Inside Maryland’s Hillel
I can’t say with any certainty that the pizza served at Hillel every Sunday and Tuesday night is the best in College Park. Were it not the only kosher option in the area, I might just be able to make that claim. It is, however. Therefore, it’s the only College Park pizza I’ve tasted. So I won’t bother arguing over superlatives.
Still, there’s something special about Hillel’s pizza. It’s an exciting and intimate experience that can’t be met by a typical pizza place.
It starts as soon as I enter and a familiar scent hits me. Lingering among the smells of jambalaya, stir-fry and whatever other “medleys” the wonderful kitchen staff has concocted is a marvelous aroma: sauce, cheese and maybe a hint of spices, all with an undertone of fresh-baked bread.
Rather than charging a la carte, Sodexo Campus Services — the food services contractor at Hillel — charges per meal. So after paying for the night’s dinner, I and the other Hillel patrons wait in line next to the all-you-can-eat buffet as the oven’s tantalizingly slow conveyor belt moves pie after pie onto the rack at the end.
As the anticipation builds, those of us waiting in line get a glimpse of the pizza. There’s no guarantee what each pie will look like, though the staff has been sticking to unambitious, if tasty, pies lately; they previously had served more daring combinations. There can be anything from common toppings, such as peppers and onions, to those with more distinct flavors, such as pies sprinkled with feta cheese or pizzas with corn, coconut, eggs and even chocolate.
After taking my slice and finding a seat in Hillel’s cafeteria, I finally take a bite into the pizza and let the divine flavors wash over me. Each slice’s thick, fluffy crust topped with sweet tomato sauce and fresh gooey cheese is delicious. Thankfully, paying per meal means I can get as many slices as I want.
Dinner ends at 7 p.m., as it does every night in Hillel, and the handful of remaining diners leaves the cafeteria. The only remaining trace of pizza night is the oven, still sitting on the buffet, the last appliance to be put away at the end of the night.
This piece is part of the diversions section’s Friday package on College Park’s best pizza.
