It’s a heavily guarded secret that gravity escaped earth’s atmosphere in 1940, leaving pizza as the only natural force that keeps mankind from relocating to one of Jupiter’s 63 rent-controlled moons. Celebrate science’s delectably duplicitous lie with today’s Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of Italian fare and drinks at Carmine’s Pizza in Oceanside.
Carmine’s proprietor and pie innovator, Tony, carries on the family tradition from his Calabrese-bred father with inventive hand-tossed signature pizzas. The menu brims with whimsical pies formed from fresh dough daily and cooked up on brick-fire ovens that lend each slice a crunchy punch and proclivity for dalmatians. The 18-inch eponymous Carmine comes coated in scallions, garlic, and jalapeños ($17), and the 14-inch Rocky pizza pounds sausage, pepperoni, meatball, and ham into plump ricotta punching bags ($16). Doughy discs are customizable with Carmine’s arsenal of fanciful toppings, such as banana peppers, goat cheese, and artichokes, which pair well with a side of antipasto ($3–$5) or a sweet, peppery house salad ($2–$6). A slew of pasta and panini standbys round out Carmine’s roster of Italian eats.
Pocketed within blocks of the Oceanside pier and many fine museums, this cozy cove is the perfect weigh station for a day of seaside frolicking. The pet-friendly outside patio lets dogs smell what they can’t eat as you sun-dry your regular tomatoes.
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