For Those who Might Have Missed It — Austin Pizza Wars: 2012
Welcome to the 6th installment of the recurring series we have fondly come to know as Pizza Wars. This has evolved from a rating of both chains and locally-owned joints to almost exclusively a detailed report on owner-operated spots in Central Texas. The reason: the chains are what they are. No need to take up space reporting on mostly mundane fare that appeals to people who in all likelihood don’t often use this website anyway! If I had to vote for one chain, it would probably be the Mellow Mushroom on Guadalupe at 24th. ‘Nuff said.
Most of you know by now that my roots are firmly rooted in the Neapolitan fare of Pepe’s and Sally’s on the famous Wooster Street in New Haven, CT.
That being said, let’s address this confusing new Naples PR campaign on exactly what a Neapolitan pizza should be. According to the new rules from the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, the pie cannot be cooked in a coal-fired oven, must use an oak wood fire baked no more than 90 seconds at 905F and must use whole wheat flour resulting in dough that must be formed by hand which must be no more than 0.12 inches thick. These so-called Neapolitan pizzas use only tomatoes and mozzarella cheese (several acceptable variants), and most versions use extra virgin olive oil. (The Margherita is ostensibly the most well-known). Sounds very official! Also sounds like Naples is trying to rebrand itself as the official birthplace of Italian pizza.
Yet where I grew up, Pepe’s (which advertised itself as Neapolitan pizza) used a coal fired oven, adorned their pies with sausage, bacon and even fresh clams, didn’t follow the thickness proviso, and made pizzas which were celebrated around the world. So who knows? The bottom line is, how does it taste, especially cold out of the fridge the next morning? And Pepe’s has had a line around the block (2 hour wait) every night for years. Guess they’ve missed the mandate from the AVPN.
So Neapolitan or not, rules or no rules, here are my favorite pies in Central Texas. This first paragraph begins with my Top 7. This means they are crispy where they’re supposed to be, have a generally sweet sauce, are a bit charred on the bottom, possessed of an abundance of flavors, and have nice thin crusts that actually have a shelf-life.
There’s a dead heat between my top two: East Side Pies continues to knock my socks off with their wonderful East Coast pies (love the Marge), and Micheal and Noah have become the darlings of the eclectic SXSW crowd. Huge slices are available, and the bacon pie rocks.
And Tony C’s (named after Tony Ciola, who has really done a hell of a job) at the Galleria, Austin’s only coal-fired oven, simply keeps getting better with offerings like the Donato and the Margarita, and delightful wings done in the coal-fired oven. Their crust is textbook. Rumor has it that they have a new store is in the works at Avery Ranch. Now that’s good news for the pizza-starved denizens of north Austin. Why they’ve even created the first pizza designed for left handers! 🙂
Home Slice on South Congress never hurts for business. They had the huevos to try to pull off Austin’s first clam pizza, and to their credit it keeps getting better. Also a great sausage and mushroom pie with beautifully crispy crust. Wonderful Stromboli, and a lovely Greek Salad as well. They are just down from my office, and it’s hard to resist stopping by daily for a slice.
New to the Top 7 is Roppolo’s new sit-down location on West 6th. Marc and his staff produce gigantic (some over 6 lbs.!) meat pies but flavor is never compromised by size. They also have the most delicious Calzone I’ve tasted in the area: the meatballs are to die for, and the crust and sauce is spot-on. Great night-owl spot for 6th St. revelers.
Shawn Cirkiel of Parkside fame has also scored with Backspace on San Jacinto. The fennel sausage with mozzarella, roasted peppers and garlic is a killer! Very East Coast authentic with Shawn’s inimitable touch. This is a great new addition to the downtown area.
And the amazing Saccone’s, Austin’s first New Jersey style pie, continues to roll along under the stewardship of founder Dan Saccone. The Dan’s Special with sausage, meatballs, mushrooms and onions and the sweetest sauce in the city is worth the trip up to 11416 Highway 620. Dan’s had his share of mishaps, but to quote Elton John, “He’s still standing.”
And despite some familial squabbles, Salvation Pizza on West 34th has rebooted and is still in good form. Hartford, CT formed the initial impetus for the flavors here, and the product continues to be stellar. Their bacon pie, like last year, continues to literally burst with flavor. I miss Michael but Salvation is still saving palates.
There are lots of other great spots both in and out of downtown. And a relative newcomer to the downtown scene is Hoboken Pie on Red River which is locally-owned and like Saccone’s has a New Jersey styled vibe. They have an eclectic selection of sodas (that’s what you guys down here call “pop”), and the pizza is crispy and boasts a really compelling sauce. Open until 2:30am.
And taking delivery to a new high, Spartan Pizza at 1104 E. 6th St. is the real deal for pick up or take out. I love their pies, particularly the Medusa, which elevates the science of garlic and pizza to an entirely new level. Not recommended if you’re anticipating making out immediately thereafter: but man this is goooood. I love the silver trailer as well.
When we first came to Austin, there were only two joints worth going to, and that was Brick Oven, the local chain founded by Stan Adams, and Milto’s on Guadalupe. Brick Oven still has locations on Red River, Jollyville and Slaughter and they are all very good. In my opinion, their vegetarian pies are some of the best around. Milto’s still makes great traditional pizzas and a damned good Gyro to boot.
Rounders, not to be confused with the poker movie starring Matt Damon, is a West 6th Pizzas joint which has to have the best garlic rolls or knots in the city. The pies are damned tasty as well. I’m surprised this joint is not SRO every night. I am a fan. Likewise down the street is the funky and tasty Frank & Angie’s. My buddy Don King (yes, that Don King) turned me on to this place adjacent to and owned by Hut’s. The White Cheese Pizza is legendary, and the Sausage and Onion is equally cool. They also have some really tasty Eggplant Parmesan and a great antipasti.
And down on 6th toward Lamar is J Black’s Lounge. While technically a bar, they have some bodacious pizza pies. The Shiner, TX pie is heaped with Patek spicy sausage, roasted peppers and Washington apples. You want flavor and texture: here it is! Try the BBQ Pulled Pork Pie as well!
The Southside Flying Pizza on South Congress near Oltorf is another little gem of a joint that has a regular group of fans. We get the Sausage, Mushroom and Onions at the office and it never fails to please. Strange name but good product. For that matter, there are a lot of Austin places with odd names but great products. Another reason this town is so endearing.
And with several locations including one on William Cannon and another on 71 near Bee Caves, Yaghi’s New York Pizzeria is another reliable family-style pizza joint. I love their Greek Pizza and their really authentic and dependable crust textures. And down the street from the Yaghi’s on 71 is the always reliable Austin Pizza Garden just north of the Y in Oak Hill. You can easily drive by this place, but you don’t want to do it. The pizzas are very intriguing including the Tchoupitoulas (with a Cajun accent and Andouille Sausage if you couldn’t tell by the name) and the aptly-named Colossus with pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushrooms, onions, and so much more.
And then down the street on 290 is my favorite location of CraigO’s Pizzeria which also has a new location in Lakeway. This looks like a strip mall joint but it’s way more than that. The House Special is my preference and you have to try the Sausage Roll, absolutely delicious. After CraigO’s, head east on Slaughter toward Circle C and you’ll find Mangieri’s. They do good things with whole wheat crusts here, and Tony and Pepper are as charming a pair of hosts as you’ll ever meet. They slice their pies Chicago-style so each cut is square, and they’ve got a pretty neat New Jersey accent on the menu! This is not my favorite pie but it’s a great spot for families.
And the Austintatious Austin Onion has moved from its original location on West 5th, now a hot night club, to 408 Brazos. Like the humorous paper that shares its name, the Onion has pies with a lot of whimsy and irony along with good taste, and they keep the Pedicab crowd busy by delivering to the downtown offices.
There’s another category of pizza that we must examine. And that’s the pies that are part of the menus at full-scale Italian restaurants. Vespaio Enoteca on South Congress has a lovely pie called the Calabrese Sausage Pie. Owner Alan Lazarus (late of the iconic Basil’s) has done a wonderful job with the place. Sagra is another fine Italian restaurant that makes pies authentic to the sagre found in Italian village fairs. The Aglio y Salciccia is a classic that we never fail to order from Chef Gabe. And the new Trento is offering up some beautiful pies across Davenport center off 360. I love the Speck Ham Pie (amazing flavors, crust, and the Sausage et al.). The crust here is a tribute to young chefs Alex Kahn and Andreas Exharos. It’s worth the trip to Trento if for nothing else than these exceptional pies. Peggy Weiss’s Cipollina on West Lynn continues to cook up some excellent small pies with a variety of goat cheeses. And talk about pizza and a movie: iPic at the Domain makes a very tasty Flatbread sausage and mushroom pie that lends itself toward low-light consumption (not an easy assignment). And don’t forget Reale’s on Research at Anderson Mill. This is family-owned, and they managed to withstand the carnage on 183 (years of construction) that wiped out restaurants like El Arroyo and Ray’s Steakhouse. Why? They had a passionate local following who loved, as I do, their Pepperoni Pie!
There’s pizza in the burbs as well beginning with Brooklyn Pies at La Frontera Mall in Round Rock. You want gigantic slices? They’ve got them. And check out The Cajun Pizza Palace on McNeil. They blend Italian and Cajun flavors here and the results are, suffice it to say, intriguing! And the all Gluten Free Promise Pizza in Round Rock delivers for all those afflicted with intolerances to wheat products. Pretty tasty product as well. Also don’t forget Gino’s in Round Rock, a family-owned restaurant that’s a fun and noisy emporium where good pies and good times roll out in synchronicity. I like pretty much everything they do here including the Quatro Formaggi!
And moving south to Buda, ironically at the former site of Paul Pederson’s Little Bistro, is a family spot called Nonna Gina’s that’s got quite a diverse menu. Spoke to one of the owners, Julie, and she seemed quite passionate about her store. (Always a good sign). And I like Rudino’s on East Whitestone in Cedar Park. Try the Royale or the Spinach Sophia! This is a pretty cool and tasty joint and heralds the emergence of Cedar Park on the local food scene. And lest we forget, a must-mention is the Little Deli & Pizza on Woodrow. This is a Jersey-style pie and, like just about everything else at the Little Deli, the pizza is quite good.
And that’s our take on Pizza Wars for this year. If we missed anything you’re partial to, email us and let us know. And so for 2012, mangia! And as we always say on diningoutwithrobbalon.com, “Bon Appetit!”
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