HALLIE EPHRON: The dog days of summer are here, and who feels like cooking? Not me. So of course I’m ordering takeout, and pizza is always a favorite–year round really, since it’s not something I’m equipped to make at home.
I like a thin crispy crust, straight up with a zesty tomato sauce (not fresh slices, please - too wet and bland) and cheese (mozzarella, parmesan) with lots of oil and seasoned with fresh basil or oregano. A mushroom or two might find its way onto my slice, but no kale or pineapple, please.
I am in mourning because my all time favorite pizza place, two blocks from my house, closed a few years ago (replaced by an Irish pub) and I’m on a fruitless quest ever since to find somewhere that makes pizza their way.
The other day I saw a recipe for pickle pizza, and I thought: Feh!
But apparently I am alone because when I googled “pickle pizza” I got 250K hits. Even Pizza Hut is making Pickle Pizza.
Here’s how they describe it: “crust, sauced with Buttermilk Ranch, and topped with cheese, crispy breaded chicken breast seasoned with a kick of Nashville Hot Seasoning, sliced white onions, and then loaded with spicy dill pickles and a drizzle of Buttermilk Ranch to finish it off.”
I repeat: Feh.
Next thing you know, they’ll be putting sardines and chocolate sauce on pizza.
So how do you like your pizza, and what do you want kept OFF your crust?
RHYS BOWEN: I’m a big fan of veggie pizzas— spinach and mushroom, onion, peppers, olives. ( although probably not broccoli) Husband John has to have chicken bacon ranch. And always thin crust. And never pineapple or pickle!
We also love Trader Joe’s tarte d’Alsace.
JENN McKINLAY: Pizza snob here. New Haven has the best pizza hands down. Back me up, Lucy.
Sally’s Apizza or Pepe’s Pizzeria in Wooster Square - apparently, they’ve been using the same brick ovens since the 1920’s.
When I bartended at Toad’s Place decades ago, Sally’s used to provide the happy hour pizza on Fridays. My fave night to work! Absolute best pizza ever is the white clam pie. Period. Full Stop.
I can’t think of anything I won’t try on a pizza. During Covid, Hub made a cheeseburger pizza that was actually damn good, ground beef, cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles and all. But I’m still a snob and no one lives up to Sally’s or Pepe’s - and, no, I won’t choose between the two.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: I figure pizza is bread, and you can put pretty much anything on bread. When I'm in England I try to have my favorite pizza from Pizza Express at least once. (Pizza Express is a chain, but nice restaurants, not like US pizza chains.) Pizza of choice is the Padana, a very thin crust with goat's cheese, sweet caramelized onions, spinach, tomato, mozzarella, garlic oil, and red onions.
So good. But it will not fly in my house–Rick only wants marinara sauce and cheese. Sigh.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I could live on pizza. I love it so much. That fragrance of PIZZA! The first cheesy bite. Yum yum yum. With extra oregano. Anyway. NO HAM. NO PINEAPPLE. I mean, not for me, thank you so much.
I love pepperoni and mushrooms. Extra cheese. Veggie, with peppers and onions and mushroom and whatever they put, is fine, but not as transporting as pepperoni. Hamburger and green pepper and mushrooms is delish, too, although I know it sounds iffy. It's all about fabulous mozzarella and chewy crust and oregano. Now I am SO hungry.
I'm interested, Debs, in your pizza is bread concept. So I thought—peanut butter on pizza, how about THAT? Ha ha. And then I thought, well, just pb and crust would be pretty good....with maybe, bacon. Oh. I want this.
LUCY BURDETTE: Yes Jenn! New Haven pizza is the absolute best! People stand in line for hours to get seated. I adore pepperoni pizza, nice and crispy, but I will eat a slice of their white clam pizza if someone else orders it.
When I’m making pizza at home, my favorite is BBQ chicken pizza with BBQ sauce on the bottom, then rotisserie or leftover chicken, red onions, cheddar cheese, and topped with cilantro. Mmmmm.
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I will cross swords with Hank and say if you don’t like Hawaiian pizza, it’s because you haven’t had really good ham and pineapple on it. It’s one of my faves, along with Greek pizza, which also needs to have good quality ingredients on it.
Probably the best pizza in the greater Portland area is Otto’s, a local chain that makes crust to die for and some truly interesting specialty pies. One of their award-winning combos? Mashed potato, bacon and scallion. I know, the first time I saw it I said, “Are you kidding me?” But it’s amazing, with a blend of textures and and seasonings that are so good.
I’m in the pizza-is-bread column, and the cool thing about all bread products - tortillas, dumplings, baguettes, flat bread - is that eventually, in our country, they’ll get used to hold ingredients the original cultures never would have dreamed of. That’s what makes us great, folks. USA! USA!
HALLIE EPHRON: This is making me very hungry. What about you? Are you eating pizza out or ordering in? What’s on your crust and what had better not be?
We’re rather traditional here . . . I’m happy if they’ll add bacon [and I like white pizza] . . . John likes thick crust and pepperoni . . . Sadly, there is no really good pizza place near us so we don’t have it often . . . .
ReplyDeleteBacon goes with anything.
DeleteWe make it regularly at home during colder months with my homemade crust. Mr. Should-Have-Been-An-Engineer lays toppings on a smear of Barilla pasta sauce, usually mozzarella, pitted Kalamata olives, ham or pepperoni if we have it, and sweet peppers, all exactly placed and evenly spaced. Pop it in at at well-preheated 500 and twelve minutes later you have dinner!
ReplyDeleteEating out - never pineapple! Sorry, Julia. Debs, your fave out would be mine, too, minus the red onions.
We have the original Flatbreads here in Amesbury a block away, with a brick oven they brought a Quebecois guy down to built. Organic flour crusts to die for, delicious homemade sauce, local ingredients. I like their goat cheese, rosemary, Kalamata olives, and roasted pepper offering (no tomato sauce), but a simple Jay's Heart (and yes, Jay Roberts ate it once!) of tomato and cheese with a few optional toppings is a fabulous meal.
Sounds like you are in the pizza center of the universe, Edith.
DeleteEdith,
DeleteHa, I posted my reply and mentioned you could back me up on what I said. And then I went back to read the replies and here you are beating me to the punch! I did eat it once. But if I ever go back there, I'd have that Jay's Heart pizza again.
Thin crust, lots of veggies, tomato sauce, HEAVY on the cheese, and not a hint of pineapple.
ReplyDeleteSounds good to me, just hold the veggies. My salad on the side, please.
DeleteJulia I'm with you, I love a good Hawaiian Pizza. Don't have it too often as my husband is the one that usually orders and he likes lots of meat and veggies. I could live without the sausage and olives.
ReplyDeleteYes "sausage" and "olives" can very so much in terms of whether they earn their keep atop a good pie.
DeleteI think pizza is bread, too, and I'm a bread freak. We don't try to make it at home, but there are lots of pizza places in Braga. Our favorite Italian restaurant, Caffé Italy make terrific pizza (and pasta, soups, salads, the works). For us, naturally, vegetarian pizza is our choice, and Caffé Italy makes a good one with mushrooms, spinach, onions, olives, artichoke hearts, etc., and, of course tomato sauce and cheese. Our other favorite pizza is "white" pizza, which may be the same white pizza Joan mentioned. Only pizza crust, but the crust is kneaded with wonderful herbs. Sometimes we order it to go with a really great smoked salmon salad. Just delicious!
ReplyDeleteYou had me with "smoked salmon salad" - I do wish there were more smoked fish in the world.
Deletethat does sound amazing!
DeletePizza is my go-to on Friday nights. I like a thin crust, with cheese and sometime I'll take a slice or two of pepperoni, I need to be able to fold my pizza. My favorite pizza place in Brooklyn is &B Spumoni Gardens and in the city, Patsy's or John Pizzeria or Ray's pizza.
ReplyDeletePizza in Brooklyn? OF COURSE! I've got family in Sunset Park... and they're always own the hunt for descent pizza. Our favorite localplace closed during covid.
DeleteI had been making pizza at home for several years when I could not eat any tomatoes. It was basically a white pizza with homemade basil pesto topped with artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, onions and mushrooms. But now that I can eat tomatoes, I do prefer a red pizza with mild Italian sausage, onions, mushrooms and Kalamata olives.
ReplyDeleteGot to say, that white pizza sounds fantastic. Ditto the red.
Deleteglad you can eat tomatoes again Grace!
DeleteThanks! Yes, I am looking forward to eating red pizza and pasta with tomato sauce next month in San Diego's Little Italy.
DeleteI'll go with you to Little Italy, Grace!
DeleteYou MUST report back Grace!!
DeleteI prefer my pizza on very thin crust and without meat of any kind ( bacon would be the exception because everybody knows bacon is good with everything :). I don’t have a favourite place to buy it because the one I loved closed during Covid.
ReplyDeleteWhen in restaurant, I’ll read if possible or ask what their veggie pizza is made of. I like any vegetable on pizza but onions and peppers .
When making one at home, I use a bought pita bread or a thin crust that looks like a crackers , I add a good homemade tomato sauce with herbs and any vegetable at hand , then I complete with a little cheese (not too much but savoury).
Danielle
Sounds like a good way to make it at home, just the way YOU like it.
DeleteGreek pizza with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, kalamata olives, spinach, mozzarella cheese. And now I want a slice of cold pizza for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteIt IS the best breakfast. Second only to leftover Chinese spareribs.
DeleteI work in New Haven, so I am spoiled for choice. I draw the line at octopus as a topping, however. I think Rhys might change her mind about broccoli if she had Yorkside's white pizza with roasted garlic, broccoli, black olives, and ricotta. It is a Greek style pizza, with a slightly sturdier crust, which is needed with the toppings, but I do love a thin crust pizza from Trackside in Wallingford, CT. Located in an old rail car, and, as advertised, located next to the rail line.
ReplyDeleteWallingford, and I could stop there on the drive back from NY to Boston...
DeleteI love pizza and don't get to have it nearly often enough! So far, the only thing I don't care for would be pepperoni and sausage. Those I pick off and then I'm good with what ever. Years ago, near our lake place was a fabulous pizza take-out. My favorite was their white pizza, on which I also piled broccoli and mushrooms. Minced garlic and lots of oil made for a very delicious pie. There was a time we had a bunch of people over and took requests. No one else ordered the white pizza so we only got one. Then when everyone saw it, they said 'ooh, I'll try that!' I barely got a bite of ~my~ pizza. I still think about that pizza in Northville and wish it was so far to go to get take-out.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm going to have to try a white pie. Definitely. Though pizza without tomatoes seems weird. I was so surprised when we were in Italy and MY idea of pizza (Tomato sauce/mozzarella) did not exist.
DeleteLike Hank, now I'm SO hungry!
ReplyDeleteCincinnati has so many pizza places, especially in the last 10-15 years, with all the microbreweries springing up. Apparently, craft pizza is the perfect accompaniment to craft beer. But our favorite is, hands-down, Mio's, and in particular the Mio's 1/2-mile from our house. Every one of their restaurants has a slightly different menu, but they all share one very important ingredient, their signature sesame seed crust. It's just garlic oil-smeared sesame seeds put on around the edges before baking, but it elevates the pie, oh, my.
We usually get what one location calls the Cincinnatus, which has plenty of spinach, tomatoes, onions, and bacon on a thin crust, with good, stretchy cheese. I also love their Pizza Blanca, with sliced tomatoes and garlic sauce that tastes like it just came from an Italian street osteria, but Steve won't eat it. If we don't get the Cincinnatus, or if we are in another town, you can't ever go wrong with pepperoni and mushrooms. It's a good way to judge a pizza, too, to only include simple ingredients, don't you think?
Pineapple and ham are delicious together, but I'll pass unless someone else has one to share a slice. My oldest daughter and the grandson, and my second son-in-law would fight over that pickle pizza! Those people are nuts. LOL
I agree a simple pizza is the best way to judge a place.
DeleteI have tried posting a comment 4 times. This is a separate comment to see if IT will go through. I had lots to say about pizza, but even though it says "published," nothing shows.
ReplyDeleteThanks for persevering Ellen! I have trouble posting when I use Safari. Chrome usually works. Ditto Firefox. Not sure if that's the problem you're having, too. Blogger can be cranky and annoying.
DeleteHmmm. THAT one went through. Most of my comments have been covered by others by now, so I'll just mention that some 40 years ago, I dated the son of the local don, and was introduced to Sicilian pizza, and it is really good, though quite filling.
ReplyDeleteAnd that my favorite pizza is cold pizza the morning after a party when you are cleaning up. Or was when I was in school and used to throw parties.
Ellen, What distinguishes "Sizilian" pizza?
DeleteDifferent crust, much thicker, square. And if you are dating the godfather's son, sometimes they won't charge you.
DeleteFor several years, pizza was a forbidden food, even a slice, among dozens of foods forbidden for Rod and me that most people take for granted. We could only eat meat and leaves, not even fruit, which is not sustainable in the least. For good or ill, after a few years, we brought pizza back into our diets and we now eat it in moderation. Still, of course, the pounds are coming back.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, back in the good ol' bad ol' days, I had a version Hank's dream pizza--pb and bacon with a drizzle of grape jelly on a white pie. I got a slice from a booth inside the Connecticut building at The Big E. That pie was one of the specials of the day at a booth run by one of the New Haven pizzerias. I think they called it the PB&J pie. It was delish.
Hmmmm
DeleteJim's Pizza Box was our go-to favorite, but since they expanded and Jim's no longer on site (retired), the quality has sadly diminished. We always ordered 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 sausage on a thin crust, along with a spinach calzone--light on the oil, sauce on the side, please. At least the calzone is still good.
ReplyDeleteI confess I'm not a calzone fan, though really it's just a folded over pizza, isn't it?
DeleteWonderful column! I do love pizza, and prefer a thinner crust. I live a few blocks from Otto's (a different Otto's in the other Portland) and love their Margherita pizza, Generally I prefer veggies on my pizza and gluten free crust these days. Debs, that Padana pizza sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm remembering the zucchini and ham pizza that I had in Sestri Levante, Italy. Yummmm/
DeleteAnd the eggplant pizza we had in Rome... or maybe it was Milan.
DeleteI remember having artichoke pizza in Florence. Yum.
DeleteOh, now I want pizza for breakfast!
ReplyDeleteCapone's in Fort Myers makes the best pizza I've had in years. Thin crust, baked in coal fired ovens. Heavenly. Try it if you're in the neighborhood.
We moved back to Maine during the COVID lockdown, weren't able to taste test the pizzas on offer, then hubs developed some sort of odd food allergy and commercial pizza crust sets it off. I found a bread maker pizza dough recipe that's really good and since I'm a thin crust aficionado, I can make it as I want it. Give me mushrooms, onions, and olives. Hubs is all about the meat and loves peperoni and sausage. Good thing the recipe makes enough dough for two pizzas! No to pineapple, yes to anchovies, but added after baking.
Add anchovies AFTER baking? Go figure.
DeleteI just had breakfast and now I am starving and salivating!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was first working, two of us meat-eaters lived with a vegetarian roommate – something rarely heard of in those days. She would order a vegetarian pizza with double cheese and I tell you that really beat the real pizza (1970’s). Since I rarely get pizza now, when I do I want it just meat (salami not pepperoni) and normal vegetables and lots of cheese. No foolish ‘gourmet’ things.
My son-in-law makes his own pizza. 95% dough about 5” thick, with a hamburger sauce not even spread to the edges – gross! They love it. I used to ask for pizza with them when we went to visit the big city (we live in the country where you have to go 20 miles for pizza). Now if I ask, they make their own. I never ask anymore!
Honestly, Margo - that sounds disgusting. Though I suppose you can put anything you like on pasta so why not on pizza dough?
DeleteFirst THE CRUST: I prefer thinner crust to thick crust, BUT, some places have crust that it so thin it is like a tortilla and gets soggy with all the sauce etc on top. So I actually prefer a medium thin crust.
ReplyDeleteSecond the pizza: I like anchovies, with a marinara sauce (with Italian spices) and light cheese.
We have a few places in our town that have "designer" pizza that are pretty good - they have arugula, goat or mozzarella cheese, various sauces like a white sauce for example, and pancella, etc.
Too bad there's no pizza leftovers for breakfast here! I always have Dr. Oetker brand pizza in the freezer (spinach; mushroom varieties), which I then doll up with peppers, fresh spinach and cheese. A quick satisfying meal, with a green salad maybe. But if I'm out, I'm always game to try the Hawaiian option, as I'm in the pineapple-on-pizza camp (thank you, Julia!). Just don't let raw onions anywhere near my pie: yuck.
ReplyDeleteI'm always on the lookout for a descent frozen pizza, thanks for the tip
DeleteI like a thin, very crispy crust, and just tomato sauce and cheese. I don’t mind occasionally having pepperoni or sausage on my pizza, but I do prefer it without toppings other than cheese.
ReplyDeleteDespite living near New Haven, I’ve rarely gone there for Pizza. I have my preferred pizza places here in Milford. I think the local pizza is good because the restaurants are trying to keep people from going to NewHaven for pizza!
DebRo
...or maybe there's something in that Connecticut water?
DeleteTypically, when I get a pizza it is as I'm heading over to my local comic shop on Saturdays and I'm sharing it with Ace, Everlast and Palmer. It's an extra-large pizza with half of it cut into less than manly smaller slices because Everlast actually listens to his doctor about portion control.
ReplyDeleteOccasionally I'll get myself a small pizza for dinner when I have a coupon or deal that makes it really cheap. And believe me, I can find the bargains. Once, I paid $1.59 for a $20 pizza!
Now, I know you are all wondering what kind of pizza I'm getting. Well, it's simple...cheese pizza. That's it. Ask Edith, she can back me up on this since I've shared a pizza lunch with her before. Unlike all you crazy experimental food eaters on here, it's plain cheese or nothing.
Vegetables on my pizza? Why don't you just pour battery acid on it too?
Pickles? That's like perverting pizza or something. It should be considered against the Geneva Convention for cruel and unusual punishment. I mean, what did that poor pizza ever do to you to deserve that kind of treatment?
I did try ham on the pizza once. Key word...ONCE. Not that it was bad, but all that extra chewing of the ham ruined the natural flow of just eating the pizza. And while ground beef on a pizza sounds great, if I want a damn cheeseburger, I'll just order a cheeseburger.
Call me a purist, a snob or even someone with the food palate of a five-year-old but nothing is better than a well-made cheese pizza. The original is always best! Don't believe me, ask the people responsible for "New Coke" how that worked out for them.
You are in rare form today,Jay! Battery acid? That seems a bit harsh.
DeleteI had a deprived childhood. My father was a very basic meat and potatoes eater, my brother would
ReplyDeleteonly have very plain food-no sauces or vegetables for either of them, so pizza didn’t exist in my house.
I never even tasted pizza until I was in high school. At that time, the types of toppings available
were rather limited so I didn’t have a chance to taste a wide variety.
As a result, pizza isn’t at the top of the food chain for me. My preference would be peppers and
pepperoni or just peppers. Most places are rather skimpy with their peppers.
There are several pizza restaurants near me, including an Ottos, but I have not tried any of them
and don’t even remember the last time I ordered a slice of any type.
When I have a craving for any type of food it is for Chinese. Now if there were a pizza with some
variety of Chinese toppings…I might at least try them.
very
Oooh, I could go off on takeout Chinese.... has to wait for another day.
DeleteI think we're having pizza for dinner :)
ReplyDeleteAnchovies is a dealbreaker, though, you can’t even get all those little fishy hairy legs and scales off, even if you take off the anchovies.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of bacon and mashed potatoes but ahhhh.. is that pizza? It’s the “is a hot dog a sandwich” question.
Mushrooms! Yes.
White anchovies aren't hairy or scaley... I had them the first time in Italy in the Cinque Terra... fanTAStic discovery. But still, not on a pizza.
DeleteI love anchovies on pizza!
DeleteYou both can have mine. :-) Absolutely yuck.
DeleteLove anchovies, and will eat them on pizza. No one else will, though.
DeleteYay, Debs! Anchovies, yes. Me, too. And with the same family reaction.The world needs more of us. (I grew up in a town with lots of 1st and 2nd generation Italian restaurant owners. I know good pizza. :-) )
DeleteJenn, Pepe’s is migrating/colonizing! Just opened in Delray Beach, FL. You may one day find it in AZ. But surely the New Haven atmosphere will be missing. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteThere was a famous North End Boston pizza place, expanded, franchised and then went belly up. Rosie's?
DeleteI make our pizza, not hard at all. And I do have a pizza stool Veggie’s only on my side — mushrooms, onions, bell pepper. Same on Julie’s side with the addition of pepperoni. Red sauce base but not too much. And Quattro formaggio over everything. Thin crust of course.
ReplyDeleteWe are blessed with some really good pizza places in Richester, including two brothers who are in competition with each other!
Two pizza making brothers in competition with each other? Sounds like a novel.
DeletePizza and a big salad are our Sunday night go-to. For years I've made my own, or at least all but the crust. But lately we've been buying from a guy at our farmers market who makes them from scratch and they are SO good. Super thin crust, really good from scratch ingredients. Usually we just get the four cheese but sometime can't resist the Italian sausage.
ReplyDeleteI do a good cheeseburger pizza. Got the idea in Boston. I prebake the crust for 5 to 10 minutes based on thickness- crucial step. Use mustard and ketchup as sauce, add cooked ground beef, top it with pickles, then Colby Jack cheese. Bake at 400 for another 10 to 15 minutes depending on thickness of toppings. I prefer thin.
ReplyDeleteWe just got home from eating at a local place called BB’s Pizzaria. I like their “traditional crust” not thin but also not thick. My favorite toppings are pepperoni, sausage (not spicy) black olives, and mushrooms or various combinations thereof. I do like Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza. Tonight we had a veggie pizza. Sometimes I just opt for their 3 Cheese pizza.
ReplyDeleteDetroit pizza is also really good!
I adore pizza. It’s my favorite savory food. My mom makes homemade pizza for my birthday every year- a thicker crust, plenty of sauce, lots of cheese & everyone chooses their own toppings for their section.
ReplyDeleteI like either very traditional pepperoni & mozzarella on red sauce or a white sauce with spinach, roasted garlic, mozzarella, parmigiana & pepperoni. The second is my order at Blaze, which is really good for chain restaurant pizza. Locally we have Mama G’s & they have excellent pizza in addition to a lot of other good Italian food.
Also my sister & I love pickles so we would totally try a pickle pizza.
DeleteYou can have my onions, and I'll take your pineapple. But I will eat almost anything on a pizza, to be honest.
ReplyDeleteOur favorite is homemade with cauliflower crust (Caulipower) - crispy and delish, barbeque sauce, carmelized red onion, left-over broiled chicken breast chunks, a few bacon crumbles and lots and lots of mozzarella cheese. Baked until the cheese oozes. YUM!
ReplyDeletePizzza with crust so thin you can almost see thru it.
ReplyDeletePepperoni and mushrooms and cheese. Not glopped up too much. Maybe some peppersr. With a nice Caesar salad to munch on. Wine, of course.