I will fully admit that I haven't eaten at a lot of pizzerias. I will disclaim that I was here only to redeem my free birthday pizza. But I have to say that this is one of the best pizza experiences that I've had.\n\nI managed to get in after peak lunch, when few other patrons were around. The hostess and server both asked me if I'd been to Grimaldi's before and proceeded to explain the menu when I stated that I hadn't. Having looked at the menu online and noted the fine print on the birthday offer, I knew I could get the large (18\") pizza with tomato sauce for $16 and add a $2 topping without additional charge. The server was nice enough to tell me about this nuance anyway. She also offered to choice of a small (16\") pizza for $14 and two $2 toppings, but I had done the math and realized that I'd lose 21% of the surface area. In other words, not the best value.\n\nI chose meatballs as my topping. I figured that pepperoni and sausage are common enough, so why not try something else? I was tempted to go for the white sauce w/ garlic, the pesto, or the calzone variations, but I figured that the tomato sauce had to be good enough if this was such a famous chain.\n\nDuring the 20+ minute wait (yes, they do have to assemble the pizza and fire it up in that coal brick oven), I spent time looking at the various black and white photos on the wall, pondering whether the brick walls were authentic or a replica, and listening to older music by Sinatra and similar singers. This isn't just \"hey let me describe the decor\" time, but rather a warning that solo eating can be boring here. I also wonder how they manage to keep it going with the restaurant is busy if it takes so long...\n\nThe pizza finally came out, and the employee who brought out the pizza also conveniently plated one slice for me. I was surprised a bit that the pizza wasn't too hot, but I suppose the thin crust cools off quickly. Speaking of which, the crust was really crispy. The sauce, cheese, and meatballs were all balanced in flavor and savory. The parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes all added some nice flavors. The crust was only truly burnt on part of the edge; otherwise, it's charred just enough.\n\nI'm looking forward to seeing if I can restore some nice texture to the crust on my leftovers. I think the large pizza can easily support a dinner for one or two other people, although it might be a stretch for a party of four unless you add a salad. Aside from the small concern with my server not checking on me at all until after I'd stopped eating (coincidentally, just after another table had been seated), I had a very enjoyable meal and would not hesitate to recommend this place for pizza, even if I don't truly know what else is out there.
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