OTTO’s New South Portland Location Is OPEN!

Posted on December 11, 2014 by elshepherd

We are pleased to announce that our second South Portland location, at 125 John Roberts Road, is now (finally) officially open!

The John Roberts Road location is OTTO’s 9th location overall (10, if you count our Portland delivery facility), and is one of our roomiest, with 5 picnic tables, and an indoor bocce court. Diners can enjoy pizza by the slice or whole pie, along with a full array of beverages, including beer and wine. (Yes, we’re serving Autohelm, our brand new collaboration with Rising Tide Brewing Company!)

Tucked away in the office park just a stone’s throw from The Maine Mall, Home Depot, and Clark’s Pond Cinemagic, we believe shoppers, moviegoers, and office employees in the area will find OTTO to be a welcome addition to their dining options.

Whether dine-in, takeout, delivery, or catering your office party, we’ve got you covered at 125 John Roberts Road.

Call in your order by dialing 207-772-0900, or by using our online ordering service (you can even order in advance).

Hours:

Sunday–Thursday 11am-10pm
Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm

We look forward to serving you!

What’s That Weird Mesh Thing In The Pizza Delivery Boxes?

Posted on March 14, 2014 by elshepherd

Every once in a while, we are asked about the weird mesh thing that we put under the pizzas in our delivery boxes.

Photo by ‏@Great_Local

As strange as they may seem, a lot of science went into the mesh liners, and ultimately they help ensure that our delivery pizzas arrive tasting as delicious as possible.

Many pizzerias just place the pizza directly onto the corrugated cardboard. The reality is that the average pizza sits for 15-30 minutes in a cardboard box (which sits inside a thermal delivery bag). You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realize that a hot pizza in this environment will produce a significant amount of steam and condensation, resulting in a pizza that has lost much of the crispness that OTTO fans enjoy.

The mesh liner raises the pizza off of the cardboard, which allows air to circulate freely around (and under) the pizza. Pizza sitting directly on cardboard tends to allow grease to seep into the crust, and the crust will often absorb some of that cardboard taste. Ew, right?

This modern scientific wonder also happens to be heat resistant and cut resistant, and made from an FDA-approved material.

While food quality is most important to OTTO, we also care about the environment and sustainability. OTTO’s mesh liner is not just re-usable — it’s also recyclable.

At OTTO, we’re always looking into new ways to approach age-old challenges. We welcome suggestions and feedback from our guests on ways we might improve their experience.

OTTO Delivers Pizza 3,158 Miles For Birthday Surprise

Posted on December 20, 2012 by elshepherd

We at OTTO are aware that a lot of folks really, really like our pizza. We have seen all kinds of public declarations that remind us that we’re doing something special. Our beloved Red Sox have placed large orders on consecutive weeks. New Yorkers have declared OTTO the best pizza they’ve ever eaten.

We haven’t yet, however, received a request to deliver pizza all the way across the United States, no matter the cost. (We do offer free delivery in Portland, by the way!)

Joy and Jeff Johnson of Washington, reached out to OTTO to see if there was any way possible we could have a few pizzas delivered for their daughter Devi’s 18th birthday.

The Johnsons discovered OTTO’s Harvard Square location while on a college-hunting trip with Devi, and it was love at first bite. (They nearly missed their plane when they tried to get more pizza on their last day in Massachusetts.)

Since then, Devi and her parents have followed OTTO on Facebook, but simply couldn’t take the posts of pizza pictures any longer (“the daily torture!”).

That’s when the idea was born to have OTTO delivered cross-country as a surprise for Devi’s birthday. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

It was certainly one of the strangest requests we’ve received at OTTO. Never ones to shirk away from a challenge, we worked out a way to make it happen. On Tuesday, December 18th, OTTO’s 578 Congress Street (Portland) staff hand-tossed, built, baked, and packed two vegetarian pies for overnight shipping. The pies were crafted and packaged with great care to ensure they showed up as fresh, and as eye-pleasing, as possible.

The Johnsons, ever the good sports, promised to send photos of our pies arriving 3,158 miles away. As an added gesture of appreciation, the Johnsons made a donation in OTTO’s name to a New England-based literacy program.

We at OTTO wish Devi a very wonderful birthday, and hope that the pizza is as delicious as she remembers.

Who is Elliott Brood? And Why Should You Care?

Posted on October 24, 2012 by elshepherd

Elliott Brood is on tour and playing a bunch of shows in the northeast before heading over to Europe.

Music is an important ingredient at OTTO Pizza – we listen to it all the time. We listen to music while we’re setting up shop in the morning; it’s playing during the day when we’re taking care of our customers, and we crank it up at night while we’re cleaning up the shop to do it all over again the next day.

Some of the folks who work at OTTO Pizza are musicians themselves, and there are a ton of local bands that we love as well, but every once in a while, a band comes along that really grabs us and maybe we go a little crazy.

Elliott Brood is such a band. These guys are amazing. But don’t take our word for it. Check ’em out for yourself.

And apparently, Elliott Brood is on tour right now, which is great. Anybody else really like Elliott Brood? Why don’t you drop us a line at ottopizza668@gmail.com?

Having a Party? A Meeting? Just Plain Hungry? Try OTTO’s ‘Buy 10 Get 1 Free’ Deal!

Posted on October 5, 2012 by elshepherd

Pizza has always been a communal food. It’s the first thing we think of when we need food for a baseball team, a birthday party, or a business meeting.

The problem is that most pizza out there is pretty interchangeable. And boring.

Enter OTTO. Imagine the look on the faces of your guests when you serve up a stack of our signature pies: Pulled pork and mango. Eggplant, ricotta and basil. Apple, bacon, and red onion. Mashed Potato, Bacon and Scallion.

If you order 10 OTTO pizzas, we throw one in for free. Pretty simple. The hardest thing is deciding which of our mouth-watering combinations to choose.

All you need to do is call in to your local OTTO Pizza location and tell them you want in on the ‘Buy 10 get 1 free’ deal.

And yes, in Portland, we will deliver at no charge (stay tuned for OTTO To Go at our Boston locations).

And don’t forget. OTTO also does catering. Whether it’s a gameday party, a business meeting, or a campus event, OTTO has you covered.

A Baker’s Dozen: 13 Mouth-Watering OTTO Pizza Instagram Pics

Posted on October 4, 2012 by elshepherd

Nothing makes us happier than knowing our customers love our pizza. While we love your praise when you’re in the shop, we also know that a picture’s worth a thousand words.

When our customers tweet or post pictures of our pizza (or our signature sodas and salads), we know they don’t just love it, they want others to love it too.

Here are 13 of our favorite OTTO shares on Instagram. Try not to drool on the keyboard, please.

1. From italianinboston:

2. From stretchandmayo:

3. From adewomol:

4. From constantlyconstance:

5. From just_me__just_em:

6. From shnrl:

7. From truestorycory:

8. From craigalansmalls:

9. From dibbee:

10. From bostontweet:

11. From mschafer87:

12. Also from from mschafer87:

13. And once again, mschafer87 (you really love us, don’t you?):

Monday, Oct. 1 is Free Slice Day at OTTO Pizza’s New Location at 888 Commonwealth Ave.

Posted on September 27, 2012 by elshepherd

Claim a Free Slice on Monday, Oct. 1 between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at OTTO Pizza’s BU Shop by Texting OTTO to 33938

Send a text message and grab a free slice of OTTO Pizza’s award-winning pie pizza, any variety, at OTTO Pizza’s newest location at 888 Commonwealth Ave. on Monday, Oct. 1, between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

“Our newest shop opened in the heart of the Boston University campus about a month ago and the response has been great,” OTTO Pizza co-owner Anthony Allen said. “This is our way of saying thank-you to our new friends and neighbors, who have been so welcoming. We’re glad to be here, and we’re looking forward to being a part of this neighborhood and the BU community for years to come.”

Customers who would like a free slice should text the key word OTTO to 33938, OTTO Pizza co-owner Mike Keon said. People who send the text message will receive a brief message in return, which they can show the counter person on Monday, Oct. 1, between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to claim the free slice.

OTTO Pizza is owned by Allen and Keon, both veteran restaurateurs with decades of experience between them. OTTO Pizza currently has six locations: two full-service restaurants and a delivery-only outlet in Portland, Maine; and three shops in the Boston metro area: a Harvard Square location in Cambridge, Mass., that offers take-out service, a full-service restaurant in Coolidge Corner and the new full-service location at 888 Commonwealth Ave.

OTTO TO GO: Pizza Delivery Available in the Portland Area

Posted on September 26, 2012 by elshepherd

Why order delivery from the big chains, when OTTO Pizza will come to you?

Now, of course we love to see you. Your smiling face brightens our day. But we also know there are times when it’s hard to get out of the house, or you just don’t feel like getting out of your pajamas.

If you live in the Portland area, you can order any of our deliciously different pizzas by phone or fax. Whether you’re in the East End, the West End, downtown, the Arts District, Old Port, or Munjoy Hill, OTTO will ensure your pizza is delivered hot and fresh from our oven.

Delivery times may vary, depending on volume, but you can expect to have our custom-topped gourmet pies within 30-45 minutes. Some of the big chains can’t even do that.

It’s OTTO-Matic. For the people.

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

Posted on September 13, 2012 by elshepherd

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!

Posted on September 5, 2012 by elshepherd

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.

OTTO blog

Specialty Pizza born in Portland, Maine

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