# Pizza.



## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

What's the best pizza? Where did you eat it? Do you make your own? If so, what's your recipe? What are your favorite toppings? Chicago or New York?

Have at it!


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

New York > Chicago

I have a local NY-style place here that I like.

If I need fast food pizza, Dominos works in a pinch. Papa John's isn't very good, but they do the trick in an emergency. I haven't had Pizza Hut in a while (none of the ones around here deliver to my area), but I remember liking them too.

I'm also a fan of of frozen pizza. I like cutting up my own toppings (usually green peppers, onions, and black olives), putting them on a frozen pizza, and sticking that in the toaster oven. A good toaster oven makes a world of difference for a frozen pizza, and I highly recommend going that route over a traditional oven. You'll get a much better pizza every time in a toaster oven.

This is the one I have: http://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-Convection-Toaster-Oven/12016177


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

The thicker and puffier the crust the better for me.  I'm not thrilled really with any of the local pizza places.  If I had one-inch dough all the way around I'd be a happy camper.  I actually take a repurposed pretzel dough which is in itself repurposed bagel dough and use it for my own pizzas.  I think I've finally worked it out to the point it works really well for making pizza but it requires a little par-baking.  For some reason I'm not a fan of heavily spiced tomato sauces.  When we get pizza out I usually get barbecue or white sauce.  I love Hawaiian pizzas and also like a lot of onion.  Veggies pizzas are good too, but the only meat I really like on a pizza is ham and bacon and sometimes chicken.  I can't stand pepperoni and don't really like sausage.  I guess I'm just not a spicy person.


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

CS said:


> New York > Chicago
> 
> I have a local NY-style place here that I like.
> 
> ...


Interesting. We have a great pizza restaurant a few blocks from where I live called Tommy J's. I'm actually applying there for a summer job. But they have the best pizza in Anderson (which I affectionately and appropriately call the A-hole).

For my own pizza, I have a very scientific recipe that I use and I always put it on the bottom rack of the oven an turn the heat up as hot as it'll go, often on broil.


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

Scheherazade said:


> The thicker and puffier the crust the better for me. I'm not thrilled really with any of the local pizza places. If I had one-inch dough all the way around I'd be a happy camper.


I've tried very hard, but I've never been able to attain such a crust thickness with my own pizza. They always end up being thinner than I originally intended. But still tasty 

Does anyone want my recipe? If so you need a scale that measures metrically...


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

The only time I liked pizza was when I was pregnant. It was all I could eat and keep down. Now I only eat pizza as a last resort. If I have to eat it, the only one I really like is Pizza Hut's thin and crispy with hamburger, mushrooms and jalapenos.


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

Kathy said:


> The only time I liked pizza was when I was pregnant. It was all I could eat and keep down. Now I only eat pizza as a last resort. If I have to eat it, the only one I really like is Pizza Hut's thin and crispy with hamburger, mushrooms and jalapenos.


Have you ever had non-chain pizza? Chain store pizza gives all pizza a bad, fast-food rap.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

The best pizza I've ever had was from the local pizza shop (Jim's Pizza Palace) in my hometown. It opened in the mid-to-late '60's, and I have yet to find pizza as good anywhere. (It was love at first bite.) I'm on a perpetual hunt for a pizza shop that smells like Jim's and has pizza that tastes like that pizza did. (They cut the pizza into squares, too, which worked out great when hungry high school kids stopped in after football and basketball games.)

I prefer thin crust pizza, and love just about any and every topping on it.  I want the sauce to be a bit garlicky and have a faint taste of fennel and oregano (and basil, of course).

I often make my own pizza crust and go from there. I'm a very good cook, but still can't come up with Jim's Pizza's secret. Some day I know I'll figure it out.


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

What's the quality in that place that you can't match?


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

Pizza....one of my favorite topics. It is a Friday night ritual around here. We used to send out for pizza, but were always disappointed, and then we moved beyond the boundaries of delivery. We like thin crust, crispy pizza. I use Peter Reihart's artisan pizza dough recipe. I make enough for 4 pizzas, keep one in the refrigerator overnight, and freeze the others in greased zip lock bags. Each piece is 6-8 ounces, enough for one thin pizza for the 2 of us. Our latest toppings include fresh mozzarella, diced fire roasted tomatoes, topped with prosciutto. Throw in some freshly grated Parmesan or Reggiano, sauteed fresh mushrooms, and top with fresh basil (added after the pizza comes out of the oven). I heat the oven (and pizza plate) to 550 degrees, prepare the pizza on a pizza peal lined with parchment paper (because I never can get it to slide off easily) and bake the pizza on the preheated pizza pan for about 10 minutes.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Dawsburg said:


> Have you ever had non-chain pizza? Chain store pizza gives all pizza a bad, fast-food rap.


I agree completely. Pizza Hut makes me barf and Domino's is a close second. I've never eaten at any of the other chains.

I grew up in New York where we had nine zillion little local pizza shops and any one that you walked into served fabulous pizza. My favorite was Sayville Pizza (in Sayville, NY). We'd go to NH for the summer and we'd all stop eating pizza because in those days, New England pizza was pretty gross.

I spent 2 years in Chicago and while the pizza there was good, I still prefer NY-style.

Here in Portland, ME, I have come to love Flatbread (they don't call them pizzas). The Jay's Heart whole flatbread is the closest thing I've tasted to a Sayville Pizza large cheese. Ricetta's is good. I like their Grecian pizza and Five Cheese. Pat's Pizza is a Maine original (the first Pat's opened in Orono, years ago). Because they are individually owned, the pizzas vary. My favorite is a small pizza with green olives at the Pat's in Scarborough.

We make our own pizza here at home on occasion. My husband likes to do it on the grill. He loads his up with tons of different toppings. I mostly like olives and lots of cheese and once in a while, a few mushrooms.

L


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## corkyb (Apr 25, 2009)

Not to sound like a snob, but I have NEVER had pizza as good as you can get at local pizza shops in New York State (not just NYC).  NY is a great Italian bastion and if you grew up here, you would understand that only NY pizza is really the cat's meow.
Paula the pizza snob  (and I don't even eat it anymore)


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## Magenta (Jun 6, 2009)

I live in NYC so I am completely biased.  That goes for bagels too.

It must be fresh from a pizzeria - never frozen and never from chain like Domino's or Pizza Hut


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I like pretty much any style of pizza when done well with good ingredients, preferably in a local hole-in-the-wall shop operated by a bunch of people who speak with a thick Italian accent. I probably have a slight preference for the thin-crust style, but I also find that they are more likely to suck when done wrong. Fortunately, living in the Philly area we have a sizable Italian population and lots of pizza shops, from individual mom & pop shops to local chains, and of course the national chains (which can't compare to the better local shops/chains). And just as importantly, most of the local shops also serve cheese steaks. (And no, you do not know what a Philly cheese steak is like until you've had one made here. When done wrong, it's as bad or worse than one of those national chain pizzas.)


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I was in Chicago just two weeks ago, and went to Gino's East, which is supposed to be one of the classic Chicago style deep dish places.  I thought it was very good pizza, but not anything spectacular compared to what I am used to.  Better than Pizza Hut and that ilk, but not spectacularly so.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

the best pizza is usually the one you grew up with.

that being said, the new pizza place near work makes a killer chicken marsala pizza.


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## Neversleepsawink;) (Dec 16, 2008)

Well we usually buy pizza out, however homemade is the best.  My mom makes a great homemade pizza...it's just a lot of work.  I make calzones too...however it's been a year since I have.  It's a lot of work too...LOL!  Everyone keeps begging me to make them, now that I'm done with school I will make them again.


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

Jane917 said:


> Pizza....one of my favorite topics. It is a Friday night ritual around here. We used to send out for pizza, but were always disappointed, and then we moved beyond the boundaries of delivery. We like thin crust, crispy pizza. I use Peter Reihart's artisan pizza dough recipe. I make enough for 4 pizzas, keep one in the refrigerator overnight, and freeze the others in greased zip lock bags. Each piece is 6-8 ounces, enough for one thin pizza for the 2 of us. Our latest toppings include fresh mozzarella, diced fire roasted tomatoes, topped with prosciutto. Throw in some freshly grated Parmesan or Reggiano, sauteed fresh mushrooms, and top with fresh basil (added after the pizza comes out of the oven). I heat the oven (and pizza plate) to 550 degrees, prepare the pizza on a pizza peal lined with parchment paper (because I never can get it to slide off easily) and bake the pizza on the preheated pizza pan for about 10 minutes.


Yay for Pete Reinhart! He's one of my favorite pizza authors. And Jeffery Steingarten says a few very good words about pizza himself. I think it was in The Man who Ate Everything, which is a great and fun read.

Honestly, I have to say that one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten was from a small Italian chain called Bravo!. I believe they're only in the Midwest of America, but I'm not sure. Their pizza is always excellent though, with plenty of real, grate-at-your-table Parmesano Reggiano.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

corkyb said:


> Not to sound like a snob, but I have NEVER had pizza as good as you can get at local pizza shops in New York State (not just NYC). NY is a great Italian bastion and if you grew up here, you would understand that only NY pizza is really the cat's meow.
> Paula the pizza snob (and I don't even eat it anymore)


Yes. I was out on LI and like I said, we had nine zillion good pizza places. Then I went to college in Troy and more good pizza places. When you grow up with that, it's really a shock to go to NH and order a pizza and get this thing made with frozen crust and canned sauce that was unbelievably sweet. Ew. The Greek pizza places such as Pizza by Paras were marginally okay but as I said, we'd mostly stop eating pizza while at the summer house on the lake.

L


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

There was a period about twelve years ago when I went through the Dr. Atkins Diet.  It worked spectacularly, but I am convinced it was bad for my health, and quit after four months.  They had a "low carb" recipe book that pushed me to actually cook for myself for once (this was before the craze got popular, and there were almost no storebought products oriented towards Atkins).  It included a "Meat-izza" that was made by putting a layer of hamburger in the bottom of a frying pan, covering it wtih salsa, then with cheese, mushrooms, and any other low-carb stuff you wanted to add.  It seemed REALLY good after the limited stuff that was available to me on Atkins, and helped keep me going reliably for the four months.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Magenta said:


> I live in NYC so I am completely biased. That goes for bagels too.


Apparently, here in Maine back in the 60s, bagels were unheard of. Then the man who became Mr. Bagel went to NY for a few years (I believe his wife was in college there. Maybe nursing school?) discovered bagels and came back to Maine and opened the first ever bagel shop in the state. He makes them NY-style and they are really good (and like you, I am completely biased).

One thing they haven't duplicated here in Maine are NY-style cookies. I don't know how to describe them but anyone who has ever been in a NY bakery will know what I am talking about. I miss those....

L


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

What I found quite interesting was a Philadelphia-style pretzel recipe adapted from a New York-style bagel recipe. I guess the East is pretty integrated in its foodmongering, then?


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Almost forgot . . . possibly my favorite pizza ever was from SDS (Student Delivery Service) in Oxford OH, back in the mid/late '70s when I was attending Miami U. I doubt they're around any more (a quick web search did not find them), but I loved their pizzas. They were sort of a medium crust, definitely not a NYC thin crust but not nearly as thick as a Chicago pizza. I think the best part was the sauce, which was really zesty, the cheese was good, and they put the pepperoni on before the cheese so that it didn't burn or get pools of grease on each slice. The only downside was that, without fail, whenever you ate one in the evening, you invariably woke up around 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning with the need to get up and get a drink of water (presumably a result of something in that zesty sauce).


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I was in Chicago just two weeks ago, and went to Gino's East, which is supposed to be one of the classic Chicago style deep dish places. I thought it was very good pizza, but not anything spectacular compared to what I am used to. Better than Pizza Hut and that ilk, but not spectacularly so.


Gino's East is not particularly good anymore. Seems like any time they turn into a chain, the pizza goes to heck. I still like Lou Malnati's, though I think the Lincolnwood location is the best of all of them. There is a pizza joint about a block from where I live now - The Great Lakes Pizza Company - that was voted by GQ magazine as the best pizza in the country, but I haven't gotten over there yet.

There is another little place on Ashland near Belmont called The Art of Pizza. They have really good deep dish, and you can get it by the slice.

There is another place called Piece, on North Ave. just east of Milwaukee, and they have the best think crust I've ever had. It's got a sports bar atmosphere, so the place is loud, but the pizza is worth the effort.


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

I usually rise my dough overnight or longer. It's just better that way. I'm pretty specific about it.

In fact, I'm pretty specific about everything in my pizza. It's usually perfect when it comes out of the oven. And I like that. Also, if it doesn't have a strong flavor of garlic and oregano in the sauce, it isn't a sauce.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

scarlet said:


> the best pizza is usually the one you grew up with.
> 
> that being said, the new pizza place near work makes a killer chicken marsala pizza.


Is that Justino's on 10th Ave.?


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

mlewis78 said:


> Is that Justino's on 10th Ave.?


I agree that you always measure each pizza by the measure of your childhood pizza. I know I do.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I live in NYC.  My favorite is Mariella's on 8th Ave., but there are a lot of good places here.  Grew up in Long Branch, NJ where there were wonderful pizzerias.  Our family usually went to Freddie's in Long Branch or Longo's in Sea Bright.  Longo's is gone, but Freddie's is still there, probably under different management.  Nunzio's and Tuzzio's is also very good.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

When I left NJ to go to UNC-Greensboro, I was shocked at what they called pizza down there.  I think it's improved a bit.


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

mlewis78 said:


> When I left NJ to go to UNC-Greensboro, I was shocked at what they called pizza down there. I think it's improved a bit.


I can only dream of going to NYC. And especially the pizza there. It's been my culinary dream since I learned that NYC is the pizza capital of the world.

About the Chicago vs. New York debate--I think that each style should be seen as its own food, because honestly, everything about them is different and entirely dependent on my mood. Usually I tend toward NY style, but both are great.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Dawsburg said:


> Have you ever had non-chain pizza? Chain store pizza gives all pizza a bad, fast-food rap.


Yes, I have. I'm not a lover of any type of bread so the thicker the crust the less I like it. I may eat one slice of pizza a year at the most, so you really can't go by my likes or dislikes.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Yup, Justino's.  I prefer their pizza to Casabianca, but Casabianca's pasta dishes are better.  I've never gotten a taste for Mariella's/


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Dawsburg said:


> What's the quality in that place that you can't match?


I don't really know. I just remember the wonderful smell of garlic, oregano, mozzarella, and bread baking when we walked into the place. The pizza tasted just like the place smelled. I'm sure I've romanticized it a bit over the past 40 years or so, but I also know that I will know when I finally make or buy the perfect pizza.
Aside from Jim's pizza, the best I've ever had was in a small family-run restaurant on the second story of a house in Paris. I'm sure the environment had something to do with my memories, but the pizza was delicious. (as an aside, I have to say that the best cappuccino I ever had was in a lakeside restaurant in

Lugano, Switzerland.)

Someone mentioned delicious bagels. Try making your own ig you're so inclined. They are delicious!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

pidgeon92 said:


> Gino's East is not particularly good anymore. Seems like any time they turn into a chain, the pizza goes to heck. I still like Lou Malnati's, though I think the Lincolnwood location is the best of all of them. There is a pizza joint about a block from where I live now - The Great Lakes Pizza Company - that was voted by GQ magazine as the best pizza in the country, but I haven't gotten over there yet.
> 
> There is another little place on Ashland near Belmont called The Art of Pizza. They have really good deep dish, and you can get it by the slice.
> 
> There is another place called Piece, on North Ave. just east of Milwaukee, and they have the best think crust I've ever had. It's got a sports bar atmosphere, so the place is loud, but the pizza is worth the effort.


I don't know when I'll go back to Chicago, but I'll try to remember to ask your advice next time! This was an organized outing by our hosts, so I didn't ahve a lot of flexibility.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Now that you mention Europe, Cindy...pizza in Italy was pretty good but I still think I prefer the NY interpretation. LOL. They put anchovies on pizza routinely and it took me ages to learn how to say "no anchovies" in Italian and sound like I meant it...

L


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

I use the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day recipe and have dough on hand all the time. I just needed the space in the fridge last week so froze 4 in pizza size lumps. Will be interested to see how it works out.  I try to make it thin then dock the heck out of it and cook it for a few minutes on a parchment on the stone then take it out and do the toppings. Find it makes the crust better to me. 

I'm always on the look out for sauce recipes to try haven't come up with the perfect one yet. If anyone wants to share their recipes. 

Our local place changed their cheese and ruined their pies in our opinion so doing it at home is better -quicker -- and way cheaper and we can put anything we like on it.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I ate at a pizza place in my hometown last night (Pagliai's Pizza), and posted about it to my hometown friends on Facebook. I also mentioned Jim's Pizza Palace, which I still think had the best pizza I've ever eaten, and lots of my friends are reminiscing about the place. My friends live all over the country, and several of them said it was the best pizza they've ever had, too. Now I feel better about my memories of the pizza. If only I could figure out what was different about it.  (I have to admit that the pizza that we bought on the street in NYC before boarding the Staten Island Ferry late one night was delicious, but still not as good as Jim's.  )


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## vikingwarrior22 (May 25, 2009)

I like CICIs pizza I get double mushrooms,double candian bacon,light jalp. good pizza if you just want pizza and not worry about crusts an such...


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Fosx's den pizza. Small light sauce (sometimes none at all) with bacon and extra black olives


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Here in Portland, ME, I have come to love Flatbread (they don't call them pizzas). The Jay's Heart whole flatbread is the closest thing I've tasted to a Sayville Pizza large cheese. Ricetta's is good. I like their Grecian pizza and Five Cheese. Pat's Pizza is a Maine original (the first Pat's opened in Orono, years ago). Because they are individually owned, the pizzas vary. My favorite is a small pizza with green olives at the Pat's in Scarborough.
> 
> L


I usually find a reason to visit Ricetta's every time I'm in Portland on a business trip. Great pizza.


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## Asphodel (Jul 19, 2009)

I love cheese, and I never met a carb I didn't like, so pizza is a win-win for me but I try to keep it as an occasional treat since it's not the healthiest food choice around. My favorite is Mellow Mushroom's Mega Veggie - it has sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, black olives, fresh tomatoes, broccoli, feta, banana peppers, artichoke hearts and tofu. 

(I had to check the menu to make sure I didn't leave out any yummy toppings.)

It makes me hungry just thinking about it!


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Dawsburg said:


> What's the best pizza? Where did you eat it? Do you make your own? If so, what's your recipe? What are your favorite toppings? Chicago or New York?
> 
> Have at it!


I hate NY pizza. Chicago is great when I can get it which isn't very often. I usually make my own and it's generally CA style.


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## ellesu (Feb 19, 2009)

We have this little place down my way that's been around forever (or so it looks) called Fleur de Lis - and, for some reason, the words Cocktail Lounge are prominently displayed on the side of the building in red letters that light up at night.  In that Italian pizza restaurant with a French name, that isn't a cocktail lounge (even tho it's signage claims it to be), you'll find what I think is the best pizza in town.  I think it's the olive oil.  Like someone else has said, the restaurant smells like their pizza tastes.  The pizza is square - well, rectangular with the pieces cut into squares.  And....it is a family restaurant (despite the glowing red letters outside to the contrary).  

We make our own pizzas a lot.  I'm on a quest to recreate Fleur de Lis' crust so I brush olive oil on the crust, sprinkle some garlic and sometimes a shake of parmesan (on the unbaked crust), and it turns out pretty good - but not Fleur de Lis.  Again, I think it's the olive oil.  I heard one of our Cajun chefs say that you can't get good olive oil outside of Italy - period.  I don't know if that's true, but I do know the olive oil I use is probably nowhere near the best.

I'm a veggie girl, but hubby likes lots of meat.  And....I'll take New York.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I love Chicago pizza too, but it's so much more caloric than Northeast pizza.  And I do love NY and NJ pizza.


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

ellesu said:


> We have this little place down my way that's been around forever (or so it looks) called Fleur de Lis - and, for some reason, the words Cocktail Lounge are prominently displayed on the side of the building in red letters that light up at night. In that Italian pizza restaurant with a French name, that isn't a cocktail lounge (even tho it's signage claims it to be), you'll find what I think is the best pizza in town. I think it's the olive oil. Like someone else has said, the restaurant smells like their pizza tastes. The pizza is square - well, rectangular with the pieces cut into squares. And....it is a family restaurant (despite the glowing red letters outside to the contrary).
> 
> We make our own pizzas a lot. I'm on a quest to recreate Fleur de Lis' crust so I brush olive oil on the crust, sprinkle some garlic and sometimes a shake of parmesan (on the unbaked crust), and it turns out pretty good - but not Fleur de Lis. Again, I think it's the olive oil. I heard one of our Cajun chefs say that you can't get good olive oil outside of Italy - period. I don't know if that's true, but I do know the olive oil I use is probably nowhere near the best.
> 
> I'm a veggie girl, but hubby likes lots of meat. And....I'll take New York.


I know exactly the place you are talking about but I haven't been there. I've eyed it but just haven't made the time. I'll have to get down there and try their pizza now.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

sandypeach said:


> I usually find a reason to visit Ricetta's every time I'm in Portland on a business trip. Great pizza.


Next time, give me a call and we can visit together!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Rasputina said:


> I know exactly the place you are talking about but I haven't been there. I've eyed it but just haven't made the time. I'll have to get down there and try their pizza now.


What city/town is this restaurant in?

L


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

It's in Baton Rouge


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Rasputina said:


> It's in Baton Rouge


Ah, okay. Thanks!


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## Kristen Painter (Apr 21, 2010)

Ah, pizza. If pizza was a man, I'd divorce my husband and marry it. Or become a polygamist. I'm Italian on both sides of my family (Sicilian on one, Northern on the other) and some of my family owned a well-known neighborhood pizza joint in PA, the sauce recipe from which is still a highly guarded, highly contested issue. Anyway, pizza is a necessary food for me.

I pretty much love all varieties of pizza, but I definitely favor thin crust. There's a place near us here in FL that makes an amazing whole wheat crust veggie pizza. Even my veggie-hating husband likes it. When my parents come to visit, we make our own pizzas with all kinds of toppings. There's another great mom-n-pop shop here, Brooklyn Pizza, that makes some pretty good pies. I never order from the chains, only from them.

I wish I could eat pizza every day. Mmmm...pizza!


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

IMHO The Best Pizza in the world is the Seafood Pizza offered by the Hard Shell Cafe in the Soulard section of St Louis.

Its a very, very thin crust, white sauce pizza topped with crab and shrimp, broccoli florets, banana peppers and black olives.

To give you an idea of how thin it is a normal person can easily eat a 14 inch pizza by themselves without feeling stuffed at all.  

Whenever DW and I wander over there for lunch the waitress always walks over to the table -- waves the menus at us and says  2  seafood pizzas, one no olives (DW's) 2 ice teas smiles and walks away chuckling -- hmmmm, guess she's got us pegged!!  Guess one of these days I'll have to order something different just to mess with her........ Naw, seafood pizza is too good to pass up!!


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I grew up near Chicago so I have to vote for that pizza, but I did like the New York stuff when I visited. I now live near L.A., and pizza is mostly from the chains here. There is a pretty good place across the alley from my building and I can pick up pizza easily. Too easily.

On the bagels and other deli foods front, L.A. is a great place. There is a large jewish population in L.A.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

R. Reed said:


> I grew up near Chicago so I have to vote for that pizza, but I did like the New York stuff when I visited. I now live near L.A., and pizza is mostly from the chains here. There is a pretty good place across the alley from my building and I can pick up pizza easily. Too easily.
> 
> On the bagels and other deli foods front, L.A. is a great place. There is a large jewish population in L.A.


LA has very good Mexican food too. As far as pizza chains go, California Pizza Kitchen is pretty good. They have them here too.


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

My absolute favorite place is Ella's in DC...  yummy pizza!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

My favorite white (garlic) pizza was from a little place next to Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson City NY.  But I can't remember the name of the place.


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## michellern (Jan 2, 2010)

Don't know if anyone else has heard of it, but Papa Murphy's pizza. They make it fresh yo order & you pop it your oven. Great taste & convenience.


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Have to give a shout out for Chicago-style. But, earlier posters were correct. Gino's East is not as good as it used to be. I think the best stuffed pizza in the Chicago area is Giordano's. Flaky, but not dy, crust. Lots of cheese. Yum!


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Having pizza for supper after a long, long day.  Yummmmmm.


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## patinagle (Oct 16, 2009)

Broccoli? <blinks>

I guess I'm a traditionalist. I prefer red sauce to white, and don't like stuff like taco meat and bbq chicken on pizza.

Papa Murphy's is pretty good for a quick fix.

My fave: mushrooms, onions, and green chile.


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