At the suggestion of a friend, I popped in here after having lunch down the street at Espresso Bakery to try some pastizzi. They had two kinds: (1) corned beef with peas and (2) ricotta. I bought four of the corned beef and it totalled just over $6.00.
The verdict is that the pastry itself was very flaky, had a nice texture (not too soft), and was not greasy. The filing was a bit of a disappointment though as the meat to peas ratio was 25% meat versus 75% peas. I told the friend who recommended it about the filing. He said that his Maltese friend told him it's supposed to be prepared that way (not like a beef patty). He said that the ricotta pastizzis are so much better. Having said that, I plan to go back and try the ricotta!
I think these little pastizzis would be definite crowd pleasers - great for potlucks, treats for the office, and/or a host/hostess gift. Plus, they're inexpensive and reheat well in the microwave without losing their integrity.