Dining Pick of the Week: East Side Pizza
East Side Pizza
Boca Park, 1000 S. Rampart Blvd. at West Charleston Avenue; 702-944-1300
Start with dough imported from the East Coast, add homemade pizza sauce and Grande cheese, and you have one of the best pizzas in town. The hand-tossed, New York-style thin-crust pies (gluten-free pizzas are available) can be made with all the familiar toppings along with specialty pizzas such as chicken artichoke, veggie, The Fenway (green peppers, onions, sausage), North End (no sauce, mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, olive oil, garlic), chicken Marsala and Meat Lovers with pepperoni, salami, meatballs and sausage. Pasta entrees include ravioli, penne a la vodka, tortellini with three Italian cheeses, diced prosciutto, peas and garlic, penne Caprese, baked ziti and lasagna with layers of seasoned ground beef, ricotta, mozzarella and marinara sauce. There are calzones (New York or Boston style) and hot and cold sandwiches on 9-inch Italian rolls, such as Bambino (hot meatball sub), The Duke (Italian sausage, grilled onions, green peppers) and chicken or eggplant Parmesan. Among the appetizers are calamari fritti, meatball sliders, stuffed mushrooms, and hot or cold antipasto platters. Popular desserts are tiramisu, fried dough, Italian ices, Cinnamon Bites and Manhattan Truffle. Pizzas begin at $12.99, and pasta entrees start at $6.99. East Side Pizza is open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
