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Slice and the City: A DJ Bubbles Margherita Drive-By
NYCFG - definitely want to get the rest of Manhattan sliceterias put away this fall and go from there. Obviously, south brooklyn pizza and sam's both look good and i haven't been back to Lucali's in a minute...umm, Covo looked good from what Ed said on slice and if you've got any recommendations, I'd happily take them....peace man
Ginsbera, sorry to hear you were disappointed (vastly?), that's never good to hear....maybe it was the lunchtime rush - what kind of slice(s) did you have on your visit? Their nonna isn't the best....but I still put their plain and margherita slices right there with joe's and certainly better than BSP
Slice and the City: A DJ Bubbles Margherita Drive-By
Kathryn, that is your own call to make - with respect to neapolitan quality, I'd put Luzzo's up against No 28 any day of the week; Arturo's sucks; UPN is damn close to the best I've had in Naples. On the other hand, W Vill has a much better street slice selection. Artichoke is too damn much for me. If you're sitting down, head east; if you're out and about and not much of a teetotaler, go west, young man!
NYCFG, you know you're my man but I'm not talking about their sloppy 3am street slice - give their margherita slice a try - that sauce will knock you on your ace although nothing else is incredibly impressive about the slice - mozz and crust leave something to be desired. but you'll walk away and say that was some san marzano goodness!
Dear Slice: Good Delivery Pizza for Office at 26th and 11th Avenue?
Don't get too excited, Paulie Shore, NYPS is good, as Adam said, not great. It is far from one of the city's 10 best, but it is solid for that side of town. Their sauce is so heavy it'll knock you on your ace. The west side leaves a lot to be desired with respect to good pizza, especially from the 20s through 40s.
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Slice and the City: A DJ Bubbles Margherita Drive-By
Posted by DJ Bubbles, September 19, 2008 at 11:00 AM
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Ambiance Is Not a Topping
Right back at ya, Prairie! Haha.
DZ, I think this may be the new beginning of something beautiful (and constructive with respect to our NY/CHI pie-offs). Keep it movin!
JMB and AK - just gonna ease back into the slice game...there'll be drivebys, oh there will be drive bys! But first, I had to put Frank B in check!
Don't send the Real Slim Shady!
Slice and the City: A DJ Bubbles Margherita Drive-By
NYCFG - definitely want to get the rest of Manhattan sliceterias put away this fall and go from there. Obviously, south brooklyn pizza and sam's both look good and i haven't been back to Lucali's in a minute...umm, Covo looked good from what Ed said on slice and if you've got any recommendations, I'd happily take them....peace man
Ginsbera, sorry to hear you were disappointed (vastly?), that's never good to hear....maybe it was the lunchtime rush - what kind of slice(s) did you have on your visit? Their nonna isn't the best....but I still put their plain and margherita slices right there with joe's and certainly better than BSP
Slice and the City: A DJ Bubbles Margherita Drive-By
Kathryn, that is your own call to make - with respect to neapolitan quality, I'd put Luzzo's up against No 28 any day of the week; Arturo's sucks; UPN is damn close to the best I've had in Naples. On the other hand, W Vill has a much better street slice selection. Artichoke is too damn much for me. If you're sitting down, head east; if you're out and about and not much of a teetotaler, go west, young man!
NYCFG, you know you're my man but I'm not talking about their sloppy 3am street slice - give their margherita slice a try - that sauce will knock you on your ace although nothing else is incredibly impressive about the slice - mozz and crust leave something to be desired. but you'll walk away and say that was some san marzano goodness!
Dear Slice: Good Delivery Pizza for Office at 26th and 11th Avenue?
Don't get too excited, Paulie Shore, NYPS is good, as Adam said, not great. It is far from one of the city's 10 best, but it is solid for that side of town. Their sauce is so heavy it'll knock you on your ace. The west side leaves a lot to be desired with respect to good pizza, especially from the 20s through 40s.
Visiting New York City? 7 Must-Eat Pizzas You Should Try
AK, I think you may be onto something here and I'm not sure what to make of it. Perhaps we should refrain from making any proclamations regarding new pizzerias and let them find their own way.
But, then again, we wouldn't really be doing our job. Hey, its not our fault that Isabella's pimp pizzaoli, Luigi, had to return to Naples (for Cosa Nostra meetings or otherwise) and they immediately saw a decline in quality. And we're not to blame for Artichoke's inconsistent and overtopped pies, either!
I'm grabbing my pen and pad....I've got an article to write!
Visiting New York City? 7 Must-Eat Pizzas You Should Try
Kudos to you, Lance, on a terrific trip and article detailing it. Hope you get here more often.
One thing seems very clear following your synopsis as well as Dan Z's breakdown: Artichoke has to step up its game pronto or it is going to find itself among the Isabella's of this cutthroat pizza town! If out-of-towners are hating and your line out the door is 90% hipsters, it may be time to put more effort into your plain pie and not worry so much about the crustacean specialty slices....
Dear Slice: 'The Curious Tale of Artichoke Continues'
NYCFG, just a plain slice, but there stuff can get pretty stale so if doesn't look fresh, just order a plain in order to give them a fair shake. Certainly not up to par with Vinny's, UPN, or Luzzo's, but a decent alternative for the neighborhood. Stromboli is more of an after-bar, Gigantor slice, although it has always been pretty good when I've been there late night. Also, in ABC City, a place called Gnocco Cafe serves up a decent Margherita - give it a try - I think 10th between A&B or 1&A. peace
Dear Slice: 'The Curious Tale of Artichoke Continues'
Dan, come on, man, we're just joshin' around!
Good article, btw, I really enjoyed it.
Dear Slice: 'The Curious Tale of Artichoke Continues'
Ah, Dan, but you're missing the point, as people from Chicago are so wont to do. It isn't about how many Friday's or Bennigan's there are in Manhattan or Chicago - it is about how we choose to utilize them. Here, we use them as public bathrooms whereas, in Chicagoland, they are your neighborhood meeting places, where people gather with friends to enjoy that all too important communal dining experience, much like you do with your fun 'party pizzas' at Vito & Nick's.
So let's hear it - what did you think of the other 10 pie joints?
Dear Slice: 'The Curious Tale of Artichoke Continues'
Fred (or is it Ted?), and that's my final answer!
Alright, alright, maybe I was itching to pull the trigger on that last comment, but its no secret that I love going toe-to-toe with you, NYCFG! And it is true, my reading comp skills have never been lower....but I digress....I do agree with you on Lil Frankie's 100%.
As far as strong EV slice joints go, I'd put a plain, fresh slice from Five Roses and Stromboli right up there. They aren't made with ingredients as strong as Artichoke's, but at least there open when you expect them to be.
Okay, NYCFG, I apologize (as much my immense ego will let me, anyway), you're right and I'm wrong. Quite possibly a first on Slice......ahhh, there goes that ego again!!
Dear Slice: 'The Curious Tale of Artichoke Continues'
@NYC Food Guy - Holy Shet, you gotta be f'ing kidding me, you should auction off your deceptive moniker for charity cuz if there is any FOOD that should be known in NYC, it's pizza. Una Pizza Napoletana is two blocks away from the choke on 12th street between 1av and 2av. It is undoubtedly one of the city's best pizzerias, and I know I'm not alone in saying that. Your ignorance is too great to sustain your title sometimes. And Luzzo's, a very respectable Neapolitan alternative is just down the street on 1av. Come on man, that shet is lame.
I will say, though, that I agree with you and Barbara Hanson (who writes like a saucy little sass! Barbara, please call me for a personal drive-by...) regarding the Choke's gimmicky and, really, erratic way of running a pizzeria. It has been as maddening as, say, your lack of knowledge of the city's best pizzerias! (Shame on you NYCFG, shame shame!)
Everyone needs to step it up a notch around here! And yes, you've been Bubbled (but not you, Barbara, you tangy little tart).
And Dan Z, get outta here, man - you've never had a slice from Artichoke (or have you? Weren't you here recently?). Nevertheless, I like the references to some of the Midwest's top chain restaurants, which you probably know all too well, you Napierville-residing co-ed softball stud!
Lou Malnati's: Home of Flawless Deep Dish
djb runnin free, rappin bout the p:
no question, lou's is badazz chi-pie, i put it right up there with pizano's, if not above....big fan....big fan!
Thin-Crust Pizza in Chicago? Yes, and It's Outstanding at Vito & Nick's
Dan, Lombardi's, in my opinion, has really gone down in quality since my visit in 2006. I've been back several times since then and have been very disappointed which is really unfortunate, because it is America's first pizzeria.
I'm a pizza margherita/plain pie guy all the way, so to me, it is essential that crust, sauce, and cheese (and sometimes, basil and olive oil) are all on point and blend well together. Toppings - I can take them or leave them, they aren't essential on NY pies and can sometimes take away from the balance of a truly great pizza.
14th Street and Below: A DJ Bubbles Drive-By
I'm on it, bro, thanks for the tip!
Thin-Crust Pizza in Chicago? Yes, and It's Outstanding at Vito & Nick's
Garv-man, all I want is for you to come to NY, we'll all be pals (for the weekend, after that, the war's back on), and we'll have some great pies. Doesn't get any better than that, old buddy!
Whaddya say?
Listen, I don't want endless chants of how great NY is (I already know that, provincial d*bag that I am), but I do think that a little back-and-forth between NY and Chi never hurt - especially on America's Favorite Pizza Blog.
That said, nobody wants to break out the bats and start wackin em around (well, at least I don't). You've come to the defense of Chicago just as strongly as I rep NY - and that's probably as it should be
Thin-Crust Pizza in Chicago? Yes, and It's Outstanding at Vito & Nick's
hey bro, it was your man who said pizzeria bianco was the best thin pie he'd ever had. using PB as the gold standard, there's no question that ny's best are much more closely aligned with bianco in terms of style and quality. chris bianco grew up in the bronx, after all. nothing to really argue about, garvey, so throw down another old style after your third italian beef, house a pack of tums, and call it a night.
da bears!
Thin-Crust Pizza in Chicago? Yes, and It's Outstanding at Vito & Nick's
@DZ: Good to hear that you will be visiting NYf'ingC this summer. Now if I can get a guarantee that you won't waste your time at pretenders like Lombardi's and Arturo's, we're in bidness. Of course the best Chicago bar pizza is going to be better than most of our street pie - no argument, there - but I think you're going to find that when you put NY's top pies up against V&N, et al, there won't be much to say after that. If you think that Pizzeria Bianco is the best thin crust pie you've ever had then NY will certainly take thin Chi pie to school - our best pizzerias have a lot in common with PB.
I just want one thing from you when you return to Chicago in July, Dan - be honest with yourself. It takes a man with more chutzpah than even the great Mike Ditka to realize when its time to give another city its props. If you put our top 5 pies up against your top 5 thin Chi pies (as close as you can get to apples to apples between NY/Chi), you will have very little left to say other than "Vito and who's?"
Believe dat!
Thin-Crust Pizza in Chicago? Yes, and It's Outstanding at Vito & Nick's
"Party cut"? How about "Party pizza", as in this stuff is something akin to what's served at Chuck E. Cheese at my 9 year old cousin's birthday bash. Yeah, I've had Chicago thin and it's good for what it is, but it does not stack up. I'm sorry, Dan - if you would have hit something other than Arturo's and Lombardi's when you lived in NY, you'd know what I was talking about. Look at that burned, aged mozz. And there is no magic dough being made over there. Here's a magic dough: ground semolina wheat berries, yeast, water, a piece of yesterday's dough, and maybe a pinch of sea salt a la A.W. Mangieri. No secret there, buddies, no need to keep secrets.
I'm not saying it's bad, but it is bush league
Uno's, Chicago's Original Deep-Dish Pizza
you're a trouser trout, simon, but i still love ya!
Uno's, Chicago's Original Deep-Dish Pizza
@holdthemayo: simon can't even get the neapolitan standard right - he's missing basil in his definition of pizza. the dude is a little mixed up. the fact that he makes his own pizza is completely irrelevant - a common theme in his posts, unfortunately.
Uno's, Chicago's Original Deep-Dish Pizza
King Hater strikes again, using questionable and self-defined terms to frame his arguments. simon, if the definition of 'pizza' only includes pies topped lightly with san marzano tomatoes, then there are, maybe, 20-25 restaurants in new york serving 'pizza'. when you walk into your neighborhood slice shop, you most certainly are not getting 'pizza' as you define it. simon, are you sure you really want to define it that narrowly? a very small percentage of new york pizzerias are using all san marzanos - you should know that. you're one step ahead of yourself, chief. no surprises there, though.
Dan, I affectionately refer to chi-pie as 'casserole' because that's what it reminds me of...i do agree that it is pizza, but it is a completely different animal than ny pie - no room for argument there. even the thin, bar pie served up in the chi is a separate breed than our stuff....i would say it is a different approach to making pizza more than anything, ya dig?
Pizzeria Bianco: The DJ Bubbles Drive-By
let's forget about simon for the time being, he's no more than a substandard rabble rouser and has nothing of importance to contribute to our PIE-alogue. i do want to thank all my g's out there who stepped up, though. for my next trick, i'm takin my game to intergalactic levels and introducing the first of many episodes of....SLICEWARS!!!
stay tuned, brodies!
Uno's, Chicago's Original Deep-Dish Pizza
i have to admit, i love my chicago 'casserole' as much as the next native midwesterner. it isn't pizza as we know it in ny and it is certainly its own entity, but it is damn good if you're in the mood for it. i was so surprised to find pizzeria uno was known as another mediocre chain restaurant when i moved out the east coast. the original pizzeria uno doesn't have all that applebee's-bootleg garbage on the menu and i agree that they do make a decent chi-pie, but they are certainly no lou malnati's nor pizano's. hey, i heard a dirty rumor that pizano's was now closed. chi guys is this true? oh, and welcome to the team! djb
Pizzeria Bianco: The DJ Bubbles Drive-By
My g-strings are definitely not in a bunch, buddy, no worries there. And again, the name calling - I can go all day, it's just an extra feature I want all my readers to experience - all ten of them.
To put the ball back in your court - where do you want to see me/slice/whomever review? You seem like a real sweet dude - have you ever thought of reviewing? Do you have anything substantive to say or you just gonna complain about the articles being posted on Slice?
Pizzeria Bianco: The DJ Bubbles Drive-By
Not quite time for a smackdown yet. But, who the F is Simon?? Who are you, Simon? Are you Simon from American Idol? Are you judging this article on a scale of 1 to 10 based on my stage presence? Are you the Simon the doorman over at the Serious Eats offices? Let's bring it back to the blogs, brother! Normally, I'd require that you make an appointment to get housed, but I may just tee you up in this here Comments section, you deekhead!
Visiting New York City? 7 Must-Eat Pizzas You Should Try
2 days overall, yes, but AM only requires 12 hours of actual 'rental' @ the new motorino. So I'd imagine it'd be the same as you remember...you lucky b**t*rds.
FP
Visiting New York City? 7 Must-Eat Pizzas You Should Try
@Pblogger since The Tatooed Uber-Pizzaiolo's dough does not require refrigeration, he can probably just bring it with him.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
Visiting New York City? 7 Must-Eat Pizzas You Should Try
Ah, but will Magieri be firing up his own sourdough 2 day dough or be using the Palumbino dough?
....that's what we wonder, yes
Visiting New York City? 7 Must-Eat Pizzas You Should Try
The crust on that UPN white pie look amazing. Simply f**king amazing. R.I.P UPN. I can hardly wait for the resurection on 10/10.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
Visiting New York City? 7 Must-Eat Pizzas You Should Try
I lived in NY all my life, then moved to Phoenix some years ago. There is NO substitute for NY pizza, but there are some pretty good runners-up. Pizzeria Bianco being a prime example. However, we have Grimaldi's now and I will tell you that pizza frozen from a box is better! Grimaldi's pizza is like tomato sauce on a wheat thin cracker. No give to the "crust", no oil, it BREAKS when you bite it! There is another pizza joint in Scottsdale which never gets any mention, too few know it's there, but it has true NY style pizza, so put this one down on your list to try: Joe's New York Pizza. The oil runs down your arm, the sauce is great and the cheese needs a sissor to detatch it from your mouth! And they even sell slices!
Uno's, Chicago's Original Deep-Dish Pizza
I had my first taste of an Uno's pizza during the summer of 1966. I was visiting a cousin who was a Missouri native and on Saturday night, we waited in the line to get in. Well worth the wait. And that was in the original with all the names carved on the wooden walls and a pizza such as I had never had before. But that's not so hard to do as I am a native of the deep southern part of Illinois and to the best of my memory, the closest we came to pizza was a package product my mother sometimes would make. Later, 10 years later, I moved to Chicago and one of the first places I HAD to go was to Uno's. Winter time, so always happy when we got in the door to wait -- it's not called the "windy city" without justification! So, we give our order to the waitress and we wait, and we wait, finally, name called. Think we had beers and perhaps a salad, but the much awaited pizza arrives, pipping hot at the waitress warns us as she does the bit with the handy tool and looseens the pizza from the pan and put a slice on each of our plates. Oh, did that bring back memories of that first one. We always had to order the same ingredients -- sausage, onion, mushroom and green pepper! OH! the thought of that, my mouth is watering already! We (that is my ex-husband and I) would often meet there for pizza. Then friends introduced us to their favorite place which was further north and west of the Water Tower area. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name -- just that it was a thin crust. And later, someone suggested we try Lou Malnati's -- we only lived a short distance away, so that one became our real favorite. The house salad was great and did not fill us so much that we had no room for that pizza that was always the small -- perfect for 2 people! Then we moved closer to the loop and we tried a few more -- there was one place, name escapes me now, but it was to the east off of Michigan avenue, and it too, was always a wait. Then we got even smarter and started getting forzen cheese & sauage ones which we started keeping in the freezer for those times when we just had to have a slice. And I added the green pepper, onions & mushrooms to those.
One evening while sitting in the bar section at Uno's, we were crowded next to a travelling salesman and since the space is so small, we got to chatting about food. He always made time to go to Uno's when in Chicago, but then some how my home town was mentioned and he said not matter how close he was to the neighboring town, he made a point of going to a Barbeque place -- Ray's in Harrisburg. Well, there is a man after my own heart -- althought my family favored another place, I had often eaten in Rays (and still get his sauce and find his grandson and get sandwiches).
Then there were other places for pizza that suddenly started popping up in various areas close to the loop. One place had a spinach pizza, another was close to where the ex worked and we had some pizza there.
I moved to San Antonio in '86, so no more pizza -- might have checked to see if someone could get a frozen one and overnight it, but that never occured to me and the price would have been silly. Then a move to St. Louis, a trip to Chicago for several reasons, so more pizza from one or the other of my favs. But while in St. Louis, they suddenly opened a "store" not far from us there. Well, was I disappointed!!! I told husband we could split one --- oh, was I wrong, too small and not the same crust.
But because of that we looked at the menu again and ordered a different style which was much better.
Then some years later, we move to the Philly area and discover the first night we are there -- our anniversary, no less, that there was a new Uno's almost in walking distance. So for years we went there for pizza. Fortunately, at some point a second one was opened and we not longer
had to put up with the rude, tired parents and screaming babies who had stopped at the first place they came to after they left Seseame Place. Summers at Uno's at that location were awful. But we did try several other pizza places over the years and I must say, that I have two favorites and they are Uno's and Lou Malnati's.
I did find it interesting one summer when we met my niece and her family at the Field Museum to see King Tut, her husband, who grew up in a Chicago suburb and also went to conventions at the convention center! Had NEVER HAD an Uno's pizza!!! My niece was in 7th heaven because, despite her 20 year + delay of seeing the King Tut exhibit, she also got to have some Unos! And I have a friend in Chicago who used to send me gift certificates from Lou Malnati's and I would order a pizza and a dessert. We also lived in Pittsburgh and I went nuts when we saw a new Uno's --- the franchise stores are not exactly the same -- and one thing missing seems to be the corn meal in the pans!!!
But I say Uno, Due or Lou Malnati's. I never cared for what they ordered at my last job in Pittsburgh when we had overtime -- they were thin crust and just not a Chicago style pizza. Close, but really NOT CIGAR!!!
Mary
'The Syracuse Pizza Manifesto'
Late to the table here, but as a Syracusian ex-pat living in Chicago I must comment. First I have never found better pizza in Chicago - Homemade Pizza Co comes closest - than Syracuse, which I consider the best pizza city I have ever spent time in. Patsy's is by far my favorite ever and have been eating there since I was 8 (orginal locale near LeMoyne College). Pavones, Twin Trees, Sabistino's (if they're still open?), Johnny's, Varsity, Alki's (aka Acropolis), Before-is-was-Dorians & speaking of Skaneateles, there used to be an excellent joint out there, since closed. Now I'm hungry and off to find some pizza cut in squares.
Ambiance Is Not a Topping
it is good to see DJ Bubbles back in the hip hop fray as he is keepin it real and cuttin thru the smoke - his next task is to dissect the latest issue of New York Magazine and take wannabes Patronite and Raisfeld to the proverbial woodshed ! Keste and UPN at #1 and #2 is legit but the next three should be Lucali, Patsy's & Difara and Grimaldi is laughing all the way to the bank despite being froze out of the top 20 ! NY Magazine should be commended for an ambitious article (and cover) that is required reading for those passionate about Pizza Napoletana - can we establish a Slice/ DJ Bubbles scholarship for the $4,000 Keste Pizzaiolo school ?
Ambiance Is Not a Topping
Try Gotham on York & 77th. They have a great Grandma Slice as well.
Vezzo: Three Strikes and You're Out!
dude - how can you call yourself a pizza guru if you dont get the regular pizza? that plain pizza is bangin. kills pizza 33.
and have you have taconellis in philly?
Lou Malnati's: Home of Flawless Deep Dish
o hey look at this:
http://www.urbanspoon.com/f/2/146/Chicago/Pizza-places
Lord knows how Lou mal's got that high at least it is below my beloved Pequod's
Visiting New York City? 7 Must-Eat Pizzas You Should Try
Brooklyn has the original Goodfellas. Anything in that restaurant is worth the trip. Manhattan? A little, tiny place that is always packed: Patzeria on 46th between Broadway & 8th.
Lou Malnati's: Home of Flawless Deep Dish
@valgalpal: I have forgotten more about pizza/culinary arts than you know.
My treatise is not something I pulled out of my ass I know a large contingent of people who really dislike Lou Mal's it's really not that good!
14th Street and Below: A DJ Bubbles Drive-By
Congratulations medfood. You have just won the award for the blogosphere's most obvious shill.
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
14th Street and Below: A DJ Bubbles Drive-By
I have a new Pizza Favorite in West Village:
Pizza Mezzaluna
146 West Houston Street at MacDougal
212-533-1242
http://www.mezzalunany.com/
Free delivery, open late and a block from Bleecker. It's polished high-end Italian thin crust -- awesome pizza and as cheap as Pizza Box or Famous Joe's Pizza.
Salads are fresh and pasta was al dente.
I've eaten there a couple of times and now it's the favorite pizza at the office. Deliveries are fast.
'The Syracuse Pizza Manifesto'
@dhorst Thanks for the recommendation. I'll be sure to check it out if I ever go back. Hopefully in the Summer. As far as the snow removal goes, don't try to tell that to the families of the victims of these two seperate crashes. I used to drive past that spot every morning:
http://www.bookrags.com/highbeam/speed-snow-blamed-in-i-81-crashes-20040204-hb/
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
Uno's, Chicago's Original Deep-Dish Pizza
I grew up eating Uno's pizza. Neat place (wonder if my name is still on the wall in the back corner?) and the pizza was really good. Everyone said Duo's, down the street wasn't as good, but couldn't understand why, being the same recipe. About 20 years ago, I moved to Dallas, Texas. There was an Uno's in Addison. The flavor was similar, but the pizza was awful. I looked into it and apparently the alkalinity of the water in Texas is not the same as Chicago, so their dough wouldn't rise the same way. They used a par-baked crust, which was dry and tastless. Now they are out of business. A couple years ago, while in Chicago, a group of us went to Uno's and for whatever reason, the pizza was terrible. Whoever made them in the old days made them from scratch and must have had a special yeast growning under their fingernails or something. But what they try to pass of for an Uno's in Texas and now in Chicago just isn't the same as it used to be. What a shame! Big Bill
'The Syracuse Pizza Manifesto'
Avicolli's on rt. 57 Liverpool (northern 'burb of Syracuse) is awesome. Much better than Gino and Joe's in my opinion. The sauce is bright, fresh and lively. Just the right amount of cheese and the crust is fairly thin with a bit of chewiness.
@pauliegee--yup that was a nasty winter. It's just one of those things we're used to and our snow removal rocks. All that salt on the road is hell on the cars though. Syracuse does have some strong Italian roots. If you're up here again, try Avicolli's for some good pizza.
@slice who cares? We happen to have some great water here in the Syracuse area. Our water comes from Skaneatles Lake; one of the most pristine lakes in the country. It's definitely not from Onondaga Lake which unfortunately became quite polluted due to industrial plants dumping crap. However it is being cleaned up.
'The Syracuse Pizza Manifesto'
I never had pizza when I spent the 2003-2004 winter from hell working in Syracuse (http://goldensnowball.com/golden-snowball-03-04-season.htm ) but I did discover a great place for a brew and a roast beef sandwich in Armory Square called Clark's Ale House:
http://www.clarksalehouse.com/
Ciao,
Paulie Gee
'The Syracuse Pizza Manifesto'
Syracuse I say is a great small city with GOOD water, really cheap tickets to the local sports teams, and really crummy tv ads/service.
btw Joe's pizza in whitesboro,ny (outside Utica) is da BESTEST
Uno's, Chicago's Original Deep-Dish Pizza
An article in today's Chicago Tribune details some of the efforts by Tim Samuelson to get the true story behind the invention of deep dish pizza. Samuelson, the Cultural Historian for the City's Department of Cultural Affairs, went on a quest to settle once and for all who should get the credit for inventing deep dish pizza, Ike Sewell or Rudy Malnati. He didn't solve it, but thanks to his research, I learned a few new nuggets of Chicago pizza intel that are worth reporting.
First, I should have given more credit to Richard Novaretti, known as Ric Riccardo, who started Uno's with Ike Sewell. In fact, Uno's was originally known as The Pizzeria, a name soon changed to Riccardo's Pizzeria, which lasted until 1955. That year, the pair opened Due's and renamed their first restaurant Uno's.
Second, Uno's is located in a building that was originally a mansion built by lumber baron Nathan Mears. During the 1940s and 1950s, phone books show that Sewell, Riccardo and Malnati all lived in the mansion that also housed the restaurant.
Third, while I mentioned the tie between Gino's East and Uno's in my review of the former, I did not know that Delisi's was started by a former waitress at Uno's. Nor was I aware that Louisa's which I have yet to review for Slice was also started by a former Due's employee.
Lou Malnati's: Home of Flawless Deep Dish
Lou Malnati's is my family's favorite pizza deep dish pizza. My wife and I started going to the one on North Wells about 15 years ago when we were still dating and now we take our kids there. We've probably been there over 100 times and I don't think we've ever had a bad pizza. We've had pizza from all over the city and suburbs but for us LM's is our favorite. (Side note: the Malnati salad is also excellent. Definately give it a try. I now look forward to that almost as much as the pizza!)
And finally to Timothyrows: Get real.
Lou Malnati's: Home of Flawless Deep Dish
Timothyrows: I don't know what you know about Chicago pizza, but as I was born and raised on Chicago pizza, I've never heard of Pequod's or Piece. Might as well be Cumquat's. Chicago's pizza? You must be from New York or outerspace. Lou's is the best. Even Bobby Flay couldn't make a better pizza when he challenged them to a throwdown!
Lou's is awesome and if you pick up a frozen one in any of their storefronts they are great at home...so I imagine the ones you get shipped are pretty good too. And their jingle is pretty catchy...1 800 loutogo...
Lou Malnati's: Home of Flawless Deep Dish
Adam, I hope you don't mind but I need to borrow the Truth Hammer for a minute.
@Timothyrows: While there are good arguments that can be made that some pizzerias in Chicago offer a better product than Malnati's (though not for a place that uses canned sauce and processed everything like Chicago's Pizza), you are simply dead wrong that Lou Malnati's meets any definition of a tourist trap. Malnati's has 30 locations, 25 of which are located in the suburbs. Last time I checked, tourists were not flocking to places like Mount Prospect. And of the five in Chicago, only 2 are in areas that are even close to major tourist traffic, but even those two (South Loop and River North) are pretty far off the typical tourist's path.
You might not be a fan of Malnati's, but when a chain has 30 restaurants, most of which are never seen by tourists, that's called a Chicago institution, not a tourist trap.
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About DJ Bubbles
Location: NY, NY
About: Devoted to slice science, crust theory, and sauce studies; an all-around sweet dude
Favorite foods: Come on now....other than pizza, let's talk about cadbury eggs, chewy chocolate chip cookies, seared scallops, quesadillas, miso soup, mahn doo, jab chae, good mashed potatoes, cole's garlic bread, red velvet cake
Last bite on earth: Fratelli la Bufala or Ristorante L'Europeo in Napoli - eggplant parm, margherita, red wine, coffee, limoncello or Gaetana's (in W Village) penne alla vodka finished off with Frankie's homemade limoncello
Right back at ya, Prairie! Haha.
DZ, I think this may be the new beginning of something beautiful (and constructive with respect to our NY/CHI pie-offs). Keep it movin!
JMB and AK - just gonna ease back into the slice game...there'll be drivebys, oh there will be drive bys! But first, I had to put Frank B in check!
Don't send the Real Slim Shady!