GQ: R.I.’s best pizza at Bob & Timmy’s

NEW YORK - Who has the best pizza in America? That’s up for debate, but Providence is certainly among the contenders.

Award-winning food writer Alan Richman, writing on his blog and for the June issue of GQ, ranked Providence fifth among the “Top 10 Pizza Cities” in the U.S.

Richman ranked the pizza served at two Providence eateries as among the 25 best pies in the nation: Bob & Timmy’s at 32 Spruce St. and Al Forno Restaurant, 577 South Main St.

Richman said he traveled more than 20,000 miles to sample almost 400 pizzas in more than 100 restaurants around the country to research his article. Providence ranks fifth in his assessment of the Top 10 Pizza Cities, behind New York, San Francisco, Detroit and Chicago.

The wood-grilled spinach and mushroom pizza at Bob & Timmy’s, owned by Jose Sanchez and Rick Remeika, came in a more-than-respectable fifth on Richman’s list of the 25 best pizzas.

“The crust appeared too skinny to be interesting, but it seemed about the best flatbread I’d ever eaten,” Richman writes. “The vegetable toppings were remarkably fresh … the pie I loved most had three cheeses, the dominant one being feta, which adds tang and saltiness.”

Ranked ahead of Bob & Timmy’s were pizza pies in Chicago, Brooklyn, San Francisco and Phoenix, in that order. Richman discussed the pizza at Bob & Timmy’s on a May 22 broadcast of NBC’s Today Show in a segment hosted by Al Roker.

At Al Forno, owned and operated by Johanne Killeen and George Germon, the “grilled pizzas are more than legends; they’re beauties,” Richman said, ranking Al Forno 18th on his list.

“Our roasted eggplant pie consisted of creatively arranged toppings on a flat and irregularly shaped crust … dabs of impossibly delicious tomato sauce intensely flavored with eggplant … and shreds of mild, bright scallions that added a feathery texture,” he said.

In an introduction to his rankings, Richman wrote about the seven distinct kinds of pizza, such as deep-dish, stuffed and pan. He calls grilled pizza, which he noted was invented at Al Forno, “the most curious of all” and “too wonderful to be dismissed as a regional peculiarity.”

GQ: R.I.’s best pizza at Bob & Timmy’s - PBN.com - Providence Business News

Bank of America getting into the luxury hotel business

Image by James Willamor via Flickr

As Bank of America (BAC) prepares to start repaying TARP dollars, it’s also gearing up to open a new hotel across the street from its corporate headquarters. And it’s not a Holiday Inn.

Five months from now, the nation’s largest bank is scheduled to open a new, eco-friendly Ritz-Carlton in a sleek 18-story building. It will have bi-level, penthouse “wellness center” - in other words, a spa - and enough meeting space to accommodate 480 dinner guests, the hotel press release says.

Bank of America started planning the Ritz-Carlton about four years ago, said Scott Silvestri, a spokesman for Bank of America. Back then, the economy looked healthy enough to support luxury hotels in places that never had them, and companies weren’t afraid of being associated with five-star lodging.

But when the luxury hotel opens in October, it will greet guests in a vastly different environment. Silvestri says that Bank of America did not use TARP money to finance the hotel, still the bank does owe taxpayers $45 billion in TARP money. Had that not been the case perhaps the hotel - instead of the owner - would make the headlines.

“I would think there would be a lot of questions about that connection, unless they’re planning on giving TARP money back real quick,” said Paul Hebert, a consultant who’s written about how public perceptions have changed corporate travel and rewards decisions.

“It’s again about the whole idea of excess and not spending money wisely,” Hebert said. “Somebody in those mahogany coated rooms should have said, ‘Come on guys’.”

The hotel opening also comes as Bank of America scraps other business with Ritz-Carlton hotels. Just last month, for instance, the company dropped its 38-year-old, annual investment conference in San Francisco, according to the San Francisco Business Times. The event was traditionally held at the Ritz-Carlton.

In the hotel world and in Charlotte, however, the 147-room Ritz-Carlton is a notable one.

It will be Charlotte’s first luxury hotel.

It will also be Charlotte’s - and the Ritz-Carlton chain’s - greenest hotel.

The Ritz-Carlton was built to comply with strict environmental standards set by the Green Building Council, including water and energy efficiency, sustainability and indoor air quality goals. The hotel will be so green that the custom-designed employee uniforms consist of fabric made from regenerated plastic bottles.

The officially named Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte at Bank of America Center will begin accepting reservations this summer.

Bank of America getting into the luxury hotel business - Hotel Check-in: A road warrior’s guide to the lodging landscape - USATODAY.com