Ok, time for another pizza review....it's been a while.
This time I decided to get some curbside pickup form Maipai on Barton St. East. If you haven't heard of Maipai it's one of Hamilton's finest new wave pizza joints and a fine addition to the list. It's part tiki bar, part Hamilton hip, part Nicolas Cage fan club. I can't even try to explain all of this. It feels like Stefon from SNL might hang out here. Oh, did I mention they have great pizza?
I order the Pepperoni Pile on, it's the closest to my pepperoni only policy. Well aloha there! This one's a beauty.
It's Detroit style which means it's square with sauce on top, cheese on the bottom. I'm still not sure the difference between Detroit style, Sicilian style and a Grandma slice. I think they're all basically similar. I'll figure it out one day.
First bite, ohhhh this is a good one. It's like a luau in my mouth. The little pepperoni cups are some of the best I've had. The sauce is marinara, I could put that sauce on just about anything, it's not your typical pizza sauce. The crust is crunchy and caramelized from baking in a pan. A little bit of Ricotta on top balances everything nicely. The dough is bready but still light. Finally, there is a drizzle of spicy honey on top. Crunchy, chewy, salty, spicy, savoury, sweet, this one has it all.
The score....... 8.1.
It's not the best in the city but deserves to be in the conversation. $19 for 4 squares is a bit steep but it's worth it. This isn't an every week pizza. Also, you'll have to order well in advance, like 24 hours before, to be sure that you'll get an order. They do limited numbers and sell out every day.
Once we're allowed to visit I can see myself slinging back a few tiki cocktails and having a couple slices. This place is here to stay.
That's a review! Nice to be back.
