Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Baltimore: Pizza John's

Posted by Prairie, May 6, 2008 at 2:30 PM

Editor's note: And our roving pizza correspondent, Philip G., checks in from the Old Line State, good ol' Maryland. Buon appetito, ladies and gents! —Kuban

Ask any Baltimorean about what makes the Baltimore food scene special, and there is sure to be one answer: Crabs.

Crap. This is a pizza site.

When I thought about doing a series on Baltimore pizza, I knew exactly where I had to start: Pizza John's. I have been reading about Pizza John's for a few years now. It always seems to break into the top 5 of AOL Cityguide's Best Pizza in Baltimore, and it comes up from time to time on Chowhound, but up until recently I had never made the trip to visit.

Pizza John's has been a Baltimore area staple since 1966. It was a carryout-only operation up until 1981, when it added a seating area. The space was renovated and expanded in 2004. It is now a giant, mustard-colored building with a highly stylized exterior—almost reminiscent of a full-service chain restaurant. Oh, and it has a 12-foot-tall pizza guy statue standing out front. Confused? Me too. But he's been standing on that street since 1977, so leave him alone.

2 Comments | Tagged: Baltimore, Maryland, Pizza John's, Reviews, Slice Reviews

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/220/503277911_f92c464551.jpg

Jigsy's: Old Forge–Style Pizza

Posted by Prairie, April 7, 2008 at 9:30 AM

Editor's note: Slice correspondent Philip G. checks in with an answer to a question I've had for a long, long time. —Adam K.

"The story still doesn't answer the burning question: What exactly is Old Forge–style pizza?" —Adam Kuban

Well, Adam, it's this:

6 Comments | Tagged: Enola, Old Forge pizza, Pennsylvania, Reviews, Slice Reviews

From Talk

Where to eat in Eastern TN?

Posted by Prairie, November 30, 2007 at 1:47 AM

Will be staying in Sevierville, TN but am willing to drive ~40 miles in any direction. Definitely will be hitting up the infamous Ridgewood BBQ in Bluff City but aside from that i'm coming up short on recommendations.

Any help will be much appreciated and documented :)

3 Comments | Tagged: Sevierville, Tennessee

From Talk

Cardboard bun story fake ; says Beijing Police

Posted by Prairie, July 19, 2007 at 2:48 PM

Well, that is a small relief.

Link to Reuters

Going to Arizona...

Posted by Prairie, May 31, 2007 at 10:20 AM

I'll be in Flagstaff for four days, visiting the Grand Canyon to the North and some stuff on old Rt. 66.

I'll also be in Phoenix for two days, doing some random stuff around that area.

Besides Pizzeria Bianco, any suggestions (particularly in the Flagstaff area as i've got my Phoenix picks pretty well covered)?

Post a Comment | Tagged: Arizona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Phoenix

From Talk

Check out my latest pizza

Posted by Prairie, May 18, 2007 at 9:15 AM

This is also on pizzamaking.com, where i've been on a two-year quest to emulate Dom DeMarco's magical pies.

This is my latest effort, and in my opinion my best effort thus far. This honestly may be the second best pizza I've had in my life. Second only to Dom's plain cheese.

The dough is 100% King Arthur Bread flour, a bit salt, mixed in my KA Artisan mixer. Set to rise for about 24 hours.

The sauce is Escalon 6 'n'1 Ground Tomatoes -- fresh packed tomato from California. These are absolutely phenomenal tomatoes and make a great base for any red sauce. I've found no tomato, no sauce, no can, no brand, to be superior to Escalon in the past few years.

The cheeses are of three different varieties. The first is 100% Whole Milk Grande Mozzarella. The second is Mozzarella di Bufala Campana -- fresh Casabianca buffalo mozzarella. Amazing, milky, delightful. Out of the oven the pizza is topped with the salty but delicious Grana Padano, fresh grated.

Olive oil was drizzled on the pizza before it went into the oven and before it was finished in the broiler. This step is absolutely what ties the flavors together.

The cook method? Preheated the oven to 550° for about 45 minutes, my tired pizza stone is on the absolute bottom rack.

The cook time of this pizza was about 6 minutes, finished in the broiler.

After two years, simplicity is key. That's all I can tell you. I've slaved over my oven and cooked literally hundreds of pies. And what i've got to say is "keep it simple".

Note: Not sure how this board works as far as image posting, so i'll guess. I'll also include links to my flickr.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/226/502843702_e2373bfcc1.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/194/502843696_96b6612b0f.jpg

9 Comments | Tagged: Di Fara, pizza, pizza making

The Ten Most Recent Comments By Prairie

Dear Slice: Di Fara Cheese Combo Clarification; Lucali May Expand, Adding Garden Seating

What the.

Prairie at 7:10PM on 05/10/08

Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop

@roboppy: Just went for the first time, it's right around the corner from my GF's apartment. Great stuff.

They were out of the breaded chicken cutlets, but were substituting them for grilled breasts. Yummy.

One thing we did notice is the...odd (?)...amount of waste per meal. Plastic cup, paper in tray, paper on sandwich, thin paper napkins. Other than that thanks for the reccomendation!

Prairie at 2:34PM on 05/10/08

Momofuku Ko: Does the Service Matter?

Ed, this is an excellent write up. One of the best i've read recently on SE or elsewhere.

I think Ko, more than anything else and maybe more than most restaurants, is about the food. It's artfully prepared by guys who love what they are doing, and it clearly shows. Chang wanted a place to showcase the food, and he is giving his cooks the opportunity to produce what they made with their hands straight to the consumer.

Some people are going to get it, some people clearly get it, and some people won't ever get it.

Certainly a great topic of conversation. : )

Prairie at 8:10PM on 05/06/08

Pizza Greases the Wheels of Labor

@gnomatic: Happy Tuesday to you too!

Prairie at 3:17PM on 05/06/08

From Required Eating

Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Serious Eats Special Report

Come on folks, no toasting going on? I haven't eaten a non-toasted PB&J...in damned near forever.

Prairie at 3:10PM on 05/06/08

A Slice of Brooklyn: The Original New York Pizza Tour

No no, I think it's pretty clear that Brooklyn has the best pizza of the boroughs. No contest.

Prairie at 9:46AM on 05/06/08

What's the Best Mexican Food Town in the U.S.?

How are WE being myopic when you won't recognize there could be another alternative? C'mon!

My vote is for Phoenix.

Prairie at 6:45PM on 05/05/08

Sedona, Arizona: Apizza Heaven

Polly-O is some great great GREAT cheese.

Prairie at 5:51PM on 05/05/08

Sedona, Arizona: Apizza Heaven

That looks great. I love you David Muzzo.

Prairie at 3:00PM on 05/05/08

From Required Eating

Come on in 'The Kitchn'

There is something oddly sexy about that image...

Prairie at 4:01PM on 05/01/08

Responses to Comments by Prairie

Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop

@Prairie: I went on Thursday night and had the same prob: no breaded cutlets, only grilled! Also, they ran out of 7-grain bread and brioche. I got a chicken po boy sandwich though and it was SOOO GOOOD, oh yeah.

You're right about the waste though. Maybe they don't have the capacity to wash lots of dishes? But they they have a lot of waste to deal with. I've never asked them about that before..

roboppy at 2:41PM on 05/10/08

Throwdown: Chick-fil-A vs. McDonald's Southern Style Chicken

I moved to an area without any Chick-fil-a and I count the days between trips back home where I can feast on their delicious food. Needless to say I was shocked and curious when I saw the Southern Style Chicken Sandwich (S.S.C.S) appear on the menu at my local McDonalds, it being such an obvious knock off. I decided I had to try one and was pleasantly surprised that the taste was a some what accurate reproduction. However upon closer examination I noticed several differences that make all the difference in the world.

1. The breading.....when I took off the bun of the McDonalds version the breading was unnaturally ridged and gave the appearance that it was added for effect. The Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich has a golden brown coating, thin in some spots thick and crunchy in others, delicious all over.

2. The pickles....the whole reason I took the bun off was to remove the pickles, I just don't like pickles, but I didn't like the appearance of the McDonalds pickles even more. They were perfectly round (no crinkle cut
) with little or no seeds which again gave it an unnatural appearance. While I don't like the pickles I always did like the slight pickle juice that soaked into the bun of the Chick-fil-a sandwich. By placing the pickles on top the same thing does not happen with the S.S.C.S. so to me the pickles become useless as well as an eyesore. A Chick-fil-a employee once told me I could get it without the pickles, but that just wouldn't be the same.

Overall the pickes and breading on the McDonalds sandwich contributed to the feeling that this was another mass produced fast food item and didn't add a thing.

3. The butter.....while removing the pickles from my S.S.C.S. I noticed a yellow substance covering a small portion of the bun and mostly coating the pickles which I tasted and recognized to be butter. This was the first time I realized there was supposed to be butter on this type of sandwich. The point of this is that the Chick-fil-a sandwich is so expertly crafted that I never even noticed the butter after eating it for the last 30 years. And don't forget I ALWAYS take off the pickles so I have been looking closely at the inside of the bun for many, many years.

4. The packaging....the Chick-fil-a sandwich comes in the foil lined sleeve that seems to keep the tender moistness locked in with every bite. I often pick up a Chick-fil-a sandwich right before heading out on the turnpike to head home and I will eat it protruding out of the wrapping as I drive. I got the S.S.C.S. on a trip and ate it on the road and by the time I finished it was no longer all that moist or warm.

Finally, the verdict. While McDonalds sandwich will hold me over, I will never buy it when a Chick-fil-a is within a half hour driving distance. (My boyfriend made me type this, he is freakishly obessed with Chick-fil-a and from reading the comments above I can see that he is not alone. Isn't that the true testament to the greatness of Chick-fil-a?)

mel721317 at 1:10AM on 05/10/08

Pizza Greases the Wheels of Labor

I work at home.
My attitude would be greatly improved and my productivity would increase if someone would send me a pizza.
Please.

janedoh at 11:54AM on 05/09/08

Sedona, Arizona: Apizza Heaven

Pizza is one of my favorite food and A Pizza Heaven is by far my favorite pizza ever, not only in Sedona, but across the country. Dave's Pizza Rocks!!!

smmjdavis at 8:20PM on 05/08/08

What's the Best Mexican Food Town in the U.S.?

rozilla - there are some good Mexican restaurants in Nashville. Pueblo Viejo and Pueblo Real in Franklin, Las Cazuelas (can't beat the entertainment on Saturday night) or Los Arcos on Nolensville Rd. are all real good.

lattelatte at 7:39PM on 05/08/08

Sedona, Arizona: Apizza Heaven

That's what REAL pizza is suppose to look like! It's not Dominos or Pizza Hut!

nuzzo23 at 11:39AM on 05/08/08

Momofuku Ko: Does the Service Matter?

A great article, and obviously a restaurant with great food and talented chefs.

-----------------
"When I was thinking about Ko, I didn't think much about the service."
-----------------

But from an outsider (me), seeing this quote from the chef/owner is a bit troubling. And then to see him explain that he doesn't want good service to interfere with the "core values" makes it sound even worse. After all -- shouldn't good quality service be included as part of the "core values" ??

I get his point about the food. It's all about the food.

But shouldn't good service be a basic, fundamental element of most any long-term successful business, whether it's a fine restaurant or a muffler shop?

FastFoodCritic at 9:35PM on 05/07/08

From Required Eating

Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Serious Eats Special Report

I keep tellin you guys...Jif, Hellman's, Romaine lettuce on rye. Someone once dared me to try it and I've never been the same.

bessfour at 7:35PM on 05/07/08

Throwdown: Chick-fil-A vs. McDonald's Southern Style Chicken

P.S. Just to add, the freebies are indeed the same new "Southern Style" sandwich that Adam and company were eating during this article.

FastFoodCritic at 6:17PM on 05/07/08