Best pizza in southern Aurora? (Denver, Colorado Springs: taxes, to eat, estimated)

[Quietude]

Okay, asking a question like "best pizza" is going to get two hundred people each recommending the place down the street from them, but I have some narrowing factors.

I grew up with California pizza, which is neither crispy nor soft, does not indulge in things like "stuffed crusts" and does not think two pounds of cheese belong in a 14-inch circle. (My parents were friends of Shakey Johnson, who founded the Shakey's chain right after the war and may have helped popularize pizza to the region.) I don't much care for "wood fired" or weird crust compositions in general. To me, the ne plus ultra of pizza comes from the Round Table chain in the west - thin, firm but not crispy crust, balanced application of toppings and cheese, not too overloaded and never "wet."

So then I moved to Connecticut, which among other things styles itself the pinnacle of pizza-dom... and ate a lot of really crappy pizzas before finding a place that usually turned out good Cal-style pies. The trend there is soft, doughy crust overloaded with wet ingredients, so that you either eat it with a fork like a snobby barbarian, or end up wearing more of it than you do a good rack of ribs. It's like trying to eat a slab of lasagna with your hands.

So: looking for a good pizza place, preferably indie or city-chain, that does decent Round Table/California style pizza - crust flexible but not floppy and not crispy, good sauce, balanced and quality toppings. Preferably within shooting distance of Quincy Reservoir. Thanks.

[Mike from back east]

Agree, pizza is one of those things if you ask a 1000 people you get 1000 very definite and different answers, same for chili, bbq, burgers, etc.

My wife took me to my first Shakey's Pizza in 1973, in Fairfax, VA. Loved it. They had some dude hammering on an upright piano and he was really good; later found out in the newspaper that he was a very well respected jazz artist who was down on his luck and playing piano at Shakey's to get by. The pizza was excellent too and we went there often over the years it was there.

We've been into thin crust pizza for a long time now to avoid the huge amounts of cheap white flour that pizza crusts are made from.

There are still 27 Shakey's in the L.A. area if you ever get out there, otherwise hope you find a place you like and let us know about it.

[Quietude]

I don't think I realized Shakey's went national. I recall going to the original Shakey's and (probably) meeting Johnson himself, but I would have been pretty young. Maybe I underestimated the impact his chain had on popularizing pizza in the US...

I'll start checking out the local places. I just hate dropping $25 on a pizza that's not up to par... kind of like getting several really bad and expensive haircuts before I find a new cutter (which I have not; ask me about my Denver hipster douchebag haircut sometime. After it grows out and I can try again.)

[Gorges]

I had no idea there were still Shakeys around. I used to go to one near D.C.

Anyway, I'm in the same boat as you. Would love to find a decent sit-down pizza place near SE Aurora. The best pizza we've found since coming to CO is in Leadville.

[Coloradomom22]

We love Dion's Pizza. It's near Southlands. I also grew up with Shakey's so understand the love.

[bluescreen73]

Dion's is decent. So is Wholly Cannoli - but I believe their pizza is wood-fired.

A-Town had ok pizza, but their "secret formula" included not paying their taxes so they got seized by the city.

[BarryK123]

You need to ask this question of people from the northeast/mid-atlantic, and exclude Natives' responses as they have no reference for good pizza.

[alloo66]

I like Lubos NY pizza off of Parker Rd & Orchard. In North Aurora, I like Mama Alvinos on Colfax & Chambers. I also like Dion's near Southlands.

[history nerd]

Originally Posted by BarryK123

You need to ask this question of people from the northeast/mid-atlantic, and exclude Natives' responses as they have no reference for good pizza.

OP specifically prefers Cali style "pizza" and doesn't care for northeastern pies. Like some others I would have said A Town before their decline and death. If anyone knows I am looking too.

Armando's is still good but not as good as when they were located across from Smokey.

[beezle1]

I also liked A-Town - sorry to see them gone. I have had LuBo's and its ok. The only pizza I have found that I would say is similar to Round Table is at Fargo's in Colorado Springs.