Dave Portnoy, Drake Maye's wife bestow ‘pretty high’ scores on Needham pizza shop
Barstool's Dave Portnoy continued his streak of pizza reviews in the first week of 2026 alongside the "Queen of Bakemas."
Portnoy enlisted the help of Ann Michael Maye, wife of New England Patriots Quarterback Drake Maye and star of the viral "Bakemas" TikTok series, for the latest edition of his One Bite Pizza Reviews .
The duo went out to Needham to try a slice from Gianni's Deli and Pizza in the review, which was published Thursday, Jan. 8. The owner told Portnoy and Maye would cry because the pizza is that good.
"It does look pretty good," Portnoy exclaimed upon first glance of the pie. "The crust looks super fluffy."
"It's pretty good," Maye said after taking a bite.
Maye then rated Gianni's pizza an 8.1 out of 10. For Portnoy, an 8.1 is a "monster score" and constitutes an hour drive, he told Maye, who admitted to not being a veteran pizza reviewer. The pizza aficionado delivered his own score of 7.7, which he described as a "pretty high score."
"I think this is actually pretty good," Portnoy said.
"I like a tight pizza," he added. "This one's a little bit sloppy and messy...but I think the taste is great."
Maye told Portnoy that she decided to join him for the review because she and her husband are on the hunt for a "really good go-to" spot.
"In the city (Boston) it's really good, but that's kind of far for a go-to," the social media star explained.
"I feel like I'm going to have to get on that if my quarterback and his wife can't find pizza. That's on me," Portnoy said.
"You're going to have to find us one," Maye replied.
After the review, the owner of Gianni's came outside and thanked Portnoy, saying she hadn't realized who he was. She then invited the duo back into the restaurant for a drink. She also made Portnoy a helping of her famous chicken parmesan, which he also said was "very good."
Located at 853 Highland Ave. in Needham, Gianni's Deli and Pizza "is a family business proudly serving hearty subs, pizza and Italian entrees," the restaurant's Facebook page states. The current owner told Portnoy that she has owned the establishment for 25 years.
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