Battle: Pizza

Thought this was an interesting find after the recent conversations on both Pizza, and definitions and needs for variations of "Authentic." Just within the few blocks of Little Italy one can find strongly held opinions...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/200003/output/print

Also, perhaps we can reach out to those we already know we love, but may not be Hotbytes regulars. I.E. Spinelli's, w/ Brian fevering over Goosecreek, may not be online as much as we are raving about them. It would be neat to find a way to broadcast to shops such as these. Anyone in Old Louisville remember Queenie's? Okay, I won't say I remember the quality of the pie that well, but I don't think the delivery guy ever remembered driving to my house either, so we were even. Oh the good old dirty hippie days... And it is not my favourite, but I have friends in New Albany who swear by Arni's, unless the threat of too many Indiana pizzailoli deters anyone...

Man am I ever down with this one... I think I make a pretty mean pie....I used to work at the 1st location of Papa John's WAY back in the day!

But if I remember correctly, Rich O's /Sportstime has a CONVEYOR oven and not a stone deck...Could be a challenge for those looking for that crispy crust that you can only get from a hot brick deck oven!

I would love to throw a pie into the mix when all the dust settles about location and toppings!

Has anyone else tried Johnny V's in J-town? It's awesome - I thinks it's the best
Brooklyn style pizza here. I crave it! I'd like to get Annemarie's opinion...

But if I remember correctly, Rich O's /Sportstime has a CONVEYOR oven and not a stone deck

You remember correctly.

While we don't have a stone deck, we DO have the best beer selection

Yes, Johnnie V's does sell pizza by the slice. The store is located in the old Hero's location.

The pizza at Johnnie V's is good stuff, however I have only had their peperoni pie by the slice. I am interested in trying a veggie pizza there soon. The pizza is a bit thicker (airier???) than Hero's was / Luigi's is (Is this considered Brooklyn style?), and it might be too thick to fold, ala NY style. However, it is always hot and tasty and just the right amount of sauce. I'd also bet the cheese used is of high quality, as it has a great taste, good stringiness, and not much grease. The crust is not like a cracker, however the pie does have a nice crunch. Johnnie V's also has very tasty sandwiches (try a speidie) and salads (garden salad w/ balsamic) along with really great (quick and affodable) deals for lunch. I work close by, and have eaten lunch there frequently. The staff is friendly and the location has udergone a nice upgrade interior-wise.

I heard recently that due to a crazy weekend, pizza was limited on Monday. Good for Johnnie V's...this place is a gem.

PS...I have no vested interest in this restaurant other than I hope it is a great success. I enjoy it due to the food, the people and the atmosphere.

DD

But if I remember correctly, Rich O's /Sportstime has a CONVEYOR oven and not a stone deck

You remember correctly.

While we don't have a stone deck, we DO have the best beer selection

Sheesh, if you can turn out that upside down pizza masterpiece on a conveyer, who needs a full oven?

It would appear that there's at least passing interest in "Battle Pizza". Given that this was my brain child I stand ready to do whatever I can to facilitate the fun. That being said I do admit to being a somewhat neophyte when it comes to bringing something like this from concept to fruition. I have always been impressed with this groups ability to govern by consensus, so with that acknowledgment made I am prepared to defer to anyone and everyone who has the connections to actually get this off the ground.

Should this battle go forward, I would like to reserve a seat at the judges table for Becky and myself as well as John Hagan, who has expressed a strong interest in participating. Anyone else want to jump on the judging train before it leaves the station ?

One thought that bears mentioning, if we go forward with this idea I think it is very important to do it in the spirit of fun and to carefully avoid disparaging folks who's livelihoods depend on the products they serve.

[Robin Garr]

Should this battle go forward, I would like to reserve a seat at the judges table for Becky and myself as well as John Hagan, who has expressed a strong interest in participating. Anyone else want to jump on the judging train before it leaves the station ?

Three judges should be plenty, and that sounds like a splendid group.

Your point about the chore of organizing is well-taken, and that's why, when these ideas arise virally, I always encourage one or two forumites to take responsibility for organizing, as well as for deciding on a worthy charity - ideally food-related - to be the beneficiary of a small admission fee or passing the hat.

Well, I'm from Chicago, so I know a thing or two about pizzas. Like I said, I'll volunteer my place (Ray's) just due to central location and neutrality and what I figure would be a good space. But in any case, I'd also like to be a veggie pizza judge if there is a need for that. (I'm vegetarian). I think Chicago is pretty well known for its pizza, so those are my creds. (plus we did make pizzas at my brewpub in Tucson)....

Peace...

Nimbus

p.s. The only thing about cooking on premises is that it may take a significant amount of time from pizza 1 to pizza 16 (or whatever number we have). Great judges would probably judge them all fairly, but it is tough as your stomach fills up, and as you try to remember what the one you tasted an hour ago tasted like. Just a thought. I'm sure whatever is decided upon will work out fine! Oh, and also, the type of oven issue might mess up some people who are accustomed to cooking on a different oven.

As Nike says, Just Do It !!!

Maybe a poll would be a good way to get things going. First we should decide if we want the pizza to be cooked on site or delivered. I can see many pros and cons either way.
Second, Are we going to try to combine this with the veggie throwdown idea and go all vegetarian? Again maybe a poll to help decide this.
Third, we need to come up with some judging criteria that will make the process less subjective. Id like to see a judging panel thats either comprised of folks passionate about various regional pizza,or have a strict theme or constraints so the end result should be unbiased. If it all just boils down to a few peoples opinions on whats good pizza,that might come across as lame.
No matter how many times I tell Steve P how good Chicago thin style is, he just keeps on insisting that a west coast vegan pizza just cant be beat.

I make travel plans based on eating pizza in other towns. That's my criteria to judge on the vegetarian side

I make travel plans based on eating pizza in other towns.

Thats awesome....

Should this battle go forward, I would like to reserve a seat at the judges table for Becky and myself as well as John Hagan, who has expressed a strong interest in participating. Anyone else want to jump on the judging train before it leaves the station ?

Three judges should be plenty, and that sounds like a splendid group.

Your point about the chore of organizing is well-taken, and that's why, when these ideas arise virally, I always encourage one or two forumites to take responsibility for organizing, as well as for deciding on a worthy charity - ideally food-related - to be the beneficiary of a small admission fee or passing the hat.

Ordinarily I'd agree that three judges would be the ideal number but hey, we're talking about PIZZA (!!!) There are as many opinions on what (and who) makes a good pizza as there are people who make pizza. It would seem like this is the ideal dish to get as many opinions involved as is possible. I'm not sure HOW we do that but I think it would make it more fun. The concept of a set of "meat lovers" judges and a set of "veggie" judges also has a strong appeal.

I also LOVE the idea of doing it at Nimbus' place...or someplace similarly located. Sure, having pizza delivered might not be as good as something piping hot from a stone oven but who amongst us hasn't enjoyed luke warm pizza from a box.

Again, I'm standing at "port arms" ready to spring into action...I just need to figure out from what direction it is that I hear the sound of the cannon. Nimbus, I'm out of town at the moment but would you consider sharing the burden with me on this ?...Anyone ?...Anyone ? Bueler ?

Should this battle go forward, I would like to reserve a seat at the judges table for Becky and myself as well as John Hagan, who has expressed a strong interest in participating. Anyone else want to jump on the judging train before it leaves the station ?

Three judges should be plenty, and that sounds like a splendid group.

Your point about the chore of organizing is well-taken, and that's why, when these ideas arise virally, I always encourage one or two forumites to take responsibility for organizing, as well as for deciding on a worthy charity - ideally food-related - to be the beneficiary of a small admission fee or passing the hat.

Ordinarily I'd agree that three judges would be the ideal number but hey, we're talking about PIZZA (!!!) There are as many opinions on what (and who) makes a good pizza as there are people who make pizza. It would seem like this is the ideal dish to get as many opinions involved as is possible. I'm not sure HOW we do that but I think it would make it more fun. The concept of a set of "meat lovers" judges and a set of "veggie" judges also has a strong appeal.

I also LOVE the idea of doing it at Nimbus' place...or someplace similarly located. Sure, having pizza delivered might not be as good as something piping hot from a stone oven but who amongst us hasn't enjoyed luke warm pizza from a box.

Again, I'm standing at "port arms" ready to spring into action...I just need to figure out from what direction it is that I hear the sound of the cannon. Nimbus, I'm out of town at the moment but would you consider sharing the burden with me on this ?...Anyone ?...Anyone ? Bueler ?

I'd be happy to volunteer some time. And of course the space also.

I do think it should be fairly central. Rich O's is a great place, but it is 14 miles from here, so it'd be a bit of a drive for some people. And with all that GREAT beer it might not be a good combo for some people. However, they do have the pizza ovens, so if we're going that way (on-site cooking), it would work. I should be saying "Sportstime" right? (the name of their pizza place connected to Rich O's).

I don't think this would be hard to organize. Set a firm time for judging, and then drive fast to get here at exactly that time. I don't think it'd be bad to have a veggie and a meat category. But not vegan. Vegan is tougher to do, and it'd be an experiment for most people. Highlands seems like a decent location. My shop is 4-5 minutes from the Grinstead I-64 exit, so most people could get here pretty quickly. One slight problem is that some pizzas would have an unfair advantage due to their close proximity. We have several pizza places within blocks. So perhaps the makers could write the "out of oven" time on the box and the judges could try to make it as uniform as possible. (So Za's for example, right across the street, wouldn't get an advantage. Or Boombozz.Or Impellerizis (think I botched that spelling)).

I agree...let's do a poll. First question is should we do two categories (veggie and meat), or only veggie, or anything goes. Also venue preference. Did I miss any volunteers? I think only Roger and I have volunteered to host this. Any other volunteers out there?

I've never made a poll (on this forum). I'll try to do it, or maybe an admin needs to. I'll poke around. Cheers everyone!! Should be fun.

Oh....forgot the judgement criteria. That is tough with so many styles. But you could rate crust, sauce, toppings and overall for four easy categories. Maybe add an authenticity category, for being true to style, but does everyone even have a "style?" I mean what if it is just good pizza, with no particular style. I wouldn't want to see them lose points for not classifying it.

Peace, ya'll

-Nimbus

I think only Roger and I have volunteered to host this. Any other volunteers out there?

I think Shawn said he would be willing to open his place(CPC) on a Monday. He also said they have a large kitchen. At least I hope I remembered reading that correctly.