FLORINA Pizzeria & Paninoteca

Fantastic New York style pizza, probably the best homegrown take on it in the Greater Boston area. These slices made this New Jersey pizza fanatic very happy. For the regular pie, they do the "one slice is actually two slices" thing that I've only ever encountered in Boston, so just beware that one slice is actually quite a lot of 'za. Four stars overall instead of five due to the limited hours. (Closed weekends and by 8pm on weekdays? Really?? Just a reminder that you're actually in Boston and not in NYC.)

Great value for really solid pizza. I only docked a star because one of our slices was so, so floppy - it was just soupy and falling apart. For about $12 for two slices (and a free drink for purchasing two slices) it was a great lunch.

There is a short, highly celebrated (and much argued-over) list of Boston-area pizza joints slinging pies that truly honor, or in their own way, challenge the grand pizza traditions of Naples, New Haven, or NYC, for example. Florina makes a bid for the latter. A single bite of their thin crust slice, in my case, with a rich red sauce base, the thinnest rings of sweet onion, festooned with oblong cross-sections of Italian fennel sausage, immediately transports you to a sepia-toned world of flavor where all the great pizzaiolos are from. The crust is unbelievable: a delicate, crisp bottom that holds its shape but still has a good chew at the edge. Kissed by the oven and a dusting of cornmeal but not blackened or sooty underneath. The sauce is aromatic; sweet but not sugary. A sprinkle of Italian herbs or pepper flake would not likely enhance it. (They have an arrabbiata too, for those seeking a bit more heat.) Toppings are distributed generously, as is a blend of high quality mozzarella cheese, though neither so heavily that the pizza swims with grease. (Can’t speak for the ‘roni.) This is a rare pizza that, as others have mentioned, also comes at a very good value, considering a quarter of an 18” pie was $5.88 with tax: two huge slices worth. It is a precious little miracle. I will be coming more often.

This place was super busy; the line was out the door but I was able to get a seat by the window to dine in. I got the meatball to start, which was served in a bowl which was an interesting presentation! It was soft and juicy, I could have eaten 2 easily.
I also got the lasagna, which took about 15 mins to prepare.
It all tasted fresh, and homemade; very enjoyable!

Oh Florina, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Impeccable crust, perfectly loaded toppings, quick but friendly service, the St Barth’s, the big windows, the fabulous red sauce, the neighborhood feel, the giant slices, the fact that they remember you if you come in regularly. This truly is a GEM, and deserves all the hype. My favorite pizza in Boston!