Garlic Breath Pizza is everything I wanted in a restaurant when I was thirteen years old:

• pizza

• garlic bread

• soda

• arcade games

• loud music

Growing up in North Andover in the 90’s, when my friends and I weren’t shooting hoops in the driveway, playing Playstation, pounding cans of Mountain Dew, or going to the Rockingham Mall arcade (it’s a nail salon now), there’s a good chance we were eating pizza. More specifically, there’s a good chance we were eating Captain Pizza, which delivered to my friend Nate’s house. Imagine my surprise when 30-ish years later the Captain Pizza space would become available and I was signing the lease.

As for the pizza itself, Garlic Breath pays homage to my favorite childhood pizza spot: Santarpio’s in East Boston. We thought our dad was crazy for wanting to drive 45 minutes to the city for dinner, but I’m glad he insisted. Their pizza was like nothing I had tried before: the crust was light and crispy, the cheese was well done, the hot cherry peppers burned your mouth, and you could add fresh garlic. The dining room also became a source of inspiration. The wood paneling, sports & music posters, and neon bar signs had an old-school vibe that made me feel like I was one of grownups.

We hope you come by and feel a little nostalgic, too.

-Justin