Best PIZZA eat in place (Pittsburgh, Mars: shops, area, distance)

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

This has nothing to do with elitism. Pittsburgh pizza is just sub-par. There's plenty of hole-in-the-wall pizza places in the BosWash corridor where you can grab a good slice. Not so in the Burgh, unfortunately.

Bos-Wash corridor? Try Metro NYC, and parts of Connecticut. Philly pizza is nothing special, and pizza in DC is beyond awful.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Herodotus

Bos-Wash corridor? Try Metro NYC, and parts of Connecticut. Philly pizza is nothing special, and pizza in DC is beyond awful.

The pizza may vary in quality, but it's all part of the same general family. Pittsburgh pizza is something else entirely. DeLorenzo's in Trenton is great, by the way. Even NYCers tend to be impressed by it (especially the tomato pies).

[DurangoJoe]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

The pizza may vary in quality, but it's all part of the same general family. Pittsburgh pizza is something else entirely. DeLorenzo's in Trenton is great, by the way. Even NYCers tend to be impressed by it (especially the tomato pies).

Right on point. De'Lo's is legendary. I'm from eastern PA and have lived in the 'burgh for 22 years now. Growing up where I did, I had some of the finest pizza anywhere. I consider myself a "pizza snob" and feel that I was very lucky to have grown up someplace with so much amazing pizza. Old Forge PA bills itself as the pizza capital of the world because it literally has more pizza restaurants per capita than anyplace else in the world. The variety and quality of the pizza on the east coast compared to Pittsburgh is night & day. I've been looking for really good pizza in Pittsburgh and after 22 years, have still not found it. I've found some decent pizzas like Vincent's, and some of the wood fired places make some good ones as well. But the routine really high quality pizza just does not exist in Pittsburgh. If as a native you feel you can defend the pizza here, then go for it. Until you've had really good east coast pizza, you'll never understand because you're missing a big part of the picture.

In addition to the critical quality of "flavor", most Pittsburgh pizza bakers don't understand the "balance" required for a good pizza. "Balance" means the right blend of dough, sauce, cheese, & spices that comprise a really good pizza. So many places take a mediocre dough (pre-baked or under baked) and load it up with way too much sauce & cheese, making it a gloppy mess and then think they have a great pizza because it's generously topped. No balance there, pizza must have balance in flavor & texture to be really excellent.

The result overall is that I just make my own from scratch. my friends & neighbors here who have never had the style of pizza that I make are blown away by it. I've thought seriously about opening a restaurant here to make & serve it but truthfully, at my age, I have no interest in creating that much work for myself. I'll just keep making it for myself, my family, friends & neighbors and give them a glimpse into the quality of pizza that they just can't get here in the 'burgh.

BTW, pizza is an especially subjective thing. One man's poison is another man's ambrosia. The only thing that affects that is when the man who thinks he has tasted his ambrosia finally gets to taste good pizza elsewhere, and can make the comparison for himself.

[raynist]

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

You guys are not looking very hard. Try a slice of Mama Lucia's square cut and get back to me. Try Amato's in Etna. Fiori's. Sir Pizza. Di Lassalla in Penn Hills. Plenty of good pizza here.

I was with you until you said Sir Pizza, frozen/pre-made crust is a big no no to me, although I know of a lot of people at work that love it.

[nuwaver88]

Originally Posted by raynist

I was with you until you said Sir Pizza, frozen/pre-made crust is a big no no to me, although I know of a lot of people at work that love it.

I have actually never had it. I was just going by what I have heard. I have had all ofthe other ones that I lsted.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

I have actually never had it. I was just going by what I have heard. I have had all ofthe other ones that I lsted.

Frozen dough wouldn't surprise me. I'm trying to recall if I've seen them, thinking it's frozen dough not frozen fully formed crusts but can't remember what I've seen them prepping in there. Same thing ultimately I guess. It's a franchise of some kind according to some reports anyway, but not one that always goes by the same name or does any franchise-wide promotion. Those who are familiar say the originator is Pizza King in central Indiana. Pizza King - Ring the King That's been around a good 50 years or more.

I don't find it to be some fantastic experience. It's just one of those things that's close and hits the spot occasionally. The shops I go to are newish but the original in Ross has been there for 30-40 years so I'm sure there are people from that vicinity who remember it fondly. But longevity doesn't equal greatness. "Good enough" drives a LOT of neighborhood pizza places. The one thing Sir Pizza has going for it is that it's not the same style as a lot of mediocre neighborhood places. That doesn't automatically make it better or worthy either. But it's something. Shrug.

I don't think there are any really good pizza places in the north. City Oven is pretty good if that's still open in Wexford. There is something moderately premade about that crust too, though, in a different way. It says wood fired, right, and it clearly is if you taste it. But. There is not evidence of them wood firing anything when you order it. I'm guessing those crusts are wood fired in the morning or something, don't really know. It's still good, or maybe just good enough. How much pizza have I compared everywhere? Not that much. I don't go to everyplace jonesing to test out the pizza; it's not that sort of food for me. So feel free to discount my taste buds. I can taste the difference between Il Pizzaiolo and Mineos, though, I promise you. But as I said this isn't to suggest that either one is inherently "better" than the other; it depends upon what you're in the mood for, occasion, location at the time, etc. So many variables for pizza.

[DurangoJoe]

Sir Pizza can be flavorful sometimes but their crust is pre baked & frozen. Watch them make it sometime. They grab a pre made crust from a pile of pre made crusts, then top & bake it.

You still can't beat fresh made dough.

Oh, and in the North (Wexford). Momma Lucia's in the Villages at Pine serves a very respectable thin slice, Aviva Brick Oven at the intersection of the Red Belt & Rt19 in Warrendale is also very good.

[nuwaver88]

Amato's in Etna is a different type of pizza too. It is light and airy square cuts. It is a taste that has been the same for sixty years and has nostalgia too it for those who grew up in the Etna, Shaler, Sharpsburg area. They have been a mainstay and the same family has owned them the whole time. It is not the best of the best, but is unique and a type of pizza that hits the spot. The only thing is the light and airy crust make it cool in five minutes or so. That is why their half baked pizzas are popular and they have reheating instructions on the box.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by SoButCounty

Sir Pizza can be flavorful sometimes but their crust is pre baked & frozen. Watch them make it sometime. They grab a pre made crust from a pile of pre made crusts, then top & bake it.

You still can't beat fresh made dough.

Oh, and in the North (Wexford). Momma Lucia's in the Villages at Pine serves a very respectable thin slice, Aviva Brick Oven at the intersection of the Red Belt & Rt19 in Warrendale is also very good.

I'm never in Sir Pizza long enough to watch much. (It's what we order ahead and take home, never eat in.) When we get Sir Pizza, it's basically a debate as far as whether we do that or get a frozen pizza from a store. It's really not that often, and we wouldn't set out for it if we were willing to go farther or not take it home right away.

That Aviva has been vaguely interesting ever since it opened, but then I promptly ignored it when we enjoyed City Oven, and when for months after I still couldn't get any info on what it was (chain or not is what I was trying to figure out, still don't know but now there's a web site). It does seem packed often enough. Does it travel? I know we took home City Oven once and decided it didn't travel, though admittedly it is rather far at another 5 or so minutes down the road. Aviva, we could pop in there then go home easily enough, if it would travel okay.

Mamma Lucia huh? Would give it a shot once perhaps. I can't figure out what they're saying on the history, if it's really some sort of chain or what. Not that it's always bad, I'm just curious how some of these develop over the years. That's a newish shop in a newish shopping center, obviously.

Will be interesting if Winghart's will continue doing pizza across the road there in Warrendale, or if they will stick to burgers. Not sure what they're planning, but downtown they have a wood fired oven and the pizza is good, although I've gotten it about twice and got a burger umpteen times. I didn't even think of suggesting it for pizza, but it's pretty good! They're roughly individual sized though, and the space downtown is not at all family friendly.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by greg42

I don't think there are any really good pizza places in the north. City Oven is pretty good if that's still open in Wexford. .

Try Luciano's, either on Duncan road or in Cranberry.