Writing about your choice of pizza places can be rather difficult, because that’s when the pie purists and deep dish dough-brains always want to throw in their opinions as to who makes the best circular piece of bread with cheese on it. Well my response to you is to simply keep it to yourself this time. This is about me, it’s always been about me, that’s what I told all my exes and that’s what I’m telling the readers now. I’m not here to crown the number one pizza joint in the world; it would take me months from Chicago to all five boroughs to establish the reigning champ. So let’s slow down and simply take in what this particular restaurant has to offer.

From the beginning, you’ll have my attention if you have outside seating, but its so hard to do up in the northeast, it’s either the temperature of the sun, it’s raining or there’s five feet of snow hindering your enjoyment of the patio furniture, so I guess we’ll just focus on the indoor ambiance…yeah, ambiance.

To picture it in your mind, huge ceilings, old school brick and wood decor, friendly on the eyes lighting, a nice bar with all the wines and spirits you either cant pronounce or can’t afford, and an open kitchen to entertain the lame couple that can’t entertain themselves. Now that brings up something that I should make note of while dining at 900 Degrees, this is not a fast paced culinary sweatshop. The pizza is wood grilled and prepared from scratch with fresh/correct ingredients that give you a feeling that effort was put into creating your food. So while you’re waiting twenty minutes for your pie to roll out, have a drink or an app, maybe strike up a conversation with that hopefully interesting person you brought along. If you expect everything immediately and at your fingertips, you may be quite disappointed when your lady friend shows up with makeup resembling a melted Crayola and smashing her face into a left out bag of potato flour while hastily running out the door and still smelling like another man’s sofa…wait a few extra minutes for your food.

            The menu may have your typical cheesy catchwords like ‘Tuscan’ or ‘Rustic’, but all that is quickly forgiven once you lay into the thin, sort of crunchy and aromatic ‘Bella Cosa’ pie that’s just been delivered to your table on an elevated serving dish so when you stare at the pizza, it stares back lovingly. You can create your own custom pie, but don’t bother; there are already enough awesome combinations on the menu to tie you over as soon as you open it. All the dish names are quite cozy and Italian, but I do take humorous offence with ‘Pompeii’. I’m so glad that the horrific death of thousands of Roman’s has inspired a jalapeno and hot sausage pizza. Bon-appetite, Lava Surfers! At least this volcano pizza is available in gluten-free dough. So it all evens out in the end.

            From before the pizza with mussels and Tuscan Spicy Wings, to after the pizza with Toasted Almond Cream Cake, it’s a good time out food-wise. But if your looking for a deal, because you’re a cheap bastard, well try to drag some friends out on a Tuesday for a buy one pizza, get another free, there’s also happy hour at the bar from 3-6pm.

            I like to rate my movies, but I don’t like to rate my food, all I know is that 900 Degrees is really tasty stuff and I think you should go there too. Check out their menu, specials and list of events at their website. My recommendation, try anything with artichokes or Kalamata olives on it. That could be the dessert, but I guess you won’t know until you go there.

www.900Degrees.com                                                                                 

50 Dow Street 

Manchester, NH                                                                                      

1-603-641-0900