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L.A.'s Pizza Wars: Joe's vs. Vito's
Re: the Garage Pizza mention above...
It's interesting to note that Elmer, the chief pizzaiolo at Garage Pizza, was one of the principal pizzaioli at Joe's in Venice. [He left Joe's to help start and run GP.] And, to add to the intrigue, he shared with me that GP's dough recipe, leavening technique, and sauce are virtually identical to those at Joe's. Anyway, if anyone reading along is looking for a Joe's pies of old, stop by GP some night and ask Elmer to toss you one very thin, or "Joe's Style." E.M.
Apple Pan: 'Quality Forever' in Los Angeles
Here you go a considerable way to restore your critical credibility, Nick. [Having first blown it all to hell with the Fred 62 review.]
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
A Pizzeria AND a Liquor Store? It Must be Marie's
Despite a widely-held belief to the contrary, the style of pizza served at Marie's--locals simply refer to it as "thin crust," or "tavern-cut"--is the style Chicagoans eat most frequently. That is, when they're not calling out for franchise crap like Domino's, Little Caesars, etc. Yes, really. Non-residents and tourists are terribly confused on this point: "deep dish," or "stuffed" pies are generally reserved for the occasional indulgence, or for when, say, the non-resident bumpkin relatives are in town for a visit. (smirk) At any rate, Marie's has been my in-town favourite of the form for years, so I'm happy to see it receive some coverage here. EM
FWIW, here is my Top 8 List for the "tavern-cut" form in Chicagoland:
Traverso's in Orland Park, IL (southwest suburbs)
Marie's (on the near northwest side)
Sanfratello's in Glenwood (south suburbs)
Vito & Nick's (on the southeast side)
John's Pizza & Lounge (on the near west side)
Beggar's (various south suburban locations)
Pat's (on the near northwest side)
The Original John's R&P in Whiting, IN (southeast suburbs)
L.A.'s Pizza Wars: Joe's vs. Vito's
Re: the Garage Pizza mention above...
It's interesting to note that Elmer, the chief pizzaiolo at Garage Pizza, was one of the principal pizzaioli at Joe's in Venice. [He left Joe's to help start and run GP.] And, to add to the intrigue, he shared with me that GP's dough recipe, leavening technique, and sauce are virtually identical to those at Joe's. Anyway, if anyone reading along is looking for a Joe's pies of old, stop by GP some night and ask Elmer to toss you one very thin, or "Joe's Style." E.M.
Apple Pan: 'Quality Forever' in Los Angeles
Here you go a considerable way to restore your critical credibility, Nick. [Having first blown it all to hell with the Fred 62 review.]
Apple Pan: 'Quality Forever' in Los Angeles
Yep, I can't agree more with GianniB. I just sampled the Steakburger at Apple Pan, and the cloyingly sweet relish overpowered the burger and the cheddar. The burger was BLAND--no seasoning in the mix or on the griddle. The establishment is a groovy throwback to the 50's but the burger is simply not good enough.
I'm bummed, because the place is about a mile from my house. I wanted this to be good. So much for hopes and dreams.
Apple Pan: 'Quality Forever' in Los Angeles
I made my way to this LA institution...not sure what for because the burgers were horrible. Cooked OK, but they were SWEET. Both the Steakburger and the Hickoryburger were so overpowered by the sauces that it was all they tasted of...I'm not a fan.
A Pizzeria AND a Liquor Store? It Must be Marie's
I went looking for information on Maries pizza on Lawerence Ave....
Maries pizza is a national landmark for our family. My husband brought me there when we were dating to meet ALL the relatives.... His sisters brought their boyfriends there also. We have pix of all our kids for their first visit to maries. My husband is there now visiting famiy with the kids and he knows to bring a Large cooler so that he can bring some home to me who couldn't go on this trip!!!! The pizza is THE best. The atmosphere is one of a kind. Can't wait to get my busy in a couple days.......
Apple Pan: 'Quality Forever' in Los Angeles
to Scottzel: really tito's tacos?!? horrible tacos and burritos, and over hyped. taco trucks reign supreme for tacos..just my two cents.
L.A.'s Pizza Wars: Joe's vs. Vito's
First off, I agree wholeheartedly with the Pizza Maven. I live a few blocks from Vito's and eat there 2-3 times a week. I'm a big fan of the sausage there and the pesto slices are pretty great (especially that ricotta), but the inconsistent sizing of slices sometimes has me questioning the prices. Though it has slid since the departure of Joe, I think Joe's pepperoni has more punch. Vito's recently introduced a fresh mozzarella pie, but it doesn't work. I usually like the sauce there, but it's not strong enough to balance out the fresh cheese. When you get a bite without mozzarella it tastes watery. Joe's fresh mozz is worth the drive for me. They're both about as good as you can get for NYC wannabes out here. Mozza, as stated, is in another class.
Couple new openings. Cristoni on Sunset. They got some Italian guy who is a master at the wood oven...and when he showed up they had already bought him a Baker's Pride. The crust is too thick and the bottom burns too easily. A real disappointment.
The other new place is Verazzano's on La Brea. Two brothers from Brooklyn and Staten Island opened up their very own place in LA... and it's okay. The sauce isn't as strong as it should be and the crust is hard and thick. That said, the toppings (and fresh mozzarella) were all universally good. Much better atmosphere than Cristoni and most other places out here.
A Pizzeria AND a Liquor Store? It Must be Marie's
@ErikM: I like your list, though your geographical identifications are off in some cases. I've already reviewed a few of them on Slice and a couple of them are in line for a review. I hadn't heard of Traverso's; I might have to check it out.
As far as the thin crust v. deep dish or stuffed argument goes, I think you're probably right that thin crust is eaten more frequently than deep dish or stuffed, but I'd argue that it is not nearly as cut and dry as you make it seem. Lots of people surely do prefer thin crust, but there's also the fact that it's cheaper and faster to get than deep dish or stuffed pies.
At the same time, there are plenty of Chicagoans who identify deep dish or stuffed as their favorite. For them (and me), there is no question that stuffed/deep dish are both much more than occasional indulgences.
L.A.'s Pizza Wars: Joe's vs. Vito's
havent had a decent pie in so. cal. since the mid 60's at a small italian deli perfect crust made daily perfect sauce from italian tomatos and the cheese ratio was also perfect, toppings were kept simple italian sausage, italian salami, or italian pepperoni, occassionally some italian olives scattered sparingly , oh to go back in time , then shakeys came to town and pizza died , now we have pizza with bbq sauce,chicken, somesort of white sauce and all those other designer flatbread doughwads with anything on top that gets passed off as pizza. if i ever go to new york maybe i'll find a real pizza !
L.A.'s Pizza Wars: Joe's vs. Vito's
He is from NJ but it could be another Vito..not sure about elizabeth....
L.A.'s Pizza Wars: Joe's vs. Vito's
is this vito from nj (elizabeth)
L.A.'s Pizza Wars: Joe's vs. Vito's
@ErikM - Thanks for the inside info on Garage. I guess in a city where you have so few decent places to buy pizza buy the slice, there are bound to be connections.
I went by one of the Mulberry's in Beverly Hills. It looked interesting, I'm going to have to give them a try.
Speaking of Mulberry St., does anyone know anywhere in LA to get a vodka sauce and fresh mozz slice? I used to get them in NY at a place on Spring and Mulberry, though you'd have to fight through a crowd of LIttle Italy tourists to get to the counter. It's a combination I find myself craving.
Apple Pan: 'Quality Forever' in Los Angeles
It's been 18 years since I moved away from LA...but I ALWAYS go back to The Apple Pan (and Tito's Tacos) when I visit. You are correct...virtually nothing has changed at TAP. I went there for the first time in 1966 when I took my mom's car "over the hill" (from the San Fernando Valley to West LA) for the first time and met some friends there. It is still my favorite burger on the planet. Quality Forever is more than a slogan...TAP puts it to work with every burger, sandwich, order of fries and piece of pie.
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Despite a widely-held belief to the contrary, the style of pizza served at Marie's--locals simply refer to it as "thin crust," or "tavern-cut"--is the style Chicagoans eat most frequently. That is, when they're not calling out for franchise crap like Domino's, Little Caesars, etc. Yes, really. Non-residents and tourists are terribly confused on this point: "deep dish," or "stuffed" pies are generally reserved for the occasional indulgence, or for when, say, the non-resident bumpkin relatives are in town for a visit. (smirk) At any rate, Marie's has been my in-town favourite of the form for years, so I'm happy to see it receive some coverage here. EM
FWIW, here is my Top 8 List for the "tavern-cut" form in Chicagoland:
Traverso's in Orland Park, IL (southwest suburbs)
Marie's (on the near northwest side)
Sanfratello's in Glenwood (south suburbs)
Vito & Nick's (on the southeast side)
John's Pizza & Lounge (on the near west side)
Beggar's (various south suburban locations)
Pat's (on the near northwest side)
The Original John's R&P in Whiting, IN (southeast suburbs)