Pizza Below The Mason-Dixon Line

When you are on the road stick with pizza between Chicago and New York up into New England and on the coast to Ocean City, MD.

Edited for Courtesy by The Mayor

Hmmmm.... lets see.. I was born in MA, lived in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Israel, CA, IN, FL and KY... and I'd have to say you don't know what the heck your talking about. Israel has the worse pizza I've ever had. As a World/State traveller and a damn fine cook, I think I know a little about what I like or dont. Now don't get me wrong, we have the Papa John's/Pizza Hut.. but here in Louisville we have Wick's, and the best I found Vito's Pizza.. this is a true NY pie, a nice thin slightly burnt on the edges, full of fresh Mozz. cheese, a slightly sweet sauce and just the right amount of oil on top. Vito also makes a killer Calzone and a nice salad. Also.. when I lived in CA.. we use to go to this Argentine place in Santa Ana that made a pizza called Fugazeta, a pie with ham, cheese and onions (no sauce and a top crust) that was to die for, best pie I ever had, so.. unless you can back your words up Propertydamage.. don't start.

I grew up in New Jersey, where they know a little bit about pizza, and now live in Richmond, Virginia. There are two independent pizzerias near my home that could hold their own with any northeastern pizzeria. Perhaps it's true that in rural areas all that's available are chains, but I've had good pizza in places as disparate as Florida, Texas and California.

I grew up on Tremont avenue in the Bronx in the early 50's, some of the best pizza to be had was on Fordham road. The only topping was cheese and extra cheese, to this day that's the only way I eat it.

A local place that use to be owned by folks from NY made an excellent pizza in Daytona Beach. Their only complaint was that the water is different than NY and it affected the dough. Alas, that was 20 years ago, they are now gone but there are still some very good pizza places here.

John

We've been trolled. Location is not the problem but the owner or chef. Charlotte has at least five pizza places as good as any place in Italy.

I dont look for good pizza in the South (although I know from experience and these forums that it can be found), and I dont look for good BBQ in Maine, or a clam pie in North Dakota. I'd be happier with a bad buffalo burger in the Upper Plains States (and believe me, theye'r all bad) than the best lobster roll in that whole area.

The point is, eat locally - look for and eat what's good wherever you are . Or else, what's the point of traveling if you dont get the local experience.

Cheers, John

quote:

Originally posted by propertydamage

There very few places below the Mason-Dixon line and west of the Mississippi River that you can buy original pizza!

You can exempt Jimmy Davenport's Pizza Palace from your list of bad Southern pizza places. It's been in business in the same spot, maiking superior non-franchise pizza for over forty years in Mt. Brook Village (Birmingham, AL).

If you were lucky enough to sample the pizza at Cafe Italiano in downtown Birmingham in the mid-'60s you would withdraw you contention.

===Also.. when I lived in CA.. we use to go to this Argentine place in Santa Ana that made a pizza called Fugazeta, a pie with ham, cheese and onions (no sauce and a top crust) that was to die for, best pie I ever had, so..===


Actor Robert Duvall claims that the best pizza he ever had was in Argentina. I found this unusual and wonder how large of an Italian community is down there? In my neighborhood is a Brazilian pizza place that features some unusual toppings. As it is too hot to cook today, I might check them out. I have been in a pizza mood lately...

I could never find a pizza that compared to NY style where I lived in Nor-Cal, but I did work at a Italian restaurant that had a wood-burning oven that did create a very crisp crust. The pizzas were of the personal, almost appetizer sized variety. I think that they were very good. I am writing this as someone who is 20 miles from New Haven. But even up here on the East Coast, it is still easy to create a lousy pizza.

I don't remember finding a good pizza in New Orleans, but then again I wasn't looking too hard either. On the other hand, I have yet to find good southern food up here. I think one of the biggest offenses was at this kitchen I worked at where the cook put three leftover soups together and called it 'Gumbo'!!!! You may find Cajun chicken as a menu item, but they seem to not realize that the concept is about blackening, not sauteing in a pan of oil..

mark

Doggydaddy: Argentina is packed with Italians and Germans. They found refuge there after the war. Buenos Aires resembles a European city more than an Hispanic area.

I have visited there many times and the steak, BBQ, pizza and many other foods are very good. Wine is great also.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

I dont look for good pizza in the South (although I know from experience and these forums that it can be found), and I dont look for good BBQ in Maine, or a clam pie in North Dakota. I'd be happier with a bad buffalo burger in the Upper Plains States (and believe me, theye'r all bad) than the best lobster roll in that whole area.

The point is, eat locally - look for and eat what's good wherever you are . Or else, what's the point of traveling if you dont get the local experience.

Cheers, John

I couldn't agree more with The Seafaring man himself. I lived in Seattle and Albuquerque, I looked for anything resembling half decent pizza and never found it. I took the advice of many, many people and still had no luck. Because of my past experiences and my desire to experience "local cuisine" I would never look for Pizza down South or out West.

LOL Prius.. I'm a yankee living in KY...I won't eat grits.. but for an totally differant reason.... I was working a show in college (I have a BA in tech theatre) and I had to make grits for the show... 2x on Sat and Sun.. I'll never eat them after that....

Well here in Lexington, KY, we have "Joe Bolognas" which has very good pizza. I did have a wretched pizza from Donato's recently --- it was a pineapple pizza (which I like) but it also had cinnamon sprinkled on top and almonds. The almonds were fine, but the cinnamon ruined the pizza.

Andrea

The best pizza below the Mason-Dixon line may just be Pizza Perfect in Nashville. The Blanc-5 is out of this world and very reasonably priced (a 12" for under $12).

I've tried 4 of the Top 10 pizzerias in America (as listed on epicurious.com). Two in Connecticut were the best I had ever eaten (Frank Pepe's and Letizia's), but only slightly better than the Blanc-5 in Nashville. The other two I tried in America's Top 10 were not as good as Pizza Perfect. Does that tell you something?

I don't think you could find a pizzeria better than Pizza Perfect below the Mason-Dixon line.

I'm not sure how the "pizza franchises" show us what good (original) pizza is. I do know that here in Houston (and in DFW, Austin, San Antonio) we've got some excellent pizza places that rival those of any Northern and Eastern town I've been to. Perhaps you are better off staying above the MD line with your snobby food ideas and out of the LSS where we don't take kindly to such disparaging remarks.
Edited to remove quote.

You tell em citizenconn. Here in Big D we have some great independent pizza joints. Brother's, Campania, Vinny's, and Fireside Pies are just as good as most places in the NYC area. Plus, there is a new place called "Coal Vines" that has just been opened by an ex NYC police officer using a coal fired oven imported from NYC. It's getting rave reviews.

YOU KNOW SOMETHING... I Have Spent several hours today deleting posts and threads posted by people who seem to forget any manners at all when they get on a website. Many of these are trolls like the one who posted at the top of this thread.

The purpose of this site is to create a forum for sharing information about GOOD PLACES to eat. There is room for people to post a negative review of a place if it is linked to the topic. HOWEVER This is NOT the Place to denig other regions, either South, North East or West. SNOBBY or "local pride' doesn't cut it Folks. When you come across a trolling thread, Please report it to the Moderators so action can be taken before the arguments get out of hand.


Seafarer is right about the regional specialties, and please note he didn't attack any other regions when he cited his examples.

Thank you for your patience. I apologize to those who's posts we edited to remove the trolls statements.

quote:

Originally posted by citizenconn

I'm not sure how the "pizza franchises" show us what good (original) pizza is. I do know that here in Houston (and in DFW, Austin, San Antonio) we've got some excellent pizza places that rival those of any Northern and Eastern town I've been to. Perhaps you are better off staying above the MD line with your snobby food ideas and out of the LSS where we don't take kindly to such disparaging remarks.

I'm a first time poster and transplant from New Jersey living near Houston. Could you help me out with some good pizza recommendations in this area? I have been suffering from severe pizza withdrawl for 16 years. Could use a good cheesesteak fix too.

quote:

You can exempt Jimmy Davenport's Pizza Palace from your list of bad Southern pizza places. It's been in business in the same spot, maiking superior non-franchise pizza for over forty years in Mt. Brook Village (Birmingham, AL).

You ain't kidding! Jimmy's is a little spot of pizza heaven! On Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook. Use to be a big place for us teenagers to hang out at.

The thing is you can't just eat locally everyday. I try to find the best version of what I'm craving in my area. I have been in ATL for many years and have found a few local places that have superb pizza and would compare with any northern pizza places. Frankie's in Marietta, GA (the owners are from NY), Everybody's in Emory, and Mellow Mushroom all could compete with the NY places (they might not win) but they could hold their own. In fact the last pizza we had in NYC at a place near B'Way wasn't as good as any of the ATL places I mentioned above.

Paul - BTW - Brazilians are not Hispanic in the literal sense - they are Portuguese extract and speak Portuguese.

quote:

Originally posted by MandalayVA

I grew up in New Jersey, where they know a little bit about pizza, and now live in Richmond, Virginia. There are two independent pizzerias near my home that could hold their own with any northeastern pizzeria. Perhaps it's true that in rural areas all that's available are chains, but I've had good pizza in places as disparate as Florida, Texas and California.

What are they please. I live in Williamsburg and work in Richmond. I work occasionally on Saturday and would love to try some better pizza. We don't have much in W'burg.
Cathy

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen

YOU KNOW SOMETHING... I Have Spent several hours today deleting posts and threads posted by people who seem to forget any manners at all when they get on a website. Many of these are trolls like the one who posted at the top of this thread.

The purpose of this site is to create a forum for sharing information about GOOD PLACES to eat. There is room for people to post a negative review of a place if it is linked to the topic. HOWEVER This is NOT the Place to denig other regions, either South, North East or West. SNOBBY or "local pride' doesn't cut it Folks. When you come across a trolling thread, Please report it to the Moderators so action can be taken before the arguments get out of hand.


Seafarer is right about the regional specialties, and please note he didn't attack any other regions when he cited his examples.

Thank you for your patience. I apologize to those who's posts we edited to remove the trolls statements.

GAWD, Mayor Bowen, . . . what awesome POWER you possess.

Henry Alfred Kissinger once said "POWER is the ULTIMATE aphrodisiac."

OOOhhh, just thinking about it sends me into a reverie!

Sir, "Mr. Mayor", would you please explain to us neophytes (i.e., newcomers), exactly what you deem a "troll."

Your ardent admirer,

Hillary

(NOT kin to Mrs. Clinton, my heroine!)

Dear Hillary: If you wish to know what a troll is just find a mirror and take a look.

Hast La Vista ... Again. This multiple identity person is what is known as a troll. He is locked out at this time. So are several of his other Identities.

quote:

Originally posted by chris257

quote:

Originally posted by citizenconn

I'm not sure how the "pizza franchises" show us what good (original) pizza is. I do know that here in Houston (and in DFW, Austin, San Antonio) we've got some excellent pizza places that rival those of any Northern and Eastern town I've been to. Perhaps you are better off staying above the MD line with your snobby food ideas and out of the LSS where we don't take kindly to such disparaging remarks.

I'm a first time poster and transplant from New Jersey living near Houston. Could you help me out with some good pizza recommendations in this area? I have been suffering from severe pizza withdrawl for 16 years. Could use a good cheesesteak fix too.

Funny - I have been thinking of starting a thread on pizza in Houston to see what any one would recommend. I hope citizenconn comes back and shares what he/she knows.

I've been going to New York Pizzeria for several months:

http://www.nypizzeria.com/welcome.html

They do a big 28" pie and then sell by the slice which is the way I prefer to get it since the crust gets crispier that way. I've mostly gone to the Beechnut location but am getting unhappier each time; that's mostly due to a very young manager and his crew of rather unkempt teenagers. Note menu's are not the same at all locations. This is locally owned.

Another place I've liked for several years is Candelari's:

http://www.candelaris.com/

This company was a sausage company for years before starting a restaurant. Anything with their sausage is great. The Washington Ave. location has a 6 day a week luncheon buffet where you can sample several pizzas and pasta dishes. Their crust is like those rising crust pizzas.

Another place I've liked for years is Antonio's Flying Pizza on Hillcroft:

http://antonios.com/page/nubk/Home.html

For years I've heard people rave about Star Pizza; they have separate websites for their 2 locations:

http://www.starpizza.net/home1.htm

http://www.starpizza.net/home2.htm

In all these years I've never been.

One of the founders of Star left to start his own place:

http://www.mauibrospizza.com/

I think originally this was only take-out, but I've never been.

Lastly, I've heard recently about Collina's:

http://www.collinas.com/

but I've never been.

If you check any of these out please post back what you think and help educate me pizza-wise.

I'd like to know about a place that does pizza like the one pictured yesterday (8/16) which I think somebody referred to as Sicilian.

Oh yes, I forgot. I don't know where to get a good cheesesteak. Jake's on Chimney Rock supposedly uses bread from Amaroso's but I'm not impressed with the sandwiches.

http://www.jakesphillysteaks.com/index.html

That picture of the (square-ish) pizza on yesterday's home page gave me,
"pizza envy".

The best Pizza I ever had was at Maggies, long since gone, on Wisconsin ave. in Wash D.C.

oltheimmer, so we meet again!

In Houston, Romano's on West Gray is the best. There is really nothing else close.

Candelaris, Star, and NY Pizzeria will do in a pinch. Collinas is too thick for me, but the BYOB makes up for that.

I hate to say it, but despite the obvious attempt to inflame, I have to agree with the post starter. Lived in Houston 10 years now and nothing comes close to CT pie. H-town might be the best eating town in the country, and it does an admirable job with the pies. So that's a compliment!

I don't go for Mexican or barbecue when I'm back. Wouldn't even consider it.

Wow, that's good to know and very timely since I'm getting so tired of NYP. I'll be there by the end of the week .

I drive that section of W. Gray frequently and don't think I've ever even noticed it. There used to be a pizza booth in Good Time Charlie's at Sharpstown Mall 20 or so years ago that I think was called Romano's and was my favorite place for years, about the only reason I went to the Mall. I wonder if there's a connection.

UPDATE: I went and tried a slice of the Special: Pepperoni, Italian sausage, onion, hamburger, Black Olive, Canadian Bacon, Mushrooms, Bell Pepper. It was great; the crust was a little soggy from the grease from all the meats but it was very enjoyable.

A couple of days later I realized my faux pas and hurried back to have a plain cheese . I'm no expert on NY pizza but that was definitely the thinnest crust pizza I've ever had. Thanks for the recommendation; I'll be going back.

While waiting for my special I was reading a framed clipping on the wall from the Chronicle Dining Guide ca. 1999 about the search for NY style pizza in Houston. One NY ex-pat was quoted as saying there'd never be authentic NY pizza in Houston because of differences in the water and humidity. All of the places you covered above were mentioned in the story plus Napoli and a place which I think was called Gondola. The latter is apparently no longer in business but I've found there's a Napoli closer to me than even the NYP so I guess I'll be trying that out.

I live near Amarillo, Texas, but I grew up eating great pizza in the Midwest. Anyone know where to get a good pie within a couple hundred miles of Amarillo?

I just had supper delivered from my favorite pizza place. As is becoming my custom, I of course took photos.