Pizza showdown

It is said that King of Naples disguised himself as a commoner and, in clandestine fashion, visited a poor neighborhood in his kingdom. One story has it that he wanted to sink his teeth into a food that the queen had banned from the royal court—pizza.

There ain’t no such thing as too much pizza. That's at least true around the Portland State campus. With a multitude of options available, here is a rundown of three nearby pizza parlors.

Pizza Schmizza (aka Schmizza’s Pub & Grub)
Grade: A
Cost: $
415 SW Montgomery St.
503-473-8119
Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
 
Schmizza is a newly opened sports bar complete with happy hour and full-bar drink specials. It’s a fun place to hang out after class that boasts four huge flat-screen LCDs, which simultaneously broadcast different NBA and NFL games with access to the NFL Sunday Ticket.

A Terminator mannequin greets you at the entrance telling you, “You will be back.” The internal décor is unique with Vikings memorabilia, a football signed by O.J. Simpson and a basket signed by the Blazers.

You can try out the Cochino (pesto chicken, red onions, hickory smoked bacon and feta cheeses), or the Margherita (fresh basil, Roma tomatoes and feta atop an olive oil-garlic base). Portland State students get 25 cents off per slice.

Hot Lips Pizza
Grade: A+
Cost: $$ 
1909 SW Sixth Ave. 503-224-0311 Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.

Hot Lips is a very popular pizza hangout among Portland State students. Try going there on a weekday at lunchtime and you will find out. The decibel level is the highest here, but so is the quality of their pizza.

Watch out for the Omnivore Bliss (tomato sauce, pepperoni, bacon, Italian sausage, onions, black olives, mushrooms and chopped garlic) or the I Learned it in Brooklyn (garlic-parmesan sauce, Italian sausage, black olives, roasted red peppers and ricotta).

Pizzicato Pizza
Grade: A
Cost: $
1708 SW Sixth Ave.
503-227-5800
Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Pizzicato has been in Portland for 20 years and its Portland State location is the perfect spot for someplace quiet to gorge on your pizza. The noise level is the least among the three places, and the ambience is suitable for a conversation over a slice.

You can try the Al Greco (red onions, lamb sausage, feta and marinated tomatoes on garlic and olive oil with tzaziki sauce on the side) or the Barbecue Chicken (red onions, roasted peppers and cheddar on barbecue sauce).