Comments on: Doc’s Pizza Oak St. Lawrence MA

By: Sandy

Sandy — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:44:48 +0000

Just to make a couple corrections………Val Jean and the “big wife” were actually brother and sister……her name was Jenny…they lived on Jackson Street right us the street from ne,,,,,,,,..they were related to our….at the time “family doctor” Dr. Joseph Barbieri who lived right across the street from us on Jackson Street…..We used to love to go to Jenny’s house for Halloween she would make up homemaid goodies bags in the shape of soda glasses and such……..it was awesome……..I loved going to Ray the shoemaker it smelled great in his shop……..He would always get a kick out of fixing my dad’s shoes……………..he was a size 16EEE

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:29:27 +0000

Hello all. Boy, what a walk down memory lane. Just to clear something up: Doc’s pizza was on Elm St. Elm and Short St to be exact. Frasca’s variety was across the St, and right up the St. was Savastano’s and Ray the shoe man across the St. How do I know, because I grew up on Elm St. There was the Tripoli club where they bowled out back. Weird bowling where the bowling ball was on a chain and you would swing it out behind the pins. (I set the pins up) Then across the st. from Pettoruto’s was Maugeries. (Live chickens were always outside in cages) Also on Elm st was the Playboy club and on the corner of Elm and Jackson was Petralia’s Variety store. Albert’s Drugstore was across the st. where we would buy Vanilla Cokes. And Sandy mentioned Jackson Pizza and Jackson Bowling Alley. (Last of the duck pins) Sandy, you have to remember the Central theatre? Remember the owner Val Jean? He was one rowdy guy. I don’t think he liked kids. And his big wife who sold candy and tickets? And oh yea Sandy, I also skated at the Hayden Schofield Playstead. Boy, do I miss the old days!!!!

By: Sandy

Sandy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:46:26 +0000

Couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw these pics. FABULOUS…I grew up on Jackson St (neard corner of Avon) so I know just what your talking about….Rememer PP’s store, Jackson pizza (.10 cents a slice) The Bowling alley, Eddies Variety, Lippold the Barber, the Ol’ shoeshine man on Jackson St…..The corner drugstore……Salvo’s, (Cochise Variety…Doc’s was awesome…BEST pizza ever… believe that your right when you said as the neighborhood started to deteriorate, things changes….I had the good fortune for working with his Son, Orlando, (Willie), deceased at a young age. 25-30..He was quite a great guy…..Thanks for the trip down memory lane….Oh let’s not forget Holy Rosary School,( graduate of 1964), May Processions, Playstead where we used to skate in the winter…Kennedys Swimming pool………..and on and on.

By: Keith

Keith — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:11:47 +0000

Hi Jim, Tripoli is still going strong. In fact I had their pizza last night. Thanks for contributing and the kind words about our site.
Keith

By: jim swift

jim swift — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:35:57 +0000

Wow what a find this web site is ! I grew up in north lawrence and methuen –early on (grades 1-4) I went to st.marys and at lunch would sneak “off campus” at lunchtime and scoot right down the street for pizza at Doc’s or better yet slush at Carruba’s Mkt. Almonade or lemonade only - no mixing sheesh what a grouchy old lady minding the store was - pay and get out was her motto - slush was great tho.. now I live in Oregon and hit as many of the old spots(while they are still there) whenever I get back east - Lawton’s , Tripoli — I used to love Perrault’s diner on B’way “One Egg -10cents - 2 eggs 2o cents , 3 eggs…….. I ate lots of eggs there when times were tough … again great to see this site - thanks

By: Donna

Donna — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:03:10 +0000

I used to accompany Keith, Al and a bunch of our other friends to Docs Pizza in the 70’s. It was one of the social highlights of a weekend when we all jumped into a car or two to head down to Lawrence for the delectable array of homemade food at Docs. A couple of times I was mad at the gang for going without me even though I probably had other plans that night anyway.

The smell and the warmth of the ovens were incredible the minute you walked through the door. I absolutely loved the spinach pie. I would always have them add a slice of provolone cheese to the top. Mmmm. Like Keith, I ruined many shirts after hurriedly biting into the spinach pie and having the oil gush out the end. It was well worth it.

I also ordered a tray of spinach pie when I learned they were closing. I think I even ordered two. I carefully wrapped each sqaure in aluminum foil and froze them. I would take one out for lunch every other day or so. I worked at Digital in Salem NH at the time with an Italian guy named Lanny. He was from the Lawrence area and loved Docs. When he realized what I was eating for lunch one day I noticed he was drooling. The next time I packed my lunch I brought in a piece for Lanny. You would have thought I brought him the Hope Diamond. Lanny had a huge appetite for good food. His wife made him a great lunch everyday. Well, the day I brought in a slice of spinach pie for him he had already eaten the lunch his wife had packed him, but that didn’t stop him from wolfing down the slice of spinach pie. I think I saw some oil drip out of the end of the pie onto his shirt…

By: Frank

Frank — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:26:25 +0000

Oh Man I used to love Doc’s

I recently found out that a guy who used to work at Doc’s has a place in Methuen named Kim’s Pizza at 438 Prospect Street. He still makes the spinach and lamb pies like Doc’s used to make. I have to tell you that they are pretty darn good. Not quite up to Doc’s standards when they were turning out tray after tray on a busy Friday night but worth trying.

By: Terrie marks

Terrie marks — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:46:02 +0000

I remember docs pizza well. i used to go there a lot for my mom to get pizza…
i lived on 58 oak st when i was 11 yrs old.. i am familiar with a lot of the area
i used to work at the protectory of mary immaculate at 14 yrs old….
i miss all the great places from way back when… lawrence will never be the same….to this day i tell people that docs was the best pizza place in town…
when i was 17 the guy i went steady with… rick filz… his aunt owned Frascas… i went to oliver school and during recess we used to sneak out of school to go Frascas to by candy.. yes i got in trouble by teachers but the squirrel nut candy was worth it heheh. anyway im glad to have found this site… brings back many memories when life was great.

By: randy

randy — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:30:42 +0000

these photos are priceless. i grew up as a teen in lawrence thru the 70s and these pics bring back so many memories..thank you for sharing, randy