I had a friend visiting town recently and I very much wanted to take her out to eat in Boston’s North End for a delicious Italian lunch. This was a bit of a challenge with the window of time we had to work with however. We did not have enough time for site seeing and a full sit-down meal during lunchtime before she had to leave for other obligations. What to do? Simple. Bring her to a Regina Pizzeria location.

Regina Pizza (or Pizzeria Regina as it is also commonly called) was opened in the North End in 1926. It is a sit-down restaurant serving brick oven pizza. They later opened satellite “quick service” pizzeria stands across eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire. One of these is found in the tourist mecca of Faneuil Hall.

After a full morning of touring Fenway Park and taking in historic sites along the Freedom Trail, we ordered up some slices at Faneuil Hall and brought them outside for a quick re-fueling and to give our feet a rest before continuing on our way. My friend went with the standard two cheese slice and drink combo while I went with a slice from one of the day’s special pies – Hawaiian.

I am familiar with the Pizzeria Regina name and brand. I have heard that their pizza is high quality deliciousness. But I had never sampled a slice before. Boy have I been missing out! Thin crust of powdery dough of the perfect crispness topped with a sauce that should be poured over pasta, fresh basil and thinly sliced Canadian bacon, juicy chunks of pineapple and cheese that is bold enough to stand out amongst it all. I was hungry enough to wolf it down but I took my time enjoying every bite instead. The slice was large enough for my appetite but two would have been better. My friend was equally pleased with her slices of cheese.

Regina Pizza makes their own dough, sauce and cheese. They use fresh and local ingredients for their toppings every day (though I’m pretty sure the pineapple was not grown in Boston). They have been doing this for a long time. And they are very good at making pizza – the best I have had in a long time. The service is strong – outgoing personalities eager to please. They also provide curbside pickup at no extra charge at many of their pizzerias and the original restaurant in the North End.

Speaking of the North End, we did find time to take a stroll through that wonderfully vibrant neighborhood before my friend had to leave me. Not enough time to sit and eat, but certainly enough time to pop in to Lulu’s for a cupcake dessert.

I’m glad that Regina Pizza serves up slices across the city and suburbs. I’m glad I had a reason to finally give them a try. I sure do wish they delivered to Natick!

Original North End Location:
Regina Pizza
11 ½ Thatcher Street
Boston, MA 02113
(617) 227-0765
www.reginapizzeria.com

plus 17 Pizzerias and 3 Polcari affiliated restaurants serving the same delicious slices and pies

Post by and photos credited to Molly G.

Find out what Molly is doing when she’s not eating @ The Bumbles Blog.