Papa DaVinci's: Late night Oakland's best kept secret

I've been eating almost nothing but Papa Davinci's in Pittsburgh since my last review of Oakland's primary pizza offerings. Maybe not because it's the best quality or the most authentic, but because it's a decent value, it simply tastes good, and when you really want pizza, it's impossible to imagine why you shouldn't go to Papa D's, whether it's for a quick meal or a late night binge. I even moved into a house right across the street.

Before I go into my review, I must make mention one caveat. When ordering the standard large cheese, it can be a gamble, as they seem to not care at all about the consistency of what would seemingly be the most commonly ordered pie. That said, when the large cheese is up to par(and it mostly is), everything I'll say still applies.

The cheese on this pizza is perfect. It tastes great and has a wonderful stretchy quality that occasionally forces you to slurp it up like a spaghetti noodle. At the same time, the sauce to cheese ratio is almost perfect. It looks very appetizing when you open the box, and it doesn't disappoint when you take your first bite.

The most notable flaw, however, is the crust. It's just a bit flat, and I always feel left with a desire for something a little fluffier to dip in my ranch--which, by the way, they provide without even having to be asked, granting them bonus points. And for a large pizza that only costs $6.99 and includes a 32 oz. drink, it eventually seems unreasonable to worry about wanting something like 2 additional millimeters of crust.

A thing Papa D's does really well, if you're willing to spend the extra cash, is their gourmet pizzas. A favorite among my roommates and I is their chicken ranchero, which if you're unfamiliar with this pizza, comes topped with chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and three cheeses, with ranch instead of tomato sauce underneath the cheese. Just about every gourmet pizza Papa D's makes guarantees you an excellent pizza experience. The gourmets are slightly messy, however, which somehow makes it more delicious, but it easily turns on you if you drop a hot slice on your bare chest.

As I said before, Papa Davinci's doesn't do anything spectacular with their pizzas, they just do what they do well enough to satisfy any pizza craving anyone might develop, especially late at night.

And not to mention, I can't imagine something I'd rather eat while moping with a friend about a girl. It's something in the sauce I think.

-Nick McColey