ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. —
Many Tampa Bay-area pizza shops are getting national attention from Dave Portnoy, founder and owner of the sports and pop culture media company Barstool Sports.
On day two of what Portnoy has called the “great Tampa/St. Pete pizza tour,” several pizza joints have already been featured in the One Bite Pizza Reviews series, which Portnoy hosts.
Portnoy’s first stop was IL Panificio Pizzeria near downtown Sarasota.
“One bite, everybody knows the rules.”
The pizza reviews are known to be filled with sarcastic humor, as Portnoy gives his dead-honest review based on a single bite of a pizza slice. He gave IL Panificio Pizzeria a 7.4 out of 10 rating.
“Not bad at all,” Portnoy said. “This is good, decent pizza. I have no complaints with it.”
Portnoy’s next stop was Venezia Italian Restaurant in St. Armands Circle, which he noted to be “bangin’” with customers — including one who criticized his lack of toppings.
“I only do cheese. That’s how you got to rate it,” Portnoy said.
A handful of people sparked a conversation with the show’s host over his thoughts on the pizza.
“So, what’d you think?” one woman seated at an outside table asked.
“Meh,” Portnoy responded. He gave Venezia a 6.7 out of 10.
On March 6, Portnoy posted a photo of the sign that stands at the entrance of Cristino’s Coal Oven Pizza, signaling he crossed the Skyway Bridge and continued his journey through Tampa Bay pizza shops with the Clearwater restaurant.
He also posted himself decked out in merchandise from the popular beachfront shop Surf Style, known for its locations in St. Pete and Clearwater.
The pizza-tasting tour marks the first time Portnoy has reviewed local pizza places in five years. In 2019, Portnoy gave Tampa’s Eddie and Sam’s New York Pizza a 7.1 out of 10. He also tasted a slice from King’s Pizza in Clearwater and gave it a 2.4 rating.
