Wherever food is concerned, I always have my eyes and ears open. In my non-Mouth related work, I am often communicating with tourists, and I am frequently asked for recommendations on “classic” coastal, cuisine. “Where is the best clam chowder?” or, “Where can I find great seafood?” I would say the more common question, though, is “Who has the best pizza?”

For a long time, this surprised me. After all, we’re kind of “known” for our clam chowder and fish and chips, aren’t we? But when I considered other factors, I could see why pizza is a common favorite of travelers. I read a statistic recently that the average family of four, when on vacation, spends about $150 a day on eating out, which means that during a seven-night trip, over $1,000 could be spent on dining. It’s no secret that restaurant dining is a pricey venture, and for families and large groups of friends, pizza just makes sense. A pizza outing is still relatively inexpensive, considering how many people one pie can feed. And beyond that, pizza parlors can often accommodate large groups, and usually the atmosphere is noisy enough that parents can feel comfortable eating out with boisterous children.

Some friends and I dined out recently with a whole gaggle of said children at Paradise Pizza in Ocean Park, Washington. While any food service worker would be justified in feeling a small wave of dread upon seeing such a party walk through the door, instead, our server was delightful and accommodating and made us all feel special – small niceties, but with a big impact.

A classic, pepperoni pizza arrived first. It was baked exactly the way I like, with the crust well browned and the pepperoni a bit crisp around the edges. The toppings on the pizza were ample and seemed of better flavor and quality than some others I’ve had locally. The marinara sauce was a little on the sweet side for my liking; I prefer it to be piquant and tangy, but this is a minor complaint. I found the crust to be better than average, not too thick and not too thin, although I thought the flavor could be punched up a bit.

If you’re a regular reader of my column, you know that odd pizza topping combinations hold no favor with me, but my children like Hawaiian pizza, and as any parent knows, my desire for them to eat their dinner sometimes overrides personal taste. I did my due diligence, though, and sampled it, and was pleasantly surprised. The sauce, which I found overly sweet on the pepperoni pizza, melded flavor-wise much better with mellow and sweet Canadian bacon and pineapple. Now that I think of it, I may have actually preferred it to the pepperoni – not that I intend to make a habit of that.

My favorite pizza of the evening was a veggie pizza. The toppings of onions, olives and various peppers were plentiful, as was the mozzarella cheese. I think I perhaps enjoyed it so much because both the pepperoni and Canadian bacon were in such generous supply that the tops of the other pizzas became a little greasy, and this was not the case with the veggie pizza.

A calzone filled with pepperoni, sausage and cheese was large enough for two people, literally plate-sized. The calzone crust and filling seemed similar in flavor to the pizzas and was quite tasty.

There are other Italian entrées on the menu as well, and on a separate trip, and with a less-full stomach, I look forward to trying them.

Overall, our experience at Paradise Pizza was very pleasant. The atmosphere is beachy, bright and fun, and there is a large upstairs area overlooking the ocean, plus a large TV and some game tables, making it an obvious choice for a large group or a party.

While I still don’t feel I can accurately say that any one pizza parlor in our area is the “best,” Paradise Pizza is certainly a restaurant I would visit again in the future, and it is an excellent choice for pizza if you happen to be on the Long Beach Peninsula.