DiMola's Pizza (North Plainfield, NJ)
Toni & Nick Reunion Pizza Tour ∙ Volume 1
∙ Cheese slice ∙
This was the fourth and final stop on our pizza tour. It needs to be said: I was full. I wasn’t terribly interested in having another slice in the first place (mind you, this would be slice five after having two at Galasso’s). Then I saw the slice. This is your local hometown spot that you take the kids to get a lot of cheesy pizza. The slice was completely overloaded with cheese, which is not my jam. There is a market for super cheesed up pizza lovers, and I commend you. Just not for me. Would be interesting if it were the first stop, maybe I would have felt differently.
Belmont Pizzeria (Richmond, VA)
Buffalo Chicken & Margherita pies ∙
Fire buffalo chicken!! The flavor was incredible; the sauce was some of the best buffalo I’ve ever had (it maybe had some cheese in the buffalo sauce itself). Margherita – delicious sauce, somewhat garlic forward. Possibly overpowering? The basil (pre cook) totally hits. Crust is wonderful, light and airy. Delivery was a bit cold so we re-fired in the oven for a nice crisp!
Ledo Pizza (Arlington, VA)
I’ve been eating Ledo’s as long as I can remember. These are the (almost) thin crust mini square pizza bites that blew your mind as a child, a difference you can appreciate as an adult. The edges of the crust crack like a fried tortilla shell, while a thin, doughy, substantive crust supports the rest of the pie. If the crust hasn’t captured you, lets talk about the lightly spicy, tangy sauce. Imagine a thin crust platter pie presented to your person, perpetuating sensual seductions to your perception that dazzle the senses before they tantalize the tastebuds. Doesn’t matter what you’re doin in the DC metro area (an Adelphi, MD original), you have to grab a Ledo pie.
Pizza 7 (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Pepperoni pie ∙
Nice late night bar pie had next door at Spa City Tap & Barrel. No kitchen, so they don’t mind if you walk in with a pizza and stuff your face. Super gooey cheese on fairly doughy crust, the grease from the pepperoni and everything else dripped all over the bar. Nice hot pie in the winter never hurts.
The Pizza Shop (Warrensburg, NY)
Meat Lovers: Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, Meatball and Ham ∙
Arugula & Prosciutto: Imported Italian Prosciutto, Fresh baby Arugula, Olive Oil and Shredded Parmesan ∙
Chicken Basil Pesto: White Base, Basil Pesto, Chicken, Fresh Spinach, Tomato (did I eat this?) ∙
Best of the region for a reason!
Meat – the fat from the prosciutto, pep and sausage make the entire slice very tender. The crust is structured but almost melts away while you chew. The crust is delicious – light, airy, and disintegrates with each bite. The cheese is basically an accent. The sauce is flavorful and delicate, with no bite….almost a non event, a nice accent.
Arugula prosciutto – the cheese and prosciutto hits you immediately. Totally different flow. No fat, toppings tap. The taste is the prosciutto reheated (changes the flavor profile). The natural pie is excellent. Just like the slices from Panini Bakery in Oregon. In crust we trust. The sauce is delightful, cheese is fresh.
I don’t believe I tried the chicken pesto pie. I’m not much one for the white slices! Give me all the red sauce I can handle.
Right Coast Pizza (Denver, CO)
The Sunnyside slice is mind-blowing. The yolk breaks over the pizza, mixing with the bacon and chilies to give you the warm and fuzzies of every morning you ever wanted. No surprise it is the staff favorite!!
The basil pesto on the Tillie slice is some of the best I’ve ever had….an umami blast combined with the mushrooms and onion on the pizza. Not really my style, but a pleasant surprise after requesting the server choose her favorite slice for me.
The Brooklyn slice was fire…as expected. The cheese balance felt different than the other slices…but I wasn’t paying enough attention to see if that was on purpose. Still a good slice.
The cheese slice was light and airy, with some tiny holes in it. The crust is amazing – super light – cracks like a cracker…it’s thinner like NY style, with more crack and less pull. Nice color on the bottom as well. I would say its a thinner comparison to Joe’s slice in NYC.
Awesome Denver pizza shop you can’t miss!
Slices:
Sunnyside: This staff favorite starts with red sauce, followed up with bacon, house roasted green chilies, and topped with a fried egg ∙
Tillie: Basil pesto sauce, chicken, spinach, garlic, onions and mushrooms ∙
Brooklyn: Red sauce, homemade meatballs and fresh jalapeños
Anthony's On The Hill (Richmond, VA)
Detroit Pan Pizzas: Three Meat (Sausage, Pepperoni, Prosciutto) & Pepperoni ∙
Gooey spongy greasy goodness. Like a savory sponge cake of cheesy tomato sex. I preferred the pepperoni pie over the meat pie because it was more well done. However, the prosciutto on the meat pie was delicious! I actually liked it better the next morning reheated in the oven, accentuating the caramelized cheese on that fluffy crust, which soaked up more grease. While this wasn’t a true Detroit pie, it was very good. I lean towards thin crust on the spectrum, but this is a devilishly filling treat! I categorize this as deep dish because I can (pan pizza is just a shallower dish with a topping vs filling approach…Sicilian pizza is different….I do what I want…oh so YOU’RE the one reading this)
Fox's Pizza Den (Front Royal, VA)
Fox’s Pizza Den is every hometown need you ever had. Imagine sitting on the rolling hills of Shenandoah Valley, enjoying the delicate sounds of nature. Then a dude in a coupe drives up with two steaming pies. Where on Earth did you come from?
I’ve had many great pies delivered to a friend’s house from Fox’s Pizza Den. This is a blessing. The dynamic of desolate nature with the accessibility of delivered pizzas is incomparable. Embrace it.
Featuring my personal favorite custom topping combination: jalapeño, bacon, and onion
Pupatella (Arlington, VA)
Margherita DOC: Neopolitan buffalo mozzarella, basil, olive oil ∙
Diavola: Spicy salami, fresh mozzarella, basil ∙
Spawned from a successful food cart, the first restaurant opened in Arlington, VA in 2010. Pupatella is certified by the Assozione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), which dictates strict traditional rules of pizza preparation.
First, lets talk about their Margherita DOC. From their website:
“The toppings for the D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) pizza may only include sauce made of San Marzano tomatoes grown in Italy, fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella made with buffalo milk or fior di latte, sea salt, fresh basil and olive oil.”
Do I need to say, incredible? How could you possibly NOT visit this place if you were in town? Don’t worry, they are expanding in the region quickly. I’m fortunate to live close to the original location.
So, the Diavola. It’s the first pie I had when my eyes were finally opened sometime in 2015. Spicy salami and Neapolitan pizza go together. It is one of the most flavorful I’ve ever had, which is no surprise considering Pizzaiolo Enzo’s passion.
It’s no surprise that 2016 Foursquare data showed it was the best pizza in all of Virginia!
