Review: Shrimp Pizza

The shrimp pizza at 1856 Bar and Grill, recommended by restaurant co-owner Subarna Bhattachan, doesn’t sound like the most appealing dish. As any hater of anchovies would know, seafood and pizza do not typically mix well. Despite the dish’s inherent awkwardness, the unique and tasty mix of spices and seasoning is tasty enough to almost completely mask the odd texture of the shrimp.

To me, a pizza made solely with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and miniature shrimp would not typically be appetizing; even with this pizza, there were still bites that left me with a bit of a disgusting feeling once I swallowed. The two just don’t naturally blend: the dry, crunchy crust and the wet, squishy shrimp create quite an unappetizing combination. However, the excellently-blended seasoning, a combination of chili flakes and oregano, almost made me forget that I was eating a pizza topped with shrimp. The seasoning fit ridiculously well with the shrimp and mozzarella and made the pizza not only tolerable but incredible. Garlic blended into the sauce helped tie the pizza’s flavor together, and the arugula leaves sprinkled across the top increased the pizza’s visual appeal.

Ultimately, the texture of the shrimp being so different from the rest of the ingredients prevented me from giving the dish a perfect rating. Other than that, the flavor, preparation and display of the pizza was nearly perfect. I would recommend it to any adventurous customer searching for a unique yet tasty flavor.