Best atmosphere in a Pizza place??

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Grillmeister)

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:42:31 GMT

I'll have to side with the minimalists on this one. If the look of a place harkened back to its original owners, I (as a traveler) would be more inclined to accept the authenticity of the food. Generally speaking, too much kitsch suggests tourist trap if I didn't have the benefit of local knowledge. Tex-Mex restaurants are especially guilty of this where I live.

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (MetroplexJim)

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:22:09 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Twinwillow

The ideal ambiance for a true pizzeria should be strictly, "old school". With the emphasis on, old. As in something like, "in business for 50 years".

From several previous posts I thought you didn't like Campisi's Egyptian!

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (wmceaton)

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:41:59 GMT

Love Roseland in CT...i took my father in law from Boston there a few years ago...he always asks when we can go back there.

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (leethebard)

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 07:10:04 GMT

As I've said before,studies show many people prefer an identical cup of coffee,if served in the restaurant over home,perceiving it a better cup of coffee because of the atmosphere...your surroundings can cloud your feelings about the food you're eating!!!

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (No Talent)

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 06:28:33 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Scarlett

I'm with Sonny Funio on this one.

I'm with you. And to us it's always about atmosphere whether it's a run down shack or snippity upscale.

We can make good food at home, and pizza just the way we like it.
We don't have to complain because the crust is undercooked.

Atmosphere is the fun of going out.

It's funny how people insist on answering a different question than the author asked.

We are so opposite of those posting that the food is the only reason to go to a place. Crazy.

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (catarnett)

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:51:56 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Ciaoman

Easy. Pepe's in New Haven or Modern in New Haven. Spacious booths, Formica table tops, cold beer, superlative pizza. People licking their fingers and rolling their eyes. What more do you need?

I just tried Modern Pizza for the first time this past Friday. Best sausage pizza I have ever eaten in my life! Better in fact, dare I say, than my beloved Roseland Pizza. However... that said, Roseland Pizza has the better atmosphere. It's old timey, the building is from the 30's. It's smack dab in a residential area, like a throw back from another era.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=241

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (doggydaddy)

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:42:54 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Twinwillow

The ideal ambiance for a true pizzeria should be strictly, "old school". With the emphasis on, old. As in something like, "in business for 50 years".

Typical New Haven/ Connecticut ambiance since 1934

mark

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Greymo)

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:39:11 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Twinwillow

The ideal ambiance for a true pizzeria should be strictly, "old school". With the emphasis on, old. As in something like, "in business for 50 years".

Why?

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Twinwillow)

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:25:08 GMT

The ideal ambiance for a true pizzeria should be strictly, "old school". With the emphasis on, old. As in something like, "in business for 50 years".

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Greymo)

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:23:42 GMT

You are right on with John's.............what a fun place to go for pizza. We had a wonderful time there; the service was terrific and the pizza was fine.

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (CCinNJ)

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:12:51 GMT

John's Pizza Times Square, NYC

http://www.johnspizzerianyc.com/index2.htm

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (the grillman)

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:07:33 GMT

The original Aurelio's, in Homewood, Illinois.

That's a pizza place!

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Ahi Mpls.)

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:23:09 GMT

WHAT!!!!! no mention of Chuck-E- Cheeses??? talk about ATMOSPHERE!!!!

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Scarlett)

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:36:37 GMT

I'm with Sonny Funio on this one.
I want to go to the Elmhusrt Tap Room.
When my sons were growing up I think I 'did my time' in loud, blaring lights, game room pizza places.
Now I want soft seats, soft lights, and good wine or icy cold beer, and being able to converse without sreaming to your dinner date.

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Sonny Funzio)

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:25:39 GMT

Baah Ben ...

Most every pizza thread that I've seen centers on the "best" pie. The question I am asking on this thread is different.

Like I suggested in my original post, an absolutely HUGE number of places make a "decent" pizza. In fact, I'd say that the majority of places make a decent/good pizza.

A smaller number of places are making awful pizza - a HUGE number of places are making a decent/good pizza - and a smaller number of places are making the most spectacular pizza.
This is the classic bell-curve.

The fact that these places in the middle of the curve get business, does NOT mean that alllllll those customers are tasteless schmucks because they are willing to buy a decent/good pizza.

If my question allows only the places that make an unusually spectacular pizza, then it necessarily shuts-out of my question the majority of all pizza places everywhere. This limits the number of restaurants that would be mentioned to a MUCH smaller number using a criteria I am not asking about.

My question is about ATMOSPHERE, which of course does relate to food because the question is about atmosphere in restaurants.

Sure, as in my original contribution ("The Elmhurst Tap Room") I want to know the quality of the pie of the places mentioned too.
But I am not asking who makes the best pie!
I want to know what restaurants there are that are interesting for their atmosphere, and why they are interesting.

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (santacruz)

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:31:21 GMT

Good Pizza in a good eating atmosphere, that the ticket.
In the Troy N.Y. region there are four excellent old fashioned Pizza parlors.

1. The Red Front - an Icon with good pizza. Old Tavern feel.
2. Kays Burden Lake Inn - Great Pizza on an old fashioned campy lake. 1950's feel.
3. Villa Valenti - Great Pizza again out in the rural area near lakes. Italian Tavern roadhouse feel. Maybe cards going on in the backroom?
4. Verdiles - Excellent Pizza upscale homey feel, cozy relaxing. Not only Pizza great Italian/American food (not just red sauce).

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Foodbme)

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:05:59 GMT

It's the smell-----It's gotta have "The Smell"!!!

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (californyguy)

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:09:49 GMT

must have checkered table cloths( if any), a wailing old AC

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (leethebard)

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:06:32 GMT

I agree,Baah Ben...and stated that above...maybe I don't get the point...but IT IS all about the pizza to me...Why would I go to a place that did not have great pizza...but DID have atmosphere...I can't eat atmosphere...I want a great,well made,tasty pizza.....period...so many of the best places are small standard pizzareias,turning out a quality pie....Now if you found a place that had great atmosphere and GREAT pizza..that's something else....but I haven't found many of those!

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Baah Ben)

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:05:52 GMT

Sonny - It's all about the pizza! Some of the dirtiest places have some of the best slices. I don't want to start naming names but in some of my comments, you can tell. Give me the great slice..I'll deal with the rest!

Fellas - how many agree with me on this? Atmosphere only counts when you are dating! And I mean the early dating rituals. And, only sometimes when you bring the wife

If it's a guy thing, come one with the atmosphere.....

Buddy..that's a beautiful thing that pizza....

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Sonny Funzio)

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:38:10 GMT

Like I say, my question is not about who has the best pizza ... it's about what places are interesting for their atmosphere.

Though not an Italian pizza-joint atmosphere, Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills Michigan does have a dining area that serves pizza; most definitely not the greatest pizza, but it's the setting, not the food, that interferes with digestion.

This museum is an arcade of both antique and modern machines ... games as well as carnival oddities ... some not exactly PC/kid friendly.
a few of their oddities
http://marvin3m.com/odds.php
and a few of their games
http://marvin3m.com/games.php

Here is a video clip showing some of the place ...
http://www.pinrepair.com/movies/marvin2.wmv
The first 30 seconds is the intro to the show (History Channel's Modern Marvels) ... the strange stuff starts at about 2 minute mark. If you wait to the end of the clip you'll get to see the carnival oddity "Doctor Bingenpurge - County Food Inspector".
And then there's the pizza ...

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Twinwillow)

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:41:22 GMT

The only atmosphere I notice in a pizza joint is the lovely fragrance of yeast, garlic and sauce coming from the ovens.

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (cecif)

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:40:48 GMT

Growing up we went to a place in Martinez, California called BELLA ROMA.

I don't remember how good the pizza might be (I know I liked it!), but the place was a HUGE draw for kids.

They had a player organ, like a piano that plays itself. But it was super specially suped up: they had lights and horns and stuff that went along with it... even a Tweety Bird that would tweet and swing at certain moments. Our favorite tune was the "Peter Gunn Theme" (I think that's the name), because it was long, had lots of lights, the Tweety played and the big ole train whistle went off too! What fantastic memories!!!!

I have researched the place and it apparently moved but I think it still has the organ. Some day I'll check it out, or hope that an RFer does for me...

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (sk bob)

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:22:43 GMT

the atmosphere looks like geek heaven with something that almost resembles a pizza.

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (BuddyRoadhouse)

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:08:25 GMT

The Ferris wheel is a hand made job that Burt picked up at a garage sale. It was designed and executed from scratch, without benefit of a kit, by some guy for the amusement of his grandchildren. It was made, we're guessing somewhere around the 1930's. The sellers were probably the grown great-grandchildren. Now that it resides at Burt's, it has brought delight to a whole new generation of kids, many of whom have brought in their own small doll figures to sit in the seats.

Burt loves his garage sales; many of the items on display were acquired at similar venues.

Buddy

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (porkbeaks)

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:15:34 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by BuddyRoadhouse

........I think it would be hard to single out any one pizza place with the Best Atmosphere, but I'll put Burt's Place up as a finalist against any of the other places mentioned.
Buddy

Burt's Place
8541 N. Ferris
Morton Grove, IL
(847) 965-7997[|)]

As long as those goopy looking things in pans qualify as pizza , I think we have a winner! They sure do look tasty. I love the radios and the Ferris wheel. pb

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (BuddyRoadhouse)

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:03:47 GMT

I've been laying low, restraining myself from commenting, as I watched the various entries and opinions about atmospheric pizza joints collect on this thread. I didn't want to come off as too partisan on this topic, but when wanderingjew posted these photos on his Baseball Tour thread in the trip reports forum, I figured it was time to be heard.

Below are pictures from Burt's Place in Morton Grove, Illinois, a near north suburb of Chicago. I've been touting this place since my very early postings here at Roadfood and many of you have actually made the pilgrimage.

In the last two years Burt's has earned a Great Neighborhood Restaurant Award given out by the members of the LTHForum, has been written up twice in Time Out Chicago magazine, has been featured in Saveur magazine's all Chicago issue; including making the cover photo, and will be seen extensively on an upcoming Chicago edition of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel.

Below are the photos, used with permission, from WJ's thread. I think it would be hard to single out any one pizza place with the Best Atmosphere, but I'll put Burt's Place up as a finalist against any of the other places mentioned.

Buddy

Burt's Place
8541 N. Ferris
Morton Grove, IL
(847) 965-7997[|)]

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (MetroplexJim)

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:40:07 GMT

When we moved to Dallas three years ago, there was hardly a decent pie to be found. Since, a delightful plethora of wood and coal-fired ovens have been built and surrounded by delightful build-outs: Coal Vines in Uptown and Southlake, Grimaldi's in West-end and Watter's Creek, Fireside Pies in Park Cities and Legacy (Plano) - just to name a few. In fact, Grimaldi's Watter's Creek patio now ranks second on my list for al fresco dining in Dallas, right behind the shaded and misted picnic tables in the parking lot of the original Sonny Bryan's on romantic Inwood.

That said, the best pie is another new place that is just a hole-in-the-wall in University Park: Olivella's and my favorite "ambiance" is still the back room at Campisi's Egyptian on Mockingbird.

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (Baah Ben)

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:19:27 GMT

Porkbeaks...Phoenix right? Supposedly the best pizza in the entire country...Chris Bianco or whatever his last name is, is supposed to be fanatical about his pizza. The place is so popular that people have to start lining up at 4:00 PM to get in there - They open at 5 or 5:30! Anyone been there to confirm it's quality. How does sit stack up to Grimaldi's in Old Town? You can see more views of Pizzeria Bianco on their website..Just do a search for it. Very nice looking place.

I see they have outside dining, but no overhead misting system? We were in Scottsdale in mid-May and "enjoyed" 113 degree weather every single day. It was an absolute nightmare. Don't listen to this local stuff ................"It's hot, but it's dry heat." Oh, sure.

I have lived in Florida for 25 years and never experienced heat like that....But, I do recall heat like that once. Yup, in a helicopter on the Big Island of Hawaii when they took us down into the active volcano..Scottsdale felt exactly like that! Incidently, they no longer do that copter ride..too dangerous.

I do not see the misting system. They run these water lines and spray water mist above your head to cool the air if you are dining outdoors. The spray never gets to your hair. It is dry so it evaporates.

RE: Best atmosphere in a Pizza place?? (ann peeples)

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:51:22 GMT

For best atmosphere and great pizza-Lisas pizza on the east side of Milwaukee.Great little Italian restaurant with many generations of the same family running it.You are always made to feel special there...