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Pondering Pizza
Posted: Oct 22, 2007 in Things to do, Dining, Culture
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This morning, as I absent-mindedly listened to the news and shuffled through my pre-work routine, I overheard one of the anchors imparting a story about the unusually large number of restaurants reaching 1,000 units in 2007. Apparently, it took McDonalds 20 years to claim this benchmark, and it took Starbucks 25 years to chalk up four digits.
And not only are more restaurants acquiring this designation, it's happening faster than before. One of the more recognizable chains is Panera Bread, which acquired the 1,000 unit benchmark in November of 2006---and this, like Starbucks, after 25 years of business.
But my mind was on pizza.
Sbarro opened its 1,000th store in August in Istanbul, boasting that they'll double this number by 2011. And it took ready-to-bake pizza chain, Papa Murphy's, 23 years to join the 1,000 club.
Anyway---as opposed to the seemingly insatiable appetite of these scale-hungry businesses, I reminisced on the comfort and quality of enduring neighborhood pizza places like Maria's on Shelby St. (which my father, after imparting a few of his own memories, introduced to me as a child), or Randy's Pizza out in Wanamaker, where I grew up, who've been pulling crispy and cheesy pies from their brick ovens for nearly fifty years. (In fact, I have the advertisement---which still exists---of the bulbous-nosed cartoon character yelling "Hey, how 'bout a pizza from Randy's", indelibly inked into a largely nostalgic portion of my mind.)
Tell me, and other readers, about what mom-and-pop-type pizza joints you continue to support in your town or neighborhood.
In Anderson there is Art's pizza which does a roast beef pizza that is pretty darn good :)
Around Mass Ave./Lockerbie, I've tried the pizza at these local spots:
Datsa pizza downtown behind the library is pretty good. Some Guys off of Allisonville Rd. is pretty killer too.
I am a fan of Bazbeaux and Circle City Pizza. Jockamo's just opened in Irvington and it's good, similar to Bazbeaux.
It ain't fancy, but I think WB's on Allisonville is pretty good, and cheap to boot.
Circle City Pizza at 52nd & College -- pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese. Bazbeaux -- the quattro formaggio. Some Guys -- BBQ chicken pizza (though some of our friends go there just for the lasagna). And now that Pizza King opened in Broad Ripple we can get a royal feast closer to home.
Mmm...I loves me some Circle City Pizza, but the wife never lets me get it anymore.
Bazbeaux does comfort me in my time of loss from time to time. Best pizza in the city IMO, truth be told.
Best pizza in the city by far is Harsi's off 34th and Georgetown Road..hands down!!!
Harsi's? T'ain't never heard 'a that one, thanks for the lead!
I have to post again, because I just had two giant slices last night at Rockits and the were so. Rockits isn't in Indy, but it's a great Bloomington staple.
I'm not a huge fan of Bazbeaux, though it seems like blasphemy saying so. I do, however, like Some Guys. They rock. And Marco's ain't bad in a pinch.
I guess pizza hut doesn't count? Not a huge pizza fan. I did happen to have the Goodfellas in Carmel a couple of times and it tasted pretty good. Gallaghers II on the southside as well!
Clint, now come on.....growing up in the Wanamaker/Acton area myself (actually lived down the street from you), I am sure you know about the Ordinary's pizza. Can't beat all those toppings under that thick mass of cheese. MMMMM it is good!
I'll give a nod to Some Guys, too ... While not in my immediate vicinity, the drive up Allisonville is more than worth it.
Definitely Harsi's...They have a great sub, too!
Some Guys is really good. I like Bazbeaux, too but I don't know if they're so mom and pop anymore.
I enjoy the pies at Eh! Formaggio on Lafayette and 56th. Big flat NY-style slices, lots of creative toppings, very tasty!
come on clintoc, once and possibly still sitting member of the council known only to a lost drunken few as....TRIBE... i love that you gave randys a well deserved mention, however you left out the mere reason why they have such a strong hold on the wanamaker community and that would lie within its secret recipe....what is this ingredient you say, but ofcourse it is the random surprise hair or roach toes you randomly find amongst the pies.... yes you do have to ask for it by name, make sure you request the everything on it and i do mean everything ..... gotta love randys, tho you cant undermine the ordinary or brewskies a definite close tie amongst these two... if you like the everything pizza i must say brewskies might provide the longest hairs at a nominal upcharge ,, whoa daddy.... and oh yeah,,, what the hell ever happened to the broham,,,,, meanwhile back at the labratories of skinner, prostate, and taint we must resume our practices..... ha ha ha can u figure whos under the gas mask lol.....
My vote would go to the Ordinary in Wanamaker. If you go on a Friday, plan to hang out. We play cards while we wait.
Mug n' Bun Pizza on West 10th St is one of my favorites! The amount of cheese they put on the pizza tops any I've ever had. You have to go to the little building behind the drive in to get pizza. I always call to order and it's ready in "20-25 minutes". Just enough time for me to pick up on my way home from work.
Having had my share of NY Style Pizza (Being from NJ) and to have a real "Slice of Heaven".....true to NY Style....!!!
THE BEST PHILLY STEAK SANDWICH in Indy, and the midwest...Go to Balboa's...!!!...You won't be disappointed..>!!!
The Steak sandwiches are absolutely authentic, ingredients and all...!!!
Best of all...it ain't no chain..!!!
For NY Style in Indy, I have to go with Georgio's. It's just off the circle and reminds me of the Napolitan style you can still find in Manhattan's Little Italy.
Georgio's is pretty good...the sauce isn't as tasty as Balboa's...just food for thought...
I've been in Indy 2.5 years and am still searching for "my" pizza parlor. A lotta great suggestions here that I'll have to try.
My all-time favorite places are:
-St. Mark's Place in the East Village in NYC. -Stavro's, a family Greek place in a podunk town in Florida.
Hi Clint, You did your post before I opened. There is a review of my restaurant on indy.com. Hope you will give us a try sometime. We certainly are a neighborhood establishment (Historic Irvington on the eastside of Indy) Thanks, The Jockamo Pizza Monkey