Pizza...since you asked

[Alumette]

This is a dual-purpose thread (and a specific, third purpose it is patently NOT intended for. More on that later).

(1) The "disposable" purpose. In other words, once I get this explanation out of the way, I'd rather not get mired in a debate about it unless it gets taken to the debate forum. I'm only including it here since a bunch of you asked about my comments on Domino's pizza in Widdy's "In the Cards" thread.

The two reasons I have never eaten Domino's pizza in my life and never will are the following: firstly, as Malibu Sally has pointed out, they are the bottom of the list in terms of quality, IMO. Secondly, they give hojillions of dollars a year to Operation Rescue. I have very personal issues on abortion (who doesn't?), and don't want to go into it necessarily; but shooting doctors, bombing clinics, and harassing women is not something I can agree with, no matter what the issue is. So Domino's will never get a dime of my money. Nor will I ever eat their pizza, even if I haven't paid for it.

Any further discussion on abortion, if you have comments, should go in the debate forum. (That would be the third, NOT intended purpose).

(2) The "permanent" purpose. This is just so the thread can keep going on something more pleasant than a divisive debate. Since a lot of you were sharing your pizza preferences in Widdy's card shop, I thought we'd move that discussion here to keep the shop clean and allow Widdy to focus on the deluge of incoming orders and happy testimonials.

So, where do you prefer to get your pizza from? What's your favorite?

Personally I tend to prefer locally-owned places to chains. There is one place in my city that is absolutely the best pizza on the planet. If I tell you what it's called, you'll know more about me than I'd care for you to know. But I will say that when it looked like I might have to move to another city, my first thought was, "But, then I won't be able to get [insert name here]'s pizza!"

My favorite from there is their veggie. It's loaded with peppers, black olives, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, and artichoke hearts. There's almost no room for cheese!

And they have a great wine list, lots of local brews, local artists show their work on a regular basis, their CD collection is incredible, and they're kind of a fixture in my city.

[Nyx]

In the states, Pizza Schmizza. Anyone who's passing through Portland Oregon or the Beaverton/Hillsboro area thereof should try it.

Overall... Pizzeria Charlie's. Orvieto, Umbria, Italy. And Al, you wanna talk wines? It's hard to beat locally grown/produced wines from the green heart of Italy.

[Alumette]

In the states, Pizza Schmizza. Anyone who's passing through Portland Oregon or the Beaverton/Hillsboro area thereof should try it.

Overall... Pizzeria Charlie's. Orvieto, Umbria, Italy. And Al, you wanna talk wines? It's hard to beat locally grown/produced wines from the green heart of Italy.

My parents are in Portland. I'll have to check it out next time I'm home visiting. <jots down the name>

And I would agree, Pizzeria Charlie sounds fabulous. I'd probably sit down for dinner and never leave. ;)

[Kurai Inago]

Meh, the local pizza here is terrible, I mainly end up getting Pizza Hut or Little Ceasers. The best local chain is Roma's (I call it a chain cause I've seen about 3 of them) And the worst is Gratzianos, because well they suck. The only local pizza I can get without leaving town that doesn't suck is from the Featherbone, a local bar. However, I don't like sitting in a bar with a bunch of drunken people for an hour and a half waiting for my pizza, so I don't eat there much.

[Solario]

For pizza in my area hands down Pizza Italiana and Umuts, which I believe are local, but they're owned by the same guy oddly enough.

[The Icy One]

Pizza Hut is the one mostly eaten in this house because I can get it for free.. but it's not my fav.

My favorite is 2-for-1 Pizza, it's up the street from me.. it's been around since I was a short person, they make great pizza and have arcade games so thats a plus.

[Got]

I'm not one for pizza anymore, I'm somewhat disgusted by the copious amounts of cheese they put on pizzas in these high street places. Chinese is my vice, well one of them at least.

I eat in an aptly named restaurant called Chinatown. But one night there was a full blown sword fight outside it, on one of the biggest roads in Glasgow - apparently it was well-known to everyone but myself that it was in fact a front for the Glasgow Triad. What can you do? I still eat there, you just have to take the bitter with the sweet, sweet, sweet and sour sometimes.

[Chain Lightning]

We have a place about ten minutes up the road name Angela's. I will usually call it in and go pick it up.

If I have to do some big chain pizza, I'd prefer Papa John's.

[Xanatos]

Fast food is garbage; Domino, Pizza Hut, etc, are all a waste of time. Unhealthy, corporate, full of chemicals - not to mention taste like ****.

I'm a big fan of Pizza and all itallian food - so whenever I have it I try to have it either homeade or at a restaurant. I'll leave plastic fast food to those in a hurry thanks. :)

[One Hit Wonder]

My favorite pizza place is down in Salem, it's called Paddington's. Well worth the hour drive, imho.

I also love making my own pizza with those Boboli crusts. Yummy!

[Lorash]

Sadly Alumette, those are the two same reasons I refuse to eat Dominoes.

The best pizza i've had is from a place in Eau Claire, WI called Sammy's Pizza. My mom, stepdad and brother and sister both live there (it's about 90 miles east) so I go to visit them...well, I have to stop off for the pizza first ;)

They have a really nice bar and atmosphere..almost Brit Pub-ish, with a nice wine selection or just about any other domestic or imported alchohol you can think of. I usually settle for a Guiness or a Bass Ale.

I think my favourite pizza is Spinach Alfredo. it just melts in your mouth on a thin crust. When the chain Papa John's came out with a Spinach Alfredo I tried it, and it was no comparison; like seaweed and 'processed cheese food' on top of stale bread :rolleyes:

Another reason I go there when I can is that all thier ingrediants are from local farmers, and they do all thier chopping and dicing right there: none of this canned stuff. I learned this when my little brother (ok, he's 25...but still..relatively 'little' :p) got a job there.

Now I'm hungry! :D

[Randomus]

About 15 minutes' walk from here is a place called "Queen's Pizza", on Queen Street, oddly enough. It's a locally-owned place, and their pizza is the best I've ever had. Their list of ingredients includes two types of sausage, all kinds of peppers and olives, and garlic. Yes, fresh garlic on pizza. It's bizarre and tasty. They're cheap, too. I don't eat pizza from any of the big chains like Pizza Pizza or Pizza Hut any more, because it's just a let-down in comparison.

Another cool thing about Queen's Pizza is that they make not only vegetarian pizzas, but also vegan pizzas! I have yet to run into any other place that will make a pizza without cheese-- but an extra heapin' helpin' of vegetables-- without charing anything extra. Also, if they make a mistake, they'll give you a pizza with the right toppings free of charge, and you can keep the botched one. How's that for service?

[Griimace]

Dominoes and Papa Johns are disgusting to me. Pizza Hut's good, but has a kind of "artificial" taste to it- it's obvious when you eat one that it's mass produced. Hard to explain.

Anyway, I usually buy Little Ceasers, Marcos, or Vitos. LC isn't all that good, but I come from a full family of fat people, so a 5 dollar large pizza anytime, any amount is a godsend to us. Marcos is probably the best pizza chain around here, and Vito's is a local place that was kissed by the gods. They have a Bacon Cheeburger Pizza that just...I can't even explain it.

Cottage Inn is pretty nice to, although they're only in Michigan and Northwest Ohio.

[Alumette]

My favorite pizza place is down in Salem, it's called Paddington's. Well worth the hour drive, imho.

I also love making my own pizza with those Boboli crusts. Yummy!

I'd forgotten about Paddington's! Oh, OHW, I loved that place when I lived in Salem a million years ago! :D Good to hear they're still in business. I agree, they have great pizza. Maybe next time I'm home visiting my parents in Portland I'll try to convince them to take a drive down to Salem for some Paddington's.

Tres cool. :)

[Tsarmina]

I'm one of those odd breed of people who don't really like to eat pizza alot. When I did eat pizza, I preferred the thin crust. Then I had a pizza from Randy's Wooster Street Pizza (http://www.menudog.com/menus/randys_m.html).... OH MY! The crust was fantabulous! It took me an hour to decide on which specialty pizza I wanted to try...Blazin' Brett it was called. White Pie with chicken, ham, onions, dijon mustard, monterey jack and cheddar. :drool:
They also have one with peanut butter on it.. O_o (I dunno why I can't see their website directly, it lists all the specialty pizzas. Maybe they are updateing it.)
So. Yeah. I'll be eating pizza more often now. :bdance:

[Malibu Sally]

I'm one of those odd breed of people who don't really like to eat pizza alot. When I did eat pizza, I preferred the thin crust. Then I had a pizza from Randy's Wooster Street Pizza (http://www.menudog.com/menus/randys_m.html).... OH MY! The crust was fantabulous! It took me an hour to decide on which specialty pizza I wanted to try...Blazin' Brett it was called. White Pie with chicken, ham, onions, dijon mustard, monterey jack and cheddar. :drool:
They also have one with peanut butter on it.. O_o (I dunno why I can't see their website directly, it lists all the specialty pizzas. Maybe they are updateing it.)
So. Yeah. I'll be eating pizza more often now. :bdance:

Oh wow. That "Memo's Madness" is making me hungry. :)

[Alumette]

BeauJo's Pizza (http://www.beaujos.com/) in Fort Collins, CO is also a great place. They sell pizza by the pound rather than by the slice (can't remember exactly how this works), and you can get all kinds of unusual toppings, like peas!

I don't think you can get peanut butter on your pizza there, but they do serve each pizza with a big squeeze bottle of honey, so you can drizzle it on the crust end when you get done with the pizza slice.

BeauJo's was a fun place, but I still prefer the place here in my city that I mentioned in an earlier post: fresh, quality ingredients, nice people, supporters of local artists and local agriculture, and a great place to chill.