Phantom Gourmet: Antonio's Pizza By The Slice In Worcester
WORCESTER (CBS) -- If you're a fan of dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings as far as the eye can see, prepare to be transported to pizza paradise.
"Think of it as like a pizza odyssey," says chef Jay Carreiro. "You're going on a journey to places you've never been before, to slices you've never seen before, things you've never tasted before."
That's because Antonio's Pizza by the Slice in Worcester is more than just a pizza place.
"It's like a slice emporium," says CEO Bill Kitsilis. "I mean, you come in and you're seeing all the different colors and textures ... It's a magical experience."
The original Antonio's opened in Amherst Mass as a tiny take-out spot back in 1991, and its unexpected slices and student-friendly prices quickly became a hit with the thousands of college kids in the area.
Fast Forward a quarter century, and this Worcester location is the eighth Antonio's to open--and now, those sensational slices are only the beginning, because here, they've added a huge bar, a full menu, and 165 seats inside a big, beautiful dining room that according to CEO Bill Kitsilis, always impresses.
"For the first time people come in, they're like, 'oh my god, this is way more than just a pizza place'," Kitsilis says.
So the menu features everything from meatball sliders and chicken parm with penne to a big pile of loaded potato chips and about a dozen different flavors of wings.
But first and foremost, Antonio's is still all about the pizza. A fully stocked slice counter greets customers when they come in, and that's where Jay Carreiro and his team will help walk you through the almost endless options.
"You can be a little overwhelmed when you get in here, so we're sort of like pizza whisperers," Carreiro says. "Someone might be like, 'I'd like something spicy.' Someone wants barbecue, we got a bunch of barbecue options for them. They're vegetarians, we've got a whole variety of vegetarian options for them. It's what we are. It's a visual interactive experience."
Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.
