venue Walnut Room

Geoff Maddaford
Geoff Maddaford
Geoff Maddaford
Geoff Maddaford

Okay, so you go to the Walnut Room to rock. Or to hear some pretty strumming. But the Walnut is much more than a classy yet unpretentious music venue—it’s the home of some of the city’s finest pizza. Not bothering to claim any coastal affiliation or, God forbid, fusion status, their pie is a gastronomical analog to the venue itself: Simple yet elegantly earthy, the crusts that leave the small kitchen are from-scratch marvels that are simultaneously thin and pillowy, supported by a perfect shell of crispiness. And the topping combos are untouchable: Garlic, bacon, and turkey? Pesto, walnuts, and green olives? Sure, you can always pick your own, but you’d be better off leaving it up to the Walnut’s experts. Oh, and they serve wholly decent sandwiches, too—but if you need any extra incentive to order one, they’ll give you a free can of PBR after 5 p.m.