Mmm, Pizza

Ok, ok, I know I'm the slacker blogger in this relationship, but since I don't have a kitchen, nor the funds (nor time) to go out for food very much, I feel like I'm justified. Phew. Good to have that off my chest. On to the good stuff...

I had (free) dinner tonight at Pizzeria Paradiso, a cute semi-casual pizza and pasta place downtown. Its a little off the main drag, so I imagine it gets most of its business from people who actually live here, as opposed to those of us (ahem Smith College students) who just like to think we do. (I also think this place suffers because nobody can remember where the 'ia's and 'io's go in its name-- Is it Pizza Paradisio? Or Pizzeria Paradiso? Or some combination there of?) Because I was with a big group o' folks, we split 8 or so pizzas and I had tastes of three of them-- but of course, I don't really remember what each of them was. One was all white-cheesy goodness with big roasted mushrooms on top-- shitakes, criminis, the whole works. That was probably my favorite, for its mushroomy amazingness (and the fact that, were I to order it again, I would not have to share it with Ant). Another was, I think, a BLT pizza, with plenty of fresh tomato sauce, prosciutto, and something green- arugula, perhaps? And the third that I got a bite of was a fairly basic margherita, except it had a light, sweet balsamic glaze on it that gave it that BBQ-y tang that I like so much. Each pizza's crust was thin and light without being too crispy to enjoy. Some pizza places are known for their crust, and while Paradiso's is fine, its not particularly memorable.


In addition, I got a salad which was baby spinach, thinly sliced granny smith apples, blue cheese crumbles, walnuts, and roasted red peppers, with a walnuty/garlicy vinagarette. I really like walnuts and apples in my salad, although the red peppers defintely stood out, and not in that "you get a gold star" kind of way. They were oddly textured for the salad, too strong, and entirely too savory. Replace them with dried cranberries, and we would have been in business.

All in all, a good meal, satisying, and best of all, free. If you run out of other places to eat in NoHo, its a predictably solid meal.

12 Crafts Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
Pizzeria Paradiso