Boston's the Gourmet Pizza is neither from Boston nor gourmet.
The months-old pizza parlor and sports bar is actually part of the Canadian Boston Pizza chain, based in Alberta. And, despite some inventive pairings of ingredients and the tastiest Italian sausage and pepperoni we've had in ages, its pizza is decidedly un-gourmet.
Blame the crust. It just sits there, tastelessly supporting its cast of flavorful characters. The crust is unmemorable, bland, and lacking in character and flavor.
Pizza is only as good as its crust, which, for us, is best when it's chewy on the inside and slightly crispy around the edges, with hints of buttery goodness or flashes of garlic, a dash of salt and pepper, or the tang of sourdough.
Over a series of visits and after sampling several pies (from $7.59 for an individual one-topping to $22 for a large specialty pie), we found the Boston's crust entirely forgettable.
Which was unfortunate because the toppings were some of the best we've had anywhere in Tucson. The pepperoni was indulgently spicy and tangy, generously topping a bubbly bed of mozzarella atop a slick of fresh, tomatoey sauce. The breaded chicken Parmesan in a house specialty pie was a crispy contrast to ribbons of fresh sweet basil beneath the chicken and Parmesan sauce. The Italian sausage was rich with licoricey fennel and had a slight spicy bite as it hit the back of your mouth.
The sausage and pepperoni are made specifically for the Boston's chain, according to restaurant general manager Marshall Towers, a veteran of the 40-plus-year-old company.
Towers, who runs the Tucson restaurant for owners Marnie Fredericks and Marlene Egeland, said Boston's also provides the Canadian flour for the pizza dough, made fresh daily, and most of the menu items, including an admirable premade lasagna. The idea is central to the overriding chain restaurant philosophy: consistency. Everyone has the same menu and uses the same recipes and ingredients so that the pizza you get in Tucson should taste like the pizza at the two Phoenix-area Boston's restaurants — the only other outposts in the state.
But that rigid consistency also tends to induce chain-restaurant blahs. The service is fabulous and efficient, but the food is predictable and rarely exciting.
There are some exceptions at Boston's: the inventive takeoff of fried zucchini — battered and fried long-stalked green beans ($7), which came with a seasoned ranch dressing — was a nice twist, and the oven-roasted wings ($8), though not especially spicy when ordered "hot," were meaty and tender. The stuffed portabello appetizer ($8) — a grilled full portabello filled with a creamy three-cheese spinach and artichoke mixture and drizzled with a rich balsamic reduction — was big enough for a light lunch.
But we had it as an opening course for the chicken limonata ($10.49), one of the most creative dishes we sampled. The plump, grilled chicken breast was dressed in tart lemon pepper and rosemary. It was juicy and fresh, with citrusy nuances that complemented the chicken.
We also were impressed with the lasagna at a recent weekday lunch visit. The al dente layers of pasta were filled with a mixture of fontina, mozzarella, Parmesan and ricotta cheeses that give over the starring role to ground sweet Italian sausage and beef. It was covered with a simple tomato sauce that's refreshing and unencumbered, keeping the spotlight on the fillings.
We ordered the lasagna as part of the Italian trio ($15.30) that came with a generous portion of chicken Parmesan and fettuccine Alfredo. The chicken was tender beneath a heavy coat of breading and blanket of tomato sauce and melted cheese, and the fettuccine noodles were nicely al denta beneath a cheesy Alfredo that could have benefited from a bit more garlic.
Boston's the Gourmet Pizza opened in December in a sleek building near Tower Theatres in Continental Ranch. It is down the road from several other national chain eateries that have taken up residence in the bustling Interstate 10-Cortaro Road corridor in recent years.
In addition to a spacious dining room anchored by comfy and long tables, the restaurant has an enclosed bar with small tables and booths. Stools hug the wrap-around bar facing a bank of panel TVs that on recent weekends were tuned into college basketball and NFL playoff games.
Review
Boston's The Gourmet Pizza
5825 W. Arizona Pavillions Drive, off Interstate 10 and Cortaro Road; 572-1555.
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 11 a.m-1 p.m. Sundays.
• Family call: Heaven-sent. In addition to pizza, there is an extensive kids menu.
• Wine list: It's a sports bar, so beer rules, although you can get some domestic wines by the glass.
• Noise level: Can get loud on weekends
• Vegetarian choices: Salads and pastas.
• Dress: Casual.
• Reservations: Not necessary, but there can be long waits on weekends.
• Price range: Pizzas start at $7.59 for an individual pepperoni to $22 for a large specialty pie. Entrees include a $20.79 full rack of baby-back ribs and a bacon cheeseburger for $9.
