Pizza and PIE!
Hey, kids! Work, real life, excuses, excuses. But you know I'm climbing out of the bunker when I have what I had for dinner last night -- Mo's wedge salad with *extra* bacon!
Pizza pizza: I've owned several of the individual size pizza stones for *years* and can I say how much I still love them? They're stained and blackened from drips of oil and sauce. They're sometimes crusty after use and I scrape them and soak in plain water. But no matter how they look after years of use, they still work perfectly, giving pizzas a perfectly crisp crust every time. I like thin crusts and I use a lot of cornmeal (all helping with the crispy factor), but my little pizza stones continually preheat well, hold heat, and in general get the job done. On Sunday night, had a (mostly) delightful evening on a friend's deck with pizzas and all my favorite fixins! Perfect! (It helps, too, to have an easy and foolproof crust recipe.)
"Any day is a good day for PIE!" Favorite Pulp Fiction quotes aside, today is pie day at Dine magazine! We'll be tasting and judging pies all afternoon and I'm hoping for some great fruit pies celebrating summer! Cherry, blueberry, strawberry-rhubarb! And don't forget the cream pies -- chocolate and coconut cream (with the ever important whipped cream versus meringue debate). And there will be the Indiana favorites, I'm sure -- buttermilk and sugar cream pies. If anyone needs me later in the day, I'll be home in a sugar coma.
11 comments:
Other than making it yourself, where can one find a good pie in this city? The BR Pie Company is long gone. I thought maybe Pepppy Grill might be a good bet for classic diner-style pie, boy was I wrong. Maybe it was a one-time bad experience, but the piece I tried tasted so much like stale refrigerator that I think it may have been serving as a display in the case since the restaurant opened...IN 1954! (or thereabouts).
Shapiro's pies are pretty tasty but I wouldn't say I'm an aficionado or anything. They have a large selection:
• APPLE
$14.65
• RHUBARB
$14.65
• CHERRY
$14.65
• PECAN
$18.35
• BUTTERSCOTCH PRALINE
$20.45
• PEANUT BUTTER
Special Order *Call In Advance*
$15.95
• SWEET POTATO
Special Order *Call In Advance*
$15.70
• PUMPKIN
Special Order *Call In Advance*
$15.70
• FRUIT FLAN
$17.80
• KEY LIME
$20.45
• GERMAN CHOCOLATE
$20.45
• COCONUT CREAM
$14.65
• LEMON CREAM
$14.65
• BOSTON CREAM
$16.00
• SUGAR CREAM
$15.50
• BANANA CREAM
$15.50
"Shapiro's"
Meh. I do like their Boston Cream Pie, and Chocolate Cake, but many of the others resort to the too-gelatinized, goopy/rubbery "fruit" and whipped "topping" school of "display" desserts.
Try Rene's in Broad Ripple - more tarts and pastries than pies, but very good.
http://www.renesbakery.com/
Braingirl, would you share your pizza crust recipe and some of your favorite toppings?
Thanks,
Hislip56
There used to be a place in Carmel called Grand Traverse Pie Company. Their pies were phenomenally good, especially the fruit pies. Unfortunately they went out of business a couple years ago. However, a recent article in the Star referenced that they might be a future tenant at the new lifestyle center in Noblesville. Their website shows that they opened a new store in Terre Haute, so it looks like they have not given up on the Indiana market. Keep your fingers crossed - it is really good pie!
Hmmm...though this thread is more about pies than pizza, I didn't find one that was more appropriate.
So, let's focus on PIZZA.
I've been looking for about 15 years now, and have yet to find the pizza of my youth/dreams. Any hidden gems?
Bazbeaux will do in a pinch. Maria's on South Shelby St. was my go-to place, my usual pick for "best in town", but really only in the middle of the pack in my all-time list of favorites.
Probably a decade or more ago, I was taken to a place around Ft. Ben/Lawrence that could be a contender, but I just can't recall it's name. I do remember the decor being like stepping into a 70's time-warp - dim and dark wood (in a good/comfortable way).
Could it be Gramboli's or Cugino's? They look to be in the general area that I recall. Anyone know these places? Worth a (re-)visit?
Not sure what the pizza of your youth was like, but if you're in the mood for a non-gourmet pizza, with a tomato paste style sauce, and a slightly sweet, a little thicker than Bazbeaux's style crust, try Gallagher's Place on the far south-side. I believe it's off of Emerson, just north of County Line Road. Gallagher's has that old-style crumbled sausage among other traditional toppings. Skip the breadsticks though. The place gets packed on Friday and Saturday nights. Driving from downtown, and sitting at the too small tables, are small sacrifices for this guilty pleasure that I crave every few months.
Don't forget the new Jockomo's down Irvington way. I haven't been yet but maybe Kirts can pop in and shed some light.
Coolness thanks for the leads!
The pizza style that I grew up eating is what I call Southside-Chicago-Style. Usually thin-crust and cut into squares, with a thick zesty Sauce, generous amounts of high-quality Cheese, veggies (esp. green pepper) usually sautéed. So, yeah, a lot like Maria’s.
But I like pizza of any style if it is done well. From Carmen’s Stuffed, Lou Malnati’s/Gino’s Deep-Dish or Stop 50/Spacca Napoli wood-fired. Sauce (rich and generous)>Cheese (quality)>Crust (present).
Scubachef - still not the pizza of your youth, but have you been to WB Pizza at 62nd and Allisonville? I know the name is odd, and the sign doesn't make it seem like it would be a fabulous place, but it is. Easily one of the best pizza places in Indy. They have a traditional Chicago style (toppings upside down), and lots of gourmet toppings too. Really a hidden treasure.
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