Categories: Food & Wine

Pittsburgh Eats: Giovanni’s Pizza

Giovanni;s Pizza is good. Honestly, it is perfectly good pizza, but I would never go out of my way for “good” food. I want greatness, and Giovanni’s has achieved greatness in their calzone, the tastiest calzone of my existence on this planet, and easily the best in Pittsburgh.

Conceptually, a calzone can be summarized by imagining a pizza which is folded in half into a pocket and then sealed and cooked. Not hard to imagine. On the other hand, I can’t for the life of me figure out how their “good pizza” ingredients combine to create positively incredible calzones! These calzones are probably about 6,000 calories each, with massive helpings of sauces, cheeses and toppings, dripping with gooey cheese and the oils that melted cheese exudes.

We go out of our way for these calzones. Even a small is enough for two people, and every flavor on the menu is a hit. I’m dying to try the seafood calzone personally, but since my fianc©e is allergic to fish so I’ll take my friend’s word that it is just as excellent.

I think the secret to the calzones is the great crust and generous helpings of toppings. While most places seem to tune their crust to their style of pizza, I would swear that this crust is optimized for calzone making. They also don’t cheat you on toppings. When the calzone goes in the oven, it is bursting with stuff, and it hits the table hot and ready for your immediate consumption. They also deliver them!

Giovanni’s calzones will run you about $16 – $21. It is expensive, but it is a lot of food. Two can easily share a small, and four could split a large without feeling left out or robbed. The four cheese calzone is a great crowd pleaser, but get it with the red sauce or the feta will eventually overpower even the greatest cheese lover. Also, this is not recommended for those watching their sodium, cholesterol, or any health indicator at all.