Last updated on July 29th, 2020
Pizza Makes the World Go ‘Round
So, you might be wondering what prompted me to do this Prince Street Pizza Goldbelly review. Anyone who knows me at all knows pizza is my all-time favorite food. Some would call me a pizza fanatic or even a pizza connoisseur; they’re not wrong. I have looked far and wide across the world in search of the best pizza, and so far, while I love all pizza, no place in America has been able to touch what Italy has to offer (cue the hate mail in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..).
The debates are always endless between people passionate about the food from their hometown. Whether it’s Neapolitan (the inventors of my beloved pizza and my personal favorite), Roman, Sicilian, Chicago style (deep dish or tavern), New Haven apizza, Detroit, or a classic New York slice, you will never run out of places to try.
Introducing: Prince Street Pizza
With that said, there is one particular pizzeria I have had on my bucket list for quite some time: Prince Street Pizza. Some have even called this the holy grail of pizza and swear by it being the best in the entire world, including Naples! I had plans to visit this Lower Manhattan eatery this year, but then 2020 decided to go up-in-smoke.
So, if I can’t go to Prince Street, then I’m bringing Prince Street to me. I was watching one of Mike Chen’s (my favorite YouTuber) videos on YouTube a few weeks ago, and my mouth dropped in awe as he received a delivery from Prince Street Pizza; for those few who don’t know who Mike is, he used to live in New York but now lives in Seattle. Before the video was even over, I started Googling how to get Prince Street delivered to me down here in Saint Petersburg, Florida.
When there’s a will, there’s a way, and nobody’s pizza will is stronger than mine, except for maybe El Presidente, Dave Portnoy.
How to Enjoy Prince Street Pizza From Anywhere in America
I came across a site called Goldbelly, and they apparently partner with restaurants across the country, and you can have food shipped anywhere in the US; awesome! From Texas BBQ to New York pizza to Maine lobster rolls, you can find quite a lot of goodies. The downside is the price point as it is far too high under normal circumstances.
The price is high, but does the quality match it? I am on the case for important matters such as this!
I was informed by 2020 that the current situation is far from normal; so, what choice did I have but to indulge my pizza cravings and order 2 spicy spring pepperoni pizza pies?
For those unfortunate few who are unaware of this mouth-watering creation, do yourself a favor and search for it on YouTube. The spicy spring is a semi-thick rectangular pie topped with fra diavolo (spicy tomato) sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and a mountain of high-quality, crispy cup & char pepperoni. You can have it baked normal or extra crispy; I say extra crispy because why not?
Feeling hungry yet? Me too. Be right back as I go grab another slice.
Okay, that’s better. Now, back to the review.
How Is the Goldbelly Prince Street Pizza Prepared?
Prince Street Pizza pre-bakes the pizza, cuts it in half, seals it in plastic, and then Goldbelly places it in a box with dry ice to protect it as it gets shipped overnight.
No instructions come in the package; however, you can find the instructions on Goldbelly’s site. Prince Street recommends to pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees and bake the pizza for 22-25 minutes.
I recommend just using those instructions as a guideline as I probably baked mine for about 30 minutes total; I tried their recommendation first, but it was not quite as hot or crispy as I like. But after 30, it looked and smelled phenomenal. A test to know it’s done is if you hear that ever-pronounced crunch as you are cutting the pizza.
The first thing I tried was a pepperoni; this was amazing! When it comes to this classic American topping, you will be hard-pressed to find a place who does pepperoni as well as them. It was juicy, crispy, and had the most amazing grease bubbles inside. After having this, I was excited to see what the rest of this pizza had to offer!
You Know the Pizza Review Rulebook
First and foremost, one bite, everyone knows the rules! Or better yet, one nibble, everyone knows the law (shout-out to Julian Edelman aka Jules). Okay, let’s get this back on track before it starts to sound like another Barstool review of Prince Street Pizza.
As I took my first bite, the first thing I noticed was a tremendous crunch, which was a great early sign. I immediately tasted the aforementioned juicy, crispy pepperoni.
As I took another bite, I could tell there was just a hint of spice in the sauce, but it wasn’t quite as spicy as I imagined it being due to the name of fra diavolo. This is where the pizza lover in me stepped away, and the critic came out. As I took more bites, something tasted a bit off with both the sauce and the dough (outside of the outer crust), but I couldn’t put my finger on what the issue was. My conclusion is that the freezing had the unfortunate negative effect you might expect it to have.
If you are comparing this to other frozen pizzas, this is the gold standard without question. But at this price point, it has to be judged against the best of the best. I look forward to the day I eat a fresh spicy spring pizza from Prince Street, but based on my experience, I cannot recommend buying this and having it shipped across the country. I wanted to love this so badly, but alas.
Final Scores (0-10 Scale)
- Pepperoni – 9.8
- Outer Crust – 8.5
- Remaining Dough – 6.1
- Sauce – 5.4
- Cheese – 5.2
- Overall – 7.4
- Value – 4.3
Pizza Review Bonus Round
Since the package came with two pizzas, I decided to give them another chance. This time, I made some much-needed enhancements.
For this round, I added spicy extra virgin olive oil, crushed red peppers, and oregano. In addition, I ignored the cooking instructions altogether and baked the pizza pie an extra 20-30 minutes.
I could not have been happier with the results! This was far-and-away better than the first pizza I cooked. It was crispy, juicy, flavorful, and spongy.
Had this been the initial result, the scores I gave would have been a lot higher. But because I had to make these modifications, the score stands.
With that said, I don’t mind making these improvements if I get a quarantine pizza of this magnitude. While I won’t be changing the score, I find myself wavering on the decision to recommend or not. (Thinking) Screw it; if you have the ingredients necessary for the above upgrades and can afford pizza at this price point, I now say go for it.
What Are Your Thoughts on Goldbelly or Prince Street Pizza?
Please let me know your thoughts on this Goldbelly pizza review. Whether you’ve ordered from Goldbelly or eaten at Prince Street Pizza in Manhattan, New York, we want to hear from you. Also, I can assure you no slice will be left behind. If you disagree with any of my rankings, feel free to let me know!
Do not hesitate to contact us if you need anything at all or would like to chat with us! Please hit those follow, share, & like buttons; just don’t eat the apple. Until next time, ciao!
I’ve tried various pizzas from Goldbelly (although not Prince St.). Here’s what I’ve tried and my ratings (A through F):
(B-) Lou Malnati – I’ve tried these several times and they are “ok” but not nearly like Lou’s on Well St. I’ve had better luck making my own from “clone” recipes.
(C-) Imo’s pizza 4 pack $72 – Only fair. Tasted a bit “gummy “ in the middle.
(C) Bimbo’s Pizza Kalamazoo MI 4 pies $99 – The crust is too thin & does not reheat well.
(F) Pizano’s not enough sauce & not very good
(A-) Heggies Pizza – MN 6 pies $119 – Best I’ve found so far…
Any other recommendations would be appreciated.