Bounced Pizza Talk

[steveh]

Originally posted by chazwicke (at beer in the south)
I was NOT impressed with the pizza I had at Duo. I think I like NY better.

It's Dué - and I believe Uno and Dué (both have the same owners and are around the corner from each other - Dué is the spillover place when Uno is full) have become way over-commercialized because of their popularity - it would also depend on what toppings you ordered. Given the proper prior planning, I would have liked to have sent you to a couple better places Chaz (Oven Grinders has been mentioned elsewhere, as has Connie's). On the other hand, I'd like to try that Lombardi's NYC featured on the FoodNetwork.

Kalleh - I'm not a huge fan of stuffed-style pizza, my faves run from pan-style (a la Connie's) first to thin then to the stuffed. Though I find it very good, Piece is not Chicago-style pizza. AFA thin crust, the next time we're together in Libertyville we should go to Morgan's - it's run by the brother of the owner of Kaiser's (my local) and they both make a similar, outstanding pizza - pepperoni and mushrooms for my half, thank you. :)

S.

[brewmonkey]

Stuffed style pizzas are an abomination and anyone caught making/eating them should be beaten with a rubber hose. The only true pizza is NY style!!!

[Bruno_78]

Well then beat me with a rubber hose, cause I like it. In fact, I like all types of pizza. Except those with mushrooms. Unless they're portabella. Then it's alright. I've never really had a genuine NY style pizza, but I'm sure it's good too.

Steve, I would like to try that place with the fancy oven, was that Connie's?

[newportstorm]

A local place here in RI sells a "stuffed" pizza (not stuffed crust like the garbage at Pizza Hut). Basically, they stack one pizza on top of the other with the toppings in the middle. Actually, quite good. And yes, you are "stuffed" when you finish it.

I prefer calzones, myself. Though a nice thin, brick-oven baked pizza with sliced eggplant, portabella and garlic is the bomb!!

Cheers!

[HarkJohnny]

my favs are still down at the local brewpub Watson Bros. (http://www.watsonbros.com/pizzas.html) A Pale Ale or Aviator Red or Abigail's Amber with their BBQ chicken pizza, mashed potato pizza or the Buffalo chicken pizza really get my taste buds going.

man, this is getting me hungry!

[steveh]

Originally posted by newportstorm
A local place here in RI sells a "stuffed" pizza (not stuffed crust like the garbage at Pizza Hut). Basically, they stack one pizza on top of the other with the toppings in the middle. Actually, quite good. And yes, you are "stuffed" when you finish it.


That's different than what's called "stuffed" in Chi - in Chi we call that style "double-decker." Is that what you're thinking of Brewmonk? 'Cause I enjoy a good Chicago-style stuffed once in a while too.

They start with a deep round pan, 2.5 to 3 inches deep, spread the dough around the bottom and up the sides, layer sliced mozzarella, meat (pepperoni is better than sausage IMO in this case - sausage tends to get piled on too thick), and any other components, then ladle on the tomato sauce, and top off with shredded or ground parmesian - bake well, eat one slice and be full.

Bruno - fancy oven? Are you thinking of the wood-fired oven I saw in the feature on Lombardi's in NYC? There are places in Chi with them too, but most of the ovens are the big muthas that get to 800° or some such!

S.

[fretlessman71]

Must add a plug here for my favorite pie in the world (not that any of YOU will ever get a chance to sample any of it): Pizza Casbah right here in lil' ol' Ft. C. 18" pies, just perfectly crisp, seasonings perfect, cheese just right, and so thin you could almost deliver it by sliding it under your door. AFAIK, it's the best slice this side of the Mississippi!

Actually, to be fair, there are a few places around here that do a wonderful job, and deserve mention: Pulcinella's Ristorante' - the owners are natives of Naples; Abo's Pizza, the owner here is of a similar pedigree; and Cozolla's Pizza, which is more of a pan-style, and they offer you different seasonings they can add to the CRUST (my favorite is basil crust on mushroom and black olive)... probably nothing "authentic" here, but boy, are they ever good!

(Anyone fancy a pizza trade? :D)

[steveh]

Originally posted by HarkJohnny
mashed potato pizza

What the heck is with that anyway? I saw mashed potato on the ingredient menu at Piece, but I can't fathom it on a pizza! I won't knock it 'cause I haven't tried it - and I like mashed potatoes, but how do you keep the gravy in place? ;)

S.

[chazwicke]

Brick oven is often the key.

I once had Thai Chicken pizza at Appalachian Brewing in Gettysburg.

[fretlessman71]

The gravy bakes on like a top layer of crust, steveh. ;)

[chazwicke]

Duo pizza's tomato sauce was too sweet.

Next time I'll try Connies.

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by steveh
What the heck is with that anyway? I saw mashed potato on the ingredient menu at Piece, but I can't fathom it on a pizza! I won't knock it 'cause I haven't tried it - and I like mashed potatoes, but how do you keep the gravy in place? ;)

S.

I know people that swear by a brick oven mashed potato pizza with bacon and cheddar at BruRm at Bar in New Haven, CT. Bruno & Chaz know the place - where the CT Real Ale Fest was. I looked forward to trying it a few weeks back when I was in town but the place was closed at 2:45 pm on a Saturday! Weird schedule there.

Cheers!

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by steveh
That's different than what's called "stuffed" in Chi - in Chi we call that style "double-decker." Is that what you're thinking of Brewmonk? 'Cause I enjoy a good Chicago-style stuffed once in a while too.

They start with a deep round pan, 2.5 to 3 inches deep, spread the dough around the bottom and up the sides, layer sliced mozzarella, meat (pepperoni is better than sausage IMO in this case - sausage tends to get piled on too thick), and any other components, then ladle on the tomato sauce, and top off with shredded or ground parmesian - bake well, eat one slice and be full.


Double decker is probably a better description.

Not top? The way you describe it, it just seems like a deep piece of pie with no crust on top - just a bit deeper than deep dish. That could be interesting - a light, flaky crust on top to make it like a real pie. Hmmm...

Cheers!

[fretlessman71]

Sbarro's at "the mall" (no real need to be specific here; almost every mall has one of these, don't they? Or am I the only one that goes to malls on this board, too?! :D ) many times will serve pizza with an "upper crust"... not unlike a slice of fruit pie, but with sauce, cheese, and toppings. I'd like to say I've tried it, but they almost never make a veggie one for me...

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
I'd like to say I've tried it, but they almost never make a veggie one for me...

I dig veggie pizza but things like broccoli, cauliflower, etc. just don't work well on pizza for me. If you can't slice a veggie thin and layer it on without it sticking out like a tree branch, leave it off.

I split a pizza last night at a beer event. I'll eat anything, so I told my friend to get whatever...turned out to be Meat Lovers - sausage, ham, bacon, hamburg - funny, for some reason they left off the pepperoni. Your kinda pizza, huh? ;)

Cheers!

[steveh]

Originally posted by newportstorm
Not top?

Nope.

The way you describe it, it just seems like a deep piece of pie with no crust on top - just a bit deeper than deep dish.

Yup. We have a couple types around Chi, stuffed as I've mentioned, then pan - where the pan is more shallow than that used in the stuffed variety. Some pan styles will roll the crust thick at the edges (like Lombardi's looked), others will keep it more thin.

That could be interesting - a light, flaky crust on top to make it like a real pie. Hmmm...

Nah - then it would be double-decker again! ;)

Chaz - Dué - DUÉ! Too sweet? Hmm. Should have found you an Eduardo's.

Fret - Sbarro's? We're gonna get you together with Bruno and his Catsup - you can make your own pizzas! ;-)

S.

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by newportstorm

I split a pizza last night at a beer event. I'll eat anything, so I told my friend to get whatever...turned out to be Meat Lovers - sausage, ham, bacon, hamburg - funny, for some reason they left off the pepperoni. Your kinda pizza, huh? Yeah - and the next time I have one, I'll be staying at YOUR house so you can enjoy it just as much as I will! :D

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by steveh

Fret - Sbarro's? We're gonna get you together with Bruno and his Catsup - you can make your own pizzas! We already do make our own, using flour tortillas for crusts, good pizza sauce and fresh mozz. Just enough for one person! And pretty good to boot.

And no, ketchup (steveh and bruno, note proper spelling please!) is NOT an acceptable pizza sauce. No, not even if it's Heinz...

[Bruno_78]

No, the oven that survived the fire, and they kept the oven.

And it IS Ketchup!

I've been known to use it for pizza sauce in a pinch.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Bruno_78
No, the oven that survived the fire, and they kept the oven.

That'd be the one at Kaiser's...but the fire wasn't as devastating as to burn the building down around it.

I've been known to use it for pizza sauce in a pinch.

Yeesh. :rolleyes:

S.

[threecb]

Drat! All this talk about my second favorite thing and I'm busy as all get-out here!

Just wanted to give a shout-out (man, that's lame) for Patsy's in NYC. There are a few of them around Manhattan and they make a killer brick-oven pizza. Brick-oven thin crust may be my fave. I've not experienced BruRm in New Haven, but I guess that's "New Haven" style like Piece in Chi claims there's is. If it's like Piece's, then it must rock. Though, I've heard of another place in New Haven that's supposed to have great NHStyle -- better then BruRm@Bar's.

And, for the record, keep your ketchup, tortillas, english muffins, french bread, hubcaps or whatever. Gimme crust, man. Real crust!

[xtalman]

Have tried pizza all across the country and my fav is still the good old NY pizza. Thin in the middle with the nice bubbly and chewy outer crust. I really do not like the doughy pizza, what I think of as chicago style. I don't know how widespead they are nationally but I also like the California Pizza Kitchen pizza's especially their crusts.

[steveh]

Originally posted by xtalman
I really do not like the doughy pizza, what I think of as chicago style.

Huh? Most of the best Chicago style stuffed doesn't have a doughy crust, it's usually quite crisp (though I don't mean crispy as a thin crust) - unless it's not cooked well.

There are also a few places that make a pizza similar to the NY style you describe - it's very good.

S.

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Brick oven is often the key.

I once had Thai Chicken pizza at Appalachian Brewing in Gettysburg.

It is indeed the key to it all.

When they approve my Social Security (Keep praying for me guys, it should be soon!!!) we are planning on building a wood fired brick grill on the patio. Nothing fancy and my neighbor is a mason so he said he will do it for cost + beer. I should be able to do both pizzas and meat on the "slab" side and have a grill on it as well.

[xtalman]

Originally posted by steveh
Huh? Most of the best Chicago style stuffed doesn't have a doughy crust, it's usually quite crisp (though I don't mean crispy as a thin crust) - unless it's not cooked well.


I guess I should clarify, I mean thick crust. Just too much bread I would rather have toppings loaded on. Though a simple cheese and pepperoni is still my favorite.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
It is indeed the key to it all.

When they approve my Social Security (Keep praying for me guys, it should be soon!!!) we are planning on building a wood fired brick grill on the patio. Nothing fancy and my neighbor is a mason so he said he will do it for cost + beer. I should be able to do both pizzas and meat on the "slab" side and have a grill on it as well.

That is very cool! And you are in my prayers.

I did have the Bru Room pizza in New Haven and enjoyed it. I have some pictures of the pizza kitchen section. I'll post them later when I'm feeling better. Big percocet day for me today. :(

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
It is indeed the key to it all.

When they approve my Social Security (Keep praying for me guys, it should be soon!!!)

My wife is legally disabled and on SS from a combination of injuries and hereditary diseases; it took her several years to finally get it approved.
It seems they want those who are not really deserving to eventually give up...it makes it tough on the rest.
Hang in there, my friend, patience and perseverance will pay off.:) Hopefully, sooner rather than later!

[wortchillergoal]

The best pizza I know is the slice you enjoy right after sex.

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by wortchillergoal
The best pizza I know is the slice you enjoy right after sex.

TMI! :eek:

[steveh]

To make it legit, I washed down a few slices with a Dinkel-Acker Pils and a Gaffel Kölsch. Eee-yum.

S.

[TOBP_Steve]

Having grown up near the Jersey Shore, the best pizza for me was always any place on one of the boardwalks, along with a tall soda. Not saying they serve THE best pizza, but there's something about the breeze coming off the ocean, a beautiful day, women in bathing suits, etc, that just make it taste better.

Philly Cheese Steaks taste much better that way too, and they use real provolone cheese in NJ, not that Cheeze Whiz crap that they use in Philly (hehehe, that should start a very interesting debate).

Now that I live in the Atlanta area, my favorite ones are Rosaria's and Giuseppi's in Acworth, and Marietta Pizza Co (two locations, the Marietta Square and Kennesaw). With a Sweetwater 420 or Sweetwater Blue, you forget it's not NJ pizza. I miss NJ pizza, but the pizza we have is close enough that I think if I lived back in NJ, I'd miss the southern BBQ even more. They just can't do BBQ in NJ, not like they do in Memphis, Arkansas and Georgia.

[chazwicke]

Boardwalk pizza is indeed a good thing.