PICK UP BOXES FROM FAMILY BAKERIES FOR A FUN , AT-HOME STRIP TEASE TASTE TEST .

The best pizza strips in the state come from mom and pop bakeries that haven ’ t changed much since they opened their doors decades ago . And since Rhode Island is so small , you can essentially do a pizza strip crawl and pick up boxes of the room temp Rhode Island favorite to test out and compare at home or work . The staff at Rhode Island Monthly did just that . We covered up any telltale markings from the bakeries on each box , then numbered each pizza from one to seven . We had staff fill out a score card that tallied points for three categories , including appearance , crust and sauce ( one to five points for each ), then we voted on our favorites . The winner was unveiled at the end .

OUR FAVORITES WERE RATED IN THIS ORDER :

D . Palmieri ’ s Bakery

624 Killingly St ., Johnston , 621-9357 , dpalmierisbakery . com The original Domenico Palmieri first opened a bakery in Providence in 1905 , which later moved to Federal Hill . His grandson , Domenic , is the one who decided to open up a whole new bakery in Johnston . It ’ s still run by the same family , including Eric Palmieri who creates pizza art masterpieces in the form of iconic and popular characters as well as holiday , Patriots and sportsthemed pies . The pizza strips are simple and delicious with nothing more than a fantastic family sauce recipe smothered on crisp-edged dough .

DePetrillo ’ s Pizza and Bakery

1755 Smith St ., North Providence , 353-3100 , depetrillospizzabakery . com Dough and red sauce is the name of the game at DePetrillo ’ s though they also offer traditional pizza with cheese and other toppings , too . The family-run business has been serving locals for more than thirty years , and a football party just isn ’ t a football party without a tray of their slices made with housemade dough that ’ s rolled out and topped with a thirty-two-year-old secret sauce recipe .

LaSalle Bakery

993 Smith St ., Providence , 831-9563 ; 685 Admiral St ., Providence , 228-0081 , lasallebakery . net Almost everything at LaSalle Bakery ’ s two locations has a touch of sweetness , including the sauce on the pizza strips . The focaccia-like dough is topped with a tasty secret-recipe tomato sauce and nothing more for a true specimen of the Rhode Island pizza strip . The bakery is run by Michael Manni Jr ., the son of Michael Manni Sr ., who started as a pan boy at the bakery in 1965 . He worked his way up to owning it in 1975 with his wife , Cheryl . Michael Jr . took over the business in 2013 and runs it with team members who have been on staff for decades .

Colvitto ’ s

91 Point Judith Rd ., Narragansett , 783-8086 , colvittospizza . com The Ramieri family has been serving up Italian comfort food and baked goods since 1992 . Their pizza strips are the very Rhode Island version that everyone thinks of when heading to Narragansett beach . Wrapped in wax paper , the eight-inch strips feature housemade crusty dough slathered with red sauce . Red and white strips are only $ 1 each , but you can also order them by the party pan ( thirty-six or fifty-four pieces cut into smaller squares and served cold ). Specify red sauce or add a dollar for a sprinkling of grated cheese on top . They are also known for a display case filled with Italian desserts , including zeppole and sfogliatelle .

The Original Italian Bakery

915 Atwood Ave ., Johnston , 919-5777 , theoriginalitalianbakery . com This fourth-generation bakery stays true to the Rhode Island pizza strip by topping a focaccia-like dough with nothing but the secret family sauce recipe . The pizza chips are also some of the best around , featuring crisp rounds topped with sauce and a sprinkling of romano cheese ( or order white , jalapeno or the bacon-potatocheese versions ). Baker Don DePetrillo first launched a small bakery in 1967 on the corner of Veazie Street and Branch Avenue in Providence , and eventually worked up to owning nine DePetrillo ’ s Pizza and Bakery storefronts across the state . In the mid- ’ 90s , he moved on from the bakeries to live in Florida for a time , and returned to Rhode Island to open the Original Italian Bakery in 2007 .

50 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l FEBRUARY 2022