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Pizza!!??

#21
capnsandwich said:
The best pizza I've had was in Weisbaden, Germany in a little shop within walking distance from my house. It was called Papa Leone's and was made by real Italians. Man, I can still taste that stuff now. It was thin crusted with a very tomato-tasting sauce. The cheese was a mix of mozzarella and provolone with some kind of goat cheese sprinkled on top. they also made good subs but it couldn't touch their pizza.
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I've had pizza that I kept tasting a day later but not years :D
 
#22
Thunderscreech said:
I live south of the Mason-Dixon Line...and we have a few fine pizza establishments here that are not Pizza Hut/Dominos/Pappa Johns Etc. try Parthenon, Primavera Grill, Sam's, Greek House of Pizza, The General Store, Napoleta...I can list more, and that is within about 5 miles of my house.
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I've been to most of those places you mention. I will sum it all up as meh.
 
#24
it's all in the Dough... IMO. It needs to have risen properly and watched while cooked to reduce any large bubbles. The oven also need to be balanced... if the stone is too hot the bottom will be burnt tasting and/or leathery and if the oven temp is too high, the meld of cheese / sauce / dough that becomes one in the body of the pie won't become one.

The Sauce needs the right balance of Oregano, Basil, Garlic, Salt and Pepper with a distinct LACK of sweetness (I hate sweet pizza sauce).

Cheese is less critical, but I prefer a blend of whole milk Mozzarella cut with Part Skim Mozzarella to reduce the greasiness of the slices.

In the 90s there was a place in Vernon NJ called Brothers Pizza that sat at the light on Route 94 where you needed to turn right to go to Great Gorge / Action Park that had the most amazing pies... locally here at the 'Jersey Shore' my vote goes to Geno D's on Route 70 in Toms River
 
#26
I'm a pizza snob. I grew up in a city with the best pizza in the world - Chicago.

I can appreciate a NY style pizza, but I prefer a Chicago style by a ton. NY style pizza have sausage slices, as opposed to nice big clumps of sausage on a Chicago style. NY pizzas have to be folded in half, or else they just flop. A Chicago style pizza is strong and sturdy. There's usually tons of toppings, so you need a thicker crust. Tomato sauce is usually chunkier, and not as saucy as NY style. Lots of places in Chicago put the tomato sauce on top of the cheese, and I like it that way. But, I don't mind the other way as well.

In short, a Chicago style pizza is more fulfilling for me. The rest is just passible. Unfortunately, I don't live in Chicago anymore, so the only pizza a buy for myself is at Uno's, but I'll eat it if someone else flips the bill because I'm a cheap bastage. My wife used tp complain about my vocal pizza snobbery, but deep down she agrees with me.
 
#28
jive1 said:
I'm a pizza snob. I grew up in a city with the best pizza in the world - Chicago.

I can appreciate a NY style pizza, but I prefer a Chicago style by a ton. NY style pizza have sausage slices, as opposed to nice big clumps of sausage on a Chicago style. NY pizzas have to be folded in half, or else they just flop. A Chicago style pizza is strong and sturdy. There's usually tons of toppings, so you need a thicker crust. Tomato sauce is usually chunkier, and not as saucy as NY style. Lots of places in Chicago put the tomato sauce on top of the cheese, and I like it that way. But, I don't mind the other way as well.

In short, a Chicago style pizza is more fulfilling for me. The rest is just passible. Unfortunately, I don't live in Chicago anymore, so the only pizza a buy for myself is at Uno's, but I'll eat it if someone else flips the bill because I'm a cheap bastage. My wife used tp complain about my vocal pizza snobbery, but deep down she agrees with me.
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I see where you are coming from.
 
#30
jive1 said:
I'm a pizza snob. I grew up in a city with the best pizza in the world - Chicago.
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Me too... but I grew up in the burbs outside NYC :D

I will mention that I dislike typical 'thin and crispy' NY style... I usually order "Double Dough" pies from my current regular place. For $2.50 extra, they pound 2 doughs together so it's nice and thick :hyper:

I love Sicilian style... but most places only make Sicilian crusts a couple times a week and then refrigerate them until needed :rollno:
 
#32
FL Knifemaker said:
You see.........we cannot make bread like they can in NYC or pizza crust. If you order a meatball sub down here, the bread can't stand up to the sauce. Within a minute the bread turns to MUSH. The bread technology from NYs' Arthurs Ave. does not exist here :mad: Even when NYers MOVE here and open up a pizzaria, it doesn't work.
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Solution: Bagel Pizza.
 
#33
Hacienda Heights Pizza Co. for a somewhat deep dish styled pizza, bready, COVERED in toppings. Damn tasty.

When I lived in West Covina it was Baldwin Park Pzza Co. (same company)

Otherwise its $3.99 Pizza Co. A thinner pizza (optional vegan crust) that at $3.99 for a large cheese, is miles ahead of any chain pizza place.
 
#34
James Hart said:
it's all in the Dough... IMO. It needs to have risen properly and watched while cooked to reduce any large bubbles. The oven also need to be balanced... if the stone is too hot the bottom will be burnt tasting and/or leathery and if the oven temp is too high, the meld of cheese / sauce / dough that becomes one in the body of the pie won't become one.

The Sauce needs the right balance of Oregano, Basil, Garlic, Salt and Pepper with a distinct LACK of sweetness (I hate sweet pizza sauce).

Cheese is less critical, but I prefer a blend of whole milk Mozzarella cut with Part Skim Mozzarella to reduce the greasiness of the slices.

In the 90s there was a place in Vernon NJ called Brothers Pizza that sat at the light on Route 94 where you needed to turn right to go to Great Gorge / Action Park that had the most amazing pies... locally here at the 'Jersey Shore' my vote goes to Geno D's on Route 70 in Toms River
Click to expand...

James - Ever try the pizza at the Columbus Farmers Market? I'm not sure if it's still any good but back when I was younger it was amazingly the best pizza around. AT least in central NJ
 
#35
I'm a native New Yorker. I think it was mentioned somewhere in this thread already, but just the region makes a difference. We have different water and different ingredients which gives pizza a distinctive taste. It's not about how you make it or what you put on it, just the basic ingredients taste different and, IMO, are not as good. I've had pizza in Florida, Texas, New Orleans, North Carolina, Indiana, Pennsylvania, even upstate NY, and none of them are as good as the stuff you find in and around NYC. The closer you get to Manhattan, the better the pizza gets. In my opinion, Long Island and possibly Queens has the best of the best.

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#38
I pretty much agree with Jive but unlike Jive, I'm not from Chicago. One of the better pizzas I've ever had was many years ago at Unos. I do tend to like both NY and Chicago styles though with a nod towards Chicago. But I never buy pizza anymore. My wife makes a great pizza from scratch, including the dough - mix yeast and water at certain temperatures, and add some light seasoning if it feels right ATM... The issue I have with buying a pizza is that I like a lot of toppings and many pizzas are too plain or the toppings are done poorly. A simple garlic pizza is good too though.
 
#39
Here in west central PA, we are at the crossroads of pizza styles as hand tossed, New York style and pan pizza (ala Chicago style) are both popular. However, very thin, crispy crust pizza is extremely popular here as well as what is called "sheet pizza". Sheet pizza is made in a long rectangular sheet pan with a thin, doughy crust with minimal sauce, cheese, and toppings and cut into squares.
 

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