I’m Not Saying It’s The Best Pizza In The World

[bigvalboy]

My sister has a brick pizza oven built into the kitchen...so there's that. Her homemade pizza's and pizza parties are damn near legendary.

[LookingAround]

I love pizza. And yes for the purists on here I’m talking about the American Version. But I’ve pretty much always hated Domino’s. I probably first had it in college-or if not college then in grad school. I’m talking about the early to mid 1980’s. I’ve hated it so much that I’ve probably had less than 10 pieces of it since the 1990’s. Even if a committee I was on for something was serving it, I pretty much abstained. And yes I know there are many gourmands on here many of whom can make equal claims. But I’m middle class single guy from Texas who doesn’t really cook very often. I loved pizza growing up, and when I was working, I often kept late hours where pizza places were often the only thing still open.

 

I think what made me dislike Domino’s mainly was the crust. It was doughy, and I always thought it tasted like cardboard. I’m general I’m not fond of thick doughy crusts unless they have some taste to them. Uno’s in my opinion has a nice deep dish crust because it has a buttery taste to it-or at least it used to. I probably haven’t had an Uno’s since around 2008. Their franchising seems to have screwed up as I know lots of their restaurants closed in the 1990-early 2000’s.

 

Well tonight I had a coupon for Domino’s. I decided I’d look and see what they offered these days. They now have different crusts. I chose their equivalent to Pizza Hut’s Thin n’ Crispy. And it wasn’t bad. I’m not saying that I like it as well as I like Papa John’s or Pizza Hut. But it was definitely edible.

 

Gman

You’re quite the gourmand.

[+ oldNbusted]

Jon Stewart Defends NY Pizza and Annihilates Chicago Deep Dish Pan Pizza

 

As for the chains, you're not getting real pizza from a chain.

[Bearofdistinction]

Al's Italian Beef .....5 stars....the bread, the green peppers.....all soaked in the au jus.....w/the fries = great lunch

 

I also like the old Portillos on Clark for Italian Beef

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

I also like the old Portillos on Clark for Italian Beef

 

I knew someone would mention Portillos. Damn you. *wink*

 

I loved their old, crusty locations, but the new, shiny redesign is missing something. They're definitely big box beef now.

[+ GregM]

If you love pizza, then never ever move to Las Vegas. After living in Boston for so long (it's not all clam chowdah in Boston, they have some truly great pizza), I went into pizza deprivation here in Las Vegas. OMG, the pizza here is AWFUL!! It's like cardboard, ketchup, and Kraft American singles. Las Vegas is actually a great foodie town for almost every cuisine and taste, except pizza. After more than a decade here, I finally found a great pizzeria, run by a guy from New Jersey who knows what real pizza is. I don't miss the winters in Boston or the cost of living in NYC (lived in Manhattan for 3 years), but I sure as hell miss the almost limitless choices for great pizza.

 

I think there's a pizza joint opening inside El Cortez that might be worth looking at.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[matt842]

Reading this thread is doing the same thing to me that reading The Spa and The Deli usually does to me: It's making me look forward to my next trip to Chicago!

[+ GregM]

Chicagoan here as well

 

I'm sad we're not also including Gino's in this discussion... And Chicago beef (Al's is my favorite with Mr. Beef coming in a close second). Dipped, with, no motz.

Damn, I'm hungry.

 

This last July I went to Chicago themed joint off the strip in Vegas. Ordered an Italian combo wet. Damn thing came with cheese. I've never had one automatically come with cheese. I made the girl take it back and bring me one no cheese. The menu made no mention of cheese.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ Gar1eth]

Long ago, when I lived in Chicago, Uno's, Due, and Gino's were the holy trinity. High hopes when they opened an Uno's in San Francisco but, sadly, Chicago deep dish pizza does not travel well.

 

Some things just have to be eaten in situ.

 

 

 

Again, I’ve enjoyed most non-Chicago Uno’s Pizzerias except the ones at the airport.

 

PS: I've discovered that most flat crust takeout pizzas benefit from spending five minutes on the lower rack of a 450º oven.

 

I posted this awhile back. This trick may be a bit quicker than using the oven. Although if you want to crisp up the whole pizza, an oven would be better.

 

When you've refrigerated the pizza overnight, this is a really good trick. It works best with thin crust pizza, but I’d try it with deep dish too. Also when I’ve frozen the pizza, I defrost it in the microwave before putting it on the stove, and it comes out 100x better than only using the microwave.

 

 

 

Gman

[gallahadesquire]

My sister has a brick pizza oven built into the kitchen...so there's that. Her homemade pizza's and pizza parties are damn near legendary.

 

Remind me to visit you when I come to see my ol' Personal Trainer in Coconut Grove. I'll bring the G&T

[BigK]

Again, I’ve enjoyed most non-Chicago Uno’s Pizzerias except the ones at the airport.

 

 

 

I posted this awhile back. This trick may be a bit quicker than using the oven. Although if you want to crisp up the whole pizza, an oven would be better.

 

When you've refrigerated the pizza overnight, this is a really good trick. It works best with thin crust pizza, but I’d try it with deep dish too. Also when I’ve frozen the pizza, I defrost it in the microwave before putting it on the stove, and it comes out 100x better than only using the microwave.

 

 

 

Gman

 

I've used the skillet method to reheat pizza. It works great!

[bigvalboy]

Remind me to visit you when I come to see my ol' Personal Trainer in Coconut Grove. I'll bring the G&T

 

I'll leave the light on...

[bigvalboy]

Again, I’ve enjoyed most non-Chicago Uno’s Pizzerias except the ones at the airport.

 

 

 

I posted this awhile back. This trick may be a bit quicker than using the oven. Although if you want to crisp up the whole pizza, an oven would be better.

 

When you've refrigerated the pizza overnight, this is a really good trick. It works best with thin crust pizza, but I’d try it with deep dish too. Also when I’ve frozen the pizza, I defrost it in the microwave before putting it on the stove, and it comes out 100x better than only using the microwave.

 

 

 

Gman

 

Love it...

[+ azdr0710]

did anybody here eat Totino's Party Pizza while in college?.....was very cheap and not bad.......now, years later, it's a much smaller product (like many downsized products) for a few cents more.....just had a couple tonight!....ingredients list a mile long!......I liked it!

 

[gallahadesquire]

did anybody here eat Totino's Party Pizza while in college?.....was very cheap and not bad.......now, years later, it's a much smaller product (like many downsized products) for a few cents more.....just had a couple tonight!....ingredients list a mile long!......I liked it!

 

 

Add basil and oregano, and some fake parmesan, and some additional pepperoni, and a few red pepper flakes, and it's really quite servicable.

Also, cook it for 20 minutes ... almost twice the suggested cooking time ... comes out nice and crisp!

[+ azdr0710]

Add basil and oregano, and some fake parmesan, and some additional pepperoni, and a few red pepper flakes, and it's really quite servicable.

Also, cook it for 20 minutes ... almost twice the suggested cooking time ... comes out nice and crisp!

 

forgot to say I also pre-heat a baking sheet and put the frozen pizza on that - as suggested in the Totino's instructions for a crisper crust....I've never cooked a pizza on the actual rack, as some instructions require.....maybe I've been doing it wrong all these years?

[bigvalboy]

I've always baked it directly on the rack. It makes for a crisper crust, but it also makes a mess out of the oven. Cleaning the oven is on my "to do" list as we speak.

[+ azdr0710]

I've always baked it directly on the rack. It makes for a crisper crust, but it also makes a mess out of the oven. It's on my "to do" list as we speak.

 

I think that's a big reason I use a baking sheet.....I put foil down on top of the sheet, too.....easy clean-up!

 

[+ Gar1eth]

did anybody here eat Totino's Party Pizza while in college?.....was very cheap and not bad.......now, years later, it's a much smaller product (like many downsized products) for a few cents more.....just had a couple tonight!....ingredients list a mile long!......I liked it!

 

 

 

My brother liked it. I tolerated it. What I really loved was when my Mom made a pizza from the Chef Boyardee Pizza Mix. She would use the sausage variety which hasn’t been available for years and years. She would add extra cheese and green olives to the pizza.

 

Nowadays I like the thin crust Digiornos combo pizza. When I have them, I slice cherry tomatoes in 1/2 to put on it prior to baking, and I add garlic powder, oregano, and paprika.

 

For some reason in Washington state if you’re at a pizza place, and you ask them to put tomatoes on a pizza, they are liable to put them on the pizza after it’s finished baking if you don’t specify you want them cooked. If I had wanted raw toppings on my pizza, I would tell them that. It seems to me wanting raw toppings should be the special order, not wanting cooked toppings.

 

Gman

[rvwnsd]

@rvwnsd Another DOOPER! I was born in Melrose Park, then River Forest until 18, so I went to OPRFHS.

 

Well, I was born in Oak Park at West Suburban Hospital, but my folks lived in Chicago so I wasn't an Oak Parker for very long.

 

Long ago, when I lived in Chicago, Uno's, Due, and Gino's were the holy trinity. High hopes when they opened an Uno's in San Francisco but, sadly, Chicago deep dish pizza does not travel well.

 

Some things just have to be eaten in situ.

 

PS: I've discovered that most flat crust takeout pizzas benefit from spending five minutes on the lower rack of a 450º oven.

 

Those Uno's franchises just didn't make the pizza the same way as the original. You can order Lou Malnati's online and they will ship one to you.

 

did anybody here eat Totino's Party Pizza while in college?.....was very cheap and not bad.......now, years later, it's a much smaller product (like many downsized products) for a few cents more.....just had a couple tonight!....ingredients list a mile long!......I liked it!

 

I was going to suggest getting some saltines, squirting some ketchup on each cracker; sprinkling some basil, oregano, and fake parmesan cheese; and cutting up some hot dogs, but the fact of the matter is I actually like Totino's pizza. It is what it is - cheap pizza.

[rvwnsd]

Chicagoan here as well

 

I'm sad we're not also including Gino's in this discussion... And Chicago beef (Al's is my favorite with Mr. Beef coming in a close second). Dipped, with, no motz.

Damn, I'm hungry.

Gino's is very good, but the lines were always so damned long. I completely forgot to mention Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders. I tend to like Buona Beef better than the others. As a kid we used to go to a place on Milwaukee Avenue in Norwood Park called The Original Roma. Excellent Italian Beef. Sadly, they closed a few years ago.

[Nvr2Thick]

One of my father's uncles ran a pizza place in my hometown. It was one of two independent pizza joints in town, and everyone either loved one or the other. I have many fond memories of watching my great aunt and uncle and my dad's cousins make enormous batches of fresh dough and sauce, and make the pizzas while two of our aunts kept the kitchen clean and the dishes washed. I can still remember how the smell of the kitchen got into my clothes, and I can still hear the slam of the pizza oven doors.

 

I went to college in the backwoods of New York State, hours from civilization. In those backwoods towns the pizza was awful. When one of the pizza shop owners befriended my group of college friends (in the hopes that we'd bring college girls his way) I learned the awful difference between real pizza and north country backwoods pizza. He had huge stacks of pizza "shells" of refrigerated premade crusts, big plastic buckets of premade sauce, and huge bags of cheap shredded cheese. Pizza was basically a collision of three different tasteless ingredients of three different formats and textures. Eat it while it's hot; that's the only sensation your tongue will experience.

 

I've used the skillet method to reheat pizza. It works great!

 

I'm never sure why we need a great method to reheat pizza. To me, cold pizza from the fridge is a distinct wonderful meal all its own.

[+ Gar1eth]

One of my father's uncles ran a pizza place in my hometown. It was one of two independent pizza joints in town, and everyone either loved one or the other. I have many fond memories of watching my great aunt and uncle and my dad's cousins make enormous batches of fresh dough and sauce, and make the pizzas while two of our aunts kept the kitchen clean and the dishes washed. I can still remember how the smell of the kitchen got into my clothes, and I can still hear the slam of the pizza oven doors.

 

I went to college in the backwoods of New York State, hours from civilization. In those backwoods towns the pizza was awful. When one of the pizza shop owners befriended my group of college friends (in the hopes that we'd bring college girls his way) I learned the awful difference between real pizza and north country backwoods pizza. He had huge stacks of pizza "shells" of refrigerated premade crusts, big plastic buckets of premade sauce, and huge bags of cheap shredded cheese. Pizza was basically a collision of three different tasteless ingredients of three different formats and textures. Eat it while it's hot; that's the only sensation your tongue will experience.

 

 

 

I'm never sure why we need a great method to reheat pizza. To me, cold pizza from the fridge is a distinct wonderful meal all its own.

 

My brother and nephew years ago were on some kind of field trip in the kitchen at a pizza place. I think it was Pizza Inn. I remember him saying something about seeing a bag labeled ‘artificial’ mozzarella cheese.

 

Gman

[+ Italiano]

As a native Italian, it's impossible for me to adapt to chains like Domino's, Pizza Hut etc etc. I tried. No way.

When I was in Chicago I tried UNO, it's ok but definitely too heavy for my taste.

In NYC pizza slices few times can satisfy the hunger, and actually I found in Brooklyn some small places with good "Sicilian" (which by the way doesn't exist in Sicily )

 

In NYC they opened authentic Neapolitan pizzerias with brick ovens like http://kestepizzeria.com/en/home/, http://piacerenyc.com , http://www.numero28.com and others, but they are expensive for a personal pie!

 

If you don't have a brick oven in your backyard (...) I found an excellent way to make authentic Italian pizza at home.

The ideal is making your own dough, but you can buy very good ones at some Italian bakeries (at least in Brooklyn...) or at Eataly, and good ones at Whole Foods and Trader's Joe.

For 20$ up to $100 buy a pizza stone and peel kit, put the stone into the oven and heat it up at 550 degrees for 10-15 minutes, extend the dough and top the pie on the peel (don't forget to flour it!) to your own taste, slide the pie onto the pizza stone (that needs a little practice, or you will slide only the topping onto it..) and bake it for 6-7 minutes. It comes out GREAT! And you can have a fun home made pizza party at home.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cuisinart-Grilled-Pizza-Pack/35504866?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227023608336&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=53411279432&wl4=pla-88858741737&wl5=9010928&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=35504866&wl13=&veh=sem

Edited February 18, 2018 by Italiano

[mike carey]

The first time I ever had pizza was with an aunt, uncle and cousins in Sydney. It was from one of the first Pizza Huts in Australia. There may have been authentic pizza places here but they were few. My verdict was that pizza was a crap idea. One of the pizzas we had was 'ground beef'. We don't even call it ground beef here, we call it mince, so it was clearly a Pizza Hut transfer. Looking back, a 'mince' pizza was never going to cut it. Several years later, when I was in first year uni, I discovered pizza at an independent pizza restaurant in Canberra. Whether it was authentic was immaterial, it was good.

 

When you get past the different crusts and the industrial production, the pizza chains here, at least, manage to make reasonable pizzas. There are always better ones at small local shops. I found one in my area when it was the only place open on the evening of 1 Jan 2000, and I still go there and order the same pizza I did then.