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Upper Crust thin crust pizza is a growing trend in Boston area
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The tradition of tossing the pizza dough is always fun to watch.
“When you love a pizza, you’re going to go back for more,” says Michael Buchhalter, franchise owner of Salem's Upper Crust pizzeria.
And that’s what the success of Upper Crust is all about.
In 2001, Jordan Tobins brought the simple concept of traditional Neapolitan-style pizza (thin crust, chunky sauce) to an urban setting and founded the Upper Crust Pizzeria, opening in a small storefront on Beacon Hill’s historic Charles Street.
Today, there are 14 locations, including Brookline, Newbury Street, Harvard Square, Lexington and Waltham. Buchhalter, who in October 2007 opened the franchise in Salem, is due to open a few more within the next year.
The upscale pizzeria, which also offers calzone and freshly made lasagna, is, in fact, a great fit for the growing area of Salem, and it’s a business where you can sit in and enjoy the upscale atmosphere of the open-air kitchen, watching the pizza makers roll and toss the dough, old style, while watching one of three plasma TVs in the dining area. And you can relax with a glass of wine or beer while you dine, or as you wait for your takeout.
Says Buchhalter, “Our customers have pride in the fact that this is their pizza place. Whether it’s Friday night or whenever they want to get pizza for their family, this is their spot.”
Many are discovering the sophisticated pizzeria, which, at first glance, appears on the outside to be a fine dining restaurant.
Kaitlin Melanson, of Woburn, says, “I actually just had my first Upper Crust experience last week! I have to say it one of the best pizzas I have had in a long time. We had a couple different kinds, but I was actually most impressed with the cheese. I felt they took the typical cheese pizza to the next level, mainly because of the sauce, which has chunks of garlicky tomatoes. And the crust was fantastic. Most places that do thin crust end up burning it, but this was perfectly cooked. I’m a fan.”
Relative to other pizza places, Upper Crust has so many options for people who want to be able to choose exactly what they want and get it. And the design is appealing enough to want to stay.
“Every detail is extensive,” says Buchhalter. “We wanted the wood, the stainless steel, the open kitchen — something beautiful, not something that can just be used.”
Every child that comes in gets a piece of dough to play with — not a novelty, but it works. On top of that, though, the kids can stand over by the open kitchen area and watch their pizza being made, all within eyeshot of their parents, who can relax in the open seating area with a glass of wine or beer.
Says the owner, who has two different-colored eyes (two blue eyes with one that has a burst of golden brown, “like a Siberian husky,” he says laughing), “We’re not trying to be more than what we are. I think in this time, in this economy, where everyone’s watching what they spend, we allow someone to get exactly what they want — and not spend a ton.”
Any day is a good day for pizza, either as a lunch, for $3 a slice — a slice the size of three slices — with a side Caesar salad and a small bottle of Pellegrino — all for under $10, or for dinner, where kids can order cheese pizza ($15 for a large) while adults can enjoy their vino with a more palette-pleasurable pie, such as a roasted red pepper, asiago cheese pizza.
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