Street Fight: Conte's Pizza vs. Princeton Pi

Conte’s Pizza

Location: 339 Witherspoon St

Small Pizza, $10.60

Getting to Conte’s is quite a walk from campus, but it is worth it. Upon entering this hole-in-the-wall, you get a sense that it’s the place where the locals go. It has a homey feel and is packed with families, teenagers, sports teams, couples and groups of friends.

The pizza is thin-crusted, crunchy and perfectly browned, and cut into relatively small slices—which encouraged my dinner date and I to eat as many as we pleased. Though the pizza itself was thin, the crust was soft and flaky, although there were some inconsistently floury spots on some of the slices. The tomato sauce was rich and surprisingly flavorful. You could tell that someone had worked on the recipe to ensure that it embodied a traditional Italian sauce without being too chunky or soupy.

Conte’s is heavy handed with their cheese, which blanketed each slice with warm, melted mozzarella. The result is a very tasty pizza that is light enough to prevent feeling weighed down, but full of flavor.

Princeton Pi

Location: 86 Nassau Street

Personal Pizza 12'', $8

This pizza joint (formerly known as Iano’s Pizzeria) similarly feels like a local dive. Though its chrome and black finishes give the interior a modern, updated look, the walls are covered with Princeton paraphernalia and each table is labeled with street signs from around the area. The pizza slices are large and relatively inexpensive — which paired with its proximity to the University helps bring in a crowd of athletes, townies and visitors alike. The crust was not overly doughy or crispy but instead settled comfortably between the two. Though the slices were kind of greasy, the crust was thick enough to support the weight — the cheese and tomatoes did not slide around. The tomato sauce was akin to a pasta sauce that was finely ground and tasty. The cheese and tomato sauce were pretty evenly distributed among the slice, which resulted in a satisfying yet not particularly exciting pizza. Ultimately, Princeton Pi felt pretty standard and did not feel representative of a local pizzeria branded as one of the “best pizza places” in town.

Winner: Conte's Pizza