Pini's Pizzeria

The Zsa-Zsa, and other 'za

by Sarah Lariviere

on the cheap

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When you pay less than eight bucks for a large pizza, you're usually getting a lousy pie. But at Pini's Pizzeria, $8 buys you pizza on a higher plane. Even the most basic ingredients are winners -- the fresh broccoli, the hot cherry peppers, the sausage. Pini's regulars go for the specials: the "Zsa Zsa" is a triple-cheese bombshell with abundant garlic, fresh-cut tomatoes, and just enough crust to girdle her. The "Spicy Buffalo Chicken" pie is topped with aggressively seasoned chunks of chicken in a zingy sauce of blue cheese and tomatoes. Don't believe the rumor that Pini's pizzas never soak through the box; that's demonstrably untrue, at least for the pepperoni, but would you have it any other way?

Pini's is a long-time secret of Tufts students, but you can get free delivery anywhere in Medford or Somerville. The pizzas arrive at an astounding speed -- often about 20 minutes, even at dinnertime. If you live outside the city lines, you can drive to Pini's yourself; it's a cheery, if stark-white, space that seats 10.

Pini's Pizzeria, located at 511 Broadway, on the Somerville-Medford line, is open Monday through Wednesday from 4 to 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 11 p.m. Call (617) 628-8668 or (781) 395-2664.

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