User: summers_place Date: 2008-10-25 04:30 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Well, if you ever find yourself in Cleveland, the best pizza here is from Roman Fountain, a small, family-owned pizzeria in Lakewood. They do delivery or carry-out, mostly, as they have only one table. But their food is awesome.

User: jtdiii Date: 2008-10-25 04:38 (UTC) Subject: When you are next back in CT...

Willington Pizza House is amazing. Pepe's and Sally's have their rivalry down on Wooster street in New haven, but only because the New Haven residents have never traveled far enough north to try Willington's pizzas.

Particular favorites are the Red Bliss Baked Potato pizza, the seafood pizza and the Widowmaker an all meat pizza.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=4623

User: mcurry Date: 2008-10-25 15:38 (UTC) Subject: Re: When you are next back in CT... Keyword: alton

I think Willington Pizza is absolutely great, but I'd be hard pressed to say that it's actually better than Pepe's and Sally's. It's a different style of pizza though, so I can certainly see some people preferring what Willington does over the New Haven style.

User: autojim Date: 2008-10-25 04:46 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Well, since I'm still awake at 12:30am, I'll throw down the Detroit-area entry: Pizza Papalis. Think "Chicago Style deep dish you can swim in" but the sauce actually has some bite to it, unlike the straight tomato of Girodano's or very mild spice of Gino's East in Chicago proper.

I'll endure the weekend crowds in Greektown to get a pie at Pizza Papalis' original location, even though the other locations make pies that taste just as good. :)

User: summers_place Date: 2008-10-25 06:27 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Thank you for that memory jog! Went to the one in Greektown some years ago, and have been trying to recall the name of it ever since. I concur on the quality of their deep dish pie; I can still taste it.

Hmmm... it may be time for a road trip.

User: bovil Date: 2008-10-25 04:53 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Slice of NY in San Jose (Stevens Creek Rd between Stevens Creek Surplus and JJ's House of Blues) is the best traditional New York style pizza I've had outside New York. Even the expat New Yorkers agree.

User: cmdrsuzdal Date: 2008-10-25 05:00 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Thanks! I was trying to remember the name of this place from you mentioning it at Silicon so I could tell clockworkbuddha

User: adameros Date: 2008-10-25 05:17 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Nona Amilia's(sp?) out around Aloha. Topping piled on thick. It's very rich, and oh so yummy.

User: djonn Date: 2008-10-25 07:53 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

That would be Nonna Emilia, which is one of the two Italian places on Portland's west side directly descended from the once-legendary Monte Carlo, which if memory serves used to be located not far down Belmont from Finity's End. (The other is Ernesto's in Raleigh Hills.) Both are old-school family-owned Italian restaurants with familiar pasta/pizza/chicken/veal menus; it's been many years since I've been in Nonna Emilia, but my parents and I have been regulars at Ernesto's for a very long time. I can't speak to the pizza at either establishment; we adopted Ernesto's mostly for the pasta and the minestrone. But Nonna Emilia has a pretty good reputation out here in the western suburbs.

The other old-school Italian restaurant worth investigating in the Beaverton area is Giovanni's, on the corner of Broadway & Hall just north of the railroad tracks in Beaverton's old downtown district. Funkily enough, the Giovanni's ownership has -- I believe -- familial connections with the proprietors of DeNicola's over on Powell Blvd....

Anyhow. libertango correctly notes that Apizza Scholls generally gets the nod for the city's best foodie/gourmet pizza, although I think there are a couple of new contenders lately. For more general audiences, Flying Pie (site of many past JayCons) is noteworthy.

The three local slicery chains all produce serviceable pies, at least in my opinion, but are not in the class of the better indie operations. Of the three, I think the best-quality pizza comes from Pizzicato, though Hot Lips runs a not-too-distant second. Pizza Schmizza is not in the same league, but then it isn't really trying to be, though they get points for offering alligator as a topping option....

User: hhw Date: 2008-10-25 18:58 (UTC) Subject: (no subject) Keyword: leek

I choose Hot Lips first, Pizzicato second, but I agree that they're close contenders. However, the cookies available at Hot Lips are MUCH better than those at Pizzicato.

I also enjoyed HL's recent promotion of drinking tap water instead of plastic-bottled water from elsewhere.

User: gaaneden Date: 2008-10-25 06:07 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

I don't live in Portland. But I have to say, I think my favorite pizza of all time is a home made Chicago style pizza made by unkyrich. Since you probably can't him to make that for you, even if you are sometimes in the Bay Area, I'm going to say for fast food franchises, I like Round Table here in the Bothell area. Pagliacci's in Seattle.

User: libertango Date: 2008-10-25 07:04 (UTC) Subject: Pizza in Portland

I haven't been there yet, but Anthony Bourdain was blown away by Apizza Scholls at 4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd.

Apparently they do everything by hand, including making the pizza dough from scratch (quoth Bourdain, astonished: "Nobody's that crazy!"). Their hours are early -- Tu-Sa 5 pm - 9:30 pm, Sun 4pm - 8pm -- but that's seemingly based on when they run out of each day's batch of dough.

Like I say, I haven't been there yet, but it certainly got my attention.

*^*^*

As to all time favorite, mine is the pizza at Joe Peep's in the San Fernando Valley. They pretty much embody ye olde time MTV slogan: "Too much is never enough."

I'm sure if I were to spend enough time in Boston again, something would remind me of how I remember pizzas from my childhood there -- but I haven't, so I don't have any specific recommendations.

User: oubliet Date: 2008-10-25 07:07 (UTC) Subject: Re: Pizza in the east bay

Zachary's deep dish in Berkeley gets my nomination.

User: jedinemo Date: 2008-10-25 10:37 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Pizza Oasis at 23rd and W. Burnside makes a very tasy pizza with an excellent spicy sauce. Their pizzas saved us many a night when we were working hard at Dove Lewis.

User: kadath Date: 2008-10-25 13:28 (UTC) Subject: (no subject) Keyword: :P

When cornered by circumstance or prevailing opinion into eating pizza, I try to argue for Papa John's, because they have garlic sauce for the crusts. If I lose, I just get a side order of fries somewhere.

User: newroticgirl Date: 2008-10-25 18:42 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

MMMMMMMM GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE.

User: deedop Date: 2008-10-25 18:50 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Lefty's 19th Street Brew Pub.

Oh wait. That's my house.

The spouse's pizza is the best pizza in town. He makes the dough from scratch (letting it rise overnight), and I get to request any damn topping I want.

Also: where else am I going to find a goat cheese pizza?

User: ramblin_phyl Date: 2008-10-25 19:14 (UTC) Subject: (no subject) Keyword: Harmony Glyph

Zig Zag Inn, Zig Zag, Oregon.

Log Cabin atmosphere, great staff and service. Prices on the low side of average.

Medium thickness to the crust, not too doughy and much more texture and flavor than thin crisp crust. Variety of FRESH toppings. Mix and match no problem.

And they have an Italian Chef Salad which is a pizza served on luttuce without the crust or sauce if you need to watch your carbs.

User: criada Date: 2008-10-25 20:20 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

In Portland, the only pizza I've ever had was at a place (who's name I don't recal) with a huge automatic pipe organ.

Up here in Bellingham, Rudy's is the place to go. They've got more toppings than you can dream up. (potatoes! Who puts potatoes on a pizza?) Pretty much every cheese you can imagine. And garlic. Lots of garlic. They're in an old brick building, and have decorated with broken tile mosaics.

And if you happen to be on Hood Canal, Seabeck Pizza was my favorite growing up. I don't know if they're still as good as they used to be, but for pizza covered in lots and lots of cheese eaten on the end of a dock with mountains towering over you, Seabeck's the place to go.

User: snippy Date: 2008-10-26 06:01 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

The Organ Grinder Restaurant is, sadly, long gone now, but I remember going there often when I was a wee girl.

User: lt260 Date: 2008-10-25 23:51 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Papa Pete’s Pizza
http://www.papapetes.com/intro.htm
Thin crust, light sauce, and heavy on the toppings -- this is great pizza. While their menu may not sound like much, the end product is worthy of the trip to Ridgefield from Portland. My favorite location is still Castle Rock, right off Exit 49 on I-5 on the east side, even though the nearby cinedome theater closed. I hope it reopens in the near future, as it was a very enjoyable excursion from Yelm to eat delicious pizza and then see a first rate film on an Imax screen.

User: jeff_h Date: 2008-10-26 01:38 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

If you're ever in Buffalo, Bozanno's in Hamburg (suburb south of the city) is a topping lover's pie. It's not cheap, but they load the toppings on. Well worth it.

If you're ever in the Rochester area, there's Ralph and Rosie's in Bergen. It's a small town about 20 minutes southwest of Rochester. A lot of people love their sweet sauce. I prefer the regular sauce. But both are delish.

I live in PA now and the best pizza here is the one we make ourselves.

User: willyumtx Date: 2008-10-26 04:38 (UTC) Subject: (no subject)

Star Pizza in Houston.

http://www.starpizza.net/

The crust (Chicago style) is thick and tasty. It is almost like a pastry in texture. The one with spinach and garlic is most excellent.

They also have baked garlic as an appetizer.

User:	gmccarga
Date:	2008-10-27 19:34 (UTC)
Subject:	(no subject)

Vincente's, on SE 20th & Hawthorne. Good, nuanced sauce. My roommate thinks I'm wrong about that, and recommends Pizza-a-go-go over on N Williams.

User: jeffsoesbe Date: 2008-10-27 19:56 (UTC) Subject: (no subject) Keyword: homer mmm donut

Falafel Veggie Pizza at Vivi's in Cupertino, CA.

Love it. Just love it. With spicy tahini sauce it's oh-man-good. If we're ever in the Bay Area at the same time, I will take you there. And then you will know the Truth.

I have also been fond of Uno's for Chicago style pizza, aka pizza in a pie crust.

Original Pete's (Sacto, Bay Area) is also very solid.

- yeff