Dave Portnoy, Ann Michael Maye Review Gianni’s Deli and Pizza in Needham
January 9, 2026
• Since the viral pizza review at the local restaurant, the family business has seen a sizable surge in customers and recognition.
The last 24 hours at Gianni’s Deli and Pizza have been somewhat unexpected.
Dave Portnoy, a Massachusetts native who runs digital media company Barstool Sports, made a surprise stop at the Needham Heights restaurant on Tuesday afternoon to try a slice of their cheese pizza. He was joined by New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s wife, Ann Michael Maye, who also tried a slice on camera.
After Portnoy posted the video Thursday, Gianni’s has been “slammed,” co-owner Aida Rasla said. They’re seeing triple the number of their regular customers, she said. The video now has 1.7 million views on Instagram and another 580,000 on Facebook.
The viral moment, coupled by the praise for her food, has left her somewhat in shock.
“I see him outside doing something, and my customer came in and he told me, ‘You don’t know these people?’ I didn’t know,” she said. “And he said, ‘Oh, you’re lucky!’”
In the review, Portnoy talks with Rasla and later sings her praises, calling her “super sweet.” “The best part of the whole place is the lady,” he said in the video.
Portnoy scored his slice 7.7 out of 10, while Maye gave it an 8.1. Portnoy reviews pizza in his One Bite series online, and this appears to be his first stop in Needham for a review.
The spotlight excites and scares Rasla, who has run the Highland Avenue restaurant for 25 years.
“You have to make the customer happy, and when you’re busy, you can’t make everybody happy,” she said.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, patrons funneled through the unassuming storefront for subs and pizzas, and the phones rang nonstop. One customer told Rasla that she’s “a celebrity now,” while another lamented that this was her first time at Gianni’s.
“I’ve worked in Needham forever, and it took [that video] to get me to come here,” she said.
That’s something Rasla hears often. But her brush with virality instills in her some hope at a critical moment. Her home suffered severe water damage about six months ago, forcing her into a long-term hotel stay and now a month-by-month rental situation.
As she sat in the restaurant, looking back toward the kitchen, she reflected.
“When you lose everything and something happens like that, it’s like, ‘thank you, God,’” she said.
On Friday, Rasla worked alongside her husband Amin, who makes the pizzas, and her son Andrew, who rang up customers.
Since the video, Andrew Rasla has helped his parents’ restaurant accommodate the extra volume of orders. The business has always advertised in an old school, “throw-menus-in-the-mail” kind of way, he said, but Portnoy’s review has shown him the power of social media.
“We’ve been saying our pizza’s been good, but we were always fine. We have a lot of customers, we never wanted to explode or anything like that, but we’re very thankful,” Andrew Rasla said. “It validates their hard work for three decades. It shows when you put in hard work it really pays off and people recognize that.”
Aida Rasla admitted she was not too thrilled about Portnoy’s 7.7/10 score, but Maye’s 8.1 felt more like a compliment. At her suggestion, Portnoy and Maye also tried the restaurant’s chicken parm on a sub, which got their approval, and their crew also got complimentary sodas.
In his One Bite videos, Portnoy said he is “shedding light on the local businesses and the people running it,” including the Rasla family.
“It’s like a great neighborhood sandwich pizza shop,” he said of Gianni’s. “Highly recommend coming.”
One Gianni’s patron, while waiting on his pizza, said he stopped by after seeing the review. “Supporting a good mom-and-pop spot, that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
For Portnoy’s next visit, should he swing back into Needham, Aida Rasla has another suggestion.
“I need him to try the chicken salad,” she said.
