On Monday June 29th we had our 2nd Detroit eatup at Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria. An eatup is an event organized through social media where a group of people gather for food, fun, and conversation. I chose Buddy’s not only for their great pizza, but also for their historical significance. There is something special about a place that has been open for such a long time and is still viewed as one of the best not just in Detroit but around the country as well.
Consistently on top 10 lists across the nation, Buddy’s Pizza is a Detroit institution. Specializing in a Sicilian style deep dish pizza, which has been dubbed “Detroit style” by some pizza aficionados, Buddy’s is definitely a one of kind establishment. Started by Gus Guerra as a “blind pig” in 1936, it wasn’t until 1944 that Gus served his first Sicilian style pizza (Credit to http://buddyspizza.com). The rest, as they say, is history.
I am by no means a pizza expert – I’ve had pies in Chicago, New York, Florida, and a few other places, but I have not tried many of the quintessential pies across this great country. That said, Buddy’s pizza is excellent. Oddly enough, Buddy’s isn’t the best Detroit has to offer, but we’ll get into that with future reviews. The best part of this pizza is definitely the crust. I love a well cooked crust that has some chew to it and a good bit of char – Buddy’s does this very well.
The corner piece from a Buddy’s pizza is a treat that may cause wars if there is only one left on the table. Relationships have ended over who gets the last corner slice of a Buddy’s pizza. The combination of crisp bottom plus chewy middle plus the perfect amount of cheese covered in a fresh, tangy sauce is enough to make convert even the most ardent round pizza lover. Add to that the delicious bits at the corner point of the slice where the charred bits of cheese meet the charred dough – a match that could only be made in a well seasoned pan. All of this together makes for one incredible slice of pizza. Buddy’s gets 5 out of 8 slices.