Hooray for The Upper Crust

Ever since moving to Newburyport and eyeing the various pizza joints around town, I've secretly wanted a shop like the Upper Crust Pizzeria to arrive.

The Daily News reports my wish may come true.

For the record, I'm not a big pizza eater. In fact, I rarely eat the doughy fixture. With my healthy, low-carb diet, I treat pizza as a, err, treat. But, after trying pizzas from Abe's and Pizza Factory II (the closest to my apartment), I prefer to order pies these days from Angelina's over the bridge. I feel the Salisbury joint offers thinner pies with less grease.

Emily H., a Yelp reviewer, suggested last year that Nick's Pizza is better than Angelina's. I suppose I'll have to try Nick's.

In terms of comparisons to the Upper Crust's pies, I'd offer up Amesbury's Flatbread Pizza Co.

To no surprise, an anonymous commenter at the bottom of the above linked Daily News page is unhappy with the potential of the Upper Crust coming here:

I think if we keep going in this direction, Newburyport will cease to have the quaint charm that is what attracts most of our visitors. If we continue allowing chain restaurants/stores to take over downtown, Newburyport will just end up being "Anytown, USA."

I disagree. When you compare the tourism and commercial appeal of downtown Newburyport with Brookline's Coolidge Corner, Boston's Charles Street, and Waltham's Moody Street, you can see many common elements. Besides, Domino's and Pizza Hut are more like a chain than the UC. They may have numerous locations, but it's still Made in Massachusetts with only Mass. locations.

Tom Salemi, on his blog, agrees:

If we are going to get a chain, Upper Crust seems like the kind of chain store folks would prefer: a niche, Massachusetts-based company with locations in a number somewhat upscale locations. Newburyport does seem like a nice fit.

I've only eaten at the Upper Crust's Beacon Hill and Coolidge Corner locations, but after hearing of last year's opening in Salem, I figured it was only time before a franchise would come farther north... and if it's successful here, I would think it's very likely they'd cross the border, in a reverse role of Sal's southern crossing.