PIZZA PLACE 43 Broad Street Westerly, RI 401-348-1803

One of the best places to people watch in Downtown Westerly is the Pizza Place. With soaring floor to ceiling windows looking out to Dixon Square and the library, you’ll be certain to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Westerly moving quietly by. Inside Pizza Place, you’ll feel... well, outside. The interior is spacious with awnings reminiscent of an open air market covering the pizza prep area, where it is entertaining, especially for children, to watch as your pizza is being prepared.It is one of the best atmospheres for family dining in the area; a fun, relaxed place with great energy. Pizza Place has the menu you’d expect with a few twists thrown in to keep things interesting. But, as its namesake suggests, you come for the pizza. On the menu you can read about how Pizza Place is different from other pizzerias; it uses an oven at a very high temp to give its crust extra bite. But, the proof is in the product... I’ve had some of the specialty pizzas here in the past and always been pleased, though the garlic in the pizza sauce can sometimes be overwhelming. On this day, I decided to try something a little different. As a child growing up in Oregon, my parents used to take me to a pizzeria known for miles and miles for its Hawaiian pizza. I thought I’d give Pizza Place a shot at matching up. I’ve tried others in the past, but none have compared. That is, until I my pizza arrived. It’s no secret that Pizza Place has incredible crust, thin and crispy, it is arguably the best in Westerly. But it was the simple mix of toppings that won me over with Pizza Place’s Hawaiian pizza. The secret here is not over-doing it. Just enough pineapple for a hint of sweetness balanced by thin slices of lean Canadian bacon provided a subtle mixture of flavors that allowed the crust to share the spotlight. Since the Hawaiian pizza was a white pizza had no sauce, I was also able to return to work without buying a package of breath mints first. Very nice. I also ordered Pizza Place’s Chicken Parmesan. The chicken itself was very good with nice flavor, but the tomato sauce was a little too sweet for my taste. Still enjoyable, just don’t compare it to what you’ll find on Federal Hill or in mom’s cucina. The salad that accompanied it was remarkably fresh with tomato and raw mushrooms. The creamy Italian dressing was a bit bland (was all the garlic used in the tomato sauce?) but it was very good just the same. With the parm, I tried Pizza Place’s Focaccia bread. It looked like a plain pizza crust on arrival, but one taste proved it to be anything but plain. Airy and crisp with olive oil, parmesan, cheese, and rosemary sprinkled on top, this is a real winner. Don’t miss out on this if you plan to visit. Outstanding. To finish, I tried a slice of Oreo cookie pie. Made by a company called Sweet Street, it failed to compare with other freshly made desserts in the area, but it will satisfy your sweet tooth and chocolate “jones.” Put it all together and I really enjoyed my experience at Pizza Place. A friendly, lively stop on any tour of Downtown Westerly.