Monday, July 25, 2011
Revamp
I have been toying with revamping this blog--making it prettier, more structured, better overall. A lofty goal, but it could happen.
Monday, September 20, 2010
NYC Pizza Run
More to come soon, but Time Out NYC has a nice slideshow up--I'm in a few (most clearly in photo 26).
It took me about a half an hour. I was towards the end of the middle of the pack, if that makes any sense.
It took me about a half an hour. I was towards the end of the middle of the pack, if that makes any sense.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
i'm screwed!
So, the pizza run in NYC is in 1.5 weeks, and I'm way out of shape. I came down with a really bad cold two weeks ago, and went for a run for the first time since then today. I ate a Tony's party pizza beforehand, and could barely make it a mile. Oh noes!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Thursday, I ate a lot of pizza; Or College Park is awful
On Thursday, I ate a lot of pizza. 4 slices--2 for lunch, 2 for dinner--to be precise.
I forgot my lunch and had to run out at noon for something to eat. I weighed my options...chipotle? Jimmy Johns? Taco Bell? I was pretty burned out on the College Park options...but then I remembered that there was Vito's Pizza at the end of the "revolving door" strip mall (I call it this because nothing in that strip lasts more than a few months...). A few months before, it had been Tony's pizza. Before that...something, I can't remember. The location has housed at least 4 different places since I moved to the area. Anyhow, I'd not tried Vito's pizza, and I figured I should. It's one of the few pizza (or pizzaesque) joints I'd not yet tried in College Park.
Their student special was 2 slices of plain cheese and a can of pop for 5 dollars. I suppose that's decent.
The pizza wasn't though. I was pretty hungry, but couldn't finish both slices. Not because they were too generous--they were average sized slices, and quite thin--but because they had just an overwhelming amount of crappy cheese on them.
I know, I know, I tend to say that the cheese is the least important part, because how can cheese be bad? But...I guess Vito wanted to prove me wrong. It was just a really cheap white cheese blend, and laid on really thick, and not fully melted, and gummy and gross.
The sauce was fine--a bright sauce, which is nice (and needed to combat that cheese), and the crust was thin and floppy. It was, overall, very greasy and heavy and I needed large amounts of red pepper to choke down a slice and a half. I'm pretty sure by the end I was wishing I'd just spent my 5 bucks at Jimmy John's again.
Later that evening I went to the Barrelhouse present's Big Lucks reading at Wonderland, and because I'd been running around all day, I didn't get a chance to eat dinner beforehand. This seems to happen to me every time I go to Wonderland for a reading, and I'm really sick of their menu, to be honest. It's fine every now and again, but you don't want to go there when you're actually hungry. So...I decided to forgo eating, while hoping that my tummy wouldn't growl too loudly during the reading.
The one thing I didn't take into account though when making this decision was that they had Two Hearted on tap, and it was happy hour. Uh...so I drank 2 of those, and was drunk (I'm pathetic.) And so...a bit later, once the reading was done, I needed food for real if I was going to make it home. I went to Pete's and managed to get 2 far superior slices of pizza for the same price I'd paid at lunch. Ugh. Go Pete's, and fuck College Park.
Back to the reading real quick--you know, Wonderland host's the Mock Turtle, and I always figured that the reason Wonderland was so crappy during our readings is because it was a Friday night and they really didn't want us there/felt like they were doing us some huge favor. But what's typical of Mock Turtle's? Oh, the bar isn't ready. Oh, the sound system isn't working. Oh, the chair's aren't set up. Oh, our bartender called in. They're just never prepared or happy to have us there.
I thought it was just us. But clearly, it's not. Barrelhouse was doing a Thursday reading (and I would imagine they'd be more hospitable to a Thursday event than a Friday one...) and they were told, upon arrival, that they had the date wrong, that the bar wouldn't be open for the event (seems like a great way to lose money, Wonderland...) , there was no sound system at all (cos everyone loves listening poetry and fiction when it's shouted from a stage), and no AC.
They pulled off a decent reading in spite of this. Good job guys.
I forgot my lunch and had to run out at noon for something to eat. I weighed my options...chipotle? Jimmy Johns? Taco Bell? I was pretty burned out on the College Park options...but then I remembered that there was Vito's Pizza at the end of the "revolving door" strip mall (I call it this because nothing in that strip lasts more than a few months...). A few months before, it had been Tony's pizza. Before that...something, I can't remember. The location has housed at least 4 different places since I moved to the area. Anyhow, I'd not tried Vito's pizza, and I figured I should. It's one of the few pizza (or pizzaesque) joints I'd not yet tried in College Park.
Their student special was 2 slices of plain cheese and a can of pop for 5 dollars. I suppose that's decent.
The pizza wasn't though. I was pretty hungry, but couldn't finish both slices. Not because they were too generous--they were average sized slices, and quite thin--but because they had just an overwhelming amount of crappy cheese on them.
I know, I know, I tend to say that the cheese is the least important part, because how can cheese be bad? But...I guess Vito wanted to prove me wrong. It was just a really cheap white cheese blend, and laid on really thick, and not fully melted, and gummy and gross.
The sauce was fine--a bright sauce, which is nice (and needed to combat that cheese), and the crust was thin and floppy. It was, overall, very greasy and heavy and I needed large amounts of red pepper to choke down a slice and a half. I'm pretty sure by the end I was wishing I'd just spent my 5 bucks at Jimmy John's again.
Later that evening I went to the Barrelhouse present's Big Lucks reading at Wonderland, and because I'd been running around all day, I didn't get a chance to eat dinner beforehand. This seems to happen to me every time I go to Wonderland for a reading, and I'm really sick of their menu, to be honest. It's fine every now and again, but you don't want to go there when you're actually hungry. So...I decided to forgo eating, while hoping that my tummy wouldn't growl too loudly during the reading.
The one thing I didn't take into account though when making this decision was that they had Two Hearted on tap, and it was happy hour. Uh...so I drank 2 of those, and was drunk (I'm pathetic.) And so...a bit later, once the reading was done, I needed food for real if I was going to make it home. I went to Pete's and managed to get 2 far superior slices of pizza for the same price I'd paid at lunch. Ugh. Go Pete's, and fuck College Park.
Back to the reading real quick--you know, Wonderland host's the Mock Turtle, and I always figured that the reason Wonderland was so crappy during our readings is because it was a Friday night and they really didn't want us there/felt like they were doing us some huge favor. But what's typical of Mock Turtle's? Oh, the bar isn't ready. Oh, the sound system isn't working. Oh, the chair's aren't set up. Oh, our bartender called in. They're just never prepared or happy to have us there.
I thought it was just us. But clearly, it's not. Barrelhouse was doing a Thursday reading (and I would imagine they'd be more hospitable to a Thursday event than a Friday one...) and they were told, upon arrival, that they had the date wrong, that the bar wouldn't be open for the event (seems like a great way to lose money, Wonderland...) , there was no sound system at all (cos everyone loves listening poetry and fiction when it's shouted from a stage), and no AC.
They pulled off a decent reading in spite of this. Good job guys.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
pizzaesque
Last night, I went out to Mosaic Cafe in College Park to share a Mezze with a very nice gentleman named Ross. I tried Manakish with Za'atar for the first time, which was tasty and somewhat pizzaesque, at least in shape. It was a bit greasy, but I think that had more to do with the restaurant than the dish...it's certainly a dish I would eat again. It had a strong thyme flavor, and I adore thyme. But let's be honest---I'm SO spoiled on middle eastern cuisine. Both times I've eaten at Mosaic, I just wasn't impressed. Their falafel was over seasoned and a bit mushy, and while many things we tried on our Mezze were pleasantly spicy, none of it was all that great. The real problem was the bread though--just a plain somewhat dry pita. Too thick. Everything would have tasted much better with a fresh, thin, chewy and warm blanket of lavash. I can at least look forward to going to Shawarma King in a few weeks when I'm back in Michigan.
Anyhow. It was worth noting though that I was in good company, and I ate something tasty and somewhat pizza-like.
Anyhow. It was worth noting though that I was in good company, and I ate something tasty and somewhat pizza-like.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Dreams do come true!
By way of slice, an admittedly far superior pizza blog ...
There is an upcoming pizza event that combines two of my favorite things into a single afternoon of delights: the nyc pizza run!
Participants must run 2.25 miles, while stopping at three checkpoints along the way to consume slices of pizza.
It takes place Sept. 19th. Who's with me? I say we start training now with daily pizza jogs.
There is an upcoming pizza event that combines two of my favorite things into a single afternoon of delights: the nyc pizza run!
Participants must run 2.25 miles, while stopping at three checkpoints along the way to consume slices of pizza.
It takes place Sept. 19th. Who's with me? I say we start training now with daily pizza jogs.
best concept(s) ever
So, two things worth noting here.
First, I heard of this magical sounding place in Petworth that serves both really good wood-oven pizza AND authentic Salvadorean food, which means I could have pizza and pupusas together.
Second, I recently had my photo taken for my office door sign, and Mike, the AV dude, took it in front of a green screen. It's pretty much my fave pic taken of me in years. He then sent me the version that I can put in front of any background I want. I'm trying to figure this out, and then put together something funny and pizza related for this blog. It's hard to tell whether I want to try to make this thing look more "professional" or not--clearly, it was hastily laid out, and it is generally lazily produced. I could do more with it, for sure. But...we'll see. Maybe some stylized pizza banner including this smiling mug here:
What do you think? Maybe I can snagit in a little speech bubble that says "I judge people who say 'za'." Hah.
First, I heard of this magical sounding place in Petworth that serves both really good wood-oven pizza AND authentic Salvadorean food, which means I could have pizza and pupusas together.
Second, I recently had my photo taken for my office door sign, and Mike, the AV dude, took it in front of a green screen. It's pretty much my fave pic taken of me in years. He then sent me the version that I can put in front of any background I want. I'm trying to figure this out, and then put together something funny and pizza related for this blog. It's hard to tell whether I want to try to make this thing look more "professional" or not--clearly, it was hastily laid out, and it is generally lazily produced. I could do more with it, for sure. But...we'll see. Maybe some stylized pizza banner including this smiling mug here:
What do you think? Maybe I can snagit in a little speech bubble that says "I judge people who say 'za'." Hah.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
midyear roundup
So, I'm now more than halfway into this year of pizza eating adventures. It's time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the uh, maybe I should try that again...
The Good
Best DC pizza:
Red Rocks in Columbia Heights. I want to return for their brunch pizza, cos egg on a pizza is one of my favorite things.
runners up:
Comet Ping Pong I would go to Comet all the time if it wasn't so out of the way--good pizza, good beer, and ping pong. What more can a girl ask for? Plus, they offer fresh jalepeno peppers as a topping.
Pete's Apizza in Columbia Heights. Good beer list, Boylan's fountain, and pizza meant for sharing. I like it. I just wish the crust was a touch crisper.
While the Fire and Smoke pizza at Matchbox was very good, Matchbox doesn't make the good list for DC in general cos it's just too soggy to be worth the wait and prices.
Best Baltimore pizza:
Iggies, easily. Pear pizza. Oh sweet Jesus. Look at how happy we all are after eating there for Noah's birthday! Well...happy and or so stuffed we're in agony (see Adam P at the back of the table...)
Best Jumbo Slice:
Who cares? I'm drunk and I need my pizza flavored bedsheet.
Best Chain/Takeout/Delivery:
Mamma Lucia's Actually, this pizza could be better than Pete's Apizza, but Pete's wins in the atmosphere department.
Best NY Slice in the Village: Joe's Pizza. Especially at 11am, just after they've opened, or at 2am, just before catching the PATH to Jersey.
Runner Up:
Pizza Box. But only if I eat it with my brother.
Best Frozen Pizza: Trader Joe's Quattro Formagi
Best "I'm drunk and want frozen pizza but I spent all my money at the bar" pizza: Tony's crispy crust.
Best "Pizzaesque" food: Totino's pizza rolls. I had these for the first time in years the other day. They were surprisingly great. I'm shocked.
BEST PIZZA EVER: Totonno's, Coney Island. They've reopened after the fire, finally. I hope it's still as good as I remember...going back soon.
The Bad
Truly bad pizza is few and far between. But it exists, and I've found it.
Ella's--I was so pissed off by this pizza visit. Was it the worst pizza I've ever had? No. But the experience overall was just awful.
Franklin's--dudes, get yo shizz together.
Domino's--even if the campaign is true and your pizza technically tastes better than it used to, it couldn't have been to difficult to improve on the old stuff, the pizza you delivered looked like it had fallen out of the box onto the floor and put back into the box, and it took like, an hour to get to me, despite your online pizza tracker's claims that my pizza had been successfully delivered.
Runner Up:
What does it mean to be a runner up in the bad pizza category? It means your Ledo pizza. I only ever eat this at workplace quarterly staff meetings. And I eat like, 30 little square pieces of it in a single sitting. But it's not good. Not good at all.
Deserving of a Second Chance?
People keep telling me that my bad pizza experience at Pizzeria Paradiso wasn't typical. Maybe I'll try again and go to the Georgetown location this time. But if that sauce is all nasty and tinny again, you all are officially crazy for loving this place.
Still Need to Visit
In DC, there are several places I've not been to yet.
1: 2Amy's. Guys, I really do want to go, I swear. It's just so far away though. Let's go, k? Just someone else drive.
2: I'm fairly strongly predisposed towards hating We, the Pizza for many reasons, not least of them being their grammatically mind boggling "manifesto" (We is making your head hurts).
3: Radius. I actually may have eaten this pizza already--see the early post about watching "Jennifer's Body" and eating mystery pizza. I'm not sure though. Memories of that evening are very...uh...hazy.
4: That Italian market place out somewhere (maybe suburban?) that supposedly has awesome pizza. Considering I know SOOO much about the place, accomplishing this one might be tricky. (Thanks to Google, I'm thinking it's Vace or the Italian Store)
5: Places you tell me to eat. Isn't there some new joint over on U street?
The Good
Best DC pizza:
Red Rocks in Columbia Heights. I want to return for their brunch pizza, cos egg on a pizza is one of my favorite things.
runners up:
Comet Ping Pong I would go to Comet all the time if it wasn't so out of the way--good pizza, good beer, and ping pong. What more can a girl ask for? Plus, they offer fresh jalepeno peppers as a topping.
Pete's Apizza in Columbia Heights. Good beer list, Boylan's fountain, and pizza meant for sharing. I like it. I just wish the crust was a touch crisper.
While the Fire and Smoke pizza at Matchbox was very good, Matchbox doesn't make the good list for DC in general cos it's just too soggy to be worth the wait and prices.
Best Baltimore pizza:
Iggies, easily. Pear pizza. Oh sweet Jesus. Look at how happy we all are after eating there for Noah's birthday! Well...happy and or so stuffed we're in agony (see Adam P at the back of the table...)
Best Jumbo Slice:
Who cares? I'm drunk and I need my pizza flavored bedsheet.
Best Chain/Takeout/Delivery:
Mamma Lucia's Actually, this pizza could be better than Pete's Apizza, but Pete's wins in the atmosphere department.
Best NY Slice in the Village: Joe's Pizza. Especially at 11am, just after they've opened, or at 2am, just before catching the PATH to Jersey.
Runner Up:
Pizza Box. But only if I eat it with my brother.
Best Frozen Pizza: Trader Joe's Quattro Formagi
Best "I'm drunk and want frozen pizza but I spent all my money at the bar" pizza: Tony's crispy crust.
Best "Pizzaesque" food: Totino's pizza rolls. I had these for the first time in years the other day. They were surprisingly great. I'm shocked.
BEST PIZZA EVER: Totonno's, Coney Island. They've reopened after the fire, finally. I hope it's still as good as I remember...going back soon.
The Bad
Truly bad pizza is few and far between. But it exists, and I've found it.
Ella's--I was so pissed off by this pizza visit. Was it the worst pizza I've ever had? No. But the experience overall was just awful.
Franklin's--dudes, get yo shizz together.
Domino's--even if the campaign is true and your pizza technically tastes better than it used to, it couldn't have been to difficult to improve on the old stuff, the pizza you delivered looked like it had fallen out of the box onto the floor and put back into the box, and it took like, an hour to get to me, despite your online pizza tracker's claims that my pizza had been successfully delivered.
Runner Up:
What does it mean to be a runner up in the bad pizza category? It means your Ledo pizza. I only ever eat this at workplace quarterly staff meetings. And I eat like, 30 little square pieces of it in a single sitting. But it's not good. Not good at all.
Deserving of a Second Chance?
People keep telling me that my bad pizza experience at Pizzeria Paradiso wasn't typical. Maybe I'll try again and go to the Georgetown location this time. But if that sauce is all nasty and tinny again, you all are officially crazy for loving this place.
Still Need to Visit
In DC, there are several places I've not been to yet.
1: 2Amy's. Guys, I really do want to go, I swear. It's just so far away though. Let's go, k? Just someone else drive.
2: I'm fairly strongly predisposed towards hating We, the Pizza for many reasons, not least of them being their grammatically mind boggling "manifesto" (We is making your head hurts).
3: Radius. I actually may have eaten this pizza already--see the early post about watching "Jennifer's Body" and eating mystery pizza. I'm not sure though. Memories of that evening are very...uh...hazy.
4: That Italian market place out somewhere (maybe suburban?) that supposedly has awesome pizza. Considering I know SOOO much about the place, accomplishing this one might be tricky. (Thanks to Google, I'm thinking it's Vace or the Italian Store)
5: Places you tell me to eat. Isn't there some new joint over on U street?
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Homegrown
I ate a sample of something pizzaesque yesterday at Trader Joe's that was so good, I went home and made it for myself.
Trader Joe's sells frozen naan bread in both plain and garlic variates. They're really good and I almost always have it in my freezer--typical dinner for me is a piece of naan, greek yogurt with olive oil, and veggies. Anyhow, the sample was garlic naan topped with lemon pepper zucchini. I took this idea and ran with it when I got home.
First, I thinly sliced some zucchini that I bought last Thursday at the Riverdale farmer's market. Then, I tossed it with some olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Then, I halved a few heirloom cherry tomatoes that I also purchased at the farmers market. I took the zucchini and tomatoes and sauteed them for a few minutes on the stove top, till they juuust started to soften, while also preheating the oven to 425. Then, I arranged the veggies on a piece of frozen garlic naan and sprinkled some parmesan on top, and put it in the oven for 2 minutes. Viola, really, really tasty light persona-size pizzaesque thingbobbit.
It was way better than tonight's dinner. Tonight's dinner was a big romaine salad...and I guess I just didn't wash the romaine well enough, cos halfway through debo-ing it, I noticed a large quantity of neon green aphids chillin on the romaine, wondering what they were doing doused in vinegarette. Ick.
Trader Joe's sells frozen naan bread in both plain and garlic variates. They're really good and I almost always have it in my freezer--typical dinner for me is a piece of naan, greek yogurt with olive oil, and veggies. Anyhow, the sample was garlic naan topped with lemon pepper zucchini. I took this idea and ran with it when I got home.
First, I thinly sliced some zucchini that I bought last Thursday at the Riverdale farmer's market. Then, I tossed it with some olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Then, I halved a few heirloom cherry tomatoes that I also purchased at the farmers market. I took the zucchini and tomatoes and sauteed them for a few minutes on the stove top, till they juuust started to soften, while also preheating the oven to 425. Then, I arranged the veggies on a piece of frozen garlic naan and sprinkled some parmesan on top, and put it in the oven for 2 minutes. Viola, really, really tasty light persona-size pizzaesque thingbobbit.
It was way better than tonight's dinner. Tonight's dinner was a big romaine salad...and I guess I just didn't wash the romaine well enough, cos halfway through debo-ing it, I noticed a large quantity of neon green aphids chillin on the romaine, wondering what they were doing doused in vinegarette. Ick.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Put on some lipstick...maybe some eyeliner...i think you'll find that things are fine and they're gonna get much finer.
When I feel at my worst, I tend to take care of myself in the best ways. I'm in bed fast asleep by 10:30 (and I nap after work, too). I stay very hydrated. I cook only very healthy meals...and don't have much of an appetite. I run and I run and I run. Think of that seminar paper in May of last year: I ran so much that I gave myself a stress fracture in both the literal and figurative sense.
It's when I'm happy that I eat and I don't care. Pizza. French fries (man, what is it with my level of happiness and my love of french fries? I think I was hitting up five guys once a week for the month of june), ice cream...when i'm in it, i'm a pig in dirt. when i'm in it, i'm a wagonload of devils.
It's like...when I started this blog, I was trying to force myself into some happier mood via filling the happiness void with pizza. You'll remember it didn't work, even with a steady pizza intake. I wasn't ever really enjoying it. I was kinda faking it. I was just throwing myself into something (not unlike a long run) to keep my mind off the problems at hand. And...what didn't really make it in here was the fact that those 3 or 4 pizza meals per week were like, compensation for the 20 salads with flax crackers that I'd been eating (and lettuce wraps stuffed with cheese, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, and horseradish. actually...that sounds like a good lunch...hmmm).
And then, boom. Stuff got better. I graduated. I met a guy. I had a job. I had a house that came equipped with a large garden, concrete countertops, washer, dryer, and a laboradoodle. I was eating pizza all the time (and why not? it was for the blog! it was in the name of...literary science! And the best new years resolution ever, to boot!) and thinking I'd blog about it...later. When stuff stopped feeling so good. When I had time. When I wasn't out doing something awesome.
Gosh, what's my point? My point is...look at what I do when I'm unhappy. When I need to stay preoccupied. I get the bills paid early. I follow a healthy diet and exercise plan without trying. I read books and yet still manage to get 8 hours of sleep. I submit to publications. I study for the GRE. I finally catch up on Daria. I write poems. I write journals. I write papers. I write blogs. I'm...a better version of me? I'm proving some point? I socialize on weekends. I go to house parties and basement shows and dancing. I dress really nice. I wear more eyeliner. Is it the general haze of glumness that settles upon me when I stop moving for too long that motivates me? Is it something deep in my subconsious breathing down my neck about some version of the American dream? "Do this and you'll find streets paved with gold. You'll be happy. You'll be happy!"
Is this what we all do? Or am I crazy?
It's when I'm happy that I eat and I don't care. Pizza. French fries (man, what is it with my level of happiness and my love of french fries? I think I was hitting up five guys once a week for the month of june), ice cream...when i'm in it, i'm a pig in dirt. when i'm in it, i'm a wagonload of devils.
It's like...when I started this blog, I was trying to force myself into some happier mood via filling the happiness void with pizza. You'll remember it didn't work, even with a steady pizza intake. I wasn't ever really enjoying it. I was kinda faking it. I was just throwing myself into something (not unlike a long run) to keep my mind off the problems at hand. And...what didn't really make it in here was the fact that those 3 or 4 pizza meals per week were like, compensation for the 20 salads with flax crackers that I'd been eating (and lettuce wraps stuffed with cheese, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, and horseradish. actually...that sounds like a good lunch...hmmm).
And then, boom. Stuff got better. I graduated. I met a guy. I had a job. I had a house that came equipped with a large garden, concrete countertops, washer, dryer, and a laboradoodle. I was eating pizza all the time (and why not? it was for the blog! it was in the name of...literary science! And the best new years resolution ever, to boot!) and thinking I'd blog about it...later. When stuff stopped feeling so good. When I had time. When I wasn't out doing something awesome.
Gosh, what's my point? My point is...look at what I do when I'm unhappy. When I need to stay preoccupied. I get the bills paid early. I follow a healthy diet and exercise plan without trying. I read books and yet still manage to get 8 hours of sleep. I submit to publications. I study for the GRE. I finally catch up on Daria. I write poems. I write journals. I write papers. I write blogs. I'm...a better version of me? I'm proving some point? I socialize on weekends. I go to house parties and basement shows and dancing. I dress really nice. I wear more eyeliner. Is it the general haze of glumness that settles upon me when I stop moving for too long that motivates me? Is it something deep in my subconsious breathing down my neck about some version of the American dream? "Do this and you'll find streets paved with gold. You'll be happy. You'll be happy!"
Is this what we all do? Or am I crazy?
Monday, June 28, 2010
Jersey Shore Style
This past weekend, I trekked to the Jersey Shore and had a wonderful weekend with my family and friends. Now, I'm struggling to figure out how I can re-appropriate the acronym GTL for my pizza blog...um...Greasy Tasty um...Lunch? Are there any words starting with L that are associated with pizza? Or starting with G or T for that matter? I'm thinking of slice, pie, um...yeah, even Za (shudder...) Other slang we know of? Please share!
Anyhow, while down the shore, I tried to maximize my pizza exposure by eating pizza flavored Combos during my drive up, and by going to 'A Slice of Heaven' Saturday night.
The combos...where to begin? Do they even count as pizza-esque? It's hard to say--certain pizza flavored things do manage to be pleasantly reminiscent of pizza. Case in point? Keebler's Pizzarias in the 80s and 90s. Best pizza chips EVER. Good enough that petitions for their return exist. But the Combos? Um...well. Not so great. They were the pretzel type, and...they mostly tasted like pretzels with cheese dust, not pizza-esque. It needed...more modified tomato product and artificial oregano essences, I think. They did fulfill my need to chomp on things whilst driving in traffic, so in that sense, they were satisfying. However, in regards to flavor and satiation, they failed quite miserably as a foodstuff.
Once I arrived at the shore, I got to spend some wonderful time with Anne and Karen, two of my best friends from Kalamazoo. Anne has been mentioned here several times already, and even been credited as my inspiration and muse for the pizza blog. Karen, however, was unaware of the pizza blog prior to this weekend. She's been inducted, now, and was a willing pizza accomplice Saturday night when we went out on the town.
We started our evening at Fantasy Island Amusement Park. Were my fantasies fulfilled? You know it. How, you ask? Well...they had skee ball. And no shore vacation could be complete in my mind without some serious skee ball.
All of that skee ball, however, works up an appetite, so of course we had to grab a post skee ball slice next door at Slice of Heaven. Yes folks, you read it right. I got to experience the fulfillment of my fantasies and heaven both in one night. Such joys can only be had at the Jersey shore, clearly.
Was my slice heavenly? Texture-wise...yes! It was a very nicely crisp but pliable thin crusted slice. Toppings wise? It had fallen from grace a bit. The sauce was weak and a bit too canned tasting, and the cheese was a bit oily and cheap tasting...that is, by the end of my slice, it had congealed into something more like solid grease and salt, and less like a dairy product. But, nonetheless, a slice at that moment did make me quite happy.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
people been talking
So, yeah. I've not reviewed any pizza lately. People are noticing. They're talking. They're suggesting I fell off the pizza wagon, maybe.
Maybe.
Or, maybe I've just found myself preoccupied with other things. Graduating. Preparing to move. New job.
Or...maybe I've lost my pizza mojo.
I need my pizza mojo back. I want you all to help me. Hence, I'm planning a pizza mojo party, soon.
But what goes into a pizza mojo party? Do we have pizza baking competitions? Do we see what toppings work best on pizzas (to recall Australia Day 2007, gummy bear pizza anyone?) or do we go out to a restaurant for a ridiculous pizza feast?
You tell me. How do I get my pizza mojo back?
Maybe.
Or, maybe I've just found myself preoccupied with other things. Graduating. Preparing to move. New job.
Or...maybe I've lost my pizza mojo.
I need my pizza mojo back. I want you all to help me. Hence, I'm planning a pizza mojo party, soon.
But what goes into a pizza mojo party? Do we have pizza baking competitions? Do we see what toppings work best on pizzas (to recall Australia Day 2007, gummy bear pizza anyone?) or do we go out to a restaurant for a ridiculous pizza feast?
You tell me. How do I get my pizza mojo back?
Thursday, May 6, 2010
hot pockets
So, when I was out of work and uncertain of my future, I bought a bunch of hot pockets--well, lean pockets--cos they were on sale. Is it a good idea, nutritionally, to go on a hot pocket diet? Absolutely not. And this is especially true when there are only two vegetarian varieties of lean pocket: cheddar and broccoli, and pizza. But whatever. For a week I was having a hot pocket for either lunch or dinner, and, with the sale price, they broke down to less than 75 cents per meal.
Now, a pizza hot pocket counts as pizza-esque, so I'm going to review it. The box proclaimed some nonsense about a newly improved seasoned pocket. I don't have much to compare for, so I'll take their word for it, but the seasoning seemed to be mostly salt. Newly improved salted crust? Ok.
So, for those unfamiliar with hot pocket preparation, let me fill you in. Hot pockets do not come with origamiable boxes. No no. They come with crisping sleeves that, in theory, transform into carrying cases post-microwaving, for ease of carrying, and mess and burn free eating. But, look. I ate like, half a dozen hot pockets in two weeks, and let me tell you. The crisping sleeve fulfills neither of it's purposes well. My hot pockets were neither crispy, nor easier to handle thanks to this sleeve. In fact, in all cases, whilst following the microwave instructions to a t (and then later modifying them due to failures), every single time the hot pocket ruptured inside it's crisping sleeve, oozing saucy cheesy goo out of the sides of the sleeve. The subsequent mess made folding the sleeve into it's carrying pouch shape near impossible, and also defeated any neatness potential from the sleeve. The thin cardboard also did little to protect my fingers from the hot grease and cheese oozing from the hot pocket's core. I found that the best preparation method was to place the hot pocket in the sleeve out of simple faith or a childlike yearning to believe (one believes in the crisping potential of the sleeve much in the way one believes in leprechauns or the easter bunny), then place the hot pocket and sleeve on a few paper towels. Then, post microwaving, wrap the heated hot pocket in the paper towels to consume, slowly pushing it up through the cardboard crisping tube from the bottom, much like a push pop.
Uh, so. Yeah. How do they taste? They taste ok. Like cheese, sauce, and dough. The pizza ones are significantly tastier than the broccoli and cheddar ones. The dough is a bit gummy. They taste like junk food. They taste like salt. A lot of salt. They taste like they're not gonna fill you up. They taste like when you're done eating them, you're gonna feel like you didn't eat anything at all. And actually, often, they don't taste like much at all because I always burn my tongue on the first bite, when the innards explode onto my tongue like an erupting volcano. Also, I just re-read that last sentence and I'm thinking of breaking into a new literary genre of food porn writing.
Anyhow. The point is, I'm glad that I have a job again and I can stop eating hot pockets. The other point is, I won't be entertaining Jim Gaffigan jokes, so zip it.
On an entirely different note, my grandfather's kidney is failing. I'm not handling this news well.
Now, a pizza hot pocket counts as pizza-esque, so I'm going to review it. The box proclaimed some nonsense about a newly improved seasoned pocket. I don't have much to compare for, so I'll take their word for it, but the seasoning seemed to be mostly salt. Newly improved salted crust? Ok.
So, for those unfamiliar with hot pocket preparation, let me fill you in. Hot pockets do not come with origamiable boxes. No no. They come with crisping sleeves that, in theory, transform into carrying cases post-microwaving, for ease of carrying, and mess and burn free eating. But, look. I ate like, half a dozen hot pockets in two weeks, and let me tell you. The crisping sleeve fulfills neither of it's purposes well. My hot pockets were neither crispy, nor easier to handle thanks to this sleeve. In fact, in all cases, whilst following the microwave instructions to a t (and then later modifying them due to failures), every single time the hot pocket ruptured inside it's crisping sleeve, oozing saucy cheesy goo out of the sides of the sleeve. The subsequent mess made folding the sleeve into it's carrying pouch shape near impossible, and also defeated any neatness potential from the sleeve. The thin cardboard also did little to protect my fingers from the hot grease and cheese oozing from the hot pocket's core. I found that the best preparation method was to place the hot pocket in the sleeve out of simple faith or a childlike yearning to believe (one believes in the crisping potential of the sleeve much in the way one believes in leprechauns or the easter bunny), then place the hot pocket and sleeve on a few paper towels. Then, post microwaving, wrap the heated hot pocket in the paper towels to consume, slowly pushing it up through the cardboard crisping tube from the bottom, much like a push pop.
Uh, so. Yeah. How do they taste? They taste ok. Like cheese, sauce, and dough. The pizza ones are significantly tastier than the broccoli and cheddar ones. The dough is a bit gummy. They taste like junk food. They taste like salt. A lot of salt. They taste like they're not gonna fill you up. They taste like when you're done eating them, you're gonna feel like you didn't eat anything at all. And actually, often, they don't taste like much at all because I always burn my tongue on the first bite, when the innards explode onto my tongue like an erupting volcano. Also, I just re-read that last sentence and I'm thinking of breaking into a new literary genre of food porn writing.
Anyhow. The point is, I'm glad that I have a job again and I can stop eating hot pockets. The other point is, I won't be entertaining Jim Gaffigan jokes, so zip it.
On an entirely different note, my grandfather's kidney is failing. I'm not handling this news well.
Friday, April 30, 2010
back in the saddle. the pizza eating saddle.
I'm back. I have gainful employment again starting Monday, I passed my thesis defense and earned my master's degree, and though he's not really well, my grandfather is out of the hospital. I feel I can write again without it feeling frivolous.
Oh geez, but there is so much to catch up on!
I have 4 things to tell you all about: the Food Wars DC episode, Denver pizza, hot pockets (yes, hot pockets), and Comet pizza (and ping pong!).
Hold me to it, I'm gonna start here with the Food Wars.
So, back in February during Snowtorious B.I.G., the Travel Channel came to DC to pit Jumbo Slice against Pizza Mart in Adams Morgan, to see who had the better ginormous slice of pizza (they double as bedsheets for those too drunk to make it home). You can see my original review of a DC jumbo slice from Pizza Mart in my very first pizza blog endeavor here (it's pizza number 3). I'm sad that I missed this moment in DC pizza television history due to the snow. Pizza Mart, my choice between the two, did come out on top, and Carla of Top Chef fame (my all time fave Top Chef, too) chose the winner. It was a good slice of tv, and I recommend checkin it out.
Now. Look forward to the other posts over the next few days. I promise.
Oh geez, but there is so much to catch up on!
I have 4 things to tell you all about: the Food Wars DC episode, Denver pizza, hot pockets (yes, hot pockets), and Comet pizza (and ping pong!).
Hold me to it, I'm gonna start here with the Food Wars.
So, back in February during Snowtorious B.I.G., the Travel Channel came to DC to pit Jumbo Slice against Pizza Mart in Adams Morgan, to see who had the better ginormous slice of pizza (they double as bedsheets for those too drunk to make it home). You can see my original review of a DC jumbo slice from Pizza Mart in my very first pizza blog endeavor here (it's pizza number 3). I'm sad that I missed this moment in DC pizza television history due to the snow. Pizza Mart, my choice between the two, did come out on top, and Carla of Top Chef fame (my all time fave Top Chef, too) chose the winner. It was a good slice of tv, and I recommend checkin it out.
Now. Look forward to the other posts over the next few days. I promise.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
need to update
I have stuff to write about Denver and the pizza I ate there, and I have photos to post, but I've not really been feeling up to it lately. I got laid off unexpectedly on Tuesday, and it's been a really ugly mess. The situation is kinda complex, and I'm really bummed out. I'm also frantically searching for a new job. Also, my grandfather is in the hospital, which I can't even think about right now without getting very upset. So, due to all around blah-ness, I'm taking a short pizza blogging break.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Pizza fun fact of the day
In Scotland chip shops, they serve a dish known as deep-fried pizza. It is what it sounds like, and more! Not only is the pizza deep-fried (both battered and non-battered varieties are available, with the battered type going by 'pizza crunch'), but then it's served with french fries--and the fries are often stuffed inside the pizza like a pizza and french fry sandwich--and smothered in brown sauce.
I...want it?
Check the wiki article for it here
On a different note, I'm headed to Denver this afternoon for the AWP conference. Hopefully while I'm there I'll get to eat some local pizza. How will Denver pizza compare to DC? We'll have to see...
I...want it?
Check the wiki article for it here
On a different note, I'm headed to Denver this afternoon for the AWP conference. Hopefully while I'm there I'll get to eat some local pizza. How will Denver pizza compare to DC? We'll have to see...
Monday, April 5, 2010
ZOMG!
It's National Deep Dish Pizza Day! According to Answers.com, National Deep Dish Pizza Day was established "to celebrate Chicago deep dish pizza—originated by Uno’s—and the efforts by Uno Chicago Grill to bring deep dish pizza to the entire United States. The original restaurant, which opened in 1943, began serving deep dish as a way to make sure hungry families could get a “real meal” when it came to pizza. Up to that point, pizza was hardly more than a snack. Annually celebrated on the anniversary of the day (Apr 5, 1979) that the first restaurant outside Chicago opened (in Boston, MA)."
Uh, so clearly some PR preson from Uno's had their hand in this (and in the writing of that "answer") but hey! It's a pizza holiday! Go eat some deep dish (and yes, I'll recommend Armand's--or you could go all the way to Georgetown to eat at an Uno outlet, but why would you want to?) .
Big thanks to Ernie (see previous post) for bringing this to my attention.
Uh, so clearly some PR preson from Uno's had their hand in this (and in the writing of that "answer") but hey! It's a pizza holiday! Go eat some deep dish (and yes, I'll recommend Armand's--or you could go all the way to Georgetown to eat at an Uno outlet, but why would you want to?) .
Big thanks to Ernie (see previous post) for bringing this to my attention.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Chicago-esque...
Happy Easter!
I desperately need to take my mind off the gobs of candy I've eaten today, and w
riting about pizza seems like a good way to do that.
So. I went on a date Friday night. A pizza date. And what was extra exciting about this pizza date was the fact that my date, Ernie, suggested a pizzeria that I'd never even heard of--a totally off my pizza radar restaurant! It was called Armand's, and was in Silver Spring (though, it's a mostly local chain). I was quite impressed with my smooth-voiced (really, he had a very nice voice) and stylish date's ability to find a place that I didn't even know existed. That's what's so magical about pizza--there is always new pizza out there to discover. I was also impressed with my date's thoughtfulness in bringing a camera along as a surprise, since he felt photos were missing from my blog. However, you'll notice that there are no photos here yet. He's not emailed me them... yet. He says he
's forgetful. Maybe he'll read this and remember. Right?
Anyhow, so, the atmosphere was a nice blend of "dive" and "mom and pop" restaurant, and my seat looked like a throne/church pew. Awesome. The place specialized in "Chicago Style" deep dish.
So. Chicago pizza. I've had it. In Chicago. Many times. I know...how it really should be. Relatively thin crust (all things considered) made with a bit of cornmeal (mmmcornmeal crust), and then just tons and tons of sauce, toppings, and cheese. Then, when served, the waiter serves up the first slice with flair, managing all of the cheese in a graceful swoop. Armand's...doesn't quite have it down. The crust was too thick (common error with chicago-style wannabes) and the server DID serve the first slice, but maybe not with the flair of a Chicago slice server. He did do a good job though, and truth be told, sometimes you don't want the glitz and showmanship, right?
The pizza, overall, was very, very good. The crust, though not exactly right, was very tasty. It surprised me, since normally I don't like really doughy crusts (hi, pizzeria paradiso...). The sauce was good--a darker sauce, without being too sweet--and the toppings (mushroom and onion) were generous and fresh (no canned mushrooms here). The cheese was glorious (they could have made a commercial about it in 1987, it was so glorious indeed. ). Overall, it was a great meal. I was impressed. And, on the rare chance that the urge for deep dish pizza were to strike me, I'd return. But, I mean, I do have a bias towards thinner crusted pizza. I like it when I can eat ungodly amounts of pizza. Deep dish is too filling for my inner glutton to be satisfied. I only ate 2.5 slices. I need to eat like, a whole pizza to feel like I've done a good job...
The rest of the evening was special. It involved awkward times with singing pirates. You may think I'm making this up, but I'm not. Singing pirate awkwardness aside, it was a good night though. I hope I have pictures to add to this post soon.
I desperately need to take my mind off the gobs of candy I've eaten today, and w
riting about pizza seems like a good way to do that.So. I went on a date Friday night. A pizza date. And what was extra exciting about this pizza date was the fact that my date, Ernie, suggested a pizzeria that I'd never even heard of--a totally off my pizza radar restaurant! It was called Armand's, and was in Silver Spring (though, it's a mostly local chain). I was quite impressed with my smooth-voiced (really, he had a very nice voice) and stylish date's ability to find a place that I didn't even know existed. That's what's so magical about pizza--there is always new pizza out there to discover. I was also impressed with my date's thoughtfulness in bringing a camera along as a surprise, since he felt photos were missing from my blog. However, you'll notice that there are no photos here yet. He's not emailed me them... yet. He says he
's forgetful. Maybe he'll read this and remember. Right?Anyhow, so, the atmosphere was a nice blend of "dive" and "mom and pop" restaurant, and my seat looked like a throne/church pew. Awesome. The place specialized in "Chicago Style" deep dish.
So. Chicago pizza. I've had it. In Chicago. Many times. I know...how it really should be. Relatively thin crust (all things considered) made with a bit of cornmeal (mmmcornmeal crust), and then just tons and tons of sauce, toppings, and cheese. Then, when served, the waiter serves up the first slice with flair, managing all of the cheese in a graceful swoop. Armand's...doesn't quite have it down. The crust was too thick (common error with chicago-style wannabes) and the server DID serve the first slice, but maybe not with the flair of a Chicago slice server. He did do a good job though, and truth be told, sometimes you don't want the glitz and showmanship, right?
The pizza, overall, was very, very good. The crust, though not exactly right, was very tasty. It surprised me, since normally I don't like really doughy crusts (hi, pizzeria paradiso...). The sauce was good--a darker sauce, without being too sweet--and the toppings (mushroom and onion) were generous and fresh (no canned mushrooms here). The cheese was glorious (they could have made a commercial about it in 1987, it was so glorious indeed. ). Overall, it was a great meal. I was impressed. And, on the rare chance that the urge for deep dish pizza were to strike me, I'd return. But, I mean, I do have a bias towards thinner crusted pizza. I like it when I can eat ungodly amounts of pizza. Deep dish is too filling for my inner glutton to be satisfied. I only ate 2.5 slices. I need to eat like, a whole pizza to feel like I've done a good job...
The rest of the evening was special. It involved awkward times with singing pirates. You may think I'm making this up, but I'm not. Singing pirate awkwardness aside, it was a good night though. I hope I have pictures to add to this post soon.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Pizzeria Paradiso is a Pizza Paradis-NO!
Over spring break, I coordinated with Adam P. (who is guilty of saying "za"...sigh) to have a "pizza happy hour" at Pizzeria Paradiso.
Pizzeria Paradiso has a reputation in DC as being "upscale" and "high quality" "artisan" pizza. They also have a great beer selection, and are somewhat beer-snobbish. I'm down with beer and pizza snobbery, to be honest. I like both of these things in both their highbrow and lowbrow forms. Anyhow, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Pizzeria Paradiso has a happy hour special where beers are half price, all appetizers are 5 dollars, and all pizzas are 9 dollars. Seemed worth checking out.
Upon actually arriving at Paradiso, however, I quickly realized something: while the beer special was indeed worthy, the pizza and appetizer specials were incredibly lame...for most of the pizzas, the special saved you between 35 cents and 1 dollar. Wooohooo! Thank God for the beer specials, otherwise I might have rolled my eyes and come back another day.
So, yes. As I said, Paradiso has this reputation for being snobby and excellent. But, I hate to say this...I wasn't impressed. There are several reasons for this, but I am going to outline the two major issues that I had.
1) The crust. I can appreciate regional variations on pizza. A New York style will be thin and floppy; a Chicago-style deep dish, yet still thin crusted, much like a pie; and Detroit will be a thicker deep dish and square in shape (caramelized edges, y'all.) But Paradiso didn't claim to have a regional style--they just claimed to have good pizza. In fact, according to their website, they claim that their main concern is the crust, "We opened Pizzeria Paradiso so we could make the kind of pizza we longed for but couldn't find in the DC area, the kind of pizza where the crust was the most important part."
Look, I agree. The crust IS the most important part. But Paradiso, if I may say so, your crust wasn't what I want in a pizza. Your crust was tasty, it's true. But it didn't seem like a pizza crust. The dish you served me tasted more like a foccacia--pillowy and thick and doughy. Very, very bread-like. Very, very heavy. Tasty, but not pizza. Very pizza-esque.
2.) The sauce. Paradiso also brags about their quality sauce which uses only imported tomatoes from Italy. When they say this on their website, however, I take it to mean that they only use that one type of canned tomatoes, not that the ONLY thing in their sauce is canned tomatoes. But, alack! That's what it tasted like: diced canned tomatoes spread on thick foccacia like dough. You're killing me Paradiso! I shouldn't be able to taste the metallic taste of tin can lingering in the sauce in every bite!
So, yeah. In my pizza quest, I won't be returning to Paradiso for their pizza alone any time soon. Maybe I'll return for the beer though. Maybe.
Pizzeria Paradiso has a reputation in DC as being "upscale" and "high quality" "artisan" pizza. They also have a great beer selection, and are somewhat beer-snobbish. I'm down with beer and pizza snobbery, to be honest. I like both of these things in both their highbrow and lowbrow forms. Anyhow, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Pizzeria Paradiso has a happy hour special where beers are half price, all appetizers are 5 dollars, and all pizzas are 9 dollars. Seemed worth checking out.
Upon actually arriving at Paradiso, however, I quickly realized something: while the beer special was indeed worthy, the pizza and appetizer specials were incredibly lame...for most of the pizzas, the special saved you between 35 cents and 1 dollar. Wooohooo! Thank God for the beer specials, otherwise I might have rolled my eyes and come back another day.
So, yes. As I said, Paradiso has this reputation for being snobby and excellent. But, I hate to say this...I wasn't impressed. There are several reasons for this, but I am going to outline the two major issues that I had.
1) The crust. I can appreciate regional variations on pizza. A New York style will be thin and floppy; a Chicago-style deep dish, yet still thin crusted, much like a pie; and Detroit will be a thicker deep dish and square in shape (caramelized edges, y'all.) But Paradiso didn't claim to have a regional style--they just claimed to have good pizza. In fact, according to their website, they claim that their main concern is the crust, "We opened Pizzeria Paradiso so we could make the kind of pizza we longed for but couldn't find in the DC area, the kind of pizza where the crust was the most important part."
Look, I agree. The crust IS the most important part. But Paradiso, if I may say so, your crust wasn't what I want in a pizza. Your crust was tasty, it's true. But it didn't seem like a pizza crust. The dish you served me tasted more like a foccacia--pillowy and thick and doughy. Very, very bread-like. Very, very heavy. Tasty, but not pizza. Very pizza-esque.
2.) The sauce. Paradiso also brags about their quality sauce which uses only imported tomatoes from Italy. When they say this on their website, however, I take it to mean that they only use that one type of canned tomatoes, not that the ONLY thing in their sauce is canned tomatoes. But, alack! That's what it tasted like: diced canned tomatoes spread on thick foccacia like dough. You're killing me Paradiso! I shouldn't be able to taste the metallic taste of tin can lingering in the sauce in every bite!
So, yeah. In my pizza quest, I won't be returning to Paradiso for their pizza alone any time soon. Maybe I'll return for the beer though. Maybe.
Monday, March 15, 2010
pizza weekend in nyc
I kind of wanted to title this "let's eat some pizza in Neeeew YOOOORRK!" in honor of the girl at the gelato place last night who was getting DOWN to the Alicia Keys song...which, for the record, isn't that good. Jay-Z helped her out with that one.
I am currently sitting in my brother's living room in Saddle Brook, NJ. I've pretty much eaten pizza exclusively since getting here yesterday afternoon. There was a scoop of gelato, a cup of coffee, and a cheese sandwich at Murray's (http://www.murrayscheese.com), but everything else has been pizza. Really. It's sickening. I love it.
I arrived at my brother's yesterday afternoon (much later than I'd hoped to arrive, due to being foiled by daylight savings time...grrr.). We headed straight into the city for some shopping in SoHo, and made plans to meet up with Anne for dinner. Before finding a neat segue into the pizza, let me talk for a minute about shopping in SoHo.
So...look, it's typical, it's not particularly hip, etc, but every single time I'm in New York, I end up in SoHo cos I love Uniqlo and Muji way too much. 19.50 for the best fitting jeans ever? Yes please. Seriously, between those 2 stores, I got new sneakers, jeans, 2 cardigans, socks, a notebook, my favorite candles, travel accessories, and more...for under 100 dollars. And all of it just fits so right. Sort of obsessed. Go Japan. Nick, fortunately, shares my passion for these two stores. I love that my brother is a man who shops.
Anyhow, after we Uniqlo'd and Muji'd it up, we walked down Bleeker Street singing the requisite Simon and Garfunkel song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5UY1t47TNY) to meet up with Anne and Steve at John's. Classic Village brick oven place. It's good. It's really good. In fact, it's not worth comparing it to other pizzas I've eaten up to this point this year (yes, there have been better pizzas in the past. But not yet in 2010). We were seated in a very cozy window booth, and it was one of those "historic" booths--everyone's name all scratched into it, etc. Anne, much like me, is a bit of a pizza purist--she prefers a good cheese pizza. I'd forgotten that Nick gave up meat for Lent, and so, much to my benefit, it turned into an all vegetarian pizza night. We got a large cheese and a large mushroom between the four of us, and none was wasted, that's for sure. We devoured those pizzas.
The crust was a dream: blistery with that nice charry taste, thin, chewy, crisp...mmm. The sauce was also well done--brightly flavored and very authentically tomato-y, not sugary or bitter, and perfectly distributed (I hate heavy handed sauce). The cheese was just a plain cheese, not fresh mozz slices, and it was also distributed in perfect balance. The mushrooms...were good. I don't know. I think that they maybe could have been more generous, but they were fresh mushrooms, so that's a plus. The cheese was, for me, the winner between the two, but both were very, very good. However, John's pizza reminded me of one of the greatest plights I face every time I eat truly good pizza. And in fact, this plight could indeed be the hallmark of a great slice for me. You see, when the pizza is just right and when the crust is really just that perfect balance of thin, crispy, chewy goodness, I get into the following trouble. You see, when it comes to food, I'm very impatient. I need a bite of that pizza as soon as it's set down, and I almost always burn the roof of my mouth on that first bite. And then, with the roof of my mouth all tender...it gets scraped by those sharp edges on that perfect, perfect end crusts...a truly good pizza, therefore, brings me both deep pleasure and a little pain. It's earned. I like that. Anyhow, after eating 5 slices (yes, 5), I was in serious need of some gelato to sooth my scraped up mouth. Really people, gelato is the only solution.
Before moving on to my next pizza, I need to pause to give Anne some credit here. You see, Anne really was the one who inspired me to make this pizza resolution and start this pizza blog, because Anne has told me in the past that, since moving to NYC for law school, she's been on a pizza quest, seeking out the best in New York. Every time I've stayed with her, we've gone out to try the most hyped up pizza joints, and visited some of the big classics. Together, in January of 2008, we went to Lombardi's (New York's original pizzeria), and found that, though it was good, it was perhaps not the best. She encouraged me to walk several extra blocks out of the way late one night when I needed a slicem in order to go to Famous Joe's on Carmine at Bleeker, even though I passed countless places en route from her dorm on Mercer (worth it. best slice, easily).Two summers ago, we trekked all the way out to Coney Island to go to Totonno's...which still stands as the best pizza I've ever had, made even better by the fact that we rode the Cyclone and walked around the boardwalk after the pizza. I really hope that Totonno's won't be changed too much by the fire that happened there last spring. That'd be heartbreaking. But anyhow. What I'm saying here is that Anne really deserves major props for being my inspiration in this blog, and the queen of the NYC pizza quest, and my sister in pizza eating adventures.
Anyhow. Today, in order to celebrate spring break, I did one of my favorite things...one of those things I rarely get the opportunity to do. I went into the city this morning and spent the entire day just walking around exploring by myself, window shopping and eating. Due to a slight train mishap, I didn't get to the city until 11am (note to self: when in Secacus, asking "Does this train go to Penn Station?" is a real gamble. The man was correct when he said "yes" but...he meant Newark Penn Station, not New York Penn Station...durrrr). But that was okay, because that meant I arrived at Famous Joe's at the perfect time--right after the opening rush was done, and they'd juuuust pulled out a fresh cheese pizza. 2.50 can buy you happiness. It really can. It's just such a perfect slice! Not too greasy (but...greasy enough to be just a liiitle sinful), floppy enough to fold, but still perfectly crisp. Great sauce, great balance. Just damn. good. pizza. Plus, I love that the parm, red pepper, salt, and pepper available all came from the CVS next door. Nice. Go there people. It's worth it. I could have eaten 2 slices, easily, but I decided to pace myself in order to allow me other treats throughout the day.
I walked all over the village, NoHo, SoHo, and into Chinatown today. I just walked and walked and walked. I turned down every interesting looking side street. I tried to go down streets I'd never been down. I went into little stores and galleries I'd never been into. I avoided all chains. I went into many eyeglasses shops--all of which were out of my price range--and tried on many awesome frames (I need new ones). I stopped in coffeeshops for cups to go. It was windy, grey, and rainy, but...man. Best day ever. I did a big loop, more or less, so that I could end my day at Murrays for the aforementioned cheese sandwich (with jalepeno coleslaw, chips, and a drink), before catching the train at West 4th Street station. Next trip to NYC, I'll aim to do a different chunk of the city. I need a day like this in Brooklyn too (I've been wanting to get to CB I Hate Perfume for FOREVER!).
Once home, Nick called and said he wanted to pick up a pizza for dinner cos it was easy. No complaints here. Yes, I can have pizza for the third time in 24 hours! Sounds fantastic! We got a margherita pie from Donnagios, which is this place up the street from his apartment. Um. Not a winner of a pie. I guess cos it was a margherita rather than a regular cheese pizza, they were trying to be fancy, but the sauce wasn't right. It tasted like spaghetti sauce--it was dark, sweet, and really thickly applied. Too much. The crust was decent, but the over all experience was low on my list for the weekend. Too bad. It really didn't stand a chance though, when you think of it...I'd just eaten some of the known contenders for best pizza in New York, and...well, this is just some joint up the street in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. I mean, Jersey! Poor New Jersey. It always loses.
I am currently sitting in my brother's living room in Saddle Brook, NJ. I've pretty much eaten pizza exclusively since getting here yesterday afternoon. There was a scoop of gelato, a cup of coffee, and a cheese sandwich at Murray's (http://www.murrayscheese.com), but everything else has been pizza. Really. It's sickening. I love it.
I arrived at my brother's yesterday afternoon (much later than I'd hoped to arrive, due to being foiled by daylight savings time...grrr.). We headed straight into the city for some shopping in SoHo, and made plans to meet up with Anne for dinner. Before finding a neat segue into the pizza, let me talk for a minute about shopping in SoHo.
So...look, it's typical, it's not particularly hip, etc, but every single time I'm in New York, I end up in SoHo cos I love Uniqlo and Muji way too much. 19.50 for the best fitting jeans ever? Yes please. Seriously, between those 2 stores, I got new sneakers, jeans, 2 cardigans, socks, a notebook, my favorite candles, travel accessories, and more...for under 100 dollars. And all of it just fits so right. Sort of obsessed. Go Japan. Nick, fortunately, shares my passion for these two stores. I love that my brother is a man who shops.
Anyhow, after we Uniqlo'd and Muji'd it up, we walked down Bleeker Street singing the requisite Simon and Garfunkel song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5UY1t47TNY) to meet up with Anne and Steve at John's. Classic Village brick oven place. It's good. It's really good. In fact, it's not worth comparing it to other pizzas I've eaten up to this point this year (yes, there have been better pizzas in the past. But not yet in 2010). We were seated in a very cozy window booth, and it was one of those "historic" booths--everyone's name all scratched into it, etc. Anne, much like me, is a bit of a pizza purist--she prefers a good cheese pizza. I'd forgotten that Nick gave up meat for Lent, and so, much to my benefit, it turned into an all vegetarian pizza night. We got a large cheese and a large mushroom between the four of us, and none was wasted, that's for sure. We devoured those pizzas.
The crust was a dream: blistery with that nice charry taste, thin, chewy, crisp...mmm. The sauce was also well done--brightly flavored and very authentically tomato-y, not sugary or bitter, and perfectly distributed (I hate heavy handed sauce). The cheese was just a plain cheese, not fresh mozz slices, and it was also distributed in perfect balance. The mushrooms...were good. I don't know. I think that they maybe could have been more generous, but they were fresh mushrooms, so that's a plus. The cheese was, for me, the winner between the two, but both were very, very good. However, John's pizza reminded me of one of the greatest plights I face every time I eat truly good pizza. And in fact, this plight could indeed be the hallmark of a great slice for me. You see, when the pizza is just right and when the crust is really just that perfect balance of thin, crispy, chewy goodness, I get into the following trouble. You see, when it comes to food, I'm very impatient. I need a bite of that pizza as soon as it's set down, and I almost always burn the roof of my mouth on that first bite. And then, with the roof of my mouth all tender...it gets scraped by those sharp edges on that perfect, perfect end crusts...a truly good pizza, therefore, brings me both deep pleasure and a little pain. It's earned. I like that. Anyhow, after eating 5 slices (yes, 5), I was in serious need of some gelato to sooth my scraped up mouth. Really people, gelato is the only solution.
Before moving on to my next pizza, I need to pause to give Anne some credit here. You see, Anne really was the one who inspired me to make this pizza resolution and start this pizza blog, because Anne has told me in the past that, since moving to NYC for law school, she's been on a pizza quest, seeking out the best in New York. Every time I've stayed with her, we've gone out to try the most hyped up pizza joints, and visited some of the big classics. Together, in January of 2008, we went to Lombardi's (New York's original pizzeria), and found that, though it was good, it was perhaps not the best. She encouraged me to walk several extra blocks out of the way late one night when I needed a slicem in order to go to Famous Joe's on Carmine at Bleeker, even though I passed countless places en route from her dorm on Mercer (worth it. best slice, easily).Two summers ago, we trekked all the way out to Coney Island to go to Totonno's...which still stands as the best pizza I've ever had, made even better by the fact that we rode the Cyclone and walked around the boardwalk after the pizza. I really hope that Totonno's won't be changed too much by the fire that happened there last spring. That'd be heartbreaking. But anyhow. What I'm saying here is that Anne really deserves major props for being my inspiration in this blog, and the queen of the NYC pizza quest, and my sister in pizza eating adventures.
Anyhow. Today, in order to celebrate spring break, I did one of my favorite things...one of those things I rarely get the opportunity to do. I went into the city this morning and spent the entire day just walking around exploring by myself, window shopping and eating. Due to a slight train mishap, I didn't get to the city until 11am (note to self: when in Secacus, asking "Does this train go to Penn Station?" is a real gamble. The man was correct when he said "yes" but...he meant Newark Penn Station, not New York Penn Station...durrrr). But that was okay, because that meant I arrived at Famous Joe's at the perfect time--right after the opening rush was done, and they'd juuuust pulled out a fresh cheese pizza. 2.50 can buy you happiness. It really can. It's just such a perfect slice! Not too greasy (but...greasy enough to be just a liiitle sinful), floppy enough to fold, but still perfectly crisp. Great sauce, great balance. Just damn. good. pizza. Plus, I love that the parm, red pepper, salt, and pepper available all came from the CVS next door. Nice. Go there people. It's worth it. I could have eaten 2 slices, easily, but I decided to pace myself in order to allow me other treats throughout the day.
I walked all over the village, NoHo, SoHo, and into Chinatown today. I just walked and walked and walked. I turned down every interesting looking side street. I tried to go down streets I'd never been down. I went into little stores and galleries I'd never been into. I avoided all chains. I went into many eyeglasses shops--all of which were out of my price range--and tried on many awesome frames (I need new ones). I stopped in coffeeshops for cups to go. It was windy, grey, and rainy, but...man. Best day ever. I did a big loop, more or less, so that I could end my day at Murrays for the aforementioned cheese sandwich (with jalepeno coleslaw, chips, and a drink), before catching the train at West 4th Street station. Next trip to NYC, I'll aim to do a different chunk of the city. I need a day like this in Brooklyn too (I've been wanting to get to CB I Hate Perfume for FOREVER!).
Once home, Nick called and said he wanted to pick up a pizza for dinner cos it was easy. No complaints here. Yes, I can have pizza for the third time in 24 hours! Sounds fantastic! We got a margherita pie from Donnagios, which is this place up the street from his apartment. Um. Not a winner of a pie. I guess cos it was a margherita rather than a regular cheese pizza, they were trying to be fancy, but the sauce wasn't right. It tasted like spaghetti sauce--it was dark, sweet, and really thickly applied. Too much. The crust was decent, but the over all experience was low on my list for the weekend. Too bad. It really didn't stand a chance though, when you think of it...I'd just eaten some of the known contenders for best pizza in New York, and...well, this is just some joint up the street in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. I mean, Jersey! Poor New Jersey. It always loses.
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