What's the best US state to eat pizza in? (life, cons, states)

[2e1m5a]

Is Michigan really known for pizza?

[Gunion Powder]

Originally Posted by 2e1m5a

Is Michigan really known for pizza?

Of course not. He's being a homer like the rest of us.

[mike0421]

While we are slinging it around, here's a second poll question: which state does better green chile enchiladas: Maine, or Minnesota?

[Gunion Powder]

Originally Posted by mike0421

While we are slinging it around, here's a second poll question: which state does better green chile enchiladas: Maine, or Minnesota?

Without looking, I'm pretty sure Minnesota has more Mexicans, so I'll say MN.

[Drewcifer]

I can't help but chime in with a serious analysis because pizza is a subject close to my heart.

One thing I have noticed is that all the great pizza cities are near the top cheese producing areas. This probably makes sense. I'm a chef, and the cheese I buy from our wholesalers for our pizzas is phenomenal. It comes from a basic old school farmers co-op in western Wisconsin and is price competitive with the low quality national brands but is easily triple the quality. I bet this is part of the secret in all the cities that have great pizza.

I grew up in upstate NY in the most Italian county in the US so I like to think I know what good pizza is. Pizza in Minneapolis isn't as good as what I grew up eating, but it isn't that far behind and is surprisingly good for a city with almost no Italians. I'm pretty sure the cheese is the reason. The best all around cheese regions in the US are the Northeast (New England, upstate New York and Pennsylvania) and the Upper Midwest (mostly Wisconsin but also Minnesota and Iowa). All the great pizza cities are within the "foodsheds" of those two regions.


(California and the Northwest also produce good cheese but they lack the old school farm co-ops that are bread and butter of the older regions, the Northwest is mostly boutique dairies while California is either boutique or bottom of the barrel industrial - it doesn't have the killer midrange of Wisconsin or the Northeast.)

[Krisps]

Good stuff there about the cheese, now we're finally talkin pizza. If the mozzarella doesn't stretch for a mile as you pull a slice, if it is translucent, if it doesn't have a rich, buttery, deep chew nearly like a tender cut of meat, then she is notta the righta cheese!

But I think even more important than the cheese is the crust.

[Gunion Powder]

So is it the crust or the cheese? Sounds like a matter of personal opinion, just like everything else.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by Gunion Powder

Of course not. He's being a homer like the rest of us.

I mentioned Michigan, and I never even lived there. Both Little Caesars and Hungry Howies are based out of Detroit, and there is a Detroit Style Deep Dish

[Gunion Powder]

Hungry Howies is the worst pizza I can ever remember eating in my life! Little Caesars is decent munchie food.

[Krisps]

IL is the best state to eat a burger, that's where McD's is headquartered.