There is a tiny pizza shop on India Street with unique style. Portland Pie Company’s goal is right on the back of their menu: To stand out from the thousands of other pizza shops in town, written by owners Steve Freese and Nat Getchell.
They offer specialty pizzas that in my opinion top the rest. They make a variety of flavored pizza dough and top them with specialty toppings. You can have one of their specialty pizzas or you build your own. A friend and I went in to try these unique pies recently.
Specializing in takeout, Portland Pie’s dining area contains only one small picnic table and the counter behind which two young workers were busy. There was no line this trip so we sat down to look at the extensive menu before ordering.
I ordered the Shipyard Special: fresh spinach, broccoli, garlic and tomato sauce with fetta and mozzarella cheese ($9.50) with a garlic-flavored crust. They offer original, wheat, garlic, 6-grain, sun dried tomato basil and beer crust, made with various Maine microbrews. Prices for a 12-inch pie range from $8.50 to $10.50. A 16″ runs anywhere from $13.50 to $16.50.
Other specials include Moosehead Pie: onions, mushrooms, green peppers, sausage and pepperoni with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella ($10.50), Nor’easter: blue cheese dressing, covered with boneless buffalo chicken, mozzarella cheese and celery ($9.50) and The Old Port: lots of pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.
My friend decided to build his own pie. He went with green peppers, pepperoni and marinated chicken piled high atop a beer-flavored crust. We also tried an order of breadsticks ($3.80). His 12″ pizza was $6.50 and each additional topping was $1.25.
The list of toppings is endless including tempting selections like pesto, kalamata olives, spinach, caramelized onions, proscuitto ham and many more. They also make sandwiches and salads. All their ingredients are fresh and one step above the rest.
Once home with the aromatic pizza, we dug in. The blend of fetta and mozzarella cheese on my pizza blended well with the spinach and broccoli. The crust was crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.
The other pizza was also tasty. The chicken made the pie, adding flair to the more traditional toppings. Our bread sticks were still warm when we tried them and had a great baked-in garlic flavor. After eating only three slices and a few sticks, we were stuffed. We looked forward to the leftovers!
Portland Pie Company makes their specialty dough balls in a factory owned jointly by them and the catering company Audrey Zaharas in Old Orchard Beach. The dough, called It’ll Be Pizza, can be purchased separately.
It’s all the unusual toppings and unique flavor ideas that set this place aside from the rest. But it’s also the effort the company puts into using the freshest ingredients that makes one come back for more. I know I will, again and again!
Staff Writer Katie Gallagher can be contacted at: [email protected]