Favorite pizza places (past, present)

[Chuck Nessa]

I still have fond memories from college days of Kessler's in Iowa City. Never had better.

This was in the early '60s and some board members might know the owner's son Craig, who has operated a number of "fly by night" record/cd stores in the midwest.

Craig may have burned customers, employees and suppliers but his father never burned the pizza.

[Matthew]

La Val's Pizza is a purely sentimental pick because in my six years in Berkeley, I spent so much time in it talking to friends, drinking way too much beer, and basically hiding out from student life. The Northside one is okay, but Southside in a dive (of course that's the one I spent most of my time in ). Ah, memories.

[rachel]

...so here I am @ Rick's Boatyard eating, what else, but a fancy-schmancy pizza (wood fired, blah blah...) because I've been craving pizza since the start of this thread. I'm usually not a fan of new-fangled pizza concoctions, but I love Rick's New Mexico barbecue pizza which has grilled chicken, barbecue sauce, monterey jack cheese and charred corn salsa (I know Catesta, you're probably gagging right now) on a great flatbread crust. Maybe it's the combination of that and the wonderful draft beer I'm enjoying plus the great music from the under-appreciated jazz combo who are pouring their souls out in their music for a clientele who doesn't have a clue (I'm the only one clapping, but I'm clapping passionately) and the view of the sailboats on the water with the setting sun that makes me love this pizza even more right now...

Edited July 9, 2007 by rachel

[paul secor]

The best pizza I ever had was at Frank Pepe's Pizzaria in New Haven.

[Unk]

La Val's Pizza is a purely sentimental pick because in my six years in Berkeley, I spent so much time in it talking to friends, drinking way too much beer, and basically hiding out from student life. The Northside one is okay, but Southside in a dive (of course that's the one I spent most of my time in ). Ah, memories.

Yeah, I can remember hanging out in the so-called LaVal's underground, for concerts and after trips to Leopolds, Tower, Rasputins... Now, sadly, she's gone. And, in it's place, there's a thoroughly sterile LaVal's in Alameda.

[mikelz777]

I like my pizza with a lot of flavor and thin crust but will settle for the regular if it's not available. My favorites are Gianelli's on the skyway level in downtown Minneapolis near the convention center. I'm also a big fan of Broadway Pizza and Green Mill Pizza both of which have different locations in the Twin Cities/suburbs .

Edited July 9, 2007 by mikelz777

[Big Al]

My favorite Chicago pizza was Giordianos for a long time, but it has now been bumped down in favor of Lou Malnati's.

I had a cousin who used to work there; he called the place "Mal Nutritti's"

My favorite pizza in Chicagoland is Riggio's in Niles, off of Milwaukee Avenue; can't remember the cross-street. Coming from Arlington, TX where everything is homogenized, seeing a pizza with entire olives, bacon STRIPS (not crumbles), and all sorts of other chunks of assorted pizza goodies, I knew I'd found heaven!

I haven't had a Conan's Pizza in faaaaaaaaaaar too long! Thankfully, Double Dave's is starting to flourish around here; I actually like their pizza, and their pepperoni rolls are to-die-for! Of course, they may kill you, but that's the risk you take!

Finally, Mama's Pizza is the one claim to fame that Arlington can legitimately have. They pour the cheese on like there's no tomorrow.... and there may not be if you're not careful!

[md655321]

My time in Philly has led me to the conclusion that no one in this state has any idea how to make a pizza.

Any recommendations in this area?

[Free For All]

My favorite pizza in Chicagoland is Riggio's in Niles, off of Milwaukee Avenue

Are you talking about Reggio's, Al? I liked their pizza, too.

[Guest donald petersen]

My neighborhood delivery place, Lombardi's, is pretty good.

lombardi's is your "neighborhood delivery" place? g_d what a life of oppulence you must live....

[Guest donald petersen]

I'm vegetarian, so I've no first-hand knowledge of pizza.

they only put meat on the pizza if you ask for it.

[Big Al]

My favorite pizza in Chicagoland is Riggio's in Niles, off of Milwaukee Avenue

Are you talking about Reggio's, Al?

Nope!

[Free For All]

My favorite pizza in Chicagoland is Riggio's in Niles, off of Milwaukee Avenue

Are you talking about Reggio's, Al?

Nope!

Wow, looks good! I never heard of that place. :rsmile:

[J Larsen]

My neighborhood delivery place, Lombardi's, is pretty good.

lombardi's is your "neighborhood delivery" place? g_d what a life of oppulence you must live....

I used to live around the corner, now I'm a few blocks up. They haven't been nearly as consistent since the character-killing expansion, but the pies are still often great and never worse than pretty good. This may be a fluke, but in my experience you tend to do much better with delivery than with in-store pies, almost as if they are more careful with orders from regular customers vs. the tourists who constantly mob the restaurant.

[catesta]

My time in Philly has led me to the conclusion that no one in this state has any idea how to make a pizza.

Any recommendations in this area?

Yeah, go to south Jersey.

Actually, I've had pizza one time in Philly and it was pretty good. I had to look it up since I couldn't remember the exact name but am 99% sure it was Tacconelli's.

It was a recommendation by a friend a few years back.

[catesta]

My neighborhood delivery place, Lombardi's, is pretty good.

lombardi's is your "neighborhood delivery" place? g_d what a life of oppulence you must live....

I used to live around the corner, now I'm a few blocks up. They haven't been nearly as consistent since the character-killing expansion, but the pies are still often great and never worse than pretty good. This may be a fluke, but in my experience you tend to do much better with delivery than with in-store pies, almost as if they are more careful with orders from regular customers vs. the tourists who constantly mob the restaurant.

Overall they still make a nice pizza, but I won't go in anymore unless I'm with a friend of mine that knows the management. Otherwise the high school age hostesses sit you in the back with all the tourist riff-raff.

[J Larsen]

My neighborhood delivery place, Lombardi's, is pretty good.

lombardi's is your "neighborhood delivery" place? g_d what a life of oppulence you must live....

I used to live around the corner, now I'm a few blocks up. They haven't been nearly as consistent since the character-killing expansion, but the pies are still often great and never worse than pretty good. This may be a fluke, but in my experience you tend to do much better with delivery than with in-store pies, almost as if they are more careful with orders from regular customers vs. the tourists who constantly mob the restaurant.

Overall they still make a nice pizza, but I won't go in anymore unless I'm with a friend of mine that knows the management. Otherwise the high school age hostesses sit you in the back with all the tourist riff-raff.

That certainly resonates.

You know what I don't get? It was much easier to get a table before they expanded to like six times the size! You always had to wait for a table at dinner, but it wasn't like the line wrapped around the corner or anything.

And you used to always be able to walk right in and take any table for lunch during the week. Forget about it now.

[Free For All]

Rooster, Spontooneous and I just had lunch at a place I should have mentioned- D'Bronx Deli. Besides pizza and great sandwiches they have killer calzones. I was also reminded that I should mention Minsky's Pizza- also a good local option.

[Noj]

Mmm, calzones.

[Joe G]

...so here I am @ Rick's Boatyard eating, what else, but a fancy-schmancy pizza (wood fired, blah blah...) because I've been craving pizza since the start of this thread. I'm usually not a fan of new-fangled pizza concoctions, but I love Rick's New Mexico barbecue pizza which has grilled chicken, barbecue sauce, monterey jack cheese and charred corn salsa (I know Catesta, you're probably gagging right now) on a great flatbread crust. Maybe it's the combination of that and the wonderful draft beer I'm enjoying plus the great music from the under-appreciated jazz combo who are pouring their souls out in their music for a clientele who doesn't have a clue (I'm the only one clapping, but I'm clapping passionately) and the view of the sailboats on the water with the setting sun that makes me love this pizza even more right now...

[Free For All]

Mmm, calzones.

[Unk]

I'm vegetarian, so I've no first-hand knowledge of pizza.

they only put meat on the pizza if you ask for it.

True, but most cheese contains meat (rennet, made from the stomachs of calves). And for me, I don't do dairy or yeast. Or eggs, though they're more rare in pizza crust, I s'pose.

And yes, sometimes I feel like I'm 'missing out'.

[Free For All]

Mmm, rennet.

[Neal Pomea]

The best pizza I ever had was at Frank Pepe's Pizzaria in New Haven.

I am hoping to find time to go to this legendary place, and to American Flatbread in Waitsfield Vermont, on a fall trip through New England.

[catesta]

I'm vegetarian, so I've no first-hand knowledge of pizza.

they only put meat on the pizza if you ask for it.

True, but most cheese contains meat (rennet, made from the stomachs of calves). And for me, I don't do dairy or yeast. Or eggs, though they're more rare in pizza crust, I s'pose.

And yes, sometimes I feel like I'm 'missing out'.

That means you gotta make a pizza with this stuff....

Although, I don't know how you get around the no yeast thing.