Does anyone make a great pizza anymore?

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (leethebard)

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:08:10 GMT

Fabulous oyster..
Freezer dough....RAGU???????? That's sugar water...never NEVER should be used on ANYTHING italian!!!!!!

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (NascarDad)

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:39:28 GMT

I don't even get down into Richmond proper much, living out in the middle of nowhere. But in the far west end, I have found Frank's West makes a really good pie. I don't get it much because even getting to the far west end is over an hour round trip for me. Of course it tastes much better hot; but I find reheating in the convection oven makes it taste just fine.

Also, Bottoms Up thin crust is good - different than most places, but good. I don't like their "normal" pizza much though.

Neither of the places is cheap though, nor do they have coupons. It is just sad that good pizza places felt they all needed to become fast food quality because of the chains. I mean, you can still get a good hamburger at many places, despite the fact that the fast food chains are so ubiquitous.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (chickenwingking)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:57:48 GMT

Tony's in South Plainfield, NJ makes a great pizza.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (AlDente)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 11:44:09 GMT

I still make my own! Right in my backyard! Don't know how to post pics for you though???????

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (Davydd)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 10:38:52 GMT

The reason I can't remember the Italian restaurants is because the little spiral bound notebook I had got wet and I lost all my London notes. But I did take a picture of the proud staff of one, owner, waitress and chef. It was a few blocks southwest of Euston Rd and Tottenham Court Rd Warren Street Station. We were just walking around when we came upon them both. Neither was in any of the guide books we had accumulated for the trip.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (wanderingjew)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 10:19:03 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Davydd

quote:
Originally posted by brisketboy

A word of caution, the British cannot make pizza.

But Italians in London can make a great pizza. We found two places in residential neighborhoods off the beaten tourists areas that served great Italian food and pizza. Both places were tiny holes in the wall places and for the life of me I can't remember the names. I don't recall them having names.

Back in the late 1980's in NYC, I was in my early 20's and was dating an English Girl- she concurred that the British cannot make pizza.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (brisketboy)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 10:15:12 GMT

Yeah, I should have cavaeated that. My only experince withBritish piza was from their Pizza Hut (I should have known, giventhe product of the US Pizza Hut). I was working late in a little town called Loudwater and we ordered several pizzas delivered. 'll be dammed if they didn't put corn on one of them.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (Davydd)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 10:04:32 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by brisketboy

A word of caution, the British cannot make pizza.

But Italians in London can make a great pizza. We found two places in residential neighborhoods off the beaten tourists areas that served great Italian food and pizza. Both places were tiny holes in the wall places and for the life of me I can't remember the names. I don't recall them having names.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (brisketboy)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:44:59 GMT

I have been around this country and even some of europe and have sampled much pizza. Some good some bad and some not even worth mentioning. I grew up in Chicago so there was some really good pizza around my house on the north side. Im old so this predates the chains. Got stationed in New London and got to sample the piza in New England. My boat pulled some liberty time in Naples and La Madallena and the pizzaa there was pretty good. I now live in Austin and I found this place called Reale's Pizza and Cafe. I can say it is truely awesome. I live about30 miles away in Georgetown and we will drive tho eat there and we always take a pie home. A word of caution, the British cannot make pizza.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (MiamiDon)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:43:25 GMT

Now I have seen everything.

PizzaCam

http://www.pizzacam.tv/cam/cam1.asp

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (MiamiDon)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:28:47 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by porkbeaks

I don't care how high quality the ingredients are; you're not going to get a great pizza delivered to your door. The best of crusts begin to "deteriorate" 5 minutes after the pie leaves the oven. When they're boxed and put into those zippered keep-hot bags, they begin to steam and get soggy. If you want a fantastic pizza, make it yourself. Buffalo mozz, San Marzano sauce, reggiano parm, good King Arthur flour, and you'll still turn out 15" pies that cost way under $20. pb

You are correct about the steamed pizza effect, but there is somewhat of a solution. If circumstances force me to order a delivery pizza, when I am ready to serve it, I sprinkle it with freshly-grated parmeggiano-reggiano, and put it on a hot pizza stone in the bottom of the oven. Vast improvement.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (Hadji)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:22:26 GMT

If anyone lives in or around the Overland Park, KS area and love great pizza, you must visit SPIN! pizza. I share a meal with two other food fans and we yet to walk out of that establishment with anything besides a huge smile on our face and a taut belly.

spinpizza.com/

I understand they are opening a new location in Lee's Summit, MO in early January...

Best accompanied by the Italian beer, Moretti's LaRossa Birra

YUM!!!

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (Joisey)

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 12:14:06 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by jerzeydawg

A good pie is hard to come by these days.

It all comes down to the crust. Its texture. taste(sweetness), & thinness . Then, from there, the taste of the sauce, & finally the mozzarella. So long as it's not imitation cheese in which i have unwillingly experienced it should be good.

I remember getting pizza in Jersey City when i was a kid back in the 70's and a Large pie (18 inch) was $3.50.

where in JC? I grew up in the heights--we had great pizza parlors, didn't we? Pizza masters, Gino's Jules, Nino's, Vinnies--each doing their own thing.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (AlisonLS)

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 05:34:23 GMT

I guess I'm the lucky one! While we have, on occasion, made our own pizza that is not the norm. I live in NEPA, where Old Forge is the "pizza capital" and pizza is still made by "families",every waitress has been there since the start - yes they are that old and on Friday night in the fall the whole town goes to the high school football game. While everyone's pizza is slightly different there is not a bad in the bunch.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (peppertree)

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:27:30 GMT

When I am in an out of the way place for pizza such as El Paso or Sacramento, I look for pizza in an Italian restaurant. I have a better chance of finding good pizza in a pretty good Italian restaurant.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (porkbeaks)

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:09:08 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Russ Jackson

Well done pork now give me the method. I am amazed you got a crust like that out of a home oven. I am VERY IMPRESSED! A pleasure to see. And I am sure you used 6 in 1 tomatoes. ....Russ

For more info, see this Roadfood thread. Also, some more great pizza pix by others.

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17605

For more on my method, see this thread at pizzamaking.com

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,4554.0.html

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (Davydd)

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:08:02 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Russ Jackson

Well done pork now give me the method. I am amazed you got a crust like that out of a home oven. I am VERY IMPRESSED! A pleasure to see. And I am sure you used 6 in 1 tomatoes. ....Russ

Russ,

It is very easy once you get the hang of it. It is all in the dough, hot oven and stone.

http://www.roadfood.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18588

Like I previously mentioned, in the past cookbook recipes have you mixing a very wet dough, spreading it out on a solid non-stick pan (still sold in abundance in stores) and baking around 400-450 degrees. In the past year I have advanced my dough making process and now bake directly on a stone in about as high of a heat oven you can get at 550 degrees for a very short time of about 8 minutes.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (Russ Jackson)

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:48:25 GMT

Well done pork now give me the method. I am amazed you got a crust like that out of a home oven. I am VERY IMPRESSED! A pleasure to see. And I am sure you used 6 in 1 tomatoes. ....Russ

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (Davydd)

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 10:36:11 GMT

Looking good porkbeaks! I think in the past few years homemade pizza has taken a quantum leap in quality. I look at some of the recipes in our old cookbooks and realize a lot of them are pretty poor and seem to be geared to a Sandra Lee semi-homemade standard. With the internet better information is to be had out there. I know I have improved my game this past year.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (porkbeaks)

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 22:49:20 GMT

Here are two that came out of my kitchen.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (iqdiva)

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:25:28 GMT

Does anyone make a good pizza anymore ? Hmmmmmmmm... I do !

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (jerzeydawg)

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:21:42 GMT

A good pie is hard to come by these days.

It all comes down to the crust. Its texture. taste(sweetness), & thinness . Then, from there, the taste of the sauce, & finally the mozzarella. So long as it's not imitation cheese in which i have unwillingly experienced it should be good.

I remember getting pizza in Jersey City when i was a kid back in the 70's and a Large pie (18 inch) was $3.50.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (TerrierMom)

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:57:44 GMT

Any locally owned pizza joint in my area (South Central CT) makes at least an acceptable pie. Most make good to OMG! This is FAAAAABBBBULLLLOUS! pies.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (essvee)

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:38:00 GMT

Another vote for 6 in 1-- straight from the can, a little oo, salt and pepper is it. I have used both San Marzano and 6 in 1. No doubt about it, 6 in 1 is hands down the better product.

I find San M's to be too watery out of the can for good pizza, and a tad insipid as well. I grow some low-acid plum tomatoes from seeds my old man brought back from the ancestral home, so I am very familiar with them, both canned and fresh.

My fresh ones make superb, I mean superb pasta sauce, some of the best I've ever tasted. But for true pizza, American-style as well, one shouldn't cook the tomatoes any further then how they come out of the can. Spaghetti sauce doesn't belong on pizza.

And, I agree with Russ. I can't eat and don't eat store bought pizza here in CA. Of course, I grew up on the shore of CT, where many many mom-and-pop pizza joints make great pies, so my opinion is skewed toward high expectations.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (tamandmik)

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:17:18 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by porkbeaks

I don't care how high quality the ingredients are; you're not going to get a great pizza delivered to your door. The best of crusts begin to "deteriorate" 5 minutes after the pie leaves the oven. When they're boxed and put into those zippered keep-hot bags, they begin to steam and get soggy. If you want a fantastic pizza, make it yourself. Buffalo mozz, San Marzano sauce, reggiano parm, good King Arthur flour, and you'll still turn out 15" pies that cost way under $20. pb

I agree with that statement 100%. That's why when I want pizza, I will ususally dine at the restaurant for optimal taste. The same holds for french fries or buffalo wings, when these items are delivered to your house, they lose their quality.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (porkbeaks)

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:40:28 GMT

I am NOT a foodie !!

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (MilwFoodlovers)

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:37:13 GMT

Doesn't these later posts belong in the "Lighter Fare" section?

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (Russ Jackson)

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:34:24 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

quote:
Originally posted by Russ Jackson

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass.

stub·born (stbrn)
adj. stub·born·er, stub·born·est
1.
a. Unreasonably, often perversely unyielding; bullheaded.
b. Firmly resolved or determined; resolute. See Synonyms at obstinate.
2. Characterized by perseverance; persistent.
3. Difficult to treat or deal with; resistant to treatment or effort: stubborn soil; stubborn stains.
4. Inability to try canned tomatoes.

Bull****!

I was just kinning around.

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (Michael Hoffman)

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:05:01 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Russ Jackson

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass.

stub·born (stbrn)
adj. stub·born·er, stub·born·est
1.
a. Unreasonably, often perversely unyielding; bullheaded.
b. Firmly resolved or determined; resolute. See Synonyms at obstinate.
2. Characterized by perseverance; persistent.
3. Difficult to treat or deal with; resistant to treatment or effort: stubborn soil; stubborn stains.
4. Inability to try canned tomatoes.

Bull****!

RE: Does anyone make a great pizza anymore? (Russ Jackson)

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 16:39:38 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass.

stub·born (stbrn)
adj. stub·born·er, stub·born·est
1.
a. Unreasonably, often perversely unyielding; bullheaded.
b. Firmly resolved or determined; resolute. See Synonyms at obstinate.
2. Characterized by perseverance; persistent.
3. Difficult to treat or deal with; resistant to treatment or effort: stubborn soil; stubborn stains.
4. Inability to try canned tomatoes.