Aaron Landry 🐱🍕
@s4xton.com
Digital nomad eating the world’s best pizza and taking thousands of cat photos. Minnesota expat. Let’s get pizza!
https://s4xton.substack.com
https://s4xton.substack.com
Wiseguys Pizza & Pub in Centerville, Minnesota is in a strip mall connected to a gas station, but feels like a rural dive. Pull tabs, big televisions, and thick accents. No surprises with the pizza: cracker-like crust, and an overabundance of sauce and cheese that falls off if you're not careful.
December 9, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Wiseguys Pizza & Pub in Centerville, Minnesota is in a strip mall connected to a gas station, but feels like a rural dive. Pull tabs, big televisions, and thick accents. No surprises with the pizza: cracker-like crust, and an overabundance of sauce and cheese that falls off if you're not careful.
Mansetti's in Ham Lake, Minnesota is "Simply the Best" per the box, but I ordered it just to try their "double crust". It's like a thin crust designed to be tavern cut but with a duplicate layer of that thin crust with nothing between and cut into triangles. Adds a bonus crunch, but overall a mess.
December 9, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Mansetti's in Ham Lake, Minnesota is "Simply the Best" per the box, but I ordered it just to try their "double crust". It's like a thin crust designed to be tavern cut but with a duplicate layer of that thin crust with nothing between and cut into triangles. Adds a bonus crunch, but overall a mess.
It's cold outside, but there's sunlight. I'm staying warm with Joanie, Butters, and Mabel.
December 6, 2025 at 6:41 PM
It's cold outside, but there's sunlight. I'm staying warm with Joanie, Butters, and Mabel.
Mana Brewing in Minnesota just opened a second location in Oakdale, just steps from a stop of the new Bus Rapid Transit Gold Line. The route is exactly one of my old commutes when I lived here. If only! Got the "Margherita." Nice digs, and I'm sure the beer is great, but the pizza should be tweaked.
December 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Mana Brewing in Minnesota just opened a second location in Oakdale, just steps from a stop of the new Bus Rapid Transit Gold Line. The route is exactly one of my old commutes when I lived here. If only! Got the "Margherita." Nice digs, and I'm sure the beer is great, but the pizza should be tweaked.
Barely in the pizza category, on Delta flight 9 between London and Minneapolis I received a "pizza twist". Made in Türkiye by Italy's Vibi Mediterraneo, I got it steaming hot over northern Canada. Less like a hot pocket, and more like actual quality cheese bread, frozen and reheated. Oddly decent.
December 6, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Barely in the pizza category, on Delta flight 9 between London and Minneapolis I received a "pizza twist". Made in Türkiye by Italy's Vibi Mediterraneo, I got it steaming hot over northern Canada. Less like a hot pocket, and more like actual quality cheese bread, frozen and reheated. Oddly decent.
Carmela's in London opened earlier this year serving a focused selection of New York-ish pies. Mine had a thick chew to the crust and perfect firmness that was just hard enough. Topped with perhaps the best vodka sauce I've had: bitter, sweet, cheesy, creamy, and perhaps even buttery. Delightful.
December 4, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Carmela's in London opened earlier this year serving a focused selection of New York-ish pies. Mine had a thick chew to the crust and perfect firmness that was just hard enough. Topped with perhaps the best vodka sauce I've had: bitter, sweet, cheesy, creamy, and perhaps even buttery. Delightful.
Manchester's Ramona is hip, and I got in before it evolved into a club. For me, the star here is their Detroit style slices, which are more decadent and far less oily than their Motor City counterparts. Enjoyed their "Cali Pepps": a few pepperoni and hot honey under burrata, topped with pecorino.
December 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Manchester's Ramona is hip, and I got in before it evolved into a club. For me, the star here is their Detroit style slices, which are more decadent and far less oily than their Motor City counterparts. Enjoyed their "Cali Pepps": a few pepperoni and hot honey under burrata, topped with pecorino.
Visited Liverpool's Nightcrawler Pizza during the daytime. Functional slice.
December 4, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Visited Liverpool's Nightcrawler Pizza during the daytime. Functional slice.
Noi Quattro in Manchester is high-tier Neapolitan, where they possess the magic of making a four cheese pizza feel light. This one, with mozzarella fior di latte, smoked scamorza, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, basil, and olive oil was very salty, smoky, and tangy. Yet oddly refreshing.
December 4, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Noi Quattro in Manchester is high-tier Neapolitan, where they possess the magic of making a four cheese pizza feel light. This one, with mozzarella fior di latte, smoked scamorza, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, basil, and olive oil was very salty, smoky, and tangy. Yet oddly refreshing.
Nell's has six locations around the Manchester area. I popped into the Northern Quarter spot. An excellent take on New York style, and one of the best I've had in the UK. I got the "Magic Number" with mozzarella, vodka sauce, salsa verde, buffalo ricotta cream, basil oil, basil, and ricotta salata.
December 4, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Nell's has six locations around the Manchester area. I popped into the Northern Quarter spot. An excellent take on New York style, and one of the best I've had in the UK. I got the "Magic Number" with mozzarella, vodka sauce, salsa verde, buffalo ricotta cream, basil oil, basil, and ricotta salata.
At Double Zero in Manchester, got the "Partenopea": tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, parma ham, Parmigiano shavings, basil, burrata, and basil oil. The latter two spread by the one eating the pizza: the burrata as expected, the oil in a small pipette. Fun. Was tempted to squirt my friend with it.
December 4, 2025 at 1:11 PM
At Double Zero in Manchester, got the "Partenopea": tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, parma ham, Parmigiano shavings, basil, burrata, and basil oil. The latter two spread by the one eating the pizza: the burrata as expected, the oil in a small pipette. Fun. Was tempted to squirt my friend with it.
It's my last night in Bean in Edinburgh! She's been a silly and wonderful companion. I'm off to Manchester for a few days, then to the States. But I'll be back in Scotland next summer!
November 30, 2025 at 4:38 PM
It's my last night in Bean in Edinburgh! She's been a silly and wonderful companion. I'm off to Manchester for a few days, then to the States. But I'll be back in Scotland next summer!
New Haven style was sold as "Napoletana" pizza in the 1920s to people who didn't know better. The style lives on as it is pizza many grew up with in Connecticut, and through marketing, branding, and cult-like belief. The new Civerinos in Leith, Edinburgh replicates this messy and greasy style well.
November 29, 2025 at 4:31 PM
New Haven style was sold as "Napoletana" pizza in the 1920s to people who didn't know better. The style lives on as it is pizza many grew up with in Connecticut, and through marketing, branding, and cult-like belief. The new Civerinos in Leith, Edinburgh replicates this messy and greasy style well.
A recap of some of my faves in London: they all have two addresses.
open.substack.com/pub/s4xton/p...
open.substack.com/pub/s4xton/p...
Top London Pizzerias With Two Addresses
I've tried 96 different pizzerias in the UK this year so far, and noticed a pattern with my London faves.
open.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 1:27 PM
A recap of some of my faves in London: they all have two addresses.
open.substack.com/pub/s4xton/p...
open.substack.com/pub/s4xton/p...
Frank's in Finnieston Glasgow has the trappings of a New York pizzeria, but I got an unremarkable pie. The crust cracked when bent, and the slices drooped. I also wondered if I lost my sense of taste, aside from some of the heat from the pepperoni. Others were using dipping sauces, which may be key.
November 27, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Frank's in Finnieston Glasgow has the trappings of a New York pizzeria, but I got an unremarkable pie. The crust cracked when bent, and the slices drooped. I also wondered if I lost my sense of taste, aside from some of the heat from the pepperoni. Others were using dipping sauces, which may be key.
Reposted by Aaron Landry 🐱🍕
They were still painting the façade when I arrived at the brand new Paesano Pizza this morning in Edinburgh. Their fourth location, which opens today, takes their Glasgow concept to New Town. Higher-tier Neapolitan done well at scale, with a double-oven setup. Poised to be packed, once word spreads.
November 26, 2025 at 3:52 PM
They were still painting the façade when I arrived at the brand new Paesano Pizza this morning in Edinburgh. Their fourth location, which opens today, takes their Glasgow concept to New Town. Higher-tier Neapolitan done well at scale, with a double-oven setup. Poised to be packed, once word spreads.
Razzo Pizza Napoletana is one of a dozen traders at Edinburgh Street Food on the ground level of the Omni Centre. Pizzas are smaller than their nicer Leith location, but the lighter size fits the "street food" moniker. I had room for an elaborate hot chocolate and expensive warm cookie afterwards.
November 25, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Razzo Pizza Napoletana is one of a dozen traders at Edinburgh Street Food on the ground level of the Omni Centre. Pizzas are smaller than their nicer Leith location, but the lighter size fits the "street food" moniker. I had room for an elaborate hot chocolate and expensive warm cookie afterwards.
Pizza Posto, near the University of Edinburgh and many historic sites, uses multigrain dough resulting in a light, puffy crust, with a sourdough note. Mine had juicy cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, with hidden garlic, a single basil leaf, and enough oregano to fail a drug test. Loud, but satisfying.
November 25, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Pizza Posto, near the University of Edinburgh and many historic sites, uses multigrain dough resulting in a light, puffy crust, with a sourdough note. Mine had juicy cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, with hidden garlic, a single basil leaf, and enough oregano to fail a drug test. Loud, but satisfying.
Sano Pizza's first location in Glasgow's Finnieston area is a big homage to Monsieur Chat throughout. 😺 Got their Diavola, a Margherita with spicy Calabrian salami under the cheese. The effect is the meat is more steamed and not crisped, and quite hot, complimenting the existing spiciness. Devilish.
November 24, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Sano Pizza's first location in Glasgow's Finnieston area is a big homage to Monsieur Chat throughout. 😺 Got their Diavola, a Margherita with spicy Calabrian salami under the cheese. The effect is the meat is more steamed and not crisped, and quite hot, complimenting the existing spiciness. Devilish.
Bangin' Pizza in Dumbarton, Scotland is indeed, bangin'. Excellent 48-hour dough from a hybrid flour resulting with a gentle crispy edge and an airy chew. Mildly sweet tomatoes balanced well with fresh mozzarella. Cut into quarters, the slices worked great folded. Perfect after a hike around town.
November 22, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Bangin' Pizza in Dumbarton, Scotland is indeed, bangin'. Excellent 48-hour dough from a hybrid flour resulting with a gentle crispy edge and an airy chew. Mildly sweet tomatoes balanced well with fresh mozzarella. Cut into quarters, the slices worked great folded. Perfect after a hike around town.
Glasgow's Paesano Pizza is one of the most popular pizzerias in Scotland. Soft and puffy Neapolitan crust and a generous spinach and ricotta base, all under a thick layer of mozzarella and smoked scamorza cheeses. Mushrooms sautéed in garlic and olive oil atop it all for a chewy texture.
November 21, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Glasgow's Paesano Pizza is one of the most popular pizzerias in Scotland. Soft and puffy Neapolitan crust and a generous spinach and ricotta base, all under a thick layer of mozzarella and smoked scamorza cheeses. Mushrooms sautéed in garlic and olive oil atop it all for a chewy texture.
Bean got cat food delivered in a cardboard box the other week and it has been her fave box ever since.
November 18, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Bean got cat food delivered in a cardboard box the other week and it has been her fave box ever since.
Got takeaway from Canotto Pizza's location in a ghost kitchen in an industrial area in East Kilbride, Scotland. A long journey via train, bus, and walking past Scotland's Coca-Cola bottling facility and automotive repair shops. In 2024, the Times said this was one of the top 50 pizzas in the UK.
November 18, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Got takeaway from Canotto Pizza's location in a ghost kitchen in an industrial area in East Kilbride, Scotland. A long journey via train, bus, and walking past Scotland's Coca-Cola bottling facility and automotive repair shops. In 2024, the Times said this was one of the top 50 pizzas in the UK.
Pizza Pilgrims has over two dozen locations in the UK; I stopped by their Edinburgh spot. Bustling, full of tourists, and some of the most hurried staff I've seen in the country. Ordered one with basil pesto, burrata, tomatoes, and olive oil. Salty and dry; the burrata was a nice dip. Actually good.
November 15, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Pizza Pilgrims has over two dozen locations in the UK; I stopped by their Edinburgh spot. Bustling, full of tourists, and some of the most hurried staff I've seen in the country. Ordered one with basil pesto, burrata, tomatoes, and olive oil. Salty and dry; the burrata was a nice dip. Actually good.