OTTO X: Ten years! Ten towns! Celebrating a decade of OTTO!

Chefs/owners Mike Keon and Anthony Allen invite you to join in celebrating 10 years of OTTO throughout the month of June.

All month long, and beyond, there will be will be no shortage of ways to celebrate — Keon and Allen want this to be a celebration of their customers and their employees — without which there would be no OTTO.

Since its humble beginnings as a tiny little slice shop on Portland, ME’s Congress Street, OTTO has grown to 13 location in 10 towns in Maine and Massachusetts.

10 YEAR HAPPENINGS

Lobster Masher: For the month of June, OTTO will introduce an extra special Pie of the Month—the “Lobster Masher.” A decadent mash-up (pun intended) of OTTO’s iconic Mashed Potato, Bacon and Scallion “Masher” pie, the “Lobster Masher” will be decadently garnished with fresh Maine lobster meat. The “Lobster Masher” will be priced to move (literally losing money as our way of saying thanks!) — $3.50 per slice, $14.50 for a small pie, and $22.75 for a large. All summer long, every OTTO pie will be served in a limited edition 10th anniversary pizza box.

The Lobster Masher (Mashed Potato, Bacon, Scallion and Fresh Maine Lobster)

OTTO X Ale: Rising Tide Brewing Company, a frequent OTTO collaborator over the years, has created a very special anniversary brew for the occasion. OTTO X, an IPA, will be served throughout June at all OTTO locations in Maine (and our Coolidge Corner, BU, and Arlington locations in MA).  OTTO X is a clean, crisp ale made with flaked rice, feat. Lemondrop, Mandarina and Columbus hops. Coming in at 5.6% ABV, this citrus-forward springtime brew features a nice lemon-oil and sweet orange character.

OTTO X: Anniversary Ale brewed in collaboration with Rising Tide Brewing

X Marks the Spot: On June 17th from 11:30-2pm, OTTO co-owners Mike Keon and Anthony Allen will be working the counter at OTTO’s original slice shop at 576 Congress St. in Portland — exactly where they were 10 years ago when they sold the very first OTTO slice.

Contests, Contests, Contests: In addition, fans should keep a sharp eye on OTTO’s Instagram (@ottoportland) for a series of prize pack giveaways – featuring sports and concert tickets, OTTO anniversary swag, brewery merch, gift cards, and much more.

Employee Parties: OTTO will be throwing 10th anniversary celebrations for employees only — one party in Maine on June 23, and one in Massachusetts on July 14. Restaurants will close at 7pm on these days, so that everyone in the OTTO family can join in the festivities.

THE OTTO STORY

OTTO is the brainchild of Anthony Allen and Mike Keon, who met each other over a decade ago as chefs at neighboring restaurants north of Boston. Allen had opened his first pizzeria on Nantucket at the age of seventeen, later opening a second location on Martha’s Vineyard. Keon came to cooking after working on fishing boats off the coast of Alaska. Their lasting friendship, complementary styles, and shared “less is more” culinary philosophy resulted in the opening of OTTO in downtown Portland, where Keon had been living and working. It was not long until OTTO was gaining regional and national attention for making some of the best pizza around.

Mike and I are blown away by the fact that it’s been a decade,” says Allen. “Ten years and ten cities—I could never have dreamt it – well, maybe my 17-year-old self did back in-the-day on Nantucket when I opened my first pizza shop.”

“We are continuously working to make sure every pizza is perfect and every slice unforgettable,” says Keon. “Whether you grab a slice to go or eat in one of our full service dining rooms, every member of our team is motivated by this goal of consistently well-executed, uncomplicated food. Our staff has been absolutely monumental in our success – we are beyond grateful and would not be where we are today without them.”

ABOUT THE MENU & SPACES

OTTO is known for its “elevated” pizza approach, using high-quality ingredients – local when possible — and extremely creative toppings such as cranberries, butternut squash, spicy pulled pork, or (even) tortellini and seaweed. The 10th anniversary “Lobster Masher” is an extra special pie to celebrate the anniversary (OTTO features a unique, limited edition pie each month). OTTO is also one of the few places in New England that offers Detroit-Style pizza—featuring an extra thick crust and a crispy bottom.

Each OTTO pizzeria is unique, individually customized for both the physical space and the neighborhood in which it’s located. OTTO locations vary from slice shops to pick-up and delivery to full service dining room restaurants.

Six not-so-secret ways to save at OTTO

$2 Off With Online Ordering Registration

Registering for an online ordering account has lots of great benefits, including saved order history, saved delivery addresses, and a digital wallet, but did you know that registering an online ordering account can save you money?  Earn $2 off your first order just for registering!

Register today — just select your location and click ‘My Account’ to get started!

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Earn Free Dough (and tons of surprise perks) with OTTO Rewards!

Sign up for OTTO Rewards and enjoy unlimited savings:

  • Earn 1 point for every dollar spent. Receive 20 points just for signing up! Earn $5 off at 50 and 100 points, and $10 off each 100 points thereafter!
  • On Sundays and Mondays, earn Double Rewards points on every purchase!
  • Get a free slice on your birthday (starting Oct. 29 2018!)
  • Additional exclusive offers, benefits, and perks!

Click here for more info on OTTO Rewards!

Lunch Specials

  • Any 2 slices and a drink for $7.95!
  • Any 1 slice, a drink, and a cookie for $5.95!

*at participating locations, drinks include fountain beverage, bottled water, or house-made ice tea, lemonade, or Arnold Palmer

OTTO Happy Hour: Free Slice with Beer or Wine Purchase!

Receive any free slice with a specially priced beer or wine purchase between 4-6pm Monday-Thursday!

*Only available in Maine due to alcohol laws; Only one free slice per person per visit

Kids Eat Free Every Wednesday Night!

On Wednesdays, 5pm to Close, buy any large pizza and get a FREE 8″ kids cheese pizza!

Available only at Maine locations only (not available for takeout or delivery).

Earn Free Slices with our Frequent Eater Card!
Those who purchase by the slice will want to pick up a Frequent Eater Card (available at any OTTO counter). Buy 10 slices and your next one is on the house!

 

It’s time for Oscar Tango Tango Oscar, OTTO’s annual collaboration with Rising Tide

OscarTango_Poster_V1Our annual Spring collaboration with Portland’s Rising Tide Brewing Company, Oscar Tango Tango Oscar, is currently pouring in Maine, and will be rolling out over the coming days in Massachusetts.

Oscar Tango Tango Oscar is brewed with 2-row, flaked rice, carapils and hopped with Amarillo, Mandarina, and Cascade hops. It is fermented with Rising Tide’s house American ale yeast. Oscar Tango Tango Oscar’s citrusy snap goes perfect with an OTTO signature pie on a warm summer day.

Over the years, Oscar Tango has accumulated an overall 3.8 rating on Beer Advocate and a 3.63 rating on Untappd.

The collaboration is only available at OTTO and at the Rising Tide tasting room. Get it while you can. Check in on Untappd and let us know what you think!

Saco OTTO to open July 5!

IMG_1696We’ve been busy putting the final touches on our new Saco location, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll be open for business on Thursday, July 5 (dine-in and take-out only). We will begin delivery operations on Monday, July 16.

Located on 779 Portland Rd, Route 1, adjacent to the Cinemagic & IMAX, this spacious 80-seat location will feature all the OTTO bells and whistles, and then some:

The Saco opening comes hot on the heels of our 9th birthday and the rollout of our new menu, which features 6 new pies, 2 new salads, Everything knots and (at select locations) Hand-cut fries, sliders, baked mac & cheese!

We are thrilled to be serving the best in local and regional craft beers. While there are certainly more great local breweries than we have taps, we will be featuring a rolling variety of breweries over the coming months, starting with:

  • Barreled Souls
  • Banded Horn
  • Austin Street
  • Rising Tide (Oscar Tango Tango Oscar, our spring collaboration brew!)
  • Lone Pine
  • Foundation
  • Maine Beer Co.
  • Gneiss
  • Night Shift
  • and MORE…

We can’t tell you how thrilled we are to become part of the fabric of beautiful, historic Saco, Maine.  Since we announced our plans, we’ve received an outpouring of wonderful messages, calls, emails, and texts, from Saco residents, town employees, and businesses owners. We can’t wait to finally call each of you neighbors.

 

Hello, Saco! OTTO opening full-service location adjacent to Cinemagic IMAX!

Untitled-1The rumors are true. OTTO will be opening its 7th Maine location this June on Route 1 in Saco, adjacent to the Cinemagic IMAX theater and across the street from Funtown Splashtown.

The 80-seat location at 779 Portland Road will feature all the OTTO bells and whistles, and then some:

  • Quick-serve slice counter
  • Full-service dining room
  • Full bar (with 12-20 taps of regional craft beer)
  • Takeout counter
  • Outdoor patio seating

We are thrilled to become part of the neighborhood, and we have been humbled by an abundance of well-wishes and welcomes from Saco residents, businesses, employees and organizations. We can’t express how excited we are.

To stay up to date on our progress, opening dates, events, and more, please like our OTTO Saco Facebook page.  For employment opportunities, please visit our careers page.

See you this summer, Saco!

20 Taps! New Menu Items! Cocktails! A New Beer! Lots to celebrate at OTTO’s Spring Smörgåsbord!

It may not look much like Spring out there, but everything’s new at OTTO East End (225 Congress Street). The second-oldest OTTO location, located at the foot of Munjoy Hill, has just received a Spring refresh!

Join us on Thursday, March 15 from 5-8pm for our Spring Smörgåsbord, showcasing a bevy of exclusive new additions to the East End OTTO.

During the event, 50% of all sales of new menu items will be donated to our friends, the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization.

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20 Taps!
We’ve vastly expanded our tap lines, and will be featuring the very best in regional craft beer!

Pizza Night IPA
We’ll be launching Pizza Night IPA, our brand new beer collaboration with Banded Horn Brewing Co. made with Simcoe, Mosaic, Azacca and Summit hops. An herbal, grassy, piney & tropical-flavored IPA made just for OTTO.

Signature Cocktails
Moscow Mule
Gin Basil Collins
Manhattan
Rosemary Margarita
OTTO Palmer

New Bar Menu!
A slew of delicious new things that we like to call ‘Not Pizza:’
Sliders (Meatball, Falafel, or Pulled Pork)
Hand-Cut Fries w/House-Made Sauces (Buffalo-Dusted or Loaded)
Baked Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Everything Knots

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Detroit Style Pizza
We’ve held several pop-ups in Maine and Massachusetts to perfect our take on Detroit-Style pie, and we’re thrilled to be serving it full-time at OTTO East End. Expect a delicious, square-shaped, deeper dish pie with a thick, crispy crust.

Come on down! We look forward to seeing you!a5b74674-ed6b-4826-b9a1-a04138fa8007

Get happy: Free slice with purchase of specially priced ‘beer of the month’

HappyHour_2018_FBA free slice with the purchase of a specially priced local craft beer? Yes, please.

Starting TODAY, 3/1 we will be offering a Happy Hour ‘Beer of the Month’ at all of our Maine locations!

This month, our featured beer is Austin Street Brewery Patina Pale!

We are working closely with all of your favorite local breweries to feature some really great beers in the coming months, including limited and exclusive offerings.

As always, wine is $5/glass and you can receive a FREE SLICE with a draft beer or wine purchase during Happy Hour – Monday-Thursday between 4-6 PM.

PLUS, our March special begins today – Lemon-Roasted Asparagus with Red Onion & Ricotta!

*limit 1 free slice per visit. Available at Maine OTTO locations only.

OTTO + Maine Brew Bus Team Up for Pizza Delivery and Beer Education

On one of the recent (and rare) blue-sky days this spring, we teamed up with The Maine Brew Bus to deliver pizza to the hard-working employees of seven local breweries and to educate our awesome employees on the Maine beer that we serve. We had a super fun day serving up some pizza love and getting our beer education on!

Our first stop was in Freeport to check out Maine Beer Company before heading back south to Portland’s East End neighborhood to hit up Oxbow. We hopped a quick ride on the bus down to East Bayside to partake in the beers of Rising Tide and Lone Pine, then finding our way over to Bissell Brothers at Thompson’s Point, before ending the day in Riverside at Allagash and Foundation.

Check out the day’s happenings in our short video…

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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

Rising Tide-OTTO collab ‘Autohelm’ release party tonight at NEW Back Cove OTTO!

Join us tonight at our brand spankin’ new Back Cove location at 250 Read Street in Portland, as we start pouring the third annual release of Autohelm, a deliciously hoppy amber ale brewed by Rising Tide Brewing Company in collaboration with OTTO.

250mapOur Autohelm release party is from 5-7pm today (Wednesday, Oct 12). Rising Tide and OTTO staff will be on hand to talk about the beer, and there will be schwag! Come check out our new digs while enjoying the first pours of this delicious winter beer.

This limited special collaboration will be available exclusively at OTTO locations in Maine and Massachusetts. (Note: Only 250 Read Street will begin pouring today. Other ME locations will begin pouring early next week, with MA locations in late October.)

If you haven’t had an opportunity to try Autohelm in the past, you won’t want to miss it this year.

The brew has 3.73 rating on social beer discovery service Untappd, eliciting some of the following responses:

autohelm-screen-copy“Delicious!”
“This is incredible.”
“Super solid!”
“Very solid hoppy amber. Piney hops with a strong malt backbone!”
“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.