who says you can't find excellent pizza in florida

from my user name you've probably gathered i'm a jersey girl. i'm living in florida and up until a few weeks ago had to go back home to find a good pizza.
i have discovered the best pizza i have ever had in my 18 years of living here. the place is called Mezza Luna and it's located in the European Village Resort in Palm Coast (halfway between St.Augustine and Daytona Beach).
the owners are from New York and have given me a reason to stay here!
the pizza is wonderful. they make their own mozzarella! their meat ball subs and calzones are to die for and for dessert, you have to try their freshly made to order cannolis.
i thought i had died and gone to heaven when i first ate at Mezza Luna. Most times you will have anywhere from a 15-60 minute wait, but you don't mind because European Village is a fun place to walk around while your're waiting.the wait is worth it.
Mike and his staff will treat you like family. this is by far the best pizza in the entire state. I swear they import the water for their crust from the tri-state area!
if your're ever in the area, make Mezza Luna a must go to spot!

Have you tried Basil's at the most north end of Daytona Beach ???

I found that to be very viable.

where abouts in daytona? on A1A or Route 1?

I agree - it has been very difficult to find good pizza in FL (I'm from NY & NJ too) however, Bizarro's, located on AIA in Satellite Beach/Melbourne Beach is awesome.....HUGE slice for $2.00, thin crust; good subs on awesome sub rolls too. This one location is the only good one though-beware of franchised "Bizarro" locations throughout Brevard County-supposedly this is a brother or brother-in-law trying to capitalize on the name and popularity of the original. I find excuses to drive the 45 mins to get my NY pizza fix. Ciao!

With todays age of the internet and so many displaced natives of the N.Y. and Jersey area I'm surprised that good apizza joints aren't on every corner in Fla. I guess they all went down to retire and said if I want good apizza I'll stay home and make it. Ciao Jim

i am convinced that the water makes all the difference in the dough. and in this day and age it is very rare to find a pizza place that uses an actual oven and not a conveyor belt to bake their pizza. i don't want pizza made in a pan , without the sprinkling of corn meal on the bottom of the crust or a pre-made pizza crust. i'm glad there are at least a few good pizza places showing up in florida !

quote:

Originally posted by ldkelley

I agree - it has been very difficult to find good pizza in FL (I'm from NY & NJ too) however, Bizarro's, located on AIA in Satellite Beach/Melbourne Beach is awesome.....HUGE slice for $2.00, thin crust; good subs on awesome sub rolls too. This one location is the only good one though-beware of franchised "Bizarro" locations throughout Brevard County-supposedly this is a brother or brother-in-law trying to capitalize on the name and popularity of the original. I find excuses to drive the 45 mins to get my NY pizza fix. Ciao!

If you are down this way again, and want more than just a slice, hop across the street and about 1/4 mile north on A1A. There is a place called Petrillo's, which I think makes a much better pizza than Bizarro's. Don't get me wrong, Bizarro's is good -- and if you only want a slice or two or if you want to gawk at the bikini clad women coming off the beach, then it's the place -- but, for a full pie, Petrillo's is my pick. Also, I am not endorsing the rest of the menu at Petrillo's -- I am pretty sure the only thing that I have eaten there that is any good is the pizza.

quote:

Originally posted by redbankgirl

where abouts in daytona? on A1A or Route 1?

A1A

im from middlesex county n.j. and found a place called massimos in boynton beach. great thin crust that snaps when you bite into it and the meatballs taste like your italian grandmother was in the kitchen all day stiring the pot. the osso boca is the best i have ever had. they use baby veal bones and the meat and marrow is to die for. not fancy no ambience no tablecloths just great food.

Sounds odd, but before it was a strip club...Woody's in Islamorada was a nightclub and Italian restaurant.
They served everything, but their pizza was the best I actually have ever had in my LIFE.
It's proper name for many many years was Woodys Italian Gardens.
But It is worth a stop for the pizza, just get it to take out.
The locals will tell you it is the best for miles around.
I have not found a pizza equal to it since I left the Fla Keys in 1998.

I'm originally from Jersey and was finding Florida to be a vast wasteland in terms of getting good pizza. Went to Massimo's in Boynton Beach and had a great pie! Thin crust, great sauce, cheese and seasoning. The meatballs were EXCELLENT on the pizza! The crust snapped a bit, but I would prefer it a bit more done. I will be going back and will order it a bit crispier.
Last week I found Louis in Lake Worth. This one is crispy like a Jersey pizza, but lacked the seasoning that Massimo's had. Again, I'll be going back here too!

http://www.newtimesbpb.com/Issues/2003-11-20/dining/dish.html

I will have to check out some of these places, but one of the best slices I 've had anywhere is at PRIMANTI'S on A1A just one block south of Sunrise in Fort Lauderdale. Great fresh tasting sauce and yeasty crispy crust and lots of cheese.

Daytona seems to be a hotbed of good pizza. My parents have, for years, gotten theirs from Stavros's on A1A in Ormond Beach (just a strip center or two north of Publix) and I have always thought it was pretty good pizza--certainly better than most you find outside the northeast.

Stavros in Daytona is real good. sort of a cross between Greek&Italian.the one we went to was in a plaza on a1a next to a winn dixie,but I've seen a few others.

OK. All answers good. NOW, where do you find GOOD pizza in the panhandle

In Tallahasseee, You can get a great Margherita pizza at Little Italy on Magnolia Dr. Everything is very fresh and I would call the crust pretty-much New York style, thin, crispy-enough but not cracker thin.

I never found a dud on their menu during my time in Tallahassee.

The crusty bread and herbed olive oil they bring out makes the wait for your pizza much easier to bear.

Highly recommended.

Dave

primanti brothers is about the best you are going to get here, and its real pizza, i love the ultra thin cracker style crust pizza at villa rose in hollywood on 441 a mile north of hollywood blvd, they have been there 40 years that i know of

quote:

Originally posted by dholk

In Tallahasseee, You can get a great Margherita pizza at Little Italy on Magnolia Dr. Everything is very fresh and I would call the crust pretty-much New York style, thin, crispy-enough but not cracker thin.

I never found a dud on their menu during my time in Tallahassee.

The crusty bread and herbed olive oil they bring out makes the wait for your pizza much easier to bear.

Highly recommended.

Dave

quote:

Originally posted by tfrielin

quote:

Originally posted by dholk

In Tallahasseee, You can get a great Margherita pizza at Little Italy on Magnolia Dr. Everything is very fresh and I would call the crust pretty-much New York style, thin, crispy-enough but not cracker thin.

I never found a dud on their menu during my time in Tallahassee.

The crusty bread and herbed olive oil they bring out makes the wait for your pizza much easier to bear.

Highly recommended.

Dave

Sadly, we never made it to Little Italy, despite the fact we lived up the road in Bainbridge, GA for more than a quarter century. Always wondered if it was any good, and apparently it was. They are one of the longest running Italian restaurants in Tallahassee.

But you can't mention pizza in Tallahassee without mentioning Mom and Dad's on US 27 S. The best pizza by far in Tally Also in Thomasville, GA. Get a sausage and anchovy pizza; wash it down with lots of chianti, and let designated driver drive you home. Great pizza!

For you Chicago "thin crust" pizza lovers on Florida's west coast, here are my suggestions for something similar to a good Chicago thin crust pizza. Windy City Pizza in North Tampa serves up some pretty good thin crust pizza (as well as deep dish) and just won the No. 1 award for Tampa Bay pizza on AOL's CityGuide. Charlie and Millie's in Largo, FL serves up an excellent, crispy version of the meal and was highly rated in MSN's version of AOL's Cityguide (I forget what it's called). Paul's Chicago Pizza in east Clearwater has a great pizza that from the moment you bite into a piece, you say to yourself "now that's Chicago pizza." Their only problem is that they are very inconsistent. Some days great (crispy, tasty, with alot of ingredients, etc.), some days not so great (soggy, sparse ingredients, little cooked, etc.). Great potential here, tho. And lastly, there is a great pizza place down in Naples, FL called Aurelio's, loosely connected with a small family group in southern Chicago area. The Naples Aurelio's also wins alot of awards for the best pizza in their area. They make some special par-baked pizzas at their restaurant for your freezer, too, which I usually stock up on when in the area.

I highly second the Aurelio's recommendation. The pizza is terrific and their Italian salads, antipasto and other menu items are also top drawer!
QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

Please, is there anyone out there that knows of GREAT New York-style pizza in the Bradenton/Sarasota/Naples region? My husband & I grew up on Long Island, & took good pizza for granted. Now that we're Florida transplants, we are in major pizza withdrawal. We've tried at least 10 different local pizza joints (half of these were acutally recommendations), & they were all awful, except for one, but that one wasn't good enough for us to eat there again. We are desperate...please help us...

Peppi's Pizza in Naples is excellent. Joe DeLena, who came here in the 50's makes a wonderful yeasty crust and good fresh toppings. Yum!

I just came from lunch at Pizzeria Valdiano in Winter Park Village (Winter Park, FL). I had an awesome cheese steak sandwich.

There pizza is very authentic NY style. Their sauce is EXCELLENT and the service is quick. I'm afraid to say that I eat there 3 out 5 times a week.

quote:

Originally posted by HadYourPhil

Peppi's Pizza in Naples is excellent. Joe DeLena, who came here in the 50's makes a wonderful yeasty crust and good fresh toppings. Yum!

Hey, HadYourPhil, I have previously touted Aurelio's as the best in Naples on this site. How would you say the two compare? Mrs QFan and I are always on the lookout for "real" pizza (as opposed to the Domino's, Pappa Johns, etc variety).
Sounds like you might be a local too, so welcome to Roadfood. You'll find that this is a terrific site with some wonderful people!

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

quote:

Originally posted by redbankgirl

i am convinced that the water makes all the difference in the dough. and in this day and age it is very rare to find a pizza place that uses an actual oven and not a conveyor belt to bake their pizza. i don't want pizza made in a pan , without the sprinkling of corn meal on the bottom of the crust or a pre-made pizza crust. i'm glad there are at least a few good pizza places showing up in florida !

In a few weeks, we hope to add to the list of good pizza places. I am also a Jersey transplant from Mountainside, NJ, currently living in Homosassa, Fla. We decided to invest in a Maruca's Tomato Pies franchise from Seaside Heights, NJ.

We took over an old out of business Hungry Howies about a quarter mile north of the Homosassa Springs Wildlife park on Rt. 19. We have rebuilt the entire facility with new equipment, to Maruca's specs. The Maruca brothers will be training us, and providing continuing guidance over the duration.

We will be doing a soft opening toward the end of September once we get the blessing from the local authorities and "food and beverage" people. I have been a fan of their products for over 45 years, and chose to become the provider of the product as my vocation until I reach retirement age. My kids will take over at that point, we think.

Anyway, check us out if you are in the area, about an hour north of Tampa, 70 miles west of Orlando. Address is 3938 S. Suncoast BLVD, Homosassa Springs, Florida, in the Springs Plaza shopping center.
Check out the Manatee Park, and get some good eats afterwards (or before) with us...

Steve Cullerton .. Owner/Operator

quote:

Originally posted by ldkelley

I agree - it has been very difficult to find good pizza in FL (I'm from NY & NJ too) however, Bizarro's, located on AIA in Satellite Beach/Melbourne Beach is awesome.....HUGE slice for $2.00, thin crust; good subs on awesome sub rolls too. This one location is the only good one though-beware of franchised "Bizarro" locations throughout Brevard County-supposedly this is a brother or brother-in-law trying to capitalize on the name and popularity of the original. I find excuses to drive the 45 mins to get my NY pizza fix. Ciao!

I used to think that the Bizarro at A1A & 192 was the best NYC pizza in Brevard County. I've changed my mind! Try a slice at Brooklyn Pasta & Pizza (NW corner of Viera & Murrell, in a strip mall.) I think it tops Bizarro's with none of the attitude.

A Yonkers, NY guy until a couple of years ago

I have had alot of pretty good pizza in Florida. Last time we stayed in the Orlando area , near Reunion and there was a strip mall place, the pizza was awesome, but I can't remember the name.

Then there is Mystic Pizza in Miami Beach, owned by New Yorkers and I was always happy to eat there.

Fratelli's on Rt 41 in Venice. While I live in NH and my dad lives in Florida-we are from NJ. This is very good pizza. I will be going down to my dad's at the end of May and will visit Fratelli's a few times as it is very good and also hard to get good pizza in NH!

Nicolem