Tag Archives: Coolidge Corner

Play Mini-Golf to Beat Cancer at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston Tonight

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Gillian Hurwitz, who is helping to organize a mini-golf tournament to benefit the Jimmy Fund, stops by the OTTO Pizza shop in Brookline, MA, to pick up a contribution to the event: a $100 gift card and an OTTO Pizza hat – prizes you can win if you attend the event tonight at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

If you’re looking for something to do tonight in the Boston, might we suggest you drop by Longwood area and take part in the Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Mini-Golf Tournament to benefit the Jimmy Fund?

There’s a $20 admission, and all the money goes directly to the Jimmy Fund, which supports pediatric cancer research and treatment. You couldn’t think of a more worthy cause.

Beyond the obvious mini-golf action, you can win fabulous prizes, donated by area restaurants and merchants. OTTO Pizza’s kicked in a $100 gift card and an OTTO Pizza hat. Georgetown Cupcake, JP Licks, Boston Boxing, The Liberty Hotel, Paris Creperie, The Isabella Gardner Museum, Life Alive and Flour Bakery have also contributed merchandise that will be given away in a raffle.

Here’s the deal: the event starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Dana Farber Institute, located at 420 Brookline Ave. in Boston’s Longwood district.

See you there.

WooHoo! It’s National Cheese Pizza Day!

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OTTO Pizza owners Anthony Allen and Mike Keon show the hosts at Fox’s “Good Morning Maine” how they make their award-winning cheese pizza. Sept. 5 is National Cheese Pizza Day. To see the full video of the spot, click on the link in the post.

Yep, that’s right! Today, Sept. 5, 2012, is National Cheese Pizza Day.

How it became National Cheese Pizza Day in America is something of a debate. There’s no Presidential or Congressional proclamation declaring National Cheese Pizza Day, if the historians are to be believed, but it seems to have evolved by virtue of widespread common belief. If everyone believes Sept. 5 is National Cheese Pizza Day, then ipso facto, Sept. 5 is National Cheese Pizza Day.

So in honor of National Cheese Pizza Day, we put together a few fun facts:

  • Americans eat 350 slices of pizza per second.
  • The average American eats 23 pounds of pizza each year.
  • 93 percent of Americans eat at least one slice of pizza each month.

In celebration of National Cheese Pizza Day, OTTO Pizza owners Mike Keon and Anthony Allen paid a visit to Good Day Maine, the Fox Network morning show in Portland, Maine, to show everyone exactly how OTTO Pizza makes a cheese pizza, which serves as the foundation for many of the OTTO Pizza flavor combinations.

Watch Mike and Anthony work their magic.

And you can bet we’ll be checking in with one of our favorite bloggers later today to see how she marks the special occasion.

Let Us Know What You Think Of The New OTTO Pizza Shop On Commonwealth Ave. in Boston

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The new OTTO Pizza shop at 888 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston hasn’t been open for a week yet, but we want to know what you think. If you’ve got a minute or two, leave a review on Yelp! We’d be forever thankful. Here’s the link: http://www.yelp.com/biz/otto-pizza-brookline-2

By now, you’ve probably heard that there’s a new OTTO Pizza shop in Boston, located at 888 Commonwealth Ave., near the center of the Boston University Campus.

The new shop’s gotten some great coverage from local media, including Boston Eater and the Brookline Patch.com, and the word of mouth is building, but now we want to know what you think of the new OTTO Pizza location.

If you’ve been to the new shop, and you’ve got a moment and Yelp! account, we’d be forever grateful if you would tell us what you thought of the new shop at 888 Comm Ave.

Here’s the link. Let us know how we’re doing. If there’s something that can be improved, let us know so we can fix it … and if there’s something that was truly awesome, we’d like to know that too, so we can hand out kudos to our staffers who are doing a great job.

Some shops would try and game the system, by either paying for good reviews or getting employees to write some, but at OTTO Pizza, that’s not how we roll. Everything you read on Yelp! about OTTO Pizza was written by actual customers. No shills.

Your input is what counts, and it’s you we want to hear from … so come on, tell us how we’re doing. We can take it.

OTTO Pizza Opens New Store on Commonwealth Ave. In the Heart of Boston University Campus

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A shot of the interior at the new OTTO Pizza shop, located at 888 Commonwealth Ave. (in the heart of the Boston University campus) looking in toward the kitchen.

If you follow us on Twitter, you may have already heard the news: OTTO Pizza just opened a new store — our fifth overall, and the third in the Boston metro market — on Commonwealth Ave, right in the heart of the Boston University campus.

@BostonTweet tweeted a great shot of the new space, but it’s something that you really should check out in person.

The new shop, a beautiful space at 888 Commonwealth Ave., emerged in a location that used to be occupied by The Upper Crust. Of course, it’s been completely reimagined by OTTO Pizza owners Mike Keon and Anthony Allen and the vibe now is thoroughly OTTO Pizza, through and through: clean lines, an open kitchen and an understated elegance create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere where you can either linger in casual conversation with a few friends over a whole pie or two, or grab some slices to go quickstyle if you’re in a hurry.

The new OTTO PIzza shop at 888 Commonwealth Ave. seats about 50 people and features the full range of pizzas that are available at each of the other OTTO Pizza locations, including our signature pie, The Masher (Mashed Potato, Bacon and Scallion), recently named by the Food Network Magazine as one of the Fifty Best Pizzas in the United States. We also feature a great selection of vegetarian pies for our friends who don’t eat meat and we’ll have at least eight different varieties available by the slice at any one time, with at least three vegetarian offerings among those eight.

An OTTO Pizza patron enjoys a slice at our newest location at 888 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston.

And if you’re so inclined, you can also enjoy a pint of your favorite beer to go with your slice – we’ve got seven craft beers on tap at 888 Comm Ave. — or select a glass of wine from our carefully selected wine list.

 

UPDATE: As our beer & wine license is still pending, you can’t enjoy a pint or a glass of wine … yet. As soon as we’ve gotten the licenses, we’ll open the taps and pop the cork. It shouldn’t be too much longer. Stay tuned.

The best part is, the new OTTO Pizza at 888 Comm Ave. is open now! We rolled out a “soft” opening on Saturday, Aug. 25, after making sure that the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed on all the necessary permits. With the proper paperwork in hand, we opened the doors at 11:30 a.m., and word of mouth has been building a steadily growing clientele since then.

If you want to check out the new shop for yourself, you’ll find it open from 11:30 a.m. to midnight from Sunday through Thursday each week, and from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Or you can call ahead by dialing (617) 232-0447.

And while we don’t offer delivery from the new, 888 Commonwealth Ave. location yet, take heart! We’re working on it, and we hope to have delivery service up and running there soon. We’ll put the word out here as soon as delivery is available, so stay tuned to the OTTO blog, or follow us on Twitter (@otto_pizza) for the latest updates on all things OTTO.

Peace … out.

OTTO Pizza to be Featured on Boston’s Wicked Popular Phantom Gourmet Show

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Phantom Gourmet segment producer Deb Hurley and videographer Greg Dole shot a piece recently at OTTO Pizza’s Coolidge Corner shop in Brookline, Mass.

If you live in the Boston area, you are undoubtedly familiar with an enormously popular television show called the Phantom Gourmet. If you don’t live in the Boston area, you might want to take a look at it anyway because the Phantom Gourmet consistently highlights the best in Food & Fun in Boston and beyond … including forays into Vacationland to shine their spotlight on some of Maine’s best offerings.

And yesterday, the Phantom Gourmet crew brought their cameras to our OTTO PIzza Coolidge Corner shop to get the story from that angle and show their viewers exactly how the magic happens.

Segment producer Deb Hurley and videographer Greg Dole spent four or five hours at OTTO Pizza, interviewing owners Anthony Allen and Mike Keon, getting a behind-the-scenes take on our specialty pies and shooting footage that will give their viewers a first-hand look at what inspires such fanatical loyalty among our OTTO Pizza customers.

Of course, the inimitable Masher — featuring mashed Maine potatoes, bacon and scallions — was on the menu, but so were several other OTTO Pizza specialties, including the Pulled Pork & Mango, the Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Cranberry (a very popular item with our vegetarian friends) and the often imitated but never duplicated Margherita, which features fresh Roma tomatoes and pungent basil, painstakingly prepared by OTTO Pizza’s kitchen artisans in a delicate chiffonade.

The Phantom Gourmet airs in the Boston media market on myTV38 on Saturday and Sunday 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., respectively. The show is also a feature on the WBZ4 Evening News. The Phantom Gourmet airs on CW28 in Providence Saturday at 10 a.m. and WPME-TV, the CW, in Maine, on Sundays at 11a.m.

Phantom Gourmet is live on 96.9FM Boston Talks Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The OTTO Pizza segment is expected to air sometime in mid-August.

Win An OTTO Pizza Hat Just Like the Ones Worn by the Folks Behind the Counter!

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Here’s your chance to win an official OTTO Pizza hat, just like the ones worn by the folks who work there!

If you’ve been to OTTO Pizza, or had OTTO Pizza delivered to you, you’ve probably seen them — those sylish, white hats that the kitchen and delivery staff wear. Here’s your chance to get one for yourself!

To snag one, all you’ve got to do is visit our Facebook page, click on the “OTTO Hat Contest” link and fill  out the form by 11:59 p.m., Sunday, July 1, 2012. We’ll select a winner at random from among the entries on Monday, July 2, and the lucky entrant should be sporting that new cap by the weekend!

These are great hats, featuring the OTTO Pizza logo embroidered in black thread on the front of a 100-percent cotton, pure white cap, and until now the only way to get one has been to work at OTTO Pizza — which is a possibility. We’re always looking for good help.

But if you’ve got a job, or are otherwise occupied in that respect, this is your best bet to get an OTTO Pizza hat. We’ve got no plans to offer them for sale. So get on over to our Facebook page and enter! You can’t win if ya don’t play.

OTTO Pizza’s Deering Little League Girls Softball Team Closes Out Season

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OTTO Pizza coach Brian Carleton serves up some pizza to the members of the Deering Little League OTTO Pizza Girls AA Softball Team as they celebrate the close of their successful season with some pizza at OTTO Pizza’s Munjoy Hill location last night.

This year, OTTO Pizza sponsored a girls softball team in the AA Division of Portland’s Deering Little League. The girls, all seven and eight years old, wrapped up their season last night with a game at the Hall School field, whereupon the entire team adjourned to OTTO Pizza’s East End location on Munjoy Hill for a celebratory pizza party.

In addition to the pizzas, the girls enjoyed a special cake commemorating their season and tore into two packs of Topps 2012 baseball cards, supplied by Assistant Coach Danny Terroni.

It was a great year, and the best part of it was watching all of the girls improve as players as the season progressed. It was a real treat to watch them learn how to play the game and then put those skills to use on the diamond in the games each week.

The members of OTTO Pizza’s Deering Little League AA Girls Softball team gather for a team photo at the beginning of the season.

Coach Brian Carleton did a great job teaching the girls how to hit, how to field and how to make accurate throws, and every game was well-attended by the players’ parents, friends and family.

“We had a great year because we had great kids and all the parents were involved, too,” Coach Brian said. “That makes a big, big difference.”

We’re proud of the girls, not just those who played on the OTTO Pizza team, but of all of ’em who played in the league this year. It was an honor to be able to be a part of it all and we’re looking forward to being involved again next year.

 

A member of the OTTO Pizza AA Girls Softball Team in Portland’s Deering Little League drives a solid hit up the middle as her teammates look on.

What do the Maine High School Basketball State Champs Have in Common with OTTO Pizza?

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OTTO Pizza co-owners Mike Keon (L) and Anthony Allen (C) receive kudos from Portland Mayor Michael Brennan Monday evening at City Hall in Portland, Maine.

A lot more than you’d think.

F’rinstance, all of ’em are from Portland. For those of you who somehow didn’t see the news, Portland’s Deering High School boys basketball and McCauley High School girls basketball teams were both the best in the state this year — and OTTO Pizza is arguably the best pizza in the state, if not New England.

And all of ’em were at City Hall in Portland, Maine, on Monday night to receive commendations from the members of the City Council and Portland Mayor Michael Brennan; the members of Portland’s championship teams for their outstanding athletic achievement on the court, and OTTO Pizza for supporting the Portland Recreation Department’s after-school program.

And while we certainly didn’t set out seeking such recognition when we became involved with the Rec Department, it was an honor to receive it, nonetheless.

Thank you.

Anthony & Mike

OTTO Pizza to Open in Brookline, Massachusetts

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OTTO Pizza is coming to Coolidge Corner in Brookline, MA.

OTTO Pizza is set to open a new store in the Coolidge Corner neighborhood in Brookline, Massachusetts.

“This is a great location,” OTTO Pizza co-owner Anthony Allen said. “Coolidge Corner is a fantastic neighborhood, and when the location opened up it seemed like a natural fit for us.”

The new shop, which received licensing approvals from the Brookline Board of Selectmen last night, will offer OTTO Pizza’s full menu of interesting and unusual pies, including the signature Mashed Potato, Bacon and Scallion pizza that has drawn national media coverage, as well as special creations featuring seasonal ingredients. The menu will also include several salads and desserts.

Allen said the new store, which will be located at 289 Harvard Ave. in Brookline, will have 60 seats when the build-out is complete and is on schedule to open in May  2012.

“We’re going to provide people with a place to come in, sit down and have an excellent meal without breaking the bank,’ Allen said.

Allen’s partner in OTTO Pizza, co-owner Mike Keon, said the new store will also feature a selection of beer and wine available by the glass.

OTTO Pizza is owned by Allen and Keon, both veteran restaurateurs with decades of experience between them, and currently has four locations: two full service restaurants in Portland, a delivery restaurant that is also in Portland, and a Harvard Square shop in Cambridge, Mass., that offers take-out service. The Brookline, Mass., store represents the fifth OTTO Pizza location.