasy, just like you’d find at most pizza places

Slice tip droopage: More than Arturo’s and what you’d usually find with an average NYC slice

*Village Trattoria’s Cheese Pie ($10.95, large) - WINNER

Sauce: Really good flavor, with bits of tomato and basil, good coverage

Crust: Thin, average flavor, with a nice crunch-to-chew consistency

Cheese: Generous amount of cheese without being too much

Greasy factor: Not much

Slice tip droopage: More than Arturo’s but less than Roman’s

Arturo’s Tartufi Pizza ($15.95, large/ sausage, mushrooms, and white truffle oil imported from Alba, Italy)

Sauce: Very strong truffle oil flavor which two of us liked and two didn’t, more liberal sauce distribution than on their cheese pie which was a plus

Crust: Still a problem. Dry, not much flavor.

Cheese/Toppings: Generous portion of meat, and a nice, gourmet upgrade of mushrooms

Greasy factor: Not much

Slice tip droopage: Not much. The slice held up.

Overall result: If you like truffle oil and can get past the crust issues, this is the pie for you. But meat lovers might be disappointed if they’re not truffle oil fans.

Roman Gourmet’s Super Special “The Works” Pizza ($17.95, large/ white button mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, onions, olives, pepperoni, and sausage; anchovies optional)

Sauce: Same average flavor as on their cheese pie.

Crust: Crispier on the bottom than their cheese pie. (There was a different pizza maker at the oven for this pie.) Has a nice crunch.

Cheese/Toppings: A lot of ingredients which were cut into HUGE pieces, which we unanimously agreed were way too big for bite-through hand-held, folded style.

Greasy factor: Not as much as their cheese pie, but still a factor for sure.

Slice tip droopage: Severe. This slice has a lot going on, and the weight of all the ingredients makes knife-and-forking it a definite consideration.

Overall result: This pie isn’t great, but it’s not bad either. It’s a middle-of-the road, consistent choice.

*Village Trattoria’s Kitchen Sink Pizza ($15.95, large/ white button mushrooms, green bell peppers, onions, pepperoni, sausage, and meatballs) — WINNER

Sauce: Same tasty basil-flecked concoction as on their cheese pie.

Crust: Again, fine/average in flavor and texture.

Cheese/Toppings: Generous amount of ingredients which were cut chunky-style, but not as big as Roman’s

Greasy factor: Some, but not a lot

Slice Tip Droopage: Severe. Definitely need to knife-and-fork it.