Three ways to get pizza pies nearby

By Lauren Tsugawa

Hot, cheesy goodness. Fragrant, zesty tomato sauce. The spicy, savory crunch of pepperoni atop a crispy, buttery crust. Is your mouth watering yet? But during these past few soggy, Siberian-esque days, the prospect of walking for more than ten minutes to get a box of pizza, no matter how delicious it may be, seems horrendously impossible.

Do not despair. There are several scrumptious pizza places well within walking distance of campus to save you from your hunger pangs.

Stuft Pizza, less than a five-minute walk from Benson, is the closest pizza joint to campus. Located on Bellomy Street right before Safeway, Stuft Pizza is the go-to for delicious, home-style pizza. The swanky, sports bar atmosphere of Stuft, not to mention the free Wi-Fi, is perfect for students, sports fanatics and families alike.

Their menu ranges from pizzas with original topping combinations like the Stuft Special with pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, red onions, bell peppers and fresh tomatoes, to classics like the Margarita -- tomato sauce, cheese and basil.

You can even build your own pizza from a list of 25 ingredients all on home-made crust. Or if you're in the mood for something other than pizza, Stuft also serves calzones, salads and sandwiches.

Their prices range from $7.75 for a mini six-inch pizza to $25.25 for an extra large 18-inch pizza. And if you're really in the mood for a bargain, Stuft has an All-You-Can-Eat Pizza Buffet on Tuesday nights for $7.99 including a drink.

"I own the buffet," sophomore Nick Robertson said. "I eat about 9-10 slices in one sitting depending on how hungry I am."

Ready to cater to Santa Clara students, Stuft Pizza accepts Flex and is also one of the leading fundraising partners for Santa Clara students, giving clubs or organizations 20 percent of the profits from the fundraisers.

"They're really easy to work with," said sophomore Vaishali Parekh, a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, one of Santa Clara's business fraternities.

Coupons are available on their Web site, offering 10 deals that can be printed out in PDF format.

However, if Stuft Pizza doesn't sound like your style, Round Table Pizza is also close by, right next door to Safeway. Open Sunday-Thursday from 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. and Friday-Saturday until midnight, Round Table Pizza is a good go-to for late night munchies or just to watch a sports game and hang out with friends.

Round Table has a modest interior, minus the walls which are dripping with plasma screen TV's displaying everything from sports to Food Network to CNN. Round table also boasts family-style booths and tables along with a small gaming arcade for the eager gamer.

Round Table is "big on quality", according to five-year manager Deborah Oyao.

"Everything is made by hand," she said proudly, referring to their hand-cut fresh vegetables and hand-tossed dough.

"I like Round Table (pizza) because the cheese and the sauce are the best," said sophomore Danielle Pontes. "When Stuft gets cold, it doesn't taste good, but Round Table tastes good all the time."

In addition, Round Table Pizza offers a 15 percent discount and free drinks -- with another purchase -- to all Santa Clara students with a valid university ID and also accepts Flex. Round Table Pizza also participates in the "Achievement Award" program, which encourages local middle and high-school students to read by rewarding them with free pizza coupons after they read a set number of books.

Like Stuft, Round Table has a broad menu ranging from buffalo wings -- six for $4.99 -- to King Aurthur's Supreme Pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage, salami and more ranging from $7.99 for a personal pan to $27.99 for an xtra-large.

"My favorite is the All Meat Marvel," said sophomore Krislyn Aki. "And, you get a free personal pan pizza if the Shark's score more than four goals and you bring in your ticket stub!"

In addition to the broad menu options, every Monday-Friday Round Table hosts an all you can eat buffet for $6.99 plus tax. The buffet offers unlimited pizza, salad and garlic bread twists served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A beverage is not included.

Round Table offers nutritional information on their Web site for every style of pizza offered.

Another option close to Swig and Dunne residents is Seniore's.

Located on 940 Monroe St. off of Homestead, Seniore's is about an eight-minute walk from Swig. A family owned and operated joint, Seniore's is open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 11:00 a.m.-Midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Radiating a sports-fan aura with posters and jersey's speckling the walls, Seniore's has family and bar style seating -- a great after-the-game stop.

"We have our 'own secret sauce' recipe," said Mohammad Eid, the son of the owner and a Seniore's employee since its grand opening four years ago. One man even drives all the way from San Diego to eat Seniore's, said Eid.

Seniore's uses all fresh ingredients and turkey bacon instead of pork, which, according to Eid, is "chewier."

Seniore's serves pizza, pasta, sandwiches, chicken wings, salads, burgers and dessert, including deep-fried Oreos, all at reasonable prices.

You can even order pizza by the slice -- perfect for a quick snack. Like Stuft and Round Table, Seniore's also accepts Flex and is always ready to serve Santa Clara students. They even offer free delivery.

When asked what makes their pizza great, Eid joked, "Our pizza doesn't taste like cardboard."

So not to worry; sunny or soggy and no matter what your taste is, there's a pizza place for you.

Contact Stuft Pizza at (408) 296-1600, Round Table Pizza at (408) 248-9123 or Seniore's at (408) 261-2500, and let the pizza consumption begin.

Contact Lauren Tsugawa at ltsugawa@scu.edu or at (408) 551-1918.