Austin's best Pizza (Roma, Buffalo, Naples: neighborhood, camps, place to live)

[mark311]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

Pictures of Conan's pizza look great. According to their menu they have lunch specials with slices at all their locations.

Ok, that makes sense after looking at the menu. If you make it there between 11 and 2, Monday through Friday, they have slices at all locations. Only the North and South locations have an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet Monday through Friday. Only the North and South locations have an all-you-can-eat dinner buffet, Monday through Thursday.

I normally hit Conan's on a Friday night or Saturday and there definitely are no slices around. Also, I agree that the pizza is good and unique for Austin, but the wait might be a little longer than average so be prepared for that.

[gdu]

I finally tried Home Slice and was not impressed AT ALL. I am not a pizza snob, but I really expected better based on all the praise I had heard.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by gdu

I finally tried Home Slice and was not impressed AT ALL. I am not a pizza snob, but I really expected better based on all the praise I had heard.

That's the challenge trying to find good pizza in Austin... the bar is set so low, with all the places selling cheap "meal replacement" pizzas to the college crowd, that a merely middlin' place like Home Slice gets raves.

For that matter, the same is true of Mexican food. There are some very good Mexican restaurants in Austin, but they're outnumbered by not-very-good places that are popular.

[OzzyRules]

Originally Posted by OpenD

That's the challenge trying to find good pizza in Austin... the bar is set so low, with all the places selling cheap "meal replacement" pizzas to the college crowd, that a merely middlin' place like Home Slice gets raves.

For that matter, the same is true of Mexican food. There are some very good Mexican restaurants in Austin, but they're outnumbered by not-very-good places that are popular.

What is "meal replacement" pizza? It might even be something that I like. In general, I think it's hard to describe what good pizza is, because it can be a very subjective preference.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

What is "meal replacement" pizza? It might even be something that I like. In general, I think it's hard to describe what good pizza is, because it can be a very subjective preference.

"Meal replacement pizza" almost sounds like a diet or something, like slimfast.

Just imagine the slogan: "A pizza for breakfast, a pizza for lunch, then a sensible dinner and you'll lose 20 pounds"

But I think what he means by "meal replacement pizza" is take-out style pizza, that is meant to serve more than 1 person, often with a thicker breadier crust. Whether it is eaten at home, in a pizza place, buffet, or by the slice. In Italy they call it "American Style" pizza. Not kidding.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by atxcio

But I think what he means by "meal replacement pizza" is take-out style pizza, that is meant to serve more than 1 person, often with a thicker breadier crust. Whether it is eaten at home, in a pizza place, buffet, or by the slice. In Italy they call it "American Style" pizza. Not kidding.

Exactly. They don't serve anything in Italy like our "average" pizza. What we call pizza IS an American dish, invented and popularized after WWII.

That said, there is pedestrian pizza, everyday pizza, you know... some dough and some red sauce and some stuff and some cheese. We have half a dozen national chains that have made their owners fabulously rich, and countless more wannabes who all churn out essentially the same stuff. And Americans in huge numbers eat it in place of a real meal, often while doing something else.

But a few places actually make pizza as real food, with wit and craft and sensitivity, creating something worth calling a meal. That's what I like.

I don't drink cheap beer either. Everyday pizza and cheap beer is an expression of self-hate I simply cannot participate in.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by OpenD

I don't drink cheap beer either. Everyday pizza and cheap beer is an expression of self-hate I simply cannot participate in.

I agree with not drinking cheap beer, but by your description, it sounds like I love "meal replacement" pizza. It's what I grew up with as I didn't grow up in Italy or East of Texas. I'm all for throwing some grilled chicken and sundried tomatoes on a pizza. Those of us from the SouthWest or West have a different idea of what pizza is I guess which is fine with me.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by mark311

I agree with not drinking cheap beer, but by your description, it sounds like I love "meal replacement" pizza. It's what I grew up with as I didn't grow up in Italy or East of Texas. I'm all for throwing some grilled chicken and sundried tomatoes on a pizza. Those of us from the SouthWest or West have a different idea of what pizza is I guess which is fine with me.

I have no problem with grilled chicken, or smoked duck sausage, if that's what you like, and I love sundried tomatoes. What I don't like are indifferent pizzas, fast-food pizzas, pizzas that are churned out with forgettable toppings that just mush together into nothingness. Rubbery cheese is another no-no, along with the typical "slice" error of having visible oil pooled on top. Those are what I call "meal replacement" pizzas, ones that substitute for real food. The kind they bring in cardboard stacks into big team meetings at lunchtime to fulfill some minimum requirement for not taking a real break.

And unfortunately the bad pizza being sold vastly outnumbers the good pizza so consumers are outnumbed and get trained to have low expectations.

Yeah, minimum requirement pizzas are definitely not where its at.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by OpenD

I don't drink cheap beer either. Everyday pizza and cheap beer is an expression of self-hate I simply cannot participate in.

Do you EVER eat at Whataburger instead of Five Guys? Do you ever have a sandwich at Subway instead of the club at Nau's? Do you ever go to Popeye's instead of Lucy's?

I can go on an on. The issue isn't "cheap" - the issue is convenience. All of these temples to pizza snobbery are too damn far away from my house to work for dinner on a Tuesday night after leaving the office late, knowing I have to be up at 3:15 for a 5:50 flight (like today!). I don't confuse the $10 take and bake from HEB with Home Slice. They are alike only in name, just like the Club at Nau's is like a Subway sandwich. Name only.

Your cheap beer analogy is apt when they start selling Home Slice in my local HEB, right next to the take and bake - just like they sell Franiskaner next to Keystone.

Besides, if I am going to be a food snob (which I've been accused of), it won't be over the differnenceq between $10 and $18 pizza - it will be over the difference between Texas Land and Cattle and Perry's steaks.

[riaelise]

Pizza absolutely doesn't suck in Austin. They all have their moments. For me, a native New Yorker, I get my pizza fix at Reales in North austin. The owner is +1 from New York, and +1 from Little Italy, the Bronx. He's the real deal. Kind of reminds me when I grew up and there was this pizzeria on the corner that featured Sopranos type dudes every Sunday night.

I also like Yaghi's, which does have a slice special. Conan's will always be a fav of mine when I want deep dish.

I'm no food snob, I like food that satisfies a particular craving that I have at the moment. Most of the places here in Austin fit the bill one way or another, so I am not missing out on anything in this city.