Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has released his first “One Bite Pizza Reviews” video from Syracuse — along with some biting commentary.
Portnoy visited Central New York on Friday, stopping at a dozen pizzerias including in Utica, for his social media series: “One bite everyone knows the rules.” He films himself taking one bite (sometimes more) and then shares his reactions and ratings on social media, searching for the best slice in a popular trend that began near his sports blogging company’s offices in New York City.
On Monday, “El Presidente” posted his first video from the trip with his take on Paladino’s Pizza in Mattydale’s Northern Lights Plaza. Before he could partake, though, he had to take a few digs at Syracuse basketball, SU football and the Salt City favorite’s location itself.
“I’ve never been upstate like here, so we’re gonna see how it goes,” Portnoy said. “This place, by the way, is one of the worst strip malls like I’ve been in a long time. It’s just disgusting.”
But Portnoy, dressed in a colorful romper, said he was surprised at how busy Paladino’s was.
“It was popping in there, it was a bump, it was jammed,” he said. “People coming up, pictures. Somebody said best pizza you’re gonna have in Syracuse is right here, so we’ll see.”
The pizza was hot, so he let it cool as he started running down the list of what he knows about Syracuse sports: Gerry McNamara, Eric Devendorf, Buddy Boeheim, and Jim Boeheim. “The land of sharpshooting slow white guys,” Portnoy joked.
He also shouted out “my guy Adam Weitsman” and tried to remember the name of former Orange fullback Rob Konrad, but was unsuccessful. (He completely left out big names like Carmelo Anthony, Jim Brown, Derrick Coleman, Ernie Davis, Dave Bing and Floyd Little, but may be forgiven as he grew up in Massachusetts and attended the University of Michigan in the ‘90s. He later included Melo, Coleman, Hakim Warrick, Sherman Douglas and others in a list of his 10 favorite ‘Cuse players on Twitter.)
Portnoy eventually took a few bites, saluting Paladino’s pie as a “good quality football pizza.”
“They don’t play football here in Syracuse anymore,” he jested. “They used to. They don’t anymore, they just play basketball.”
He said the crust was a bit doughy, but couldn’t resist taking another few bites, breaking his own rules.
“I actually like it. I’m gonna go 7.5 (out of 10),” Portnoy concluded. “7.5 is a good, solid, all-American Upstate New York, Syracuse football pizza back in the Donovan McNabb days... Good pizza. Paladino’s, I’d never get sick of it. I could eat this all day long, be very happy.”
Portnoy also visited places like Apizza Regionale, Varsity Pizza, Francesca’s Pizza and Italian Kitchen, Mario & Salvo’s, and Toss & Fire Wood-Fired Pizza, plus Purple Banana and Shirt World on the Syracuse University Hill. He appeared to give higher ratings to Utica restaurants like O’Scugnizzo Pizzeria and Slice Pizzeria, but hasn’t yet officially posted those reviews yet.
All of his reviews will be eventually posted on Instagram (@stoolpresidente) and YouTube (youtube.com/c/OneBitePizzaReviews).
This isn’t the first time Portnoy has traveled through Upstate New York in hopes of finding his new favorite pizza. The Hudson Valley Post reports he’s also given high scores to places like De Fazio’s in Troy, Bocce Club Pizza in Buffalo, and Max London’s in Saratoga Springs.
Portnoy also isn’t a stranger to Syracuse. In 2021, he helped rescue Mulrooney’s in Armory Square when the bar was in danger of closing permanently amid the Covid-19 pandemic; he called Mully’s owner Joe Rainone himself to offer payments of $6,000 per month from the Barstool Fund to cover its expenses until it could reopen for business.