Does this haunting image (above) remind you of your late night snacking escapades? Right as the clock strikes 12, your stomach starts growling, begging you to satisfy those late night cravings. Sound somewhat familiar? Most of us will probably stumble down to our go-to late night place of choice. But for those of us looking for a fast hangover savior—one that we can shamelessly devour in the privacy of our own home—we’ll have to make a decision between ordering late night pizza or late night Chinese.
I know what you’re thinking. I don’t trust myself to make late night food decisions either, and have been known to eat an endless amounts of cannolis, grilled cheeses and (my best friends) Ben and Jerry’s “Deja Moo.” After all, when you’re desperate to curb those late night cravings, bad decisions ensue. Not only for your stomach but also for tomorrow’s breakfast. Those leftovers will be calling your name.
So, which late night food (Chinese or Pizza) will result in the best payoff? Let’s find out with This vs. That.
Chinese from the Hong Kong
Honestly, there are an unlimited number of Chinese takeout places in Boston. But for the sake of this piece, I’ve narrowed it down to a very familiar grub and late night scorpion bowl locale: the Hong Kong.
So first, who doesn’t secretly love those cute little Chinese food takeout containers? Many of you might not have realized that the folded up takeout boxes can actually turn into plates. Yes, according to the Huffington Post, you can “just fold the takeout box’ sides down and get right to grubbin.”
The takeout box not only unfolds into a plate, but also “folds right back up” ready to store all of your greasy leftovers in the fridge. This is a major convenience factor in my book. The last thing you want to do at 1 a.m. is worry about cleaning dishes or finding tupperware to store your food.
But besides the convenience advantage, Chinese does not always taste so great after sitting in a refrigerator all night. Most of the time, the rice ends up sticking together and the soy or duck sauce congeals into a less-than-appetizing delicacy. The only acceptable way to eat this is to spend a few minutes reviving your Chinese in the microwave.
Pizza from Regina Pizzeria
Similar to Chinese food, there are numerous late night pizza places around Boston. But for the sake of this battle, I’m choosing Boston’s original late night pizza joint: Regina Pizzeria.
For starters, when eating pizza it seems you are much less likely to get mauled by a bear than when eating Chinese food. That’s according to this very disturbing Huffington Post video. Besides safety purposes, pizza is also very versatile. The Italian fave can be enjoyed both hot and cold the next day. Personally, I love cold pizza and wouldn’t dream of microwaving my leftover roasted tomato, ricotta and basil pizza slices. In addition, pizza is extremely convenient and easy to find no matter what cobblestoned-street in the North End you find yourself wandering about on Saturday night.
Pizza can have its drawbacks, however, especially that huge box that you’re stuck with at the end of the night and are forced to stuff somewhere in a black hole of your fridge. Good luck with that. It especially sucks if you only have two slices left that you have to wrap in tin foil at 1 a.m. First world problems, yes, but a problem nonetheless.
Winner: Pizza
Pizza from Regina Pizzeria takes the late night cake with this one. It’s easy to prepare, versatile and you can eat it for at least two additional days. After all, it’s hard to resist late night brick-oven pizza—even the next afternoon. There are also 8 Regina Pizzeria locations in the Boston area alone – as opposed to the two locations (that I’ve ever been to) in the Boston area. You’ll also avoid the famous Chinese food MSG bloat, which is never a great way to start your morning. Cold pizza for breakfast? Yes please.
