By Keegan Donoghue ’22
The Ledger recently reviewed a local pizza shop, Panini Pizza. To adequately review said pizza, we will use the pepperoni grading system. Ex. 5 stars = 5 pepperonis. Panini Pizza is located in the plaza on Dodge Street in Beverly. Walking into the shop, you can smell the scent of fresh food wafting through the air as the pizzas spin on the warming tray.
Beginning with the plain cheese pizza: The crust was a perfect mixture of texture, soft and warm on the inside with a delightfully crispy shell. The cheese was- cheese. Admirably portioned, not too little, and not too much. Finally, the sauce was a tangy concoction of tomato and herbs, wonderfully complementing the dough and toppings. In my humble pizza taste tester’s opinion, I give this pizza 4.5/5 pepperoni slices.
For the next pizza, we got a gluten-free Hawaiian (pineapple and ham) with- here’s the bad part- no cheese. I have tried many gluten-free pizzas in my days, but this was one of the best. The crust was fluffy with a slight aftertaste of pita bread; no complaints. The sauce was the same as the first, delicious. And the cheese- um actually… The ham and pineapple were cut up into bite-sized shapes and it was all cooked to perfection. This pizza gets 4/5 pepperoni slices.
Overall, Panini Pizza is a delightful option for all kinds of pizza. From first-time pizza goers to exceptional pizza connoisseurs, Panini has something for everybody.
Image source: lovethesauce.com (Panini’s website)
