Boston: Join us Tuesday, Dec 5 for a 3-location fundraiser for the Neuroscience Family Advisory Council!

We are hosting a multi-location fundraiser to support to support the Neuroscience Advisory Council (NFAC) on Tuesday, December 5 from 5-9pm.

The fundraiser will take place simultaneously at three Boston-area OTTO locations:
888 Commonwealth Avenue (BU)
289 Harvard Street (Coolidge Corner)
1432 Massachusetts Ave (Harvard Square)


We will be donating 15% of every purchase that is designated as supporting NFAC.

How to ensure your purchase is supporting NFAC

Online Orders:
Orders must be placed at order.ottoportland.com. After adding your items, you must enter promo code NFAC in the ‘Promos and Rewards’ field and select ADD. Your order is now tagged as supporting NFAC. (You may need to toggle Promos and Rewards to reveal the promo code field.) Continue the checkout process and 15% of your pre-tax subtotal will be donated!


In-Store or Phone Order:
When placing your order, let our team members know that you would like your order to support NFAC.

Addresses and phone numbers for the three participating locations can be found here.

Funds raised during the events will provide “pizza hours” for council members, inpatient baskets, educational tools, and help advance the council’s advocacy and patient care initiatives.

Join us on December 5 to benefit the NFAC and to learn more about the work they do to empower and support patients and their families.

Thank you for supporting NFAC and all they do.

Order Dec. 5 from 5-9 right here! (don’t forget the promo code NFAC!)

COVID-19: What we are doing to keep our customers & employees safe

The safety of our customers and employees is of the utmost importance to us. As we begin to reopen our shops for dine-in and outdoor patio seating, we’re taking some additional steps to keep everyone safe and healthy. In addition to being in compliance with local and state mandates, we are also taking the following safety measures:

  • All customer touch points [doors, handles, counters, fountain machines, napkin dispensers, condiment holders, etc] are sanitized every 30 minutes.
  • One dedicated employee is in charge of sanitizing tables and chairs after each use.
  • Employees will receive temperature checks at the beginning of each shift.
  • Employees will continue to wear gloves and masks.
  • All tables are spaced 6 feet apart. Where that is not possible, we will stager seating so guests are able to maintain social distancing while dining with us.
  • No customers waiting in the dining room. If the room is at capacity, customers must wait outside.
  • Our mobile pickup and contactless delivery options will continue to be available.
Scan the QR code to view our menu.

Furthermore, we will have a QR code on every table that will direct guests to our menu. Simply scan the QR code with the camera on your phone, and our menu will pop up. We will also offer single use menus for those who prefer physical menus.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please reach out to us at contactus@ottoportland.com.

Autohelm: OTTO and Rising Tide’s collaboration brew is back for a limited time!

We are pleased to announce the return of Autohelm, a deliciously hoppy amber ale brewed by Rising Tide Brewing Company in collaboration with OTTO.

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Diners at OTTO restaurants in Maine and Massachusetts will be able to pair their pie with this delightful winter brew, which made its debut last year.

This limited special collaboration will be available exclusively at OTTO, as well as at the Rising Tide tasting room.

The beer is already available in Maine locations, with the Massachusetts launch party happening on Thursday, November 16 from 6-9pm, featuring OTTO’s Detroit-Style Pizza!

If you haven’t had an opportunity to try Autohelm, you should get a piece of the action before it’s all gone.

The brew has racked up a 3.75 rating on social beer discovery service Untappd, and a 3.95 on Beer Advocate, eliciting some of the following responses:

“Delicious!”
“Phenomenal!”
“Super solid!”
“Very solid hoppy amber. Piney hops with a strong malt backbone!”
“Pairs amazingly with pizza!”
“A sweet, hoppy Amber.”
“Very smooth. Almost creamy. Nice rich malts with hop balance.”
“Oh so good.”
“Great hoppy awesome. Full body with a little sweet.”
“Fan-freakin-tastic! Well done. Hoppy , refreshing, in a season of big heavy beers this was a refreshing change.”
“Wow that is delicious!”

Thirsty yet?

Come on down, grab a few pies, and a few glasses of Autohelm — and be sure to let us know what you think.

Celebrating New England Craft Beer

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While our main gig at OTTO is crafting an array of delicious pizzas, we also like to celebrate the range of local craft beers we have on tap from breweries across New England. From an Austin Street Patina to a Lamplighter Lucid Nonsense, we’re always seeking out the best local beers to pair up with our pies and slices.

Overwhelmingly we’re serving beers from breweries in the two states we call home – Maine and Massachusetts. Our New England offerings come from as far north as Atlantic Brewing in Bar Harbor and as far south as Stratford, CT, the home of Two Roads Brewing Company. Our Massachusetts beers come from as far west as Big Elm Brewing in the Berkshires to as far east as Cisco Brewers on Nantucket.
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AND, just last year our hometown of Portland was recently named America’s Craft Beer Capital! While the city’s population is smaller than all of the other cities on the list with only about 66,000 people, there’s an average of 25.5 microbreweries per 100,000 inhabitants! Yep, Portlanders like their beer. Each year, droves of beer lovers trek to Maine just to check out the 60+ breweries across the state.

Here at OTTO we also have a bi-annual collaboration going with Rising Tide, our not too far away neighbors in the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland. Each year, we brew two beers with Rising Tide –  Oscar Tango Tango Oscar, our spring collab (coming right up!) and Autohelm, which is released in the late fall. The two beers are available exclusively at OTTO locations and in the Rising Tide tasting room. Our employees enjoy working together with the Rising Tide crew each year to brew these fan favorites.

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Back in the fall, we opened our newest location in Portland (250 Read Street) with our most taps yet – TWELVE. The majority of these taps serve up local Maine beers, but we always offer a few options for those wanting to grab some brews from a bit farther afield like Jack’s Abby and Lord Hobo.

Since we opened our first location in 2009 in downtown Portland, we have enjoyed ‘growing up’ alongside the craft beer scene and supporting our local brewers. We’re proud to be currently serving beer from over 20 New England breweries and cider makers! These local breweries make it easy for the love match between beer & pizza to continue…forever.

MAINE
Allagash – Portland
Atlantic – Bar Harbor
Austin Street – Portland
Banded Horn – Biddeford
Bissell Brothers – Portland
Foundation – Portland
Funky Bow – Lyman
Lone Pine – Portland
Oxbow – Newcastle
Peak Organic – Portland
Rising Tide – Portland
Urban Farm Fermentory – Portland

MASSACHUSETTS
Bantam Cider – Somerville
Big Elm – Sheffield
Castle Island – Norwood
Downeast Cider – East Boston
Ipswich Ale Brewery – Ipswich
Jack’s Abby – Framingham
Lamplighter – Cambridge
Lord Hobo – Woburn
Night Shift – Everett

CONNECTICUT
Two Roads – Stratford

Kids Eat Free on Wednesdays!

kidseatfree-01Are you down and out with cabin fever this winter? Get yourself out of the house and bring the kids along with you!

Buy any large pizza and get a FREE 8″ kids cheese pizza! We’ll be offering this for a limited time at all of our full-service dine in restaurants. Head over to any of the following OTTO locations for a night out with the family:

576 Congress St., Portland
225 Congress St., Portland
250 Read St., Portland
159 Cottage Rd., South Portland
367 Main St., Yarmouth
779 Portland Rd., Saco

Treat yourself (and your wallet) and satisfy that mid-week pizza craving. Because we know you really don’t want to cook tonight.

*the following restrictions apply: Full service dine-in only; one free kids cheese pizza per check; kids 12 & under

Boston’s ‘Chronicle’ Showcases OTTO’s Coolidge Corner Location

Chronicle, the long-running Boston newsmagazine featured OTTO last night in its showcase of several new choices in the Boston restaurant scene.

OTTO was featured alongside Empire, City Landing, 75 On Liberty Wharf, and others. Chronicle host Shayna Seymour and her crew spent some time at the Coolidge Corner OTTO, speaking with co-owners Mike Keon and Anthony Allen, and sampling some of our signature pies.

If you missed the show’s original airing, you can view the OTTO segment here (sorry, no embedded video available yet).

(Note: The OTTO segment begins at the 2:12 mark — following the segment on Prime Roast Beef & Seafood)

In Case You Missed It: OTTO on The Phantom Gourmet

This weekend, The Phantom Gourmet re-aired their segment on OTTO Pizza. If you didn’t get a chance to see it, we’ve got you covered.

The segment was filmed in July at our Coolidge Corner location, and features OTTO co-founders Mike Keon and Anthony Allen, who dish out some pizza secrets, including the origin story for our beloved Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Cranberry pie.

WARNING: The footage is ridiculously hunger-inducing.

Watch:

The Best Lines From OTTO Pizza Online Customer Reviews

One of the greatest things about the internet is the ability to cut through the crap and read actual first-hand comments about the food you’re thinking about eating. We can think of many times we’ve dodged a potential bullet by checking Yelp!, UrbanSpoon, etc., and learned first-hand about awful culinary experiences.

Here at OTTO, where we strive to always provide our customers with uniquely delicious pizza, a clean and cozy atmosphere, and great service, we make a point to monitor our online reviews. We’re pleased to report that they are overwhelmingly positive.

Some of these reviews are so great, that it seems criminal to not showcase them elsewhere.

Here are some snippets from the many wonderful online reviews of the OTTO experience:

From Steff, at UrbanSpoon (there is no best line — the whole thing is tremendous):

Dear Boyfriend,

I think you know this, but I’m having a love affair. With Otto’s. Oh, I know the three of us (you, me, and Otto’s) have had many randez-vous (sometimes multiple times a night), but you should know that when I leave your place . . . I stop for a quickie at Otto’s. When we’re kissing . . . I wish your beard had Otto’s crumbs in it. While you seasonally change your facial hair . . . they hourly change their options. They please me in a deep, thrilling way that no other man . . . or pizza joint . . . ever has. When I feel like I need to be loved safely and reliably, it’s their tomato-basil pizza that comforts me. When I desire that earthy, gritty kind of affection, I turn to their mushroom-cauliflower pizza. When I’m craving something a little more daring, a little more exotic and sexy, I have the white bean, roasted tomato, herb, and red flake (which is a mouthful . . . if you know what I mean). Yes, sometimes you are the more consistent lover; and, Otto’s has the tendency of teasing me so (oh, butternut-squash-cranberry, why can’t you always be there for me like I want to be for you?!). But it’s a small sin when their huge, heaping triangles of love are so reasonably priced. With their prices, it’s like they’re telling me: “from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish ’till death do us part, I hereby pledge you my faithfulness.”

I do, too, Ottos. I do, too.

Oh, boyfriend, it was only a matter of time before you realized with them it’s never forced. It’s never fake. It’s always the real deal: they are one of the best mouthgasm’s I have.

Please don’t be jealous,

Steff

From Rachel at Yelp!:

The ricotta, butternut & cranberry slice at Otto is merely a flatbread mechanism used to transport holiday cheer to my mouth, and that’s not pizza. That’s revolutionary. A $3.50 hit of “Thanksgiving essence” is now available during all seasons, forever.

From Sharkey at UrbanSpoon:

Just to be able to walk down Congress and grab a slice makes living here even sweeter. I love seeing smiley, happy faces walking the street, noshing on a slice from Otto’s. Best advertising there is!

From Matt at Yelp!:

When we get the call that there’s a meteor headed for Earth, many people will choose to be with family I’m sure.

I’ll be at Ottos Brookline (maybe I’ll invite the family along).

From Emily at Yelp!:

I need to find this Otto and have a talk with him. Who is he? What makes him tick? Most importantly, how did he become so awesome at making delicious slices of pizza?

From Christine at Yelp!:

I live in the North End of Boston and I am considering going to Harvard Square in the snow to get a slice. Its THAT GOOD.

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

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:
otto pizza

2. From stretchandmayo:
otto pizza

3. From adewomol:
otto pizza

4. From constantlyconstance:
otto pizza

5. From just_me__just_em:
otto pizza

6. From shnrl:
otto pizza

7. From truestorycory:
otto pizza

8. From craigalansmalls:
otto pizza

9. From dibbee:
otto pizza

10. From bostontweet:
otto pizza

11. From mschafer87:
otto pizza

12. Also from from mschafer87:
otto pizza

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

Ready for Our Closeup: OTTO Pizza’s Gonna Be on TV!

We’re gonna be on TV! The Phantom Gourmet is going to run a segment on OTTO Pizza this Saturday at 11 a.m. on myTV38.

Regular readers of the OTTO Blog may recall that a few months ago, a crew from the Phantom Gourmet stopped by to see first-hand how the OTTO PIzza magic happens.

For those of you who don’t live in the Boston area, the Phantom Gourmet is a legendary television show that consistently features the best the Boston food scene has to offer. It airs on myTV38 on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. You can catch the show in Maine now, too, on WPME-TV on Sunday at 11 a.m.

Earlier this summer, the Phantom Gourmet crew spent an afternoon at the OTTO Pizza shop in Coolidge Corner, talking with co-owners Anthony Allen and Mike Keon and shooting footage that will give their viewers an up-close and personal take on the backstory behind our award-winning pies.

Catch the Phantom Gourmet – and the segment about OTTO Pizza – on Saturday and Sunday morning at 11 a.m on myTV38.

They took a good look at one of our most popular slices: The Masher, which features mashed Maine potatoes, bacon and scallions, learned about a couple of other OTTO Pizza specialties, including the Pulled Pork & Mango and the Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Cranberry, and it was great hanging out with them, too.

We can’t wait to see what airs.

You can catch our segment this Saturday morning at 11 a.m.