BERIGAN Posted May 31, 2005 Report Posted May 31, 2005 Best Pizza in the U.S.A. Is in THIS City The best pizza in the entire United States is not in New York City. Or Chicago. It's in Phoenix, Arizona. That's the word from New York food critic Ed Levine who just wrote the book, "Pizza: A Slice of Heaven." This mouth-watering, just-have-to-get-it pizza is from Pizzeria Bianco in downtown Phoenix. "In many ways, it's the definition of a perfect pizza," Levine told The Arizona Republic in an interview. When he first ate it while researching his book, he said, "I was blown away." While this is great news for the little pizzeria in Phoenix, those in the Big Apple are none too pleased. "I know it's not true," L. Goldberg, one of the partners in Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitano, boasted to the Republic. Her pizzeria is a descendant of a place called Lombardi's, which was the first licensed pizzeria in America, founded 1905. "It's the water. New York's got the best water. And yeast," she insisted. "Does he cook over coal? We use coal." No, he does not. The stove is wood-fired at Bianco's. But New Yorkers take heart: Owner Chris Bianco was born in the Bronx. "He grew up here, he learned to make pizza here, that makes him one of us," Nick Angelis of Nick's Pizza in uptown Manhattan exclaimed to the Republic. So if you can't make it to Phoenix, what's the best national pizza chain? For the second consecutive year, that would be Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza, according to Restaurants and Institutions magazine. It operates 850 restaurants in 28 states with plans to open another 100 locations soon. American City Business Journals reports that these rankings are based on customer opinions on food quality, menu variety, value, reputation, service, atmosphere, cleanliness, and convenience. Some 200 of the nation's largest pizza chains were part of the survey. http://channels.netscape.com/ns/homereales...pizza/bestpizza Quote
Man with the Golden Arm Posted May 31, 2005 Report Posted May 31, 2005 Catesta was all over this place ages ago. He rec'd it but, alas, the night we went - at 5:00! - the wait was already an hour and a half. Would have loved to sample it. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted May 31, 2005 Report Posted May 31, 2005 One of my favorite pizzas here in Lansing is from Emil's, a family owned restuarant that has been here since the 1920s. Their sauce is really yummy! Quote
catesta Posted May 31, 2005 Report Posted May 31, 2005 Oh fuck, heads will swell up now. The pizza is good, no doubt. Although, I'm not sure I would ever be prepared to call it "the best". Quote
ralphie_boy Posted May 31, 2005 Report Posted May 31, 2005 I've been there and it's very good. It can't compare to the two spots on Wooster Street in New Haven though; Frank Pepe's and Sally's Apizza. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted May 31, 2005 Report Posted May 31, 2005 I don't trust any article that puts Papa Murphy's at the top of the chain list. Yuch! Quote
Spontooneous Posted May 31, 2005 Report Posted May 31, 2005 I don't trust any article that puts Papa Murphy's at the top of the chain list. Yuch! ← Duuuude, you're supposed to BAKE it before you eat it... Quote
wesbed Posted May 31, 2005 Report Posted May 31, 2005 I believe it's time for me to make the two hour drive to downtown Phoenix. Quote
AmirBagachelles Posted May 31, 2005 Report Posted May 31, 2005 As long as you are eating fresh ingredients cooked in a coal oven, you shouldn't miss the glory of pizza, lots to enjoy in lots of cities. I would take a six hour flight to try that pie though. Quote
catesta Posted June 1, 2005 Report Posted June 1, 2005 Damn. Now I've got Phoenix envy. ← Don't go there. This place is really gonna suck when I'm gone. Quote
mjzee Posted June 1, 2005 Report Posted June 1, 2005 (edited) I've been there and it's very good. It can't compare to the two spots on Wooster Street in New Haven though; Frank Pepe's and Sally's Apizza. ← News: Pepe's is opening a second location, in Bridgeport. Many people say that pizza in this country began in New Haven, not New York. BTW, props have to be given to the pizza on Ave J & E. 16th St in Brooklyn, forgot the name - amazing pizza. Edited June 1, 2005 by mjzee Quote
jazzypaul Posted June 1, 2005 Report Posted June 1, 2005 Y'all are high. The best pizza comes from Chicago. Although, living on the near west side, I'd never know it. But, damn I've had pizza from all over the country, and there ain't no place that will top some of the pies you can get here, especially in Old Town and Lakeview. Unfortunately, I must also confess to living near the WORST freakin' pizza place ever. It's balanced by living within walking distance of Dusty Groove, but damn, I'm forced to call a place up in Jefferson Park to get good pizza delivered to my door (this is about 33 blocks north of me). Quote
Free For All Posted June 1, 2005 Report Posted June 1, 2005 (edited) And what's your Chicago preference JP? I'm an UNO's man myself. Not the franchises though- only the Chicago version. There's an UNO's in KC and it ain't even close. Oh yeah, Gino's is pretty good too. How about Lou Malnati's? Is the Pompei Bakery still around? They had some good stuff there. Shit, I miss Chicago. Edited June 1, 2005 by Free For All Quote
Jazzmoose Posted June 2, 2005 Report Posted June 2, 2005 (edited) Isn't Chicago the place where they pile so much glop on the crust it turns into a casserole instead of a pizza? Don't mind me; I feel that thick crusts are an abomination unto the lord... Edited June 2, 2005 by Jazzmoose Quote
RDK Posted June 2, 2005 Report Posted June 2, 2005 Pizza, as they say, is a lot like sex (or even jazz). When it’s good, it’s very good. But when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good... Quote
RDK Posted June 2, 2005 Report Posted June 2, 2005 Isn't Chicago the place where they pile so much glop on the crust it turns into a casserole instead of a pizza? Don't mind me; I feel that thick crusts are an abomination unto the lord... ← Ummmm. I love thick crust... Quote
AmirBagachelles Posted June 2, 2005 Report Posted June 2, 2005 Great thin-crust pizza is mouth watering, makes me want more, and some beer too. Thick pizza makes me want to nap. Quote
Free For All Posted June 2, 2005 Report Posted June 2, 2005 I used to be a thick crust fan, but I agree it is a bit of overkill. Thick crust pizza/lots of cheese = imminent nappage. I'm a thin crust fan these days- less cheese too. I will occasionally take the incapacitating route though. Quote
jazzypaul Posted June 2, 2005 Report Posted June 2, 2005 And what's your Chicago preference JP? I'm an UNO's man myself. Not the franchises though- only the Chicago version. There's an UNO's in KC and it ain't even close. Oh yeah, Gino's is pretty good too. How about Lou Malnati's? Is the Pompei Bakery still around? They had some good stuff there. Shit, I miss Chicago. ← I'm so scared of the Uno's franchise that I won't go even to the original. Due's is untouched though, and right up the street (I believe it's on Ohio...) Malnati's is awesome, but man, that stuff will stop you dead in your tracks. You can't move after a couple of slices of that stuff. Gino's is good, and so is Father and Son (the aforementioned place in Jeff. Park). Uncle Tony's (in Wicker Park) is pretty good, but their veal sammich is way, way, way better than their pizza. There's a place that I just checked out on Madison and Wabash that was really good. They claimed that their pizza would kick Due's ass any day of the week, and while that's a stretch, it is damn good, and for the address, cheap as can be. meanwhile, the greater Humboldt Park/West Bucktown area gets stuck with Pizza Metro and Pizza Hut. Those bastards!!!!!!! I actually had it really good in the suburbs, pizza wise. Pal Joey's (named after the movie) was consistently ranked in the top 10 pizzas in the chicago area, and Luigi's (a mob owned joint with the worst location on the planet) was also damn good. For my money though, the place when I was growing up was a greasy, nasty, noisy joint called Dominick's that had the best stuffed pizza I have ever eaten. When I went back to play that town's arts festival last year, I was bummed, as they changed owners and recipes. On a side note, my favorite Chinese place ever (which, ironically, was owned and run by Mexicans, and right down the street from Dominick's) closed down and turned into a sub-standard hot dog joint. That was a crushing day my friends... Quote
Noj Posted June 2, 2005 Report Posted June 2, 2005 There used to be an incredible all-you-can eat pizza/stromboli/mojo potato spot in Pasadena which I frequented when I was cleaning pools for my Uncle. This place put Shakey's to shame. I was mighty bummed when I went and the windows were boarded up. Quote
PHILLYQ Posted June 2, 2005 Report Posted June 2, 2005 BTW, props have to be given to the pizza on Ave J & E. 16th St in Brooklyn, forgot the name - amazing pizza. ← Quote
Adam Posted June 2, 2005 Report Posted June 2, 2005 There used to be an incredible all-you-can eat pizza/stromboli/mojo potato spot in Pasadena which I frequented when I was cleaning pools for my Uncle. This place put Shakey's to shame. I was mighty bummed when I went and the windows were boarded up. ← But at least there is Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock, which many hold as the best pizza in the Los Angeles area. I'm not a pizza lover, but it is quite good. What I found amazing was that survey. I've never even heard of the chain that won. And it said that there are at least 200 pizza chains in the country. 200 chains! Quote
patricia Posted June 2, 2005 Report Posted June 2, 2005 (edited) Isn't Chicago the place where they pile so much glop on the crust it turns into a casserole instead of a pizza? Don't mind me; I feel that thick crusts are an abomination unto the lord... ← Ummmm. I love thick crust... ← The best thick crust pizza I ever had was from a little, Italian family-owned restaurant called Franco's in Prince George, B.C. Canada, where my daughter lives. The pizza crust was light and fluffy. The toppings were fresh and not mushed up. Light layers of whatever was around that day and sauce to die for, topped by just enough cheese. You could eat there, at little tables, served by the owner's family. Or they would deliver and, God knows how they did it, the crust never got soggy. The restaurant was in a really crummy part of town. Hookers and drunks staggering around was common. People felt like they were risking their lives going to the restaurant, but they went anyway. Sadly, the old man wanted to retire and none of the kids wanted to go into the business. It was sold to somebody from somewhere who didn't know from pizza and knew about cost control and selling franchises. DOOM!! But, I still remember that pizza from heaven itself. YUMMM. Edited June 2, 2005 by patricia Quote
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