LEO's Eat'N'Blog: NO-ni and more wacky pizzas

[Robin Garr]

<table border="0" align="right" width="310"><tr><td><img src="http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/dannymac.jpg" border="1" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td>A couple of pies from Danny Mac's: At left, the wacky bacon chicken ranch with a base of ranch dressing in lieu of tomato sauce. At right, a more traditional version with sausage, onions and peppers. Photo by Robin Garr.</td></tr></table>LEO's Eat 'n' Blog with Louisville HotBytes
(Cafe Lou Lou, Primo, Tony BoomBozz, California Pizza Kitchen and Danny Mac's)

Pizza fundamentalists, not unlike the other kind of fundamentalists, insist that there is only one true way. Any variation on the strict Neapolitan tradition - save possibly for a select few authorized New York City variations - is not merely blasphemous but perverted. Let the congregation answer: "Amen!"

But pizza was not made for tomato sauce and cheese alone. For many American pizza makers - and more than a few in Italy - the traditional pizza base is merely a foundation for an imaginative edifice. From the notorious Hawaiian Pizza topped with pineapple and ham to the creations encrusted with sprouts, seeds and nuts that we call "California-style," there's a world of pizza out there.

You'll find no fundamentalists on the Eat'N'Blog crew, for whom every new bite holds a potential adventure. Correspondent KIM MASSEY has been out on the pizza trail, looking for offbeat pizza creations at four local eateries. Let's turn over the pulpit to Kim for her report. I'll pop back in at the end to talk about one more excellent, non-traditional pie.

Full reports in LEO and on LouisvilleHotBytes.

I'm perfectly happy that other people like it, but the description of the Chicken-Ranch-Bacon pizza leaves me a bit queasy. Ranch???????

[Robin Garr]

I'm perfectly happy that other people like it, but the description of the Chicken-Ranch-Bacon pizza leaves me a bit queasy. Ranch???????

When I first encountered a ranch dressing pizza at Fat Jimmy's, Charles, I felt the same way. It's actually intriguing, though, in an outside-the-box kind of way. Bear in mind that Danny, at least, doesn't overdo it. It's a light touch, just about enough to moisten the pie (same way I prefer my tomato sauce on a traditional pizza, frankly). It adds nuances of flavor to the pizza but doesn't overwhelm it at all. As I said, if you've ever had an Alsatian <i>flammenkuchen</i>, which is sort of a white onion tart on a pizza-like base with ... creme fraiche, I think, and sometimes European (non-smoky) bacon, you're in the same general ballpark here.

I'm not going to judge whether it ROCKS, but it's kind of addictive.

I've had Fat Jimmy's Chicken-Bacon-Ranch pizza and it is vey good! The sauce tastes great and is not overwhelming. The ingrediants can all be tasted yet still blend together well. It's a very tasty pie!

Cheers,

Doug.

Well.....eating is believing The Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza was very good. The crust is exactly the way I like it, thin and crisp. The ranch dressing taste is barely discernible, more like a perfect afterthought. This is good pie. Danny is a friendly person and I will be back to try that Philly.

We just got back from Danny Mac's and the Philly cheese steak is becoming my new addiction.