What's Cyber Monday? In Portland, it's apparently Pizza Monday since we have a hot batch of pizza-related news today.
The Oregonian's Michael Russell reviews SE Division's Pizza Maria, which is helmed by Sean Coyne, the opening baker at Thomas Keller's Per Se in New York and the former head baker at Grand Central Bakery. Russell gives the sleek pizzeria a solid two stars, wisely calling the fresh-ricotta-topped crostini "a star among the starters" and proclaiming the best pies are those that "embrace super-seasonal ingredients." In particular he deems the Brussels sprout-guanciale pie "outstanding."
Russell also offers his take on the best pizzerias of 2014, rounding up a list of five newcomers, plus one old-timer (Lovely's Fifty Fifty) that's been perked up by a new pizzaiolo.
Clearly pizza is on everyone's radar because Ben Tepler at Portland Monthly dropped a similar roundup today, calling out his top-three new pizzerias, which, no surprise, overlap with Russell's list: Atlas, Pizza Maria, and East Glisan Pizza Lounge.
We'd be remiss if we didn't tell you that tonight is the last night to experience the PREAM Monday night pizza at Ned Ludd. The duo behind the weekly popup is putting PREAM on hiatus as they get ready to open their permanent digs in SE Portland by early next year. Ned Ludd will still offer pizza nights on Mondays, but with a different flair.
And PREAM isn't the only new pizza place opening in the near future. Fire and Stone is opening in the Beaumont neighborhood later this month. Hot Lips Pizza is also scurrying to open it's Hollywood location by the end of the year. Mark Doxtader of Tastebud is working on opening his full-service restaurant in Multnomah Village by early 2015. And Tommy Habetz is aiming to get his East-Coast-style Moon Pizza open in SE Portland early next year, as well.