495 Main St.
Warren, RI 02885
(401) 245-0045
April 5, 2014
For the past month Mom and I have been reading and/or
hearing about how awesome the pizza is at Federal Hill Pizza in Warren. We decided to forgo all pizza-eating during
the week so that we could truly appreciate the pies at Federal Hill on
Saturday. By the time we arrived, my
pizza craving was at its peak.
We were lucky to get a parking spot right at the corner
as Federal Hill Pizzeria is right on Main Street. Once inside, we were greeted
by a hostess who took us to a raised dining area which allowed us to overlook
the entire restaurant. Our waitress
(Donna) took our drink order. Mom had
read that the thing to order – aside from beer – is the root beer on tap ($2.75
each). We ordered two glasses of this very
tasty drink and were ready to start our meal.
We decided to try the 16” pizza margherita ($14.75), the Sicilian rice balls ($8) and the fried ravioli ($7.99). The ravioli and the rice balls were the first to arrive. The sauce was very fragrant on both dishes. Mom and I had been dying to try fried rice balls, a.k.a., “Arancini,” for the longest time. The ball was fried and the filling was mixed with rice, pancetta and mozzarella, although we didn’t taste the pancetta (pork belly meat). The prominent flavor was garlic, and lots of it. We really enjoyed the creamy rice and cheese and the flavor of the garlic kicked everything up a notch. We loved the sauce they were sitting in and would definitely order these yummy little balls again.
We decided to try the 16” pizza margherita ($14.75), the Sicilian rice balls ($8) and the fried ravioli ($7.99). The ravioli and the rice balls were the first to arrive. The sauce was very fragrant on both dishes. Mom and I had been dying to try fried rice balls, a.k.a., “Arancini,” for the longest time. The ball was fried and the filling was mixed with rice, pancetta and mozzarella, although we didn’t taste the pancetta (pork belly meat). The prominent flavor was garlic, and lots of it. We really enjoyed the creamy rice and cheese and the flavor of the garlic kicked everything up a notch. We loved the sauce they were sitting in and would definitely order these yummy little balls again.
The large fried ravioli were also fantastic. The cheese inside was creamy and the outside
was lightly fried so that the filling was the star. Again, the sauce was delicious and tangy.
Our pizza arrived on a pedestal which was really cute and
allowed us to have some room on the table for our plates. The pizza margherita is simple – sauce, fresh
mozzarella cheese, basil and extra virgin olive oil. That’s it.
When it first arrived, both Mom and I expected the crust to be heavy and
doughy. On the contrary, the crust was
thin, light and chewy. It was actually
one of the best crusts we’ve ever had.
The red sauce was as flavorful as a ripe tomato, the basil shreds gave
the pizza a lovely scent and the cheese was fabulous. All around it was a very delicious and
extremely fresh pie. Mom said that she could eat the crust alone with some dipping sauce.
The owner – William Manzo, Jr. – came over to ask how we
were enjoying everything. I couldn’t get
a word out since my mouth was stuffed with food, but Mom told him that
everything was great. Our table was also
visited by a friendly man with a heavy accent and, of course, Donna. She was excellent.
Our total came to $39.14.
Both Mom and I are dying to go back and order one of their large four
cheese pizzas. We saw many large plates
with beautiful pasta dishes and drool-inducing pizzas heading to the
tables. I seriously doubt that anyone
would have a problem finding something they love at Federal Hill Pizza (click
here to view the menu). There is so much
to choose from, including a large menu hanging on the wall with their list of
specials. Also hanging on the wall is
many signed pizza peels from people congratulating Mr. Manzo – a member of the
World Pizza Champions team – on his continued success.
Federal Hill Pizza is one of our new favorites. We can’t wait to return.
