The great pizza trek continues, bit by bit at this point as I fill in the missed spots one at a time… these fall into one of three categories, for the most part: only open at night, only sell full pizzas, only sell for takeout or delivery. As such they may not all be in the same ‘hood – it’s going to be a bit of a scatter-shot approach, I think.

(64) La Nueva Pipa, Billinghurst 1393 in Barrio Norte primarily just sells pizzas and empanadas to go, they do have one small table for two for people who want to munch there. The only by the slice option is plain mozzarella and only when they have it – I’ve tried twice before and been told they’d sold out, which just seems odd to me – you’re open, make another one. Either way, I was hoping it would be a great slice of pie after that. It’s not. It’s bland from crust to cheese. There’s an almost hint of flavor in the spoonful of tomato sauce dripped in the middle of each slice, but it’s not enough to offset the rest. Yawn.

(65) With seemingly random hours, I began to despair of finding Mandiyu, Billinghurst 1489 in Barrio Norte, open for business. I even tried on a Saturday evening around 9pm – I began to think it was just gone. But then, passing by at 11:30 in the morning on a Monday, there it was, open. I popped in and grabbed a slice. And, it was worth the wait. Wood-fired beehive oven turning out delicious, smoky crusts with a strong note of olive oil, fresh sauce that seems to have a whisper of cinnamon or allspice in it, and excellent quality cheese. Completely surprising for a tiny little hole in the wall that’s essentially take-out only (they have two stools at a counter where you can sit). Happy camper.

(66) I’m not sure why anyone would name a pizzeria after a white sweet potato, but the folk at Boniato, Billinghurst 1608 in Barrio Norte have done just that. This is a takeout and delivery only spot, offering up small and large pies, and only open at night – hitting all three “missing” categories at once. I didn’t realize that it was just to go pizzas until arriving. I’d been hoping to sit down and have a bite and move on to another nearby spot one recent rainy eve. But, it was not to be, so I ordered a small pizza, hopped back on the 92 bus going the other direction and ate the thing at home – reheated. It was delicious. Great, crisp, thin, lightly charred crust, good quality and flavorful cheese, sauce with some seasoning, and, the “carbonara” half, which sounded interested from their list of “pizzas diferentes”, with its strips of smoky bacon laid over fresh cracked eggs that had just barely, quiveringly set so they made a lovely, gooey second sauce, was a joy to gobble down. Bizarrely, perhaps because of that egg sauce, or perhaps they just forgot, the pizza was uncut, which would have been an issue had it been a daytime run and a pop over to a nearby plaza or park to nibble away.