This is what we mean when we squeal “nerdgasm!”

The man-gods at ThinkGeek announced today they will be selling a Star Trek Pizza Cutter, shaped in the form of the original U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, glimmering in all-metal construction.

This is right up there with the Tetris ice cubes. Any method in which we can combine our two natural loves — science fiction and food/drink — adds a true sense of enjoyment to our lives.

“After years of staring at the iconic shape of the Star Trek Enterprise we finally realized in one ‘aha!’ moment what the saucer section of the ship was best used for… cutting pizza!," said Senior Merchandiser Ty Liotta. "After a bit of ergonomic adjustment we ended up with the best pizza wheel on this side of the galaxy.”

The ships saucer is replicated by a sharp 4" diameter steel blade and the 4.5" handle mimics the warp nacelles and generators.

The cutter is available for $24.99. It’s not dishwasher safe, so hand wash it if you use it to cut pizza like no man has cut pizza before.

(Media credit/Google)

Mr. Caruso and his somewhat grungy looking restaurant were Melrose staples for seemingly since the dawn of time.

Customers of his restaurant will fondly remember the signature “Za Za Pizza” (in both Sicilian and round styles!) in which he liberally covered his pies with mounds of fresh basil, garlic, and tomatoes.

Also not to be forgotten are his succulent stuffed peppers, which oddly enough featured raisins in the stuffing. (I mean, raisins? Who even THINKS of that!)

Mr. Caruso not only will be remembered for his culinary contributions to society, but also for countless unintentional laughs, as his restaurant was covered in endless photos of himself and random family members, and long dead Italian priests.

(Here’s ME with my new grandson in the tub! Here’s ME tossing some dough! Here’s ME with Padre Pio!)

Also offering laughs was his penchant for constantly yelling, talking with his hands, and for driving a Ford that looked like it was manufactured in like 1930.

He leaves his restaurant that’s still never open on Sundays, his recipes, and staff who’ll no longer be yelled at for not getting pizzas in the oven fast enough for his taste.

617-965-678NEWTON — Our Visit to O’Hara’s Irish Pub was quite a treat this weekend.  The food was excellent and well worth a short wait.    The freshly squeezed lemonade and homemade dinner rolls were a great way to get us started.

Moving into the main course; the chicken Parmesan with toasted ravioli ($13.50) was both very tasty and well proportioned.  A generous piece of chicken with 6 fried raviolis was more than enough food for one person.  Since the back of the menu is completely dedicated to O’Hara’s pizzas and calzones, we decided to diversify and go for a pie.  The Buffalo Chicken Pizza ($14.95) was excellent and very fresh. It is not your typical pizza shop buffalo chicken pie thrown together and boxed up.  Notably, the hot sauce was perfect, (probably a medium hotness on a typical restaurant scale) and it did not make the pizza too runny or messy.

As it was 8 p.m. on Friday, we did have to wait about 20 minutes for a table, but there is a nice square wooden bar upon entering the restaurant, so we didn’t mind.  The dining room was a bit smaller than anticipated — around 20 tables — but the staff seemed very efficient with keeping track of who was next to be seated and adjusting tables to keep things moving smoothly.

But if you’re looking for a loud hot spot for young people or college kids, this is not your place, it tends to attract more of a middle-aged crowd. Everyone was very friendly though, and the staff was welcoming and attentive.  O’Hara’s is located a short walk from the Newton Highlands stop on the Green Line/D-Branch. There is also well-lit metered parking in the area as well.

In short, for a tasty reasonably priced meal, O’Hara’s is definitely worth the short trip to Newton Highlands.  It’s something different that’s just outside Boston.

North End, South End, Back Bay, Malden, Quincy, Milton, Natick. There’s no utterly amazing pizza in our area. There’s nothing that would make you walk across a bridge like the stuff in Brooklyn. There’s nothing that reminds me of my native New Haven, with a style all its own.

I love the Greeks. Great olives. The cheese. Grape leaves are terrific. But Greeks own most of the pizza parlors in Boston, and Greeks can’t make a decent pie.

Travel & Leisure Magazine agrees about Boston, because they didn’t name any area pizza restaurants to their list of the best in America, but they did list a little place in Stowe, Vermont called Piecasso Pizzeria & Lounge.

The Sicilian pizza restaurant, if you believe the magazine, has the best pizza you’ll find in New England. They recommend a “Tree Huger” with fresh spinach, garlic and red onion.

“We have always strived to have a place where guests enjoy great pizza, the positive vibe of our staff and the ambiance of an upscale lounge to relax and watch a game or enjoy dinner without breaking the bank,” said Eduardo Rovetto, owner of Piecasso. “I owe most of my success to my family that has been making incredible pizza throughout New York and Vermont for over 40 years. It’s really nice to have all the blood, sweat & tears of being a restaurant owner validated.”

Piecasso is in good company. Also named to the list are Di Fara and Motorino in Brooklyn (you’ll never get in, so be ready to stand there for a while), Great Lake in Chicago, and Famous Joe’s in Manhattan. The magazine failed to include New Haven, so they clearly got that part wrong.

One note: A reader made a compelling argument for Santarpio’s Pizza in East Boston. I’m going to try it and get back to you.

I knew “Pizzeria Uno” was a better name than “Uno Chicago Grill.”

The Boston Globe reports today that Uno Restaurant Holdings Corp., a Boston-based company with about 30 restaurants in Massachusetts and 179 nationwide, is filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

That’s right, they’re not based in Chicago.

The company closed six of its locations but vows that the bankruptcy protection is only a minor setback and that customers won’t notice any differences in their restaurants, the Globe reported.

In a statement released today, the company called its Chapter 11 filing “pre-arranged” to help the company restructure debt.

“The steps we’ve taken represent the culmination of many months of work on the part of the Company, its current owners and the Noteholder Group (“the Noteholder Group”) made up of members comprising a majority of the Company’s outstanding Notes,” said Frank Guidara, President and CEO of Uno, in the statement. “The Uno brand is strong; it’s the balance sheet that needs fixing.”

One of the rare surprises about a “pizza and sub shop” comes when the ingredients are fresh and the appetizers aren’t packaged, frozen, pre-made cheapos.

Ozzie’s Pizza & Cafe in Brookline will also deliver to Allston/Brighton. Boston University and Boston College students are covered as well as some of the Northeastern students on Mission Hill, so you might want to consider giving this place a try for something different than your local “House of Pizza.”

This is a Greek place, and the pizza is thick to match. Variety is a strong point. There are dozens of calzones and pizza choices to pick from. Ozzie’s specialty is their Classic, ($9.99/$14.99) which has pepperoni, fresh mushrooms, onions and tomatoes. There’s also a white asiago pie with ranch ($9.99/$14.99) and a sweet cherry tomato pizza ($9.99/$14.99) that looked good.

Getting on to the real food, the chicken tenders (four sizes, $6.99/$7.99/$9.99/$14.99) were especially good. They weren’t processed, packaged garbage. They were moist, fresh and flavorful. They are simple, flour-battered tenders that break apart nicely — you can actually tell that they’re chicken.

Ozzie’s offers a grape leaves appetizer ($5.49 for six). It’s a more traditional Mediterranean dish of rice and vegetables wrapped in a grape leaf. They have a peculiar, if acquired taste, but they were fresh and very fragrant.

The biggest disappointment of the meal, however, was the fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers salad ($7.99). There was some mesclun mix and fresh greens, but the vinegary taste of the red peppers did not mix well with everything else in the dish. The mozzarella was fresh and neutral, but you only get two peppers and one piece of cheese. The rest of the dish is just a regular old garden salad, with 90 percent plain iceberg lettuce. It’s a regular salad with a little kick. It didn’t feel like its own dish.

The menu is giant. There are also burgers, subs and seafood dishes to try if you feel adventurous. There’s also frozen yogurt and various natural juices to wash it all down. They are very friendly on the phone, and even threw in a few extra chicken tenders. Much appreciated!

Ozzie’s promised 30-35 minutes, and the food was here in a half hour flat. It’s fresh, tasty and wicked cheap (especially the pizza). It’s not a gourmet meal, but it’s very above average, for delivery.

CAMBRIDGE — I’d been to Bambara before, about three years ago for Restaurant Week. One of my better Restaurant Week experiences for sure, I still remember that awesome Blueberry Mojito like it was yesterday. And the food was well-cooked and insightful. When I heard about Bambara’s “Happiest Hour” menu I needed to try it. So I got on the Green line to Lechmere and walked a pleasant five minutes toward the restaurant, flanking the Cambridgeside Galleria on the Edwin H. Land Blvd.

The menu has five offerings, slightly smaller versions of many of their menu appetizers, for only $2 a piece. I was promised a good portion, and I held my breath as I sipped on my decadent, if not slightly too-tart, Caramel Apple Martini. Side note: I caught myself licking the caramel swirl inside the glass more than once as I was wishing for a caramel-dipped rim to balance out the apple cider and Stoli Apple.

I placed my order for the “mini arancini” and “mini grilled flatbread.” The description of the arancini which were anything but mini, were described as Crispy risotto balls, with short rib, Parmesan, fontina, herbs with tomato and aioli sauces. The combination: divine. The arancini rice balls were denser than I was used to with my Brooklyn, New York upbringing, but it worked. The outside was crispy and delicious and the marinara sauce had a touch of cream giving it a lighter color and deep flavor. The flatbread was a hearty, light, fluffy bread reminiscent of thicker Syrian bread and took up the entire large plate. (I’d say the pizza was approximately 10 inches long and 7 inches wide) and it was just delicious. The ingredients, roasted garlic, goat cheese, over dried cherry tomatoes, arugula, and aged fig vinegar, were perfect and this dish was filling enough as a light dinner. Arugula and goat cheese is the perfect marriage of peppery greens and creamy goodness and the aged fig vinegar was sweet and I feel a strong need to go out and purchase some to dip all my bread in, all the time. It was … I was … needless to say, I was enjoying this meal and I was getting full off of only two bar menu dishes, cashing in at a total of only $4.

Last dish up for me to try was the “mini fried squid.” I can’t stop myself from using the quotes because honestly, mini has to be some sort of sarcastic inside joke between Executive Chef Jay Silva and his warm staff, which were attentive and informative. Served with spicy, tangy aioli, fried lemon slices and chili paste the fried squid was very good. I, however, wasn’t doing as good because I was getting ridiculously full. I only managed three (okay maybe five) bits of squid including tentacles (yum!) and just couldn’t finish. It was kind of perplexing to me how they, the little squid guys, managed to have the full, robust flavor of deep fried squid, but with not the traditionally thick breaded coating you find at many chain American eateries, and even small mom-and-pop run Italian restaurants. It was damn good, and overflowing oval bowl loaded with the seafood was mind-boggling. So for $6 dollars I’m sure a friend and I could have polished off every last arugula leaf and fried squid-breading for a filling, gourmet dinner that was extremely wallet-friendly.

In the spirit of not being wasteful, I couldn’t just leave my sad little squids alone in their bowl, and overheard a quabble with my neighbors at the bar. “Is this one bowl for both of us, why didn’t you get me my own serving,” the late-arriving man said to his friend while he eyed the plate of mini fried squid. I instantly offered up my own fried squid seeing as it would only go to waste since I was about to explode, and had a back-and-forth while he decided to take me up on my generous offer.

It turns out Frank and Frank are New Yorkers in town for business staying at the gorgeous Hotel Marlowe, where Bambara is housed in. (Apparently Hotel Marlowe is one of the only pet-friendly hotels in Boston, who knew?!) We had some good laughs and toasted the large portions that we just feasted on, and I made some new friends from my hometown of New York City.

So if you’re looking for a mellow atmosphere with light jazz music in the background and fragrant food smells wafting from the partially open kitchen, head to Bambara between 4-6 p.m. (I suggested they extend it until 7 so we’ll just have to wait and see if they take my advice) for their Happiest Hour menu and bring a few friends, or just meet some new ones. I’m planning to head back to try the herb french fries with spicy mayo (I kind of have a serious thing with spicy mayo, we’re involved AND exclusive) and the mini fish cakes. Their menu, and in turn Happiest Hour menu, is always changed seasonally to reflect the best ingredients.

Theoretically this place is not in Boston, but it’s still a local spot, and they’re offering a good deal.

Winchester’s Pizza in Piazza is offering a savings card where customers earn 10 percent with every purchase. Each time you hit the $250 mark, a $25 rewards card is automatically sent to you in the mail. Plus, Pizza in Piazza will pick up the Massachusetts Meal Tax on Sundays for the rest of the year. That’s 6.25 percent off, and although we may not be mathematicians we know that’s significant.

Stop in and fill out the application form, give it to the server and receive a card in the mail within two weeks. Every time the card is used the balance of savings is printed on the receipt so tracking is also manageable. The place is owned by Donato Frattaroli and operated in the back of Ristorante Lucia, 11 Mount Vernon St. in Winchester. It’s in the family family as Lucia on Hanover Street in the North End.

The offerings at this casual place include, of course, pizza but also traditional Italian trattoria. Chef Nando Gentile says the, “goal is to be a good neighbor and not only provide a fabulous meal at a fair price. We hope to be a once-a-week, cost-effective destination.”

The place opened at the end of this summer, and amidst the current economic situation the prices and this savings program are innovative ways to become well known in the community indeed. Serving lunch and dinner seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., the place also has a full take-out menu and party platters. So go ahead, rent your Zipcar and venture into the “Ëœburbs. Boston has even more to offer at its outskirts.

After testing the waters in Boston, Uno Chicago Grill is doing a national roll-out of a gluten-free pizza, making the singular restaurant formally called Pizzeria the first national casual dining chain to go the gluten-free route.

The move will be a big hit with the one percent of the world with Coeliac disease, a genetic autoimmune disorder of the small intestine caused by a reaction to gliadin, a gluten protein found in wheat.

“Food allergies are a very serious, sometimes life-threatening, issue for many Americans,” said Uno CEO Frank Guidara in a statement. “Pizza is our signature product, and we wanted to offer a gluten-free pizza so all of our guests could enjoy it when dining at Uno.”

“Consumer reaction was so positive in the gluten-free community that our restaurants began receiving requests to carry the new pizza,” noted Richard Hendrie, senior vice president of marketing for Uno. “Because the demand was so strong, we decided to pull out all the stops to get the gluten-free pizza into our 200-plus locations as quickly as possible.”

Uno claims the title of “America’s Healthiest Chain Restaurant” and already has one of the largest gluten-free menus in the country.

Guidara said that Uno spent over a year of research and development come up with a recipe that worked.

“While we want to meet the needs of guests with allergies, we never forget that we are about great taste and choice, and that means developing new dishes that are healthful without sacrificing great flavor.”

Uno was also the first national chain to stop using trans-fats.

There are more than 200 Uno Chicago Grill restaurants found in 31 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, according to the restaurant’s website.