By Sarah Moomaw, News Correspondent
On an afternoon trip to Newbury Street, two Northeastern students, including this reporter,’ stopped in a little restaurant at the corner of Fairview and Newbury.
Expecting the place to be out of their budgets, they only read the price column. In amazement, they allowed themselves to move to the actual ‘food’ column. It only got better when they saw a white oval displaying the letters that spelled ‘Husky’ was stuck to the door.
Scoozi is a gourmet pizza and sandwich bar located in one of the basement storefronts along the north side of the street at 237 Newbury St. As you walk down the outside staircase, two doors greet you:’ one for a salon on the right, the other for Scoozi on the left. If patrons mistakenly read the sign at street level, they could accidentally steal someone’s 1 p.m hair appointment.
The restaurant is small, with only 10 or so tables. The kitchen is partially open to diners, creating a show as the pizzas and sandwiches come out. The decor is warm and modern, adorned with a brown and beige color scheme, accented by black and white photography framed on the walls. Except for the draft from the door, it is easy to slip into a relaxed trance or food coma in the cozy chairs.
The food is just as warm and fulfilling as the ambiance. The burgers come out piping hot and glistening from their juices. According to the menu, the beef is pre-seasoned before hitting the grill.
Those same seasonings tickle the senses as condiments from the table are added before pleasuring the taste buds with the first bite. The burger, which costs $7.95, comes with a small bag of Cape Cod Potato chips, but fries and onion rings are also listed on the menu for $4.75 each.
At 14 inches, the pizzas are large and perfect for sharing, so be ready for leftovers. The BBQ chicken pizza came out larger than expected with toppings overflowing the sauce. A tomato sauce sat beneath cheese, red peppers, white meat chicken and BBQ sauce. However, the onions the menu promised were either lost in the mix or nonexistent.
The flavors worked well together as the peppers added a sweet kick, the BBQ sauce provided a smoky bite and the chicken was perfectly seasoned.
Scoozi also offers pizza by the slice every day before 6 p.m. The slices are $2 for cheese and $3 for pepperoni or the slice of the day.
Manager Katie Vanstry said she recommends the grilled bourbon marinated sirloin tips, served with jasmine rice and mesclun greens, for only $18, because ‘the sauce is really good.’
She said she enjoys working in the relaxed atmosphere that permeates the restaurant. A good deal of college students from neighboring schools like Northeastern and Boston University frequent the restaurant, she added.
So here’s the run down:’ The service was great, the food came out quickly and piping hot. The staff was pleasant and didn’t hover in the small space. They offer call ahead, take out and delivery service. Both the lunch and dinner menus are reasonably priced and yummy.
The lunch menu has salads and paninis ranging from $6 to $9 and pasta dishes range $10 to $13. Pizzas weigh in around $15, but remember how large they are. The dinner menu’s prices get a little steeper with main courses in the $14 to $19 range. Cash and all major credit cards are accepted, including Husky Dollars.
Scoozi, 235 Newbury St., Boston. Open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 10 p.m.
