Week 25: Vito's Pizza

We are almost halfway through our one year pizza adventure.  25 weeks of pizza and still going strong.  We have had some really great pizza and we have had some very average pizza too.  Unfortunately this week we ended up with one of the more average, shall I say below average, pizzas this year.  The week was flying by and we realized late that we were behind on our pizza quota.  So, as a last minute rush, we stayed local to try a spot that opened up recently.  Vito’s Pizza Restaurant (www.vitos-pizza.com) in Highland Village is one of three locations with the Vito’s name.  The original, since 1993, is located in Irving and we figured that with 18 years in business they must know what they’re doing...  Well unfortunately we were wrong.

We called in a pick-up order for a large 1/2 Pepperoni and 1/2 Fresh Tomato which totaled about $15.  Vito’s has a very extensive Italian menu filled with appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and pastas.  The small dining area in Highland Village is also BYOB, so bring along a bottle of wine if you plan to stay.  Now we can’t speak for the Irving or Frisco locations, but assuming they are all the same owner/recipes...  Skip this pizza.   We found it very difficult to highlight anything about the pie.  Sure, it seemed like a pretty good deal for $15, but that’s assuming it would be good.  For the first time this year we actually threw away our leftovers!  It’s tough to point out exactly what was wrong with the pizza, but there was absolutely nothing that was memorable.  To me it tasted like a really big Papa John’s pizza with less flavor.  The top was greasy, and the Fresh Tomato half was overly “saucy.”  The overall experience was “transactional” and only served the purpose of filling our stomachs with food.  With MANY other pizza restaurants in the area, we wouldn’t be surprised if Vito’s doesn’t stick around for another 18 years in Highland Village.

The Final Report: 5.0 out of 10

Are we getting too picky?  Have we tasted the best that DFW Pizza has to offer?  Have we made it halfway through the pizza year with nothing to look forward to?  Well.  Considering there are still about 1,158 pizza places in the Metroplex that we haven’t tried. I think we shouldn’t have anything to worry about. 

Week 24: Chicago Pizza Cafe

This week we had to find REAL Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza in Dallas.  Too often you find pizza restaurants claiming “Chicago Pizza” (See Week 20: Chicago Gourmet Pizza) but finding authentic deep dish pizza in the DFW Metroplex is no easy task.  Sure, there are a lot of impostors out there, but few measure up to the actual Windy City original.  Just because your pizza is cooked in a deep pan doesn’t mean that your pizza is Chicago.  Just because you have a picture of Wrigley Field and “The Blues Brothers” on your wall also doesn’t make your pizza joint genuine.  With that being said, Chicago Pizza Cafe in Frisco (www.chicagopizzacafe.com) is Original, Chicago and Genuine.  Fortunately and unfortunately the place isn’t right around the corner and is far enough away to keep us out of trouble.

When we eat a deep dish pizza we typically pass on all of the extra toppings, because the cheese and crust alone will fill you up after 2 slices.  However, it’s a family tradition to add fresh spinach when it’s available.  Our order for the week was a medium spinach deep dish, and a small thin crust cheese for our girls.  At Chicago Pizza Cafe, a deep dish pizza will run you anywhere from $12 for a small up to $22 for a “specialty” large.  To be honest - its worth every penny.  

Let’s start off with the thin crust small (12” for $8.99)...  It’s good, it probably won’t change your outlook on pizza, but it reminds me of home.  The taste of the crust, cheese, and sauce is nothing short of a Chicago classic.  The pie is cut in standard square slices, leaving two pieces in the middle with no crust.  At our house the corners go first, and our girls really enjoyed the simplicity of the thin pizza (I stole 2 corners).  On day two the left overs were great out of the toaster oven; crispy and enjoyable.  

Now the spinach deep dish was nothing short of outstanding.  It was cooked to perfection and hot on the table when we arrived (with a 30-40 cook time we called ahead).  The tomato sauce smothered the three cheese blend and thick crust, lightly sprinkled with Chicago seasonings.  Our only negative comment was that the crust was a little too crispy, and we would have preferred it on the “doughier” side.  When it came down to it, the pizza was delicious with no extra crust pieces left on our plates, so I guess it wasn’t too bad.  

The Final Report: 7.5 out of 10

If you were born and raised in DFW, and you want to taste a REAL Chicago Pizza, drive north on the Dallas Tollway, and exit Lebanon west.  The dining area is spacious with an outdoor patio for those who enjoy eating in the 100 degree heat.  Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll never look at deep dish pizza the same way again.  Go Cubs!

Week 23: Serious Pizza

There's a new pizza joint in Deep Ellum, and we had to give it a shot.  This week we had originally planned to head out to Plano, but instead picked up a medium pizza from Serious Pizza (www.seriouspizza.net) on Elm Street in Dallas.  Under most circumstances, a medium pizza would only be enough to feed our 4 year old, but with a name like Serious Pizza you can only imagine the size pies this place cranks out.  Needless to say a medium pizza is 18" which is bigger than the standard franchise pizza X-Large (16”).

The restaurant itself is exactly what you would expect from a Deep Ellum address... Brick painted walls, concrete floors, and tattooed employees.  Probably not the place you would go on a romantic date, but if you’re looking to cure a late night pizza fix, this is the place!  The restaurant was empty when we stopped by to pick up the pizza to-go around 5pm.  However, with prompt friendly service and cold beer, we were on the road in less than 15 minutes with a delicious monster pizza in the car.

It’s a very simple yet successful concept; LOTS of cold beer and HUGE pizza.  The pizza by the slice is so big it won’t fit on a standard size plate so they serve it on a pizza pan (See the picture? Yes, those are standard size utensils).  The calzones are roughly the size of a regulation NFL football, stuffed with toppings and cheese for $8.  Now most people would assume that when you create something this size you’ll have to sacrifice on the taste.... This is not the case at Serious Pizza.  The topping list was extensive with almost 30 to choose from and they offer 10 delicious “Specialty” pizzas.  This week we went for a 1/2 Buffalo Chicken and 1/2 BBQ Chicken.  Like previously mentioned, the medium special was a steal at $17.  The pizzas are made in progressively bigger sizes, including the XL which is 30"!  Even if we wanted to get the XL, it wouldn’t have fit in the Mini Cooper... 

Ok they have big pizzas you get it... But how do they taste?  To be honest, the size gimmick doesn't really impress me, unless you can back it up with taste or are feeding the neighborhood.  The Medium pizza was able to feed the entire family with leftovers and it was GOOD!  One thing that was different than other BBQ/Buffalo pizzas that we have had before is that here they combine the sauces with the red base.  It wasn’t bad, but not what we are used to tasting.  The toppings were very fresh, and covered the entire surface evenly.  The highlight of the pizza was definitely the crust.   Keeping in mind that one slice’s crust was about 8” long...  The dough was perfect.  Slightly chewy but strong enough to contain the weight of the toppings.  This may have been one of our favorite NY style crusts so far this year!

The Final Report: 7.0 out of 10

Serious Pizza is a great new addition to the DFW pizza community.  It’s not your typical dining experience, but with only a couple months under their belts Serious Pizza is making a name for itself.  So next time you’re looking for a HUGE slice of pizza, and a 40oz Beer to wash it down, cruise over to Serious Pizza and be ready for a feast! 

Week 22: Eno's Pizza Tavern

If you have never been to the Bishop Arts District in Dallas you are missing out on a fantastic experience.  For the first time since moving to Dallas, it didn’t feel like we were actually in Dallas.  This week we were lined up for Eno’s Pizza Tavern (www.enospizza.com) for a quiet date night without the kids.  The drive was far out of the way from the house, but in the end it was worth every mile.  If you had blindfolded us and dropped us off in front of Eno’s, we would have told you that we were in Santa Barbara.  We had never been to this part of Dallas, however we’ll definitely be back!  Street parking was a little tricky, and we kept our fingers crossed that our car would be there in 2 hours.  However, a nice evening walk down N. Bishop Ave, is one we won’t soon forget.

Eno’s has a VERY cool and modern vibe.  You could show up with a tie, or cruise in with shorts and a t-shirt.  There are plenty of tables outside, and also a dining area upstairs.  There can’t be enough said about the atmosphere in this place, and needless to say we could become “regulars” if we lived close by.  

This week we passed on the appetizers, but there were several options including a Truffle Cheese Bread that looked and smelled amazing.  Now this is a Pizza Blog, but let’s stop for a minute and discuss the Beer selection.  From everything that we could see there was not a Miller/Budweiser/Coors product at the bar.  The “Draught” and “Bottled” beer menu was remarkable, and one couldn’t pass up the opportunity to taste a craft beer (or two)!  

Alright - back to the pizza. First of all, Eno’s serves a THIN crust pizza, probably the thinnest we’ve had all year.  The selection of specialty pies includes about a dozen choices, including a “Local Pie” which has seasonal ingredients, locally influenced.  The pies come in two sizes, 14” and 16’ (Add $2.50).  The average pizza was priced around 15 bucks, and considering the quality of the toppings, we’d say it was certainly worth it.  We chose to go with the “Eno’s Original,” which was a spicy mix or mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, sport peppers, and salami.  We also had to try the “South Hill” which was a white pie with grilled chicken, arugula, ricotta, truffle oil, and tons of fresh basil.  The 14’ size was a perfect amount of pizza of each of us, and since it had such a thin crust we didn’t leave feeling STUFFED...  That is until the dessert menu showed up!

We did contain ourselves when it came to the dessert, but during the course of the evening servers continued to emerge from the kitchen with what was called “Eno’s Sundae Sack.”  We restrained and went for a less obscene choice of the “Eno’s Sundae,” that included Blue Bell ice cream, cherries, pecans, cinnamon sugar, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.  The “Sack” was twice the investment and came served in a “chocolate bowl” that included fresh berries and marshmallow cream.  Needless to say the desserts were unforgettable, just like the pizza!

The Final Report: 9 out of 10

Wow, Wow, and Wow.  This could have possibly been our favorite “restaurant experience” of the year.  The end to end encounter with Eno’s Pizza Tavern was a refreshing change of pace to what we have seen at the standard pizza restaurant.  Here’s to finding more places like this during our pizza adventure, cheers!