Imagine being in the pizza business for only a year when the most famous pizza critic in the country stops by for a slice.
Josh Gagne, owner of The Dipper Café in New Bedford, and his partner Ryan Packer know this stomach-dropping feeling all too well after a weekend visit from Dave Portnoy .
The duo purchased the bar at 1367 Purchase St. two years ago from Gagne’s father and uncle. It’s been in the family for over 50 years. However, the kitchen had remained unused and they aimed to change that.
They wanted to bring South Shore bar pizza to the area, a style of pizza with cheese and toppings covering the whole pie, leaving no border crust — just a slightly burnt laced edge.
After learning the ropes of owning the bar for about a year and many nights trying different recipes, they began offering their pizza made with fresh dough, homemade sauce, and their signature cheese blend.
One-bite ratings: Dave Portnoy spotted at New Bedford-area pizza shops
Portnoy’s one-bite review at The Dipper Cafe
Known for his one-bite pizza reviews, Portnoy stopped by their establishment on Sunday to review their cheese pizza.
For his "one-bite" review, Portnoy pays a surprise visit to several area restaurants, buys a large cheese pizza, eats it on the sidewalk, and gives it a rating.
With a full bar of people, bartender Ashley Apo knew immediately it was Portnoy even though he'd called in his pizza order under a different name.
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“I walked into the kitchen to get his order and I said 'Dave Portnoy is here,'” said Apo “The kitchen staff didn’t believe me, and when I told the customers they said, 'no way.'”
But sure enough, she watched Portnoy walk outside and start filming his review. When Apo headed outside, she heard him say that the sauce was awesome. He seemed to enjoy the pizza, telling her the rating was a "good one."
Apo wasn’t surprised that he visited The Dipper Café. “We’ve joked about it since we began serving pizza, imagining what it would be like if he came, because we knew eventually, he would come.”
Dave Portnoy has 'a lot of power' in the pizza business
Neither of the owners were there at the time of Portnoy’s visit. They got a text from Apo telling them about their surprise visitor.
“My stomach dropped,” said Gagne. “I was nervous, because he’s one man with a lot of power. If he doesn’t like your pizza, it can make or break your business.”
Portnoy got into a viral on-camera feud with the owner of Somerville's Dragon Pizza, calling it "the worst pizza place in America." Dragon Pizza rode the controversy to the bank, selling out for a week afterward, but owner Charlie Redd said he also received death threats.
Truly great reviews can even cause their own problems. Jeff's Pizza in East Providence, Rhode Island, scored an 8.1 from "El Presidente." In the days after Portnoy posted his review to YouTube, the shop had to post hand-drawn signs on their front door saying they were sold out because of demand.
“I stand by our incredible product,” Gagne continued. “I know we made great pizzas, but you worry about all the little things that could have gone wrong in making the pizza he tried.”
That’s why Gagne stated that he and Packer have always emphasized to their employees that consistency is essential, ensuring that every pizza that leaves the kitchen is a quality pizza.
Although business has been steady as usual, family, regulars and even strangers have reached out to the owners, excited for their pizza review to appear on Portnoy’s YouTube channel.
“We are still new to the game, and we are honored to be lumped in with staples, those who have been in the business for far longer,” said Gagne.
He says he’s stoked to see the review come out and that they are willing to take any constructive criticism that comes their way, whether it comes from Portnoy or a customer.
“We are always looking to make things better,” he said, “but we will continue to keep it fresh every day.”
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Portnoy dug into Ray's Pizza in New Bedford
Typically Sundays are busy at Ray's Pizza , so busy that Ray Pires didn't give a second look when an order for a plain cheese pizza was picked up for "Austin." Pires, the owner of the pizza joint at 2186 Acushnet Ave. in New Bedford, didn't notice anything familiar about the customer.
"He came in and waited for his pizza," explained Pires. "I didn't recognize him. I just saw that he was talking to another customer."
While slinging pizza dough, Pires noticed that "Austin" had gone outside and seemed to be filming with cameras all around him.
Another customer quickly explained who "Austin" was and that Portnoy was doing one of his famous one-bite pizza reviews. Pires knew of the Barstool Sports founder, and had heard him on the radio, but never expected him to walk into his restaurant.
"I wish I had known it was him, I would have introduced myself," said Pires. "I just hope I didn't come off as rude, because I was slammed when he walked in."
After 22 years in business, Pires rarely advertises and instead relies on word of mouth to attract new customers to his hidden gem. He notes that the restaurant can easily be overlooked when driving by.
Pires is thrilled about the unexpected visit, as it will bring in more customers to his shop. With his homemade sauces and daily-made dough, paired with top-quality cheese, Pires said he hopes customers will be drawn to explore his full menu, which includes delectable options such as chowder, salads and sandwiches.
To have social media buzzing about Portnoy's visit already had the phone ringing off the hook and was keeping Pires busy all Tuesday afternoon.
"It's great exposure for the business. Any exposure helps small businesses," said Pires. "It's going to bring in new customers and give me a lot more work, but that’s what we're here for."
In the midst of chaos, Dave Portnoy walked into Central Cafe
It's a Middleboro tradition, Cobra football being celebrated at Central Cafe — in fact, that's how the Fuller siblings and their childhood friend ended up owning the cafe together.
In the 1990s, their dad Bill Fuller and Mark Hannon, both members of the Middleboro Cobras semi-pro football team, decided to team up and purchase Central Cafe. The restaurant had been around for decades and featured traditional recipes that were well-known in the community. It quickly became a popular spot for Cobra players and fans to gather and celebrate.
"Since I was a kid, we would go to the Cobra football games, being the water-girls and water-boys," said Fuller. "Then you went to the Central to celebrate the whole team."
It was during one of these celebrations that the current owners, Zack Bourget, Olivia Fuller and her siblings, Morgan, Will and Sadie, first met. All under 30 years old, they took over the cafe two years ago in hopes of keeping the nostalgia of their youth alive in Middleboro.
After the Middleboro Cobras secured the title of 2024 New England Football League Champions, they knew they were heading to The Central to celebrate on Sunday.
"In the midst of the chaos, you have these big football guys hooting and hollering holding up their trophies and my sister looks at me and says, 'Dave Portnoy is here,'" said Fuller. "I look up and, lo and behold, there's Dave Portnoy with his cameraman just chilling."
"It was the essence of Middleboro," she continued. "It's just incredible that he could come in at a time like that, during such a big win for Middleboro."
Fuller described Portnoy as being kind, taking pictures with everyone, even buying the Cobras a round of drinks to celebrate their win and leaving a large tip for the staff.
Wearing a Cobra football shirt, Portnoy did his review on the crowded street surrounded by onlookers, saying it was a "great pie" and "a little on the fluffy side, which I like."
Best known for their 10-inch bar-style pizzas, Central Cafe says the pans they have had for decades are what makes all the difference, especially in the fan favorites of cheese, linguiça, and mashed potato and bacon pizzas.
"As adults, we get to see other people in the community making the same memories here that we did," said Fuller. "It's crazy to see how one pizza place can be so intertwined in so many different people's lives."
"When you go to the Central, it's like an extension of your living room," she said "Everyone is family there."
For the owners of The Central Cafe having Portnoy stop by during a moment of Middleboro celebrating like a family was icing on the cake.
Keep an eye out for these local pizza reviews on Portnoy's YouTube channel. His reviews are also collected on the website onebite.app .
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: "One man with a lot of power": How SouthCoast pizza shops handled a Dave Portnoy visit
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