Okay, after spending yesterday talking about shows that I will never get a chance to see, it’s time for some updates for the local (Pittsburgh) area. If you live somewhere else, NOW YOU CAN SEE HOW IT FEELS!!, but also, hopefully you’ll learn about a couple bands that might tickle your fancy.
First of all, next Saturday (4 February 2012), “sleazy muppet rock” band Ernie and the Berts will be making their first live appearance of 2012 at Altar Bar in Pittsburgh’s Strip District area, as one of the opening acts for Greek-American Punks Barb Wire Dolls.
CHAINS. I wanted to tackle the prominent area pizza chains for part 3. (You read parts 1 & 2, right?) I’m really not supposed to eat pizza right now thanks to recently diagnosed GERD/Acid Reflux/Barret’s Esophagus, but I have eaten many pizzas from these many chains over the years. I’m going to be extra picky about my pizza from now on. I’ll probably stick with Slice on Broadway and Aiello’s. But the event may come up where I need to pick a chain place again, and here’s where they fall…
Fox’s(or Fox’s Pizza Den) is pretty good. The different locations aren’t always consistent, but when you find a good one… stick with it! I really dig the one in Bridgeville as of late, but the one closest to home is the one in Brookline. I grew up on Fox’s in Murrysville, as it was the only place who would deliver to my house out in the boonies. I don’t know if Fox’s recently revamped their UrbanSpoon profiles or what, but I know I’ve reviewed the one in Brookline, but it’s not there. Their pages all seem to have little to no reviews or votes. I remember going on & on about the wedgies. In fact, I found it at another source…
Gimme a Wedgie!
It’s not the sick twisted fantasies of a nerd that likes being dominated by bullies… It’s a call to order the best #%@$ing sandwich you’ve ever had. It’s served up on a pizza crust instead of a bun. How awesome is that? The steak one is my favorite, but I’ve never seen one that doesn’t look appetizing. Just make sure you’ve got plenty of napkins on hand.
Their pizza is pretty damn good too. There was a Fox’s near where I grew up in the suburbs, but they never had a menu this vast. I sometimes end up getting the fried zucchini or the potato wedges… but really can’t ever eat anything after finishing a whole wedgie. In fact, my wife & I even sometimes just split one to avoid over-stuffing. Ordering for delivery is usually the standard half hour to 45 min., and they’re usually there before they said they were going to be… so that’s a plus. You can’t go wrong with Fox’s.
Vocelli Pizzais another one that must have purged old UrbanSpoon reviews. There’s virtually nothing there. I used to love Vocelli’s, even if they’re just named after a made up Italian sounding word. The service at the local one went down hill, and this is what it used to say on UrbanSpoon:
I used to love this place, & would order quite frequently. But, the last time we got a Buffalo chicken pizza, there was hair on it. My wife called & told them, they said they’d send a coupon for a free one next time. We never got any coupons, and were hungry for their food again… so I got a stromboli and the wife got a buffalo chicken pizza… and the pizza had hair on it again. She found it (luckily) on the first bite. So, she called the call center. She of course, didn’t eat any more, so we could show them. The delivery boy showed up… was incredibly rude, didn’t look at the old pizza, and practically threw the new one at my wife.
I don’t know why he took it personally… I was gonna tip him for coming out the 2nd time because he didn’t put hair on the pizza… but with actions/service like that, they can shove it. I always tried to tip well too, as we (used to) get pizza form there all the time. This was enough to end it. There’s plenty of other pizza shops around, apparently they don’t need our business, anyway. Hair in a pizza once? I can see it happening. Twice within the span of a month or two? That’s just absolutely ridiculous.
So… in closing, I’d say what used to be a great place has now sunken to a.) being filthy, and b.) having terrible customer service.
…but in all fairness, after a while we did go back & they seemed to have weeded out the bad employees. I’ve also tried their artery-clogging Alfredo sauce on a pizza, and loved it. My triglycerides did not. I do like Vocelli’s normal sauce, and they generally make a consistent pie & decent subs. If you’re ordering for a crowd, I’d say Vocelli Pizza is an across-the-board crowd-pleaser.
''Vocelli?'' Sure, that sounds Italian enough!
Papa John’srules with their online ordering. The sauce isn’t quite as good as Vocelli’s, but they do always give you the tasty garlic dipping sauce and a Peperoncini. They do rock as far as consistency. You know what you’re getting every time. I wish they had subs, I always like to get subs… especially turkey, or sometimes you’re in the mood for a pizza-shop Italian sub. But then again, maybe they just want to focus on pizza & doing it well. Check out these amusing blog posts about Papa John’s:
Little Caesar’s, what the hell happened? When I was a young lad, we would pickup a pizza after we left Network Video (a place where you rented VHS tapes for the kids out there), we’d pop into Little Caesar’s for what I think was called a Bigfoot… two big-ass square pizzas side by side? I’d always want breadsticks, because I have an unnatural love for carbs. I was sad when Little Caesar’s all but disappeared and was relegated to Kmart stores for some strange reason. When there was a recent resurgence, and a subsequent person paid to stand on West Liberty Ave. and sling a Little Caesar’s sign… I was excited. We tried the new incredibly cheap pies one night… and they were terrible. The sauce is definitely much more bitter than I remember, and perhaps in my old age I forgot about all the grease that adorns (soaks) their crust. I still like the breadsticks, and $5 is pretty good for the amount that they give you, but $5 of crap is still crap. If I’m in the mood for punishment, need an immediate meal, and it’s a week where I need to pay for dinner with couch change, I may go back.
CiCi’s ought to change the name to CaCa’s. I’ve only ever been there once, but that’s all I need. Wow. It was like eating wax & tomato soup spread out over crackers. Who cares if it’s cheap and all-you-can-eat when it’s absolutely terrible nutrition? My high school cafeteria served better pizza, and even better pizza imitation food. I think there was a salad bar, and an unholy “mac n’ cheese” pizza. I don’t remember much other than the dried crusty partial pies getting tanned under the hot lights and maybe even someone shouting a welcome when we walked in. I just wanted to leave but had paid and tried to just stay & eat my few dollars worth. CiCi’s won that day. There’s no way I had eaten more of that crap than hat I paid for.
Pizza Hut causes me great gastrointestinal distress. Every few years, I forget and enter a Pizza Hut thinking “ah, it wasn’t that bad”. Yes, yes it is. Perhaps I hit an age long ago where Pizza Hut was no longer compatible with my intestines. Perhaps I was really slow to learn the pattern. We didn’t do Pizza Hut too much when I was growing up. Maybe I never built up a tolerance/immunity. The pizza itself isn’t bad, I’ve had the personal pan, the normal pies, a few lunch buffets… they generally have a good crust & good flavor… albeit greasy. It’s just that their pie unleashes itself like an assault team on my digestive system. The one in Greentree is the last one that I visited. The service was slow, and I didn’t feel welcomed at all. Hopefully it steels my resolve to skip Pizza Hut in the future.
A letter within a maze, for my pals at Pizza Hut. (They never did write back!)
I know I missed Domino’s, but I was never impressed with their pies… and there’s never one around where I’m ordering. I did like the Noid commercials back in the day though. I haven’t tried their revamped pies. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.
Did I miss your favorite chain pizza? Did I miss your most reviled?
I’ve obviously been in a maze mood lately. I found some old AiXeLsyD & Gasoline Dion themed mazes. At the request of a friend, I also made some AiXeLsyD & Gasoline Dion music available for download.
I’m going to have to make up an Ernie and the Berts maze! At any rate, print these out, and try to solve them while jamming to my extinct musical projects, and send me a photo or scan of the completed maze!
The downloads are zip files. If you don’t know how to unzip files, learn. Also, check out my other mazes if you liked these ones.
I recently realized that I haven’t blogged yet about one of my favorite local places to eat, so I will now. I have a few reviews & photos on their Urban Spoon page. I really don’t have enough good things to say about the place. Reading my old review, it looks like I went there for the first time in 2008.
They’re tucked away on Glenmore Ave., right off of Potomac, with plenty of parking (for Dormont) in a nearby public metered lot & some metered parking on the nearby streets. It’s a tiny yet incredibly inviting shop. Everyone who has ever waited on us has smiled & said hello, has been polite, welcoming, and a great host or hostess. The place is small, but it’s cozy. Last time we were there, there was three two-person tables inside, and in the warmer months they have two picnic tables outside.
Hot Dog w/ Baked Beans, Cheese, Ketchup, & Mustard. • I get this one even though it's not on the menu. They'll make anything for you!
Dormont Dogs offers hot dogs served up gourmet style on delicious fresh bakery made buns. They’re mostly all named after the neighborhood streets, and they’re all unusual yet delicious combinations. My favorite menu dogs are probably the Reuben Dog (self-explanatory if you’re a Reuben fan) and the Wisconsin Ave. (Swiss, Pepper Jack, Cheddar, & Provolone Cheeses!). A lot of times I order the one above… starting with a “Plane Jane” (a regular dog) & I ask them to add baked beans, cheese, ketchup, & brown mustard. Maybe they should name it after my street? Ha ha. I generally have a side of nachos and cheese. I’ve seen signs for Sloppy Joes, and have seen a delicious-looking taco salad served up, but I’ve never gone in & gotten anything other than a hot dog. I need to just go more often, I guess. I generally wash it all down with some of their excellent sweet tea.
My wife is a fan of the Texas Ave. (Chili sauce, cheddar cheese, sour cream, Fritos), Mississippi Ave. (Chili, Mustard, Coleslaw) minus the mustard, and Bruschetta (tomatoes marinated in olive oil and basil and creamy pesto Parmesan) dogs. I need to muscle up the courage to make my way through the rest of the menu. If you eat ’em all, you get your photo on the wall!
They’re not foot-longs, there’s no natural casings, there not sausages… they’re just hot dogs, done really well. They’re prepared with tasty ingredients, and they always look like little works of art in a basket. You can even get a vegetarian dog if you’d like, in any style on the menu. If you’re near Dormont, and a hot dog fan, you need to check this place out.
You read about the Backallie Music Rock Music Awards before, and Ernie has been nominated for best “oh shit moment”! Thank you all for your help, we hope to see you at the awards show. We won’t be performing, but many other awesome local bands will be!
Check out their flyer…
Backallie Music 2nd Annual Rock Music Awards!
Buy your tickets now! We’ll see you there! Wish Ernie luck & hit up the Backallie Music Facebook Page and show your support for all of the nominated bands!
Beto’s is another place nearby that is just excellent. They’re the place that you’ve probably heard of that doesn’t cook the cheese & other toppings. You’ll probably either love it or hate it. I dig it, the wife does not. The only thing I’d change is the consistency of the sauce… I’m not a fan of chunks of tomatoes in pizza sauce, but the flavor is excellent. They don’t get all fancy with toppings here either, just simple, straightforward pizza with cheese that’s melting as you eat it. I think my favorite way to eat it is just as plain cheese pizza. Why mess up such a beautiful combination?
Molly’s Pizza is close by too. They have some great pizza, and some really crazy specialty pies like the Ranchero Steak Pizza and the Pierogi Pizza. I personally like to get a pizza with zucchini on top. Excellent stuff! It’s hard to pick a favorite around here.
Foiri’s is a south hills institution. Sorry, I don’t get it. Is it good pizza? Most definitely. Is it overrated? In my humble opinion, yes. Maybe I’m biased because you can get deathfish as a topping there. At any rate, if you’re in the area and a pizza aficionado, it’s worth checking out before you decide that Slice is the best place around.
Il Pizzaiolo isn’t your regular Pittsburgh pizza shop. They’re fancy. They have great pies in a steep Neapolitan tradition. As they say themselves…
…the restaurant has become a vibrant gathering place for lovers of Neapolitan pizza, pasta and Italian wine. Nearly everything on the menu is hand-made. And if it’s not made in-house, it’s imported from the best artisans, cheese-makers and salumeria in the world. Mozzarella di Bufala comes direct from Naples every Thursday and the pizzas are baked at 1000˚ in a handcrafted, wood-fired brick oven for less than 90 seconds. This, along with perfectly leavened dough, San Marzano tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil, produces the most authentic Neapolitan pizza possible.
So obviously, this is no Pizza Hut. They make incredible gourmet pies. Unfortunately it’s entirely not what I’m craving when I “just want a pizza”. This is where you want to go when you’d like a nice evening out to enjoy some of the lightest most delicious pizza you’ve ever eaten.
Italian Village Pizza is all over the place. Both by location and quality. They used to have a killer A1 Steak Sub at the one on Rte. 51, but I don’t think they have that any more. The last one I frequented was the one in McMurray, but I only ever got the pizza once or twice. The steak & Italian subs are incredible, but the sauce was just too bitter for me. It tasted like straight tomato paste with some basil thrown in. Some people love it, but it just wasn’t my thing.
I’m still not sure what the exact dispute is… if there’s still a dispute, and if there are only two Vincent’s involved in this saga. Can anyone fill me in on this? I’ve heard several amalgamated stories over the years. Some credible news even. First, you’ve got to get your head around the locations…
I haven’t been to Vincent’s Pizza Park in Holiday Park in a long long time, but I remember it as the greasiest pizza I have ever had. It was good, but greasy. Some people like that. I’m not the biggest fan of grease, but I remember they had a nice thick crust & a flavorful sauce.
I don’t think I’ve ever been to the Vincent’s in Greentree, but the one in Southpointe has great steak subs, garlic buns, and pretty good pizza. Their “like it” percentage on Urbanspoon is pretty low though. No idea what’s up there.
Which Vincent’s is your favorite? Which Vincent’s location is the best & the original? (I think it’s Vincent’s in Forest Hills)
Please, chime in on any of these locations, any from my previous pizza post, or any that I may have missed. I may dive into pizza chains next. Pizza is always a subject of hot debate (and it goes well with beer).
The Clarks’ lead singer gets schooled at Shaler. I found it rather amusing, so will a bunch of my local musician friends because we’re all haters. No idea if this is real or not, but Mr. Madden was talking about it at the beginning of his show today.
Little Caesar’s
CiCi’s
Molly’s Pizza
World (and Lunar) Domination 