My name is Margherita like the pizza, and this spring I decided to set on a mission to try 10 Margherita pizzas within a walking distance from campus (defined as two-mile walk). My pizza-reviewing qualifications include being Italian, ordering only Margherita pizzas for almost two decades, and a passion for carbs. Check out my ranked list of pizzas (from worst to best) and their dorm equivalents.

Disclaimer: Pizza preferences are personal (e.g some strange people like crunchy pizzas).

10. Fumo – Hartley ($15)

Like Hartley, Fumo is a homey place. It’s famous for its $10 Sunday pasta special and proximity to campus. Like Hartley’s facilities, however, the mechanics of the pizza are just not there. The pizza was not doughy at all, more like a flatbread, and the sauce was too salty. But alas, maybe pizza is just not Fumo’s specialty.

*forgot picture

9. Koronets – Carman ($5)

Carman, the so-called freshman party  dorm, is shiny on the outside but sloppy and cold hearted on the inside. Unfortunately, similar things can be said about Koronets. The place is flashy and famous for its huge pizza slices and late night hours; however, the pizza itself is crunchy and unremarkable in its sauce and cheese. To make matters worse, I spotted a small piece of broccoli on my MARGHERITA pizza. A careful observer may identify said broccoli in the image above.

8. Famiglia – John Jay ($5)

Like John Jay, Famiglia is there for you at an optimal location with solid performance. The pizza is not burnt like Koronets and the tomato, while clearly not homemade, is juicy and enjoyable. Unfortunately, Famiglia messes up my name. The PRINTED menu lists MARGARITA pizza. 

*so hungry forgot to get a picture

7. Pie Pie Pizzeria ($4) – Wallach

Pie Pie Pizzeria is Famiglia’s cuter younger sibling like Wallach to John Jay. Like Famiglia, Pie Pie shows poor spelling skills, sporting Margarita pizza on the menu. Pie Pie has an edge over Famiglia with less herby tomato sauce, breadier crust, and fresh basil. The cheese tastes slightly plasticky but it blends well with the sauce. 

*cheese pizza pictured above—so hungry I took a picture of someone else’s pizza by accident

6. Mama’s Too – Furnald ($4)

Like Furnald Hall, Mama’s Too is a clean version of other freshman dorms. Just like Furnald has its quirks, Mama’s Too keeps it fresh by adding parmesan on its pizza (riskyyy), and a mountain of fresh basil (see for yourself). They went even more extra calling this the “house slice” instead of Margherita. Like Furnald, Mama’s Too is quite a mixed experience. On some bites all the ingredients come together beautifully while in others you just get a dry crunch of burnt dough. As they say about Furnald, I guess it’s what you make of it.

5. 314  – Schapiro ($12)

While this pizza had several flaws, burnt places and unsatisfying crust, something struck me as very homey like Schapiro. The large mozzarella pieces tasted especially milky fresh and the tomato sauce was on point. 314 is a nice option for pizza that’s only a short walk from Mudd.

4. Bettolona $14 – Wien

Like Wien, Bettolona is a fine option that just ranks below Ortomare. Ortomare and Bettolona have a similar crunchy feel and pleasing tomato sauce. The mozzarella had the right texture but tasted somewhat bland. 

3. Ortomare – Woodbridge ($14)

Like Woodbridge, Ortomare is an enjoyable option at a reasonable distance. Ortomare had all the characteristics of a great pizza except for the fluffy edges. This pizza was definitely more crunchy than some others but it did not taste burnt.