Pizza

[EskimoJoe]

There is a pizza place here called Papa Murphy's that will make the pizza fresh in front of you, wrap it, you take it home and cook it, just fantastic taste and much cheaper. 

Papa Murphy's is fantastic!

Whenever I go on vacation I always go scouting around for local pizza places. One could
say I'm a pizza entrepreneur!  I always liked locally made pizzas compared to chain
restaurants. I always liked Pizza Hut up here until a few years ago, it seems there was a
change in management and it just went downhill from there. Not to mention the
outrageous prices they have there.

I went to VA recently with my stepdad, probably almost a year ago now. Some of the
best pizza I've ever eaten where at local restaurants down there 

[allaire]

There is a pizza place here called Papa Murphy's that will make the pizza fresh in front of you, wrap it, you take it home and cook it, just fantastic taste and much cheaper. 

We have one of those in Jacksonville.  Pretty good pies.

[Melvin]

Here you go http://www.loumalnatis.com/.  It will arrive next day packed in dry ice.  Pop in the oven and then move family to Chicago so you can have it every day

Quite possibly the finest pizza in the world. Numero Uno and Homerun Inn are very good as well. (Almost forgot about Gino's)

If ever in Houghton MI, check out The Ambassador. Lobster pizza is a good one, but the Mexican pizza they make rocks the house.

[Reschke]

WELL since DADS posted it and I hadn't seen his post I am just adding the caveat here.

IF we get pizza from a chain we get it from a place called Papa Murphy's. All they do is sell you the complete pizza and you take it home and bake it. In my opinion its the best chain type pizza I have eaten.

I can't stand the so called "Chicago Style" where its all half uncooked dough in the middle and crap like that. Give me a good old monster thin slice from a couple of places around here or let me make my own and its all good.

[Ardy123]

My favorite pizza place is Zachary's Pizza. I also like "Little Star" and a few others. I would not recommend going to a chain store for you Pizza, my experience is that they tend to use cheap ingredients and are baked by people who don't know what they are doing, resulting in a weak pizza.

Zachary's http://www.zacharys.com/
Little Star http://www.littlestarpizza.com/

[Penguin]

Papa Murphy's is fantastic!

Whenever I go on vacation I always go scouting around for local pizza places. One could
say I'm a pizza entrepreneur!  I always liked locally made pizzas compared to chain
restaurants. I always liked Pizza Hut up here until a few years ago, it seems there was a
change in management and it just went downhill from there. Not to mention the
outrageous prices they have there.

I went to VA recently with my stepdad, probably almost a year ago now. Some of the
best pizza I've ever eaten where at local restaurants down there 

So you start pizza chains?  I don't think so. You sir, a connesuier, which means you have a great wealth of knowledge on the subject.

-Penguin

[Killer91]

In my town we have a little place called Bella's. It's actually a really nice dine in italian restuarant but they also make pizza's. Big pizzas to, their about 22'', and they only charge $10.85 including tax! It's some of the best pizza I've ever ate and its cheap!

[crazierthanu]

On one of my trips to Seattle I had some papa Murphy's, the kind that you order half-baked and bake it the rest at home.

Was the WORST pizza I've ever had, like a steaming garbage pie. 

[VonMessa]

I worked at pizza shops and was part-owner of one for years.

It costs an average of $2 to make a plain pie (no toppings)

Here, around Philly they retail for about $16

800% profit.  Digest that next time you think of calling Dominoes...

[kilo2]

There is a place here called jims razorback pizza they make a beer batter pizza crust that is awesome. Best place around here.

[dedalos]

I worked at pizza shops and was part-owner of one for years.

It costs an average of $2 to make a plain pie (no toppings)

Here, around Philly they retail for about $16

800% profit.  Digest that next time you think of calling Dominoes...

   Did you include rent, utilities, employee pay, insurance, advertising, etc in that 800% profit of yours?

[RichardDarkwood]

I have ordered pizza's from every major chain in the past few months. 

Am I the only one that thinks it all tastes like total and complete POO POO?

I used to love Pizza from certain stores and now it is not the same as it used to be.  This does not exclude it showing up cold, upside down in the box or a completely different pizza than I ordered.  We stopped buying delivery pizza and just started getting frozen store bought.  Holy sheep sheet It's better than any delivery pizza that we have had in months.

Anyone else?

I just use chef boyardee kits. Add some Italian seasons and it's the best pizza you can have.

[ROX]

California Style refers to the West Coast pizza styles that morphed out of upscale LA pizzarias in the mid-late 1970's.  The guy who started the California Pizza chain started out at a small place where he (just a pizza maker) asked the owner if he would put some of his own creations on the menu.  Not really thin but medium-thin crust pizza with more authentic parmesian and then toppings like shrimp, calamari, pineapple, etc and then a very light layer of mozz.  Word got around about the "different" place and celebs/movie stars/tv stars, etc., started showing up and the guy got famous.  He broke away and started his own place and the chain did well...even expanded out to Las Vegas (inside a major casino) and now has frozen versions nationwide.  The guy went to Italy/Sicily for a few months and came back and expanded the menu to include totally authentic pies that are very different from what people who grew up in the Pizza Hut Generation expect.

Chicago Deep Dish is my personal favorite, some New York pies are runner up.

If you have a "Godfather's" in your area feel LUCKY.  In fact, feel VERY LUCKY.  They have really stayed loyal to their original plan:  have the best made to order pies possible and put on the best salad bar around and do it for a decent price.  For a chain, they are about the best.

[Ardy123]

California Style refers to the West Coast pizza styles that morphed out of upscale LA pizzarias in the mid-late 1970's. 

I thought you were talking about pizzas that were influenced by "California Cuisine", which the restaurant "Chez Panisse" in the 1970s kinda became the 'face' of. Its basically an emphasis on fresh ingredients combined with a  fusion of food influences from many cultures, in particular Mexican and Asian.

[ROX]

Here's the info from Wiki:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_pizza  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_pizza


Ed La Dou is the guy I was thinking of.  Giving Wolfgang Hockey Puck any part of the credit is unfair to La Dou.  Wolfgang Hocky Puck is more famous for putting a cup of heavy cream into anything including Gespazo....Jeeeeeeeeeeeeesh   I've been to Puck's joint inside Caesars in Vegas twice and it was unbealiveably over-priced and wasn't worth it either time.  I'd rather go to any Emeril Lagassi's joint's anytime.  At least the taste and experience equals the bill.

La Dou was "kinda" in that 70's time frame but more of a "rags-to-riches" guy because he morphed plain old pizza to something new and open to new ideas.  I bet his old boss wishes he had made him a partner.

Taking something as simple as a thin crust with a light coating of sauce with parmesian and then fresh (not dried) oregano, basil, a few shakes of olive oil and a bit more parmesian turned out to be a fantastic thing compared to the run-of-the-mill Pizza Hut pie.  The "original" Italian and Sicilian pies they serve at California Pizza are phenominal.

Heck---it took me a year of trial and error to get the crusts perfect.  I wish I was a fly on the wall in the kitchen at CP.