A man has devoted years of his life to testing different pizzas, rating each slice on a scale of one to 10 with impressive seriousness.
Dave Portnoy, the founder of the satirical lifestyle website Barstool Sports, began his pizza reviews a few years ago, at the time sharing his impressions every once in a while when he encountered a slice of interest.
But since Barstool Sports relocated from Boston to New York City about two years ago, Dave has ramped up his reviewing after deciding to try every slice in the Big Apple.
Yummy: Dave Portnoy, the founder of the satirical lifestyle website Barstool Sports has devoted years of his life to testing different pizzas, rating each slice on a scale of one to 10
Origin story: He began his pizza reviews a few years ago, at the time sharing his impressions every once in a while when he encountered a slice of interest
Prime Spot: Since Barstool Sports relocated from Boston to New York City, Dave has ramped up his reviewing after deciding to try every slice in the Big Apple
He has since turned his reviews into a proper series dubbed One Bite With Davey Pageviews, focusing mainly on rating various pizza offerings in New York City.
‘We moved from Boston to New York about two years ago, and I had always grown up with pizza in Boston. I had said, kind of offhandedly, that I would try every single pizza place in the city and I’d start doing it right when I moved. People seemed to love it, and it just caught on,’ he told Fox News.
Dave, who has conduced more than 300 reviews, has also been taking bites out of famous pies all across the country.
As the reviews have progresses, the series has sparked a surprisingly huge following, with each of the videos gaining tens of thousands of views online. The company has even created a line of merchandise dedicated to Dave’s side-gig.
As for which pizza joint in the Big Apple takes Dave’s top prize: John’s Bleecker Street is his favorite so far.
The videos have attracted a plethora of celebrity guests to join in, from superstar athletes to Hollywood actors and even TV chefs such as Guy Fieri.
Surprise! A clip includes a ‘bonus marriage proposal’ where a passing by couple takes Dave up on the offer of a free slice before the guy gets down on one knee mid-chew
Success: Dave has since turned his reviews into a proper series dubbed One Bite With Davey Pageviews, focusing mainly on rating various pizza offerings in New York City
Standard: His reviews have grown to be such an integral part of Barstool’s brand that every time Dave takes his show on the road, local media eagerly anticipate his out-of-ten ratings
Serious: Dave has explained that he can’t give a pizza a perfect 10, since that would prevent him from attributing a higher grade to a potentially tastier slice in the future
They typically feature Dave standing by a pizza place with a slice in his hand, announcing that true to his rule, he will only take one bite, before chowing down on most of the slice, taking various bites from the tip to the crust.
In an interview with Seth Meyers, Dave explained that he can’t give a pizza a perfect 10, since that would prevent him from attributing a higher grade to a potentially tastier slice in the future.
The ‘One Bite’ challenge has grown to be such an integral part of Barstool’s brand that every time Dave takes his show on the road, local media eagerly anticipate his out-of-ten-reviews of their hometown favorites.
In a recent round-up video of pizza review highlights, Dave shows how his taste-testing can elicit some seriously strong responses.
He was mocked by newscasters in Iowa after dubbing the beloved Casey’s ‘breakfast pizza’ as ‘too bacony’.
Bling: The sports blogger even took on the $2,000 pizza at Industry Kitchen, which went viral last year for its indulgent toppings, including 24-karat gold flakes, and eye-watering price tag
VIP: Dave’s videos have attracted a plethora of celebrity guests to join in, from superstar athletes to Hollywood actors and even TV chefs such as Guy Fieri
Loving it: As the reviews have progresses, the series has sparked a surprisingly huge following, with each of the videos gaining tens of thousands of views online
Traveling: Dave, who has conduced more than 300 reviews, has been taking bites out of famous pies all across the country
Back in New York, there is no fad too ridiculous for Dave to sink his teeth into. The sports blogger even took on the 24K pizza at Industry Kitchen, which went viral last year for its indulgent toppings – and eye-watering price tag.
The eatery’s whopping $2,000 pizza is covered in flakes of 24-karat gold, imported white stilton cheese, dollops of Ossetra caviar from the Caspian Sea as well as truffles and Fois Gras from France.
That particular video sees Dave taking a bite, declaring ‘I hate it!’ and even chucking some of the pricey pie into the nearby river.
Another clip includes a ‘bonus marriage proposal’ where a passing by couple takes Dave up on the offer of a free slice in the Meatpacking District before the guy gets down on one knee mid-chew and pops the question. He gets an enthusiastic ‘yes’ before both now-fiances dig back into the pizza.
So far, Dave has deemed that video, which dates back to three months ago, his wildest review. But he has tried more than 15 new pizzas already since the clip when live, leaving ample room for more developments in the future.