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!