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).