Help, I Need A Good Pizzeria!!!!!!!!!!! (Columbia, St. Andrews: appointed, live, price)

[JERSEYIAN]

Went to the original Italian pie, and the Bobby's pizza in NE, and I only have one thing to say-----DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The dough was raw and the cheese and tomato sauce tasted like oatmeal. Please HELP, I need a REAL pizzeria, you know NY Italian style pizza.

I guess I was really spoiled in NJ with all those really good pizzerias.

[Chi2Midlands]

Have you tried the Italian Pie in the Village At Sandhill? I personally like it better - at least for the service (not sure if the food was significantly different).

Have you tried Schiano's? They have locations at Two Notch/Sparkleberry in NE Richland (in the Publix shopping center) and on Harbison in the Irmo area. My wife really likes them, and even though she only lived in NJ for a couple of years when she was little, she still prefers NY-style pizza. Schiano's seems to be the closest thing. Me being from Chicago am more partial to deep-dish, but I'm pretty flexible.

P.S.: as you've probably followed the "transplant" meme in some of these trends, I've found that complaining about pizza (even if a valid complaint) or food in general is a quick way to sour relations with neighbors & colleagues around here. There are regional preferences to how foods are made, and we all aren't going to be any happier quixotically wishing for Grimaldi's to plop down in Columbia. I've heard that you even need New York City tap water to make an authentically-flavored NY-style pizza.

I can tell you that I sorely miss the Mexican food I was used to in Chicago (which has a longer-established Mexican population), and don't particularly care for the bland Mexican fare that is common around the Southeast (same menus seem to be found in Greensboro, Columbia, or Jacksonville), but I live with it. When I make a trip to San Diego or Austin, then I will just enjoy it more, hopefully.

Anyways, good luck on finding your favorite pizza joint in Columbia.

[jkwing]

wife and I enjoy Schianos off of two knotch in the NE , Capones on Spears Creek Church is Ok as well

[CarolinaSouth803]

Originally Posted by JERSEYIAN

Went to the original Italian pie, and the Bobby's pizza in NE, and I only have one thing to say-----DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The dough was raw and the cheese and tomato sauce tasted like oatmeal. Please HELP, I need a REAL pizzeria, you know NY Italian style pizza.

I guess I was really spoiled in NJ with all those really good pizzerias.

I mentioned some good places in the "Food's you'll love" thread....but i'll just copy it here......

Originally Posted by CarolinaSouth803

Try out Paulie's Pizzeria on Forest Dr.... The pizza was pretty good when i went there over the summer....I think it's better than Pop's in my opinion. Also try Dano's on Rosewood....to me this is the best NY style spot in Columbia. Other options for NY Style pizza is DeLucca's Pizzeria on Sunset in W. Cola and [i don't know if they are still open....but] The Village Idiot on Devine St..... I hope that helps

FYI...

Pop's is a NY style pizza place on Harden st. in 5 points...
Paulie's [ Paulie's Pizzeria > Directions ]
Dano's [ Dano's Pizza | Menu - Pizzas & Toppings | 254-DANO ] and while i was in Columbia this past weekend....my friend was telling me about this place...
Bellacino's Pizza and Grinders in Irmo[http://www.bellacinos.com/pizza.htm] (broken link)
Hungry Howies on St. Andrews Rd near Irmo [ [SIZE=1]http://www.hungryhowies.com/menu.htm ]

[/SIZE][SIZE=1]Once again....i hope this helps!
[/SIZE]

[Ceezer]

Originally Posted by Chi2Midlands

Have you tried the Italian Pie in the Village At Sandhill? I personally like it better - at least for the service (not sure if the food was significantly different).

I have, and our (wife, daughter & I) response was: Yuk.

[JERSEYIAN]

Thank you all for your time and effort with responding. If Schiano's is anything like the Italian Pie place in the Village at Sandhills I'll pass.

I will be downtown tomm. I will definitely try Pop's since its a NY style pizza, can't wait.

I can tell you that The Village Bistro in The Village at Sandhills was EXCELLENT and DELICIOUS and so reasonably priced. Such a nice place I thought as well.

The burgers at RED ROBIN at the Sandhills were great.

[waccamatt]

Schiano's has good pizza as does Za's, Al Amir (yes, Middle Eastern cuisine, but awesome pizza), Mellow Mushroom and Pop's.

[CarolinaSouth803]

Originally Posted by JERSEYIAN

Thank you all for your time and effort with responding. If Schiano's is anything like the Italian Pie place in the Village at Sandhills I'll pass.

I will be downtown tomm. I will definitely try Pop's since its a NY style pizza, can't wait.

I can tell you that The Village Bistro in The Village at Sandhills was EXCELLENT and DELICIOUS and so reasonably priced. Such a nice place I thought as well.


The burgers at RED ROBIN at the Sandhills were great.

From what i understand....the guy that owns Dano's is from New Jersey himself.....so if he's half as animate about pizza taste as you...i'm sure it's right up your lane!!!!

[JERSEYIAN]

CarolinaSouth803 and waccamatt, thank you, thank you............I could eat that kind of pizza everyday, must be the Italian in me......

[BEY]

Well, I have read the requests for real NY Pizza in Columbia and I can tell you there wasn't any, until almost two years ago. That's when I realized there was this hole in the market here and I opened Pop's NY Pizza. I grew up in the Bronx and I PROMISE what we have is REAL NY Pizza. To make it real I have to treat the water to balance the PH so that we can recreate NY water. Then all the ingredients are trucked down from NJ and NY. Thin, crispy crust topped with our own special blend of sauce and finished with the best mozzerella there is for pizza. I now go back to NY all the time and have not been able to find a pizza as good (and if I could I would just spend as much time as necessary improving mine to make it the best).

Before moving to Columbia I too tried all the pizza places in town and was sorely disappointed, just as you guys were. So you have my word, Pop's is the best. Open until 10pm Sun-Wed and until 3:30am Thur-Sat.

The Cannolis are also fantastic, the Philly cheesesteaks are authentic (we bring the bread and meat in from Philly) and the Fried Oreos (yes, you read it right) are to die for.

Stop in and see me and I'll take care of you. Have a slice to try it and you'll end up telling all your friends . . . I promise.

Bey
Pop's NY Pizza
707 Harden St
Columbia, SC
(803) 540-7677