The melancholy when your childhood favorite finally gets bested. It's thrilling but heartbreaking and Stone is that for me--the Burgh's new #1, ending Aiello's 15 year reign.
It's not the decor or service that does it--Aiello's cramped fluorescent "dining room" and stacked pizza boxes have more charm, and so do the jibes you get from the jokers working there. By comparison, Stone's cafeteria service and decor is as bland as the clean metal tables and transparent as the glass walls. Doesn't help that it was empty on Friday at happy hour.
But Stone has beer, and even if it's only Peroni we all know that's a winning combo. And Stone's pizza is just better, plain and simple. The perfect crust is charred well and chewy. The four cheese steals the show, plenty of gorgonzola. It's a white pizza unfortunately, so eat fast or it'll dry out, but it'll stay hot the whole time--sauce cools first. The proscuitto and funghi is another winner and all ingredients work. Meat is definitely fresh and the crust again rocks. More sauce to improve it.
The city of champs has a new champ.