OTTO and Maine Root: A match made in heaven

Posted on October 5, 2017 by elshepherd

What is it that makes Maine so special? Many point to its natural beauty, or the pioneering spirit of its people. Maine is a place where people work hard, fueled by a fierce independence and perseverance.

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It’s a place where two guys frustrated by the uninspired state of pizza decided to put mashed potato on theirs in a tiny slice shop in 2009. It’s a place where another guy got tired of serving too many bad root beers in his restaurant, and set out to make his own. It’s a place where small ideas and a dogged pursuit of excellence have changed the way people think about food.

We’re proud to announce that OTTO is now serving Maine Root’s certified Fair Trade organically-sweetened sodas in every location in Maine and Massachusetts.

Try a Ginger Brew paired with our Pulled Pork & Mango, a Blueberry Soda with our Butternut Squash, Cranberry & Ricotta, or Mexicane Cola with our Chicken, Caramelized Pears & Fontina.

So many flavors to pair with so many flavors!

It’s a match made in Maine.

OTTO wins ‘Best Pizza – Gourmet’ in Boston A-List Awards

Posted on September 21, 2017 by elshepherd

VotingPlatformLogo We were thrilled and humbled to learn today that OTTO was voted ‘Best Pizza’ in the ‘Gourmet’ category of the 2017 Boston A-List Awards, presented by WGBH. In addition to this honor, we placed third in the ‘Best Pizza – Slices’ category.

As an independent pizzeria born in Portland, ME just eight years ago, it means a lot to feel the Boston love. It’s been a short 6 years since we opened our shop in Harvard Square (our Coolidge Corner and BU locations opened within the next 12-18 months), and we are have enjoyed every minute of it. The people who make up these vibrant and engaged communities inspire us every single day.

With half of our shops, and half of our employees, rooted in Massachusetts, it truly is our other home. We love these communities, and we are so grateful that they seem to like us back.

Thank you, Boston!

Our Portland Arts District location has re-opened!

Posted on September 8, 2017 by elshepherd

We are pleased to announce that, after three weeks of closure due to water damage, our original shop at 576 Congress Street will re-open at 5pm on Friday, September 8!

Stop in for a quick slice to-go, join us in our full-service dining room (and bar), or lounge in our next-door sister bar, ENZO. (And enjoy outdoor dining while you still can!)

We appreciate the outpouring of support we received from the community (and beyond!) while we were recovering from the damage. We are so fortunate to be part of such a vibrant, diverse, and caring community — it reminds us why we do what we do.

We are so thrilled to be back, and we’d love to see you. Come on down!

Enjoy OTTO at Maine Craft Distilling’s Public House in Freeport

Posted on September 7, 2017 by elshepherd

Fall is in the air, and we can’t think of anything more inviting than enjoying locally distilled spirits and craft cocktails over a Mashed Potato, Bacon & Scallion pie in the cozy interior of Maine Craft Distilling‘s Public House in Freeport, Maine.

On Fridays, from 4-7pm and Saturdays from 12-7pm, OTTO will be on site, serving select signature pies freshly baked in the Public House’s 2nd floor kitchen.

The Maine Craft Distilling Public House is conveniently located in the historic Mallet building at 7 Mill Street on the edge of Freeport Village, between Old Navy and the Nordica Theater. There is plenty of parking located directly in front of the building.

Whether a respite from fall shopping, a pre- or post-movie noshing, or a night out in Freeport, we’ve got the bases covered.

Come on down to the house. We look forward to seeing you. 15317769_642618455918583_4262705624348645715_n

Gluten-free pizza just got a whole lot more delicious

Posted on July 17, 2017 by elshepherd

Since 2009, OTTO has strived to elevate the pizza experience. It starts with the ingredients — high quality, local when possible, and the toppings — creative and comforting. For years our crust has been winning over pizza aficionados everywhere. While we’ve been making our own dough daily for quite some time, we’ve historically sourced our gluten-free dough from others.

While our gluten-free pies have received high praise, we concluded that the only way to truly do it right was to make our own. We’re proud to introduce our very own gluten-free dough. It bakes thin and crispy, and tastes like real pizza crust. We love it.

OTTO’s new gluten free dough is now available at any location — in-house, takeout, or delivery.

Our new gluten-free dough is made in our very own bakery, in its own gluten-free room, and is continuously tested to ensure it exceeds FDA requirements for gluten-free labeling.

OTTO’s new gluten-free dough is vegan, and contains no GMOs, no gums, and no nuts or tree nuts.

Ingredients: rice flour, potato, millet, tapioca, plant fiber, cane sugar, light brown sugar, molasses, salt, ascorbic acid, cellulase, water, canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, and yeast

While the dough is gluten-free, our current kitchen operations cannot guarantee that each hand-tossed pizza will not come in contact with trace amounts of gluten. Therefore, we can only recommend our gluten-free pizza to those with milder gluten sensitivities, and not for those who have been diagnosed with celiac disease.

We look forward to hearing what you think of our new gluten-free dough. Let us know!

Peaks Island Pizza Delivery – Maiden Voyage

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Lindsey

On Wednesday, July 12th, OTTO took her maiden pizza delivery voyage to Peaks Island! It was hands-down a hit, with islanders lining up to pick up their pies and enjoy them at home with family and friends.

If you missed out on this week’s Peaks Island delivery, we will be delivering to the ferry landing at 5:30 PM every Wednesday until August 30th!

Call 207-358-7870 by 3 PM on Wednesdays to place your order.

*$5 delivery charge + 18% gratuity per order.

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‘Your Pie-To-Try’ Kids’ Cooking Class in Lynnfield

Posted on June 29, 2017 by Lindsey

On June 25th, we held our first ever “Your Pie-To-Try” Kids’ Cooking Class at our Lynnfield location! The inaugural students enjoyed learning about the pizza-making process from two of our stellar employees, David and Kiki who taught them to stretch, toss, and top their own pies before sitting down to enjoy their pizza creations.

If you’re looking for a fun summer activity for the kids, then consider signing them up for one of our next two Sunday classes on July 2nd and July 9th! Please email David at davida@ottoportland.com or register in-store to sign-up for one of our next pizza-making classes. Classes run from 10 AM – 11 AM with space for up to 10 children ages 12 & under.

Apart from enjoying their pizza creation, each child will also receive a fountain soda, OTTO cookie, apron, and an OTTO shirt. The cost per child for the class is $35.

Detroit-Style Pizza Pop-Up & Wine Tasting at OTTO Comm Ave — One Day Only!

Posted on June 26, 2017 by elshepherd

Join us on June 29th, from 5-9pm, at our 888 Comm Ave location in Boston for a one-night-only Detroit-Style Pizza Pop-Up & Wine Tasting!

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OTTO founder/owner Anthony Allen will be in the kitchen serving up Detroit-style pizza. Our friends from M.S. Walker Fine Wine and Spirits will be on-site to provide complimentary vino samples.

Be there, or be square (with a thick deep-dish crispy crust)!

*Detroit-style pies available for purchase in-store only (excludes delivery & online ordering).

Celebrate OTTO’s 8th birthday with 8 throwback pies throughout June!

Posted on June 2, 2017 by elshepherd

On June 18, OTTO turns 8! To celebrate, we will be bringing back 8 classic OTTO pies for a limited time throughout the month of June! Each week, we will be featuring 2 throwbacks, including fan faves like our Zucchini, Spinach & Summer Squash pie, and our Apple, Bacon & Red Onion.

Each Friday at 5pm, two pies will be available for 7 days. Check out the schedule below and mark your calendars!

18893282_1706999769311946_2863031500396257067_n Throwbacks will be available at all OTTO locations.

We have lots of other good stuff planned for June, including a very special birthday beer collaboration with Rising Tide. We’ll soon be pouring OCTO, which is a potato IPA (!!!) using Maine potatoes, as well as Nugget and Cascade hops from The Hop Yard!

Stay tuned!

OTTO + Maine Brew Bus Team Up for Pizza Delivery and Beer Education

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Lindsey

On one of the recent (and rare) blue-sky days this spring, we teamed up with The Maine Brew Bus to deliver pizza to the hard-working employees of seven local breweries and to educate our awesome employees on the Maine beer that we serve. We had a super fun day serving up some pizza love and getting our beer education on!

Our first stop was in Freeport to check out Maine Beer Company before heading back south to Portland’s East End neighborhood to hit up Oxbow. We hopped a quick ride on the bus down to East Bayside to partake in the beers of Rising Tide and Lone Pine, then finding our way over to Bissell Brothers at Thompson’s Point, before ending the day in Riverside at Allagash and Foundation.

Check out the day’s happenings in our short video…

OTTO blog

Specialty Pizza born in Portland, Maine