There are few pies that equal those at Matthew's. Some pizza joints excel through quality, others through creativity. This is where you take your friends from New York or Chicago. Start with the thick, crunchy/chewy crust. Add the chunky, lightly spiced sauce. Both are made fresh everyday. After that, it matters little what combination of cheese or other ingredients you put on top. In fact, the Original and one of the most popular pizzas at Matthew's eschews cheese and toppings entirely and lets you revel in the unadulterated joy of sauce and crust. If you want other toppings, you can get them, but you can easily start here, then work your way through the other menu selections first, which include the Popular (tomatoes and mozzarella), the Great White (cheese, sweet onions, no tomatoes) and Anna's Stuffed (just ask).

There are two sizes of pizza, small and large. Eat-in or get it to go. But if you grab it on the run, treat it carefully, because there are no boxes at Matthew's. Your pie will come clamshelled between two paper plates and wrapped in butcher paper. If you have the time, grab a table. The atmosphere is noteworthy because it is neither "gourmet" or dive. It's just a nice place that has been doing one thing uniquely well since the original Matthew, whose picture hangs on the back wall, opened the pizzeria in 1943. -- Tod Harrick

Categories: Foods-Carry Out, Restaurants, Pizza, Restaurants-Pizza

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