Home of the $4 slice

Many people pass through South Station every day. Many of those people are hungry. It is nice to have a little something to nibble on while en route to a destination. The sway of a train's cars enhance appetite, be that train on a commuter line, Amtrak, the Red Line or the Silver Line. We use the word 'train' loosely for the latter.

Food options are ample at South Station and all of them are top notch, but one counter stands out from the rest. We are talking about Pizzeria Regina, of course. A gourmet slice doesn't cost exactly $4.oo, but what's a penny in the big scheme of things?

You can purchase a plain, cheese slice at Pizzeria Regina for a mere $3.09. You may think that is gourmet. It is certainly the best pizza available in South Station. The napkins at Pizzeria Regina tell the whole story: The crust is made from a secret, 75-year-old recipe that includes special, natural yeast. No humdrum, artificial yeast has ever been used in a Pizzeria Regina pie. It's not just a crust ingredient; it is one of this shop's ingredients for success and the undying loyalty of commuters who stop by in South Station.

The sauce is also natural. It isn't overwhelming yet it's spicy, and the napkin isn't bashful about trumpeting the inclusion of a hint of peccarino romano in it. Discerning taste buds recognize it even if their owners don't read the napkin. Is this Pizzeria Regina's secret? Cheese in the sauce? Not quite.

The secret to this pizza is in the cheese. The napkin tells all again: "Our specialty aged whole milk mozzarella gives Regina's cheese pizza its distinctive flavor." Sounds pretty gourmet to me and at $3.09 a slice, many people would consider that a steal. Many people are surprised they aren't charged more for the privledge of noshing this culinary delight on the way home.

If you want to put your mouth into paroxysms of joy on your train trip, extra-gourmet slices are available, again for the aforementioned $3.99. It seems the proprietors of Pizzeria Regina are so jaded by the specialness of there regular pie, they feel they need to do more. For this reason they "start with the freshest and the finest vegetables and meats-no preservatvies, no additives." That must be tough for olives, artichoke hearts, sausage, meatballs and anchovies, but apparently Pizzeria Regina delivers on its promises. There is always a line in front of the counter.