karl W.
Google
Have a seat.. we're going for a ride.. 'cause Stumpy's Pizza, yeah, it's kinda special.
There are places.. people.. things.. that somehow help you find something you didn't realize was lost.. and these places.. these people.. these things.. are special in ways that are hard to describe. That's Stumpy's Pizza.
Stumpy's is a simple spot.. one of an eclectic set of establishments in a strip along Northern Avenue. They serve pizza.. by the slice or as whole pies.. and subs along with fountain drinks and snacks. If you dine in, the paper plates and styrofoam cups tell you everything you need to know.. this joint doesn't care about pretense.. it's nothing special.. and yet so special!
I stopped in for a late lunch and was warmly welcomed by the counter staff. Ordering was simple and efficient.. the counter staff patiently answering questions about the menu and prep. I went for their 2 slices/2 toppings special.. you get to pick any two toppings for each of the two slices.. and it was a deal!
It was a slow afternoon and the pizza was served up reasonably fast. Large, dare I say, NY-style slices.. each one generously topped with it's own unique pair of toppings.. olives and basil on one.. meatballs and sausage on the other.. were freshly baked! How in hell does anyone serve up freshly baked slices of pizza with toppings to order?!
The thin bottom bread was just enough to support the sauce, cheese and topping once you folded the nicely-baked spine.. again, NY style. The bread, sauce and cheese anchored the pizza perfectly. The cheese was fresh and perfectly warm and stretchy.
The generous toppings were fresh and flavorful.. and the meat had an awesome char on the very edges from the oven's fire. For my taste, the slice with olives and basil edged out the slice with meatball and sausage.. the freshly picked basil seemed like it was sliced and added just before serving and really added to the experience. I swear they must be growing this stuff out back!
Fountain beverages and cookies and crispies were available to round out the meal.. if you're lucky, you may get to try the cannoli.
So how does a run-of-the-mill strip pizzeria serving anything but run-of-the-mill pizza become something really special? Well that requires a story.
Growing up just outside of New York in the late 70s/early 80s was an adventure. We made our own way and often broke with convention.
My friends and I would occasionally sneak off our high school campus at lunch. We would head down the strip to a mom-and-pop pizzeria.. they were everywhere.. as common back then as certain cafes are today. We would order a slice and a soda, settle into one of the hard red laminate booths and tell stories and laugh before returning to campus in time for our afternoon classes.
There was nothing legit about it but we kinda felt that it was a case of 'no harm, no foul' and that pizzeria, despite being nothing special, was special to us.. a place we could tell stories and laugh... a place we could leave the rest of the world behind.
As I walked away from Stumpy's that afternoon all of those memories came rushing back.
To look at Stumpy's you would think it's nothing special.. but their pizza is top notch.. and if you get nothing else out of it, you can't go wrong.
For me, Stumpy's is something really special.. is a place where my friends and I can go not just for really great pizza.. it's a place we can tell stories and laugh.. a place we can.. maybe.. just maybe.. leave the rest of the world behind.
