Week 48: Brother's Pizza

 

Yes, we have fallen behind with our pizza reviews.  No, we have not stopped eating pizza.  With all of the yuletide cheer being spread around the house this year with family and friends in town, we took a brief vacation from the computer.  So, first on our list of places we have been in the last 2 weeks is Brothers Pizza in Carrollton.  This gem of an old school pizza parlor is on Whitlock Ln right off 35E.  Once again we found ourselves in a location that was stopped by the hands of time.  What appeared to be an old fast food restaurant remodeled many years ago, is now home to a delicious New York style pizza joint. 

We pulled in after the sun had set but the green glow of the “Pizza Pasta” sign lured us in as we drove under the 35E overpass.  The parking lot was empty and a few delivery cars were still warm from their last drop-off.  This week’s order was straight forward and simple: Large 1/2 cheese and 1/2 “Brother’s Special” (Spinach, Fresh Tomatoes, Ricotta Cheese).  The cashier helped us save some Christmas cash by suggesting one split pie instead of 2 smaller sizes.  We grabbed a couple drink cups for the soda fountain and squeezed in a booth next to the old-time flat screen TVs (Yeah, the kind that were bigger than a compact car).  Notwithstanding the TNT movie re-run, the eating area was perfect for a couple rowdy toddlers and two hungry parents.  After a brief wait, the pizza was served and we dug in!

The pizza was large and the 12 slices had the ever-so familiar NY style “droop” when lifted by the handle. In general the pizza was great.  The crust had a slight chewiness and its size was not too overwhelming.  The sauce and cheese on the kids 1/2 hit the spot and both kids devoured 3 slices (A new record for the year).  The Brother’s Special also hit the spot and no left overs came home for the following day’s lunch.  The spinach tasted very fresh and the ricotta was strategically placed not leaving a single bare slice.  Overall a solid pizza at an affordable price (Our total was less than $20).

The Final Report: 6.5 out of 10

It was our first stop in Carrollton this year and we really enjoyed the pizza.  We love seeing the older pizza restaurants still cranking out quality pizzas and fighting off the mass produced franchise garbage.  If you live in the area this place deserves your business and if you don’t, then stop by the next time you are headed northbound on 35E.

     

Week 47: Zini's Pizzeria

In 2011 we have had good pizza, average pizza, and bad pizza.  Of course there have also been a few amazing pizzas.  This week we had average pizza.  To be quite honest it has been almost a week since we actually ate at Zini’s Pizzeria in Deep Ellum and we can barely remember it.  Not a good sign if you are looking to create a loyal following in the Dallas pizza world.  It was a Thursday night and on the way home from work it felt like a good night for pizza.  Zini’s got the call primarily because it is less than 5 minutes from the office and we thought we’d give it a try.  Located on Elm Street, about a block down from Serious Pizza and a couple blocks over from Il Cane Rosso, Zini’s definitely has some stiff competition in the area....

Thursday night didn’t pack the house at Zini’s.  It feels like a place that you would end your night at after stumbling around the live music scene of Dallas.  The location itself wasn’t unsanitary, but certainly wouldn’t win any honorable mentions for interior design or aesthetic appeal.  Arriving a few minutes before the pizza was finished provided the opportunity to soak in the ambiance and even muster up the courage to brave the restrooms.  The service was very kind and genuine and even seemed to be unfazed by the occasional hobo stopping in to purchase a can of soda. The order this week consisted of 2 pies: 1 small cheese and 1 Chicken Pesto Pizza (Grilled chicken and red onions with a pesto sauce).  Our first choice was the Farmers Market (Fresh spinach, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and roasted corn) but due to a spinach shortage, the Chicken Pesto got the call.  One other pizza on the menu worth mentioning was the 100 Pounder Pizza which includes 100+ pieces of pepperoni and 1LB of fresh mozzarella cheese.  Overall, there were many specialty pizza choices; all in the $14 range.

After a standard drive home through Dallas “rush hour” traffic, the pizzas were unboxed on the family dinner table.  The cheese look and tasted much like any other average cheese pizza we have had this year.  It probably could have been pulled from the oven 3 minutes earlier, but overall tasted fine with a nice touch of seasonings on top.  The crust although tossed and stretched by hand, had the perfect look of a frozen pizza.  The taste was far superior to a frozen pizza but the perfection of the round pizza felt manufactured and not homemade.  The Chicken Pesto also could have been pulled from the oven a few minutes earlier.  Being the better of the two pizzas, the pesto sauce was delicious and the chicken was grilled to perfection.  There could have been about 1/2 the red onions, but considering it was our second choice we enjoyed it anyway. 

The Final Report: 6.0 out of 10

Zini’s Pizzeria sells an average pizza, but it is far better than your franchise pizza chain.  We would have never stumbled in the doors if it wasn’t for our pizza blog, and we’re glad that we checked it out.  Thousands of Dallas families stomach $5 garbage delivery pizza each night while places like Zini’s take the time to offer something better.  Sure Zini’s doesn’t compare to some of our favorites this year, but pizza lovers need to get out and support their local pizza restaurants and try something new.  

Any suggestions for where we should check out next?

   

Week 46: Atomic Pie

You've heard many times, "it's a marathon and not a sprint." And that's what we told ourselves when this journey started back in January. Now here we are, December is in full swing and we're heading down the home stretch of our 2012 pizza adventure. It was Sunday around lunchtime and we had just spent our morning freezing and wet at the Dallas White Rock Marathon. After finishing the half marathon, nothing sounded better than hot delicious pizza! This year we've had Extreme pizza, we've tried Serious Pizza, and now we were ready for Atomic pizza. 

The weather outside was rainy and cold as we pulled up in front of Atomic Pizza at 11:45 AM on Sunday.  Unsure of what time they were planning to open I gave the door handle a tug and they were closed.  Quickly an employee ran to the door and mentioned they opened at noon, but we were more than welcome to come inside and eat.  (Score one point for Atomic Pizza).  We all piled out of the car and made our way into the small eating area of about a half dozen tables, and placed our order.  The menu was very simple; in addition to the basic toppings they also had a list of about 5 specialty options.  We ordered a small cheese pizza and a medium 1/2 “the garden hippie” (Mushrooms, Onions, Green Peppers, Black Olives, Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Spinach) and 1/2 “the power of the people” (Sausage, Salami, Canadian Bacon, Breakfast Bacon, Hamburger, and Pepperoni).  Since we were the first ones at the restaurant we were told pizzas would be out in 15 minutes.  The restaurant location was hidden back in an old Lake Highlands shopping center on the corner of Walnut Hill Lane and Audelia Road.

The pizza was hot out of the oven in 15 minutes and before we knew it we were staring at 2 beautiful oval pizza’s.  This marked the 3rd time this year we were served an oval pie.  Honestly, the small 2-3 bite slices go down quick and before you know it half the pizza is missing.  The cheese pizza was good and on par with an iFratelli pizza.  The crust had a little more to offer but overall not as good as fellow oval pizza maker

Campisi’s.  The specialty pizzas were works of art...  The pizza was loaded with tons of fresh toppings on both the meat and veggie sides.  Once again right in the middle between iFratelli’s and Campisi’s.  The highlight at Atomic Pie was the customer service.  Long story short, after completing the White Rock half marathon in the cold pouring rain the guy behind the counter could see that a fresh bowl of tomato basil soup at no charge would really hit the spot.    

The Final Report: 7.0 out of 10

In a time where there are pizza restaurants on every corner there has to be a differentiating factor.  Sure, the pizza was good at Atomic Pie but was on par with many places we’ve been this year.  However, the little things like opening 15 minutes early or providing a bowl of soup had us leaving back for home with a good taste in our mouth. (Pun Intended).  

Week 45: Mama's Pizza

The Thanksgiving leftovers are all gone and the Christmas decorations are up.  Its really hard to believe that we ate pizza every week for the last 11 months.  We are finally down the home stretch and with only 1 month left we have several local favorites left on our list.  This week we decided to see what Mama’s Pizza was all about.  With many locations scattered throughout the metroplex and countless years of award winning pizzas, we thought it was worth a try.  Starting back in 1968 Mama’s Pizza has been an institution in Ft. Worth and during the last decade, franchises have been popping up everywhere from  Burleson to Plano.

It was lunch time and we were tired of eating left over turkey sandwiches, so we picked up the phone and ordered a pizza to pick up from Lewisville location.  The online menu was simple and straightforward with 15 toppings to chose from on 5 different size pizzas.  Since it was only lunchtime and our appetites were small, we ordered a large (Serves 2-3) half cheese and half tomatoes and fresh garlic.  We were told that the pizza would be ready in 10 minutes, so I hopped in the car and headed out.

Mama’s Pizza is tucked in an older strip mall and would have been easy to miss if we hadn’t been driving past it almost daily for the last 7 years.  It was surprisingly busy at lunchtime, and clearly the crowd wasn’t there to enjoy the original 1970’s decor and atmosphere.  Apparently the pizza buffet is a big draw.

The toppings, sauce, and cheese of our pizza were underwhelming.  With a similar taste and quality of any fast franchise pizza, we weren’t excited.  The distinguishing factor of Mama’s pizza is the crust.  After 45 weeks, we can absolutely say that we’ve had nothing like it.  The crust is shiny and dense and almost identical to an unsalted concession stand pretzel.  We almost wanted to tear it off and dip it in mustard to see how it compared.  That being said, pretzel pizza is not really our cup of tea, and although we were hungry enough to devour the whole pie, we probably won’t be rushing back anytime soon.

The Final Report: 5.5 out of 10 

If you want to try a crust like you’ve never had, then check it out - otherwise, don’t set your expectations too high.

Week 44: Piggie Pies

This week we decided to get away from upscale fancy pizza and set out in search of some good old “sloppy” pizza.  It didn’t take long to decide, and with a name like Piggie Pies, we knew we were headed to the right place.  Located on the Northwest corner of the Greenville Avenue and Lovers Lane intersection, Piggie Pies has been serving up award winning Dallas pizza for many years.  With many of Dallas’ favorite pizza spots in close proximity, you know the pizza here has to be good...  At least we hoped.

With only a few weeks left in our 2011 adventure our “to-eat” list is running tight and since we’ve been to most places near our house we needed to get creative.  On the ride home from downtown back up to Denton County, we called in our order for pick up.  The number of Gourmet Pizzas on the menu was promising although it did make it hard to narrow down our choices.  We ended up picking two 12“ pies ($28 Total), one with cheese and half sausage, and one gourmet half Original BBQ Chicken (BBQ Chicken, Fresh Mushrooms, Purple Onions and Cheddar Cheese) and half Pizza al Pesto (Homemade Pesto, Grilled Chicken, Onions, Red Bell Peppers, Mozzarella, Cheddar, and Parmesan Cheese).  By no means an easy choice with 16 gourmet options to choose from and 26 additional topping choices.  The pizza was just coming out of the oven when I walked in the front door.  It appears that most patrons use the pick up or delivery option.  While there are 8 tables in a small dining room it really doesn't provide much atmosphere for a night on the town. 

The pizzas smelled great and I wasn’t a half block from Piggie Pies before the smell in my car had completely taken over.  After a few miles passed, I gave in and cracked open the box along the Tollway and enjoyed the first bite of the Pesto slice.  Delicious.  The pizza lived up to our expectations and was “sloppy” (in a good way).    The crust was light and slightly chewy, not thick but not thin.   The toppings and sauce were more than necessary, but tasty on all 4 pizza types.  The low point was probably the sausage pizza and the highlight was the Pizza al Pesto.  While the BBQ Chicken Pizza was by no means bad, it was nowhere near our favorite this year. 

The Final Report: 7.0 out of 10

In general, Piggie Pies offers a good pizza.  It is certainly superior to your standard chain pizza factory and most independent kitchens.  The problem for us is that it didn’t offer enough to be worth an hour round trip from our house.  We probably won’t be going out of our way to eat here again, but if you live in the neighborhood it is definitely worth a visit.

Week 43: Dough Pizzeria

After 42 weeks of searching the Dallas Metroplex for the best pizza, I believe we found it.  Sure it was way back during Week 4 when Grimaldi's in Allen knocked our socks off, but Dough Pizzeria in North Dallas might have taken the top spot.  After suffering through a few weeks of average pizza, nothing could have prepared us for what was in store at Dough.  There have been several places this year that have been memorable and down right delicious, however we will certainly be returning often to enjoy this Napoletana pizza heaven. 

The restaurant is beautiful and comfortable inside with a modern decor that felt like you were sitting in a Crate and Barrel catalogue.  From the outside the location was hidden in a strip center away from the main street (Preston).  We beat the rush on Friday night and fortunately had no wait before being seated in the front by the window.  Our waiter didn't miss a beat and made us feel like we were his only table for the night.  As I fumbled through the mostly Italian wine list the waiter suggested a few to try before we committed to a final choice (Score one point for the free wine samples.)  We decided to split the Tuscan Salad which was very good, however my memory of the salad was erased after I sunk my teeth into the pizza...


The pizza order was tricky.  We really wanted to try every option, including the evening special, but since this place is "certified" by the Italian pizza aficionados (See Week 3: Cavalli Pizza), we had to get the Margherita "STG."**  For our second pie, there was no doubt in my mind. Although my lovely wife won't touch bacon or any pig product for that matter, I had to put my foot down and order "Pork Love."  When reviewing a pizza I try to come up with things that I didn't like about the pizza and in the case of "Pork Love" my list was empty.  First of all, the crust was hands down the best of 2011. The chewiness of the dough combined with the light charring from the wood fire oven was perfect.  Next, the house made Fior di Latte cheese was flawless. Finally with a name like "Pork Love" you better believe that the 4 different types of pork (Salami, Sausage, Pancetta, and Speck) covered every inch of the pizza.  Needless to say I didn't share my pizza and there were no leftovers for the morning.  Oh yeah, the Margherita wasn't too shabby either and probably our favorite of the year.  We opted for no dessert or coffee so we could savor the pizza experience for as long as possible, although the "Dolcé" menu did look tasty.


The Final Report: 9.5 out of 10

After a long discussion on the ride home we concluded that Dough was very close to perfection.  The only criticisms we had were that the pizzas were definitely the most expensive of the year, but still worth every penny and that we live 20 miles away.  After an experience like we enjoyed at Dough, next week's location certainly has some big shoes to fill!


**After further research, only the Dough Pizzeria location in San Antonio was officially certified by the VPN.  This however, does not take away from the great pizza served at the Dallas location.

Week 42: Sfuzzi

 

 There are only 10 week's left in our 2011 tour of Dallas/Ft. Worth pizza. We still have a short list of must-visit places, and Sfuzzi was one of them. As it turns out, Sfuzzi opened up a second location in Las Colinas about two weeks ago.  Apparently the location has had a bad string of luck trying to stay in business, but with the success of its Dallas location, this isn't Sfuzzi's first rodeo.  Located right off the 114, the restaurant is huge. With 3 full Bars, 2 huge patios, and multiple dining areas, Sfuzzi is prepared for success (and lots of customers).  We figured we'd check it out and packed up our wagon and headed to Irving for some pizza!


Our first impression was how large the restaurant was, but also how beautiful the place was.  We were immediately greeted by the manager when we walked through the front doors.  Being a Sunday night, the place wasn't that busy and we were seated quickly.  The menu included many options and the specialty pizzas were hard to narrow down.  Out of sheer curiosity, we picked a pizza called the "Texas Farm Raise Eggs an Bacon Pizza" which was topped with strips of bacon and 2 sunny-side up eggs.  On the other half of out Metro size pizza was "Organic Veggies" ( Seasonal Vegetables, Cherry Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese).  We also ordered a regular size Margherita pizza to keep the kids happy and also to check out the basic pie.



While we waited for our pizza the manager once again made a point to swing by the table and strike up a conversation. Unlike your typical visit from the manager, this one felt genuine and we got some inside scoop on the location and it's plans to expand for the Las Colinas lunch crowds.  Pizzas were quickly out of the wood fire oven and covered almost all of our table.  The pizza was a visual work of art, and it was the first time we have ever seen two eggs laying on top of our pie. 


Fresh out of the oven all three pizzas were delicious.  The Organic Veggie side was covered with goat cheese and a good variety of fresh vegetables that tasted great. The egg pizza was interesting.  Not a bad pizza, but after all was said and done I would have ordered a different type.  The toppings were freshly cooked but placed on top after the pizza baked, making it a challenge to eat.  Certainly a unique idea, but we're surprised to hear that it was one of the most popular choices. Finally the Margherita pizza was exactly what we expected.  It had a great wood fired crust and a generous sprinkling of fresh cut basil. Our only complaint was that as the pizza cooled off it went from great to ok.  When it was hot out of the oven, the pizza captured our attention, but as it cooled, the crust lost its good texture and turned chewy and almost hard to eat.

The Final Report: 7.0 out of 10

Overall Sfuzzi is a cool location that should bring in the crowds.  Definitely, a place to hang out and have a drink or stop by for a full dinner.  The pizzas were great, the service was great, and the location was fantastic!

Week 41: Patrizio

Family was in town this week and we can think of no better way to share time together than around the dinner table.  After careful review of close-by restaurants and reader input we decided to try Patrizio’s.  With a total of 6 locations around the Dallas Metroplex we opted to to stay close and try the Highland Village location.  While it wasn’t our first visit to Patrizio’s, it was our first time to try the pizza.  Located in the beautiful Shops of Highland Village, the restaurant had an elegant dining area and felt borderline “fancy.”  The upscale ambiance would be appropriate for a date night location but also very appropriate for kids of all ages (crayons not included).

One thing to note immediately was that while the sign stated “Pizza, Pasta and Vino” this is definitely an Italian restaurant that offers pizza, and not a pizza restaurant.  This is a fine distinction that must be noted.  Many pizza places we’ve been to this year just so happen to offer Italian style dishes as an afterthought. Patrizio’s felt as though Italian dishes were the focus, while the pizza was the afterthought.  Everyone at the table ordered some type of pasta or salad and I decided to try the specialty pizza.  Unfortunately, because it was on the inserted Specials Menu, I have no idea what it was called.  Imagine a pizza covered in shrimp, broccoli, mushrooms, red peppers, and corn...  Certainly an unusual selection of toppings, and therefore I requested to have one half of the pizza meatballs and black olives.  The additional toppings section on the menu consists of 17 different choices all for an extra $1.79.  The pizza comes in one size and will cost you $10.70 (with no toppings).

The waitress brought out a table full of delicious pasta and salad plates and I got to enjoy the pizza all by myself.  One thing I quickly noticed was that the entire pizza was the specialty pizza and half included my meatballs and olives.  My hope was that it would be split 50/50 which made for a very interesting 1/2 pizza with EVERYTHING.  The waitress was very apologetic and offered to make a whole new pizza, but we declined due to the fact that the kids were getting a little restless...  Overall the pizza was good, not great, but good.  I would defiantly not get the shrimp specialty again and stick to the more standard offering.  The crust was relatively thin and almost had a buttery cracker flavor to it.  The toppings, although not what I ordered, were fresh and plentiful.

The Final Report: 6 out of 10

Patrizio’s is certainly a place that we would recommend if you are looking for a nice Italian restaurant.  That being said, it probably wouldn’t make the top of our list if we were going to point you in the direction of delicious pizza.  The wine was good. The salad was good. The pasta was good. The pizza was OK. 

Week 40: Extreme Pizza

Time flew by this past week, but we always make time for pizza. As we head down the home stretch of 2011 - finding pizza locations has become slightly trickier. For our adventure this week we were looking for something, shall we say, "extreme." With what feels like a pizza chain on every corner, one way to distinguish yourself is with the name. If you find yourself staring at list of a bunch of restaurants chances are it's name will be what draws you in. We found ourself in that exact situation last week, and Extreme Pizza got the call solely because of our curiosity in the restaurant's name...



Tucked in the upscale neighborhood of the Park Cities we saw more Bently's and Ferarri's drive by than the past 40 weeks combined. The location looked the part with an "extreme" interior design and pizza menu. The place was empty and we got our order in right away. Because of all the options we got a little carried away with the toppings. On the meatless pizza we chose 1/2 Pandora's Box (Spinach, Artichoke Hearts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Feta, Fresh Garlic and spices) and 1/2 Peace In The Middle East (Hummus, Tomatoes, Olives, Onions, Feta, and Pepperoncinis). On the second medium pizza we picked 1/2 Ragin' Rooster (BBQ Chicken, Red Onions, Fresh Cilantro, Cheddar and Mozzarella) and 1/2 Everest (Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Salami, Ground Beef). We also threw in a small cheese to keep the little ones happy. Our total for the order, including 2 Brooklyn Lagers totaled just shy of $50. Considering we got 3 "extreme" pizzas and some drinks the price was slightly higher than average, but not by much.


We grabbed a spot on the patio and enjoyed the people watching while we waited for the food. Being the only customers in the place on a Monday night, the food hit the table after a short wait and we begun our analysis....

Without diving deep into each pizza style, here are the main points: the topping combos were tasty and unique; the crust looked and tasted pre-made (although we actually saw it being hand stretched); the over all quality of cheeses, sauces, and toppings was high; it had more of a lunchtime "pizza by the slice" vibe rather than a family dinner night out location... Overall the presentation gave you the feeling that it was a higher end "franchise" pizza joint.

The Final Report: 7.0 out of 10

We have less than a dozen pizza visits left this year. It's hard to believe that we're almost done. Let us know which places we have missed so we can squeeze them in before we get to 2012. Thanks!

Week 39: Domino's Pizza

So this week we cheated.  At least we feel like we did.  Sitting on the couch, watching football, slowly growing more and more hungry, the same commercial kept popping up.  Domino’s is REALLY trying to sell their new “Artisan” pizza!  We had a busy week and we thought - why not?  Let’s see what they consider “artisan.”

We hopped on the Domino’s website, entered our online coupon code and ordered the Italian Sausage & Pepper Trio and the Spinach & Feta, plus one small plain cheese for the girls.  As the website showed us the progress of our pizza being cooked, we jumped in the car to pick it up, only 5 minutes from our house.

The Artisan pizzas were pretty cheap - $7.99 for each, although they really got us with the plain small for $8.99 (really!?!)  They were fast, and their website ordering is actually really fun... but guess what... Domino’s Artisan pizza is still Domino’s, just in a new shape.  The crust is the same, the toppings might be in a different combination, but they are the same too.  It is a step above DiGiorno, but not by much.  Don’t be sold by the creative looking chef in the commercial; it is still delivery, it is still Domino’s, and although your kids might love it (ours did) you definitely don’t get any of the originality, flavor, or freshness of a truly good pizza.

Disappointed?... a little.  Surprised?... not really.

The Final Report: 5.0 out of 10

If you must order from Domino’s - skip the Artisan pizzas and stick with their thin crust, it’s actually fairly decent.  

Week 38: Celio's Chicago Style Pizza

All year, one of our goals has been to find real authentic Chicago style pizza.  We continued our search this week after Google informed us there was a Chicago pizza place called Celio's in Keller (www.celioschicagopizza.com).  We have been to a few impostors and a couple that really hit the Chicago mark.  Like any style, we have found many variations - so we thought this week we would measure Celio's and catch some Rangers baseball while we're at it...

First of all, the location is not very easy to find.  Tucked back away from Keller Parkway behind the Lions Club, we passed right by and had to make a u-turn.  The bar area looked packed with baseball fans and we were greeted by what appeared to be the owners sitting outside enjoying the cool fall evening.  We headed over to the dining area  away from the bar where we had the entire place to ourselves.  The walls were decorated with Chicagoland maps where patrons had placed a sticker to show where they were from.  A little "hole-in-the-wallish," this place definitely had a Chicago feel  almost 1000 miles from the Windy City.

We came for one reason and one reason only: to try the deep dish pizza.  The owner stopped by to introduce herself and explain that the pizza was a mix between Giordano's and Lou Malnoti's (if that doesn't mean anything to you, Google it).  So with our hopes and expectations sky high we placed our order and began our wait.  True Chicago Pizza will take quite a bit longer than your standard cook time, but we came prepared to wait.  After about 30 minutes and a tasty $3 draft, our pizza was hot and on the table.  Our first impression was slight disappointment.  Chicago Pizza should be covered with a beautiful red sauce with a crust handle peaking high above the toppings.  Celio's had tomatoes sprinkled on towards the middle, but was far from a red sauce covered pie.  One half of the pizza was covered with veggies and the other half was a meat lover (Large Deluxe Pizza cost $18) .  The taste of the pizza was good but nowhere near the Giordano's/Lou Malnoti's mentioned during our order.  The crust was average and was thick on one side and much thinner on the other.  Another true test was that we almost finished the entire pie, which is near impossible with authentic Chicago Style pizza.

The Final Report: 6.0 out of 10


The staff at Celio's was very accommodating and filled with Chicago pride.  They certainly earned extra credit for keeping the Chicago Style theme alive in DFW.  The menu also included Chicago Hot Dogs and Italian Beef sandwiches.  Our guess is that Celio's gets packed when the Bears/Cubs/Blackhawks/Bulls are playing.  The hunt for delicious Chicago Pizza in Dallas/Ft. Worth will continue, Celio's didn't quite measure up to Chicago's Street Pizza (Week 11) or Chicago's Pizza Cafe (Week 24) but was WAY better than Chicago's Gourmet Pizza (Week 20).    

Week 37: Maurizio's

If you are looking for delicious pizza in the city of Coppell you can drive right past Maurizio’s on the corner of Denton Tap Road and Sandy Lake.  There aren't many "non-franchise" choices in the area, but we thought we'd experiment this week by trying it out.  Simply put, there was nothing that stood out as memorable.  It was Homecoming night for Coppell HighSchool and a few tables were taken, but other than that, the place was dead for a Saturday night.  The menu had several Italian staples which we steered away from, but there were a handful of pizzas listed on the centerfold.

Our waiter took our order, and we kept it simple by ordering a Margherita pizza, a “Verdure” pizza, and Bruschetta to start.  The appetizer was four slices of bread covered with tomatoes and some seasonings.  While it wasn't bad, the effort was pretty weak and something that could easily have been prepared by our 4 year old. After a short wait our $10 pizzas emerged from the kitchen.  Unlike Campania last week, the amount of "fresh" basil on this week's pizza was 6 small flecks evenly spaced, one per slice.  The Verdure pizza was almost as creative, their idea of seasonal vegetables was a nonchalant attempt to dump canned mushrooms, artichokes, and others carelessly across the surface of the pizza.  Everything about the experience was average at best, and the service - while not inconsiderate, was non-existent.

The Final Report: 5.5 out of 10

The pizza at Maurizio’s was certainly edible, but absolutely not worth a return visit.  Cavalli's is just 5 minutes south on Denton Tap (Beltline Rd) across 635, and they'll make you a pizza worth talking about....

Week 36: Campania Pizza

This week we were back in Dallas and looking forward to going to Southlake Town Center to try Campania (www.campaniapizza.com).  First of all, we love heading to Southlake to visit the Town Center and were excited to see what "The Original Italian Pizza" tasted like.  After winning several pizza awards, we figured this place could be a contender. Well. We enjoyed our evening out, but Campania left us wanting more.  


First of all the location is beautiful. A three story building that is within walking distance of some of the finest retailers in North Texas, and also a beautiful movie cinema.  On the first floor, the restaurant has a well stocked bar and two wood fire pizza ovens. The second floor has a wine bar and the roof top is an outdoor patio ready for live music.  Overall the restaurant is over 6,000 square foot, and is covered in Italian Mosaic tiles.   Needless to say, Campania is a prime location for a date night!


The pizza selection, in our opinion, was just alright.  Sure, they had several toppings for a build your own pizza, but the specialty pizza choices were pretty weak.  We decided to keep it simple and stick to the basic Margherita pizza with a focaccia bread and house salad to start.  This pizza prices were fairly reasonable and fit in line with what we have experienced so far this year (PIZZA PRICES).  The focaccia bread emerged first out of the oven...  It was the thinnest focaccia bread we had ever seen.  Imagine a thin cracker covered with olive oil and Italian spices.  It had a good flavor to it, but was a little too thin for our liking.  The house salad was nothing special, however we appreciated that the waiter was able to split the smaller size into two plates. 

After we cleaned up on the appetizers out came out main course... The large Margherita pizza.  The pizza was fairly large and pretty thin.  The top was covered with fresh basil that you could smell from the center of the table.  After we all enjoyed a couple slices we stopped for a status update...  Good but not great.  Campania served up a good pizza, but there was nothing, besides the basil, that stood out.  Not a bad pizza by any means, but not one you would find yourself dreaming of nights later.

The Final Report: 6 out 10

Campania offers a beautiful atmosphere with great friendly service.  The menu has far more than just a pizza, but if you are in the area, its worth the 1 minute drive across the street to enjoy a superior pizza at Coalvines.  If you are looking for a pizza and drink before walking to the movies, Campania isn't a bad choice....