District of Pi, Washington DC
Until recently, there has been a huge hole in the Washington DC pizza scene when it comes to deep dish pizza. Frustrated local foodies might advise you to go anywhere from Unos (The originator of Chicago style deep dish) to Albertos, to Armand’s to (cough) Pizza hut. I’m proud to say that a consensus is finally here! District of Pi is now serving up amazing deep dish pies topped with some of the cities tastiest tomatoes in Penn Quarter!
The hype for District of Pi began shortly after Obama came into office. Many hoped that a good deep dish would follow him from Chicago to DC but no one could have expected him to announce his favorite deep dish as being from St Louis, MO. Shortly after he flew Pi’s chefs to DC, word spread and “The Pi Truck” was born.
(more…)
T.O. Pizza Shop Miami
I had been hearing about a pizza place from my friend Carlos in Miami called Piccola Italia on Coral Way in Miami for some time now. Carlos seems to share the same taste in pizza as I do, so I had no doubt it would be a decent slice. Since I was down in Miami for a conference, a few Twitter friends and I decided to meet up there. After paying to park and walking into Piccola Italia we were disappointed to find out they didn’t have any slices. Usually the pizza guy would say “I have a fresh one coming out”, but the two people behind the counter just let us walk out without offering us any option but a pie. They also didn’t have seats there, so be advised. They also have one of the worst looking websites I have ever seen, in my opinion.
We decided instead to go to another pizza place down the road, which had some type of previous relationship to Piccola Italia, but they were no longer in business in that locations. Ultimately we decided to get to T.O. Pizza Shop, which I guess stands for Tio, like uncle? There were no other patrons in T.O. Pizza Shop on this evening, and the owners were there with their child and were extremely nice, even though I wasn’t able to communicate with them, since it appeared they only spoke Spanish. Soy un gringo!
(more…)
Slice Pizza Fort Lauderdale – New Owners
I hadn’t been back to Slice Pizza in downtown Fort Lauderdale since the owner overcharged me for an item we didn’t have and didn’t honor the 15% off coupon.Recently I heard the place sold, and I was pretty happy to hear this. The previous owner was not a people person, and there wasn’t a time I went there that he didn’t try to over charge me for something. Whether it was a topping I didn’t have, or not automatically give me a special during the proper hours, I always found a discrepency. Many others wrote to me asking why he ran his business this way. So I know I was not targeted, as I think I had about a half dozen or so customers send us messages asking us to review this place since they were overcharged and didn’t realize it until they got home.
(more…)
Spartico Pizza Coconut Grove Miami
A few years ago I stumbled upon a Wood Fired Pizza Place down in the Miami Design District named Pizza Volante. It was owned by Jonathan Eismann, and it was delicious. Many times I mentioned to people that this place could be a South Florida favorite if it was located somewhere else. Not sure the Design District was the right place for this kind of pizza. Low and behold, Eismann closed Pizza Volante, and left many sad faces on those who loved his pies.
Recently rumors surfaced that Eismann was helping a new restaurant opening at the Mayfair Hotel in Coconut Grove, named Spartico. Many of us were hoping they were true, and that he himself, was opening a new place. Well, the rumor was kinda true. Eismann was in fact working with the owners of Spartico for the new concept, but only as a consultant. Still, this was good news, especially if he had all the say in the menu, and especially when it came to the oven and ingredients they would use in their pizza.
(more…)
Pizza CS Rockville, MD
Sometimes doing the little things right is what counts most in a great pizzeria. This is the driving philosophy behind the simplistic yet delicious new “Pizza CS” located near the Twinbrook metro station along Rockville Pike in Rockville, MD.
As you walk through the doors of the recently replaced “Three Brothers Pizza”, the aroma of fresh San Marzano tomatoes immediately lets you know there’s been a HUGE upgrade in pizza quality. A beautiful brick oven now perfectly bakes crusts where a metal oven once slightly overcooked NY/MD style pizzas. One look into the oven and you’ll be wondering if metro accidentally dropped you off at one of the better pizzerias in DC. The surrounding decorations and counter service ordering are modest yet trendy with a foosball table to play while you wait for your perfectly baked pizzas. The fact that there are personal pies rather than old slices, tells you that Pizza CS in its infancy already knows what it’s doing.
(more…)
Pizza Stop West Palm Beach, FL
Was with Raph the other day coming home from a Radio show when we got a call from a client to help out one of their sales associates and curious if we could meet her at a specific shopping center in West Palm Beach. Since it was literally down the block from the radio station, we agreed. Arriving early (like I always do), I realized there was a pizza place in this shopping center, where we were supposed to meet the salesgirl. Too bad we agreed to Panera, instead of pizza. Anyways, since we had more than enough time to grab a slice at this pizza place called Pizza Stop, I did.
(more…)
Congress Says Pizza is Good For You – Counts as a Vegetable
You remember your mom telling you to eat your vegetables or you’d never grow up to be big and strong? Well, now you can eat all the pizza you want, any flavor! – and tell her you’re always eating healthy. Why? Because pizza is now a vegetable! Ask Congress.
The four hundred and some-odd people in Washington who apparently have a lot of free time on their hands to think up great new things to foist on the American people have decided that the economy, jobs, and next year’s election campaigns aren’t nearly as important as.. defining what is and isn’t healthy for school lunches.
(more…)
Renzo’s Pizza East Islip, NY
Long Island pretty much has a pizza place in each shopping center you pass. It is almost impossible to choose a place, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area. Many people tell me to check Yelp or UrbanSpoon, but sometimes I notice that pizza owners have figured out ways to “game” the system and gather up a bunch of fake reviews, while at the same time leaving bad reviews on their competition, so I never really put much hope in what I read there. While out visiting some family in East Islip Long Island, I decided to just pick a random spot and try out a slice or two. After passing by what seemed like dozens of other pizza places in East Islip, I decided to stop and check out Renzo’s Pizza on Main Street.
(more…)
Danny’s Pizza Fort Lauderdale
UNFORTUNATELY DANNY’S IS UNDER CONTRACT TO SELL AND WILL NOT BE RE-OPENING.
Recently I went to go see Stars perform at The Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale. Amazing show! We arrived a bit early, and waited for Jessie to show up, so I could give her a couple of the tickets I had gotten for her. While walking through the parking lot, and trying to avoid the light rain drops that were falling, I noticed there was a new pizza place located in the decrepit plaza. Several years ago, around the time I met The French Fry Fairy and Burger Beast, I was told there was a really good pizza place on the corner of US-1 and Oakland Park road, in Fort Lauderdale. One night I drove down to find it, thinking it was in the Southwest corner of the intersection, but couldn’t find any pizza in the plaza, so I gave up and went down the road to Kitchenetta instead since the plaza was dimly lit, and kind of creeped me out. Turns out, the readers who suggested I try the good pizza in this area, actually meant the Southeast part of the intersection, which was Times Square Pizza. We had previously reviewed it and found it to be pretty good. Anyways, since I knew there wasn’t a pizza place in this run down plaza a couple of years ago, I figured this Danny’s Pizza would be worth trying, just to see if it was yet another pizza place trying to exploit a late night crowd that didn’t have many options around by charging them $4 a slice for sub-par pizza.
(more…)
Vincent’s Clam Bar Pizza Carle Place, NY
A long time ago in Naples somebody’s grandparents perfected the art of making pizza and did it with love and attention to freshness. And so it goes at the temple of italian fare on Long Island, Vincent’s Clam Bar, pizza chef from Naples, Italy included.
Only available from Monday through Thursday, this legendary landmark of fine dining always seems to surprise me with something old, something new. Although, never borrowed, never blue. Some have said that Vincent’s Clam Bar even has the best Mozzarella Wedges they have tasted, others argue the pasta with garlic and oil is the best. Whatever the owner Bobby does here, is done correctly, since there is usually a wait of an hour or more and well worth it. Many of you reading this, probably have eaten there already and know how good it is.
Tonight my friends and I were treated to an unexpected surprise, a well made old school margherita abeetz pizza from Vincent’s.
(more…)
