Location
I don't really know. I was on a date and we were tired so we just picked a place and ordered delivery. It's in willimantic.
The Pizza
Tony's makes deep dish pizza and I have had their basic pepperoni before--which was good. The cheese is piled deep and the crust is really delicious. What was curious about this pizza was that the chicken and barbecue sauce were all underneath the cheese. It was like a giant hot pocket with bbq chicken inside and the top layer was cheese instead of bread. That's a silly analogy. It was like an envelope. No. That's not right, either. Fuck it, the meat was all inside.
The Meat
Was chewy chunks of leftover or frozen chicken. Bleh.
The Sauce and the Taste
Were not good.
Overall
I think that Tony's makes good pizzas in general, but they just completely missed the boat on the BBQ chicken. We also got a meat lover's pizza which was pretty good--except for the leftoverish quality of some of the meats. I think that Tony just needs to go talk to Fred of Fred's Brick House Cafe about the importance of fresh toppings. If you are looking for a thick pepperoni pizza that is delicious, go to Tony's. If you want anything else...go to Fred's.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Wolfgang Puck Express (B+)
Location
You're never going to believe this, but one of the best pizzas I have had is at the Wolfgang Pizza Express station in the B terminal of O'hare international airport in Chicago. I had a 35 minute layover and desperately needed some food. I stopped and was happy to find a BBQ chicken pizza on the overhead menu. The precooked pizzas are flash fired in a woodfire oven and then slid into a to go box before your credit card receipt pops out. Needless to say, I was a little leery. I was also starving.
The Pizza
...was delicious. The crust was fantastic and the cheese was actually pretty high quality. It was a small pizza, but pretty impressive for fast food. It had chicken, sauce, onions, another ingredient I'm forgetting and cilantro. More on that in a minute.
The Chicken
The meat on this pizza was chunk chicken, probably from frozen. However, it was not chewy or squishy, so I was satisfied.
The Sauce and the Taste
The sauce was really delicious and I was just annoyed that there wasn't more of it on the pizza. The taste overall, I have to say, was brilliant. The cilantro is a move that no other pizza place has tried and it was a smashing success. The cilantro complimented the barbecue sauce and the onions and made it aromatic. Seriously, the secret to good bbq chicken pizza is cilantro. Who would have guessed?
Overall
Delicious. Even more so considering it was cooked by a minimum wage goon at a food court. I mean, the cilantro must have been Wolfgang's decision, but still. I was really satisfied. I ate the whole thing with 5 minutes to spare before boarding.
You're never going to believe this, but one of the best pizzas I have had is at the Wolfgang Pizza Express station in the B terminal of O'hare international airport in Chicago. I had a 35 minute layover and desperately needed some food. I stopped and was happy to find a BBQ chicken pizza on the overhead menu. The precooked pizzas are flash fired in a woodfire oven and then slid into a to go box before your credit card receipt pops out. Needless to say, I was a little leery. I was also starving.
The Pizza
...was delicious. The crust was fantastic and the cheese was actually pretty high quality. It was a small pizza, but pretty impressive for fast food. It had chicken, sauce, onions, another ingredient I'm forgetting and cilantro. More on that in a minute.
The Chicken
The meat on this pizza was chunk chicken, probably from frozen. However, it was not chewy or squishy, so I was satisfied.
The Sauce and the Taste
The sauce was really delicious and I was just annoyed that there wasn't more of it on the pizza. The taste overall, I have to say, was brilliant. The cilantro is a move that no other pizza place has tried and it was a smashing success. The cilantro complimented the barbecue sauce and the onions and made it aromatic. Seriously, the secret to good bbq chicken pizza is cilantro. Who would have guessed?
Overall
Delicious. Even more so considering it was cooked by a minimum wage goon at a food court. I mean, the cilantro must have been Wolfgang's decision, but still. I was really satisfied. I ate the whole thing with 5 minutes to spare before boarding.
Fred's Brick House Cafe (The Big Glen) (A+)
Location
Fred's Brick House Cafe is an odd combination of brick oven pizza, barbecue, sandwiches and live music. Yeah, you heard that. Fred's has live, local music almost every single night of the week. To be honest, I think that is the only think I don't like about the place. The live music is just too loud to be able to enjoy conversation over beer and pizza.
The Pizza
I ordered the "Big Glen" pizza for obvious reasons. I mean, I'd have to, right? This description comes from the online menu: BIG GLEN - spinach, tomato, onion, gorgonzola, bacon, chicken, creamy garlic. I read that and thought "yes, if I were a pizza, I would be this one." The big glen is a white pizza on Fred's great woodfire cooked crust.
The Chicken
Ok, so here's what they do, and this is fucking brilliant. At Fred's they use shredded chicken, but then the clumps are chopped into smaller pieces. When I make shredded chicken at home, I just shred the chicken and the meat forms some long strips and I just use that. Here they make it bite size, which is what everyone should do with pizza toppings. Who enjoys it when you take a bite of pizza and then half the toppings slide off because you just snagged a big green pepper ring? The answer is nobody because it's unpleasant and you can actually get burned that way.
The Sauce and the Taste
This pizza did not have barbecue sauce, but the creamy garlic sauce was tasty and worked very, very well with the gorgonzola and onions and bacon. This was a very potent and flavorful pizza. It had all sorts of salty toppings, but I have to say that it didn't end up being too salty for me. The onions and spinach and broccoli were neutral-to-sweet ingredients that provided good balance. Also, broccoli has the amazing effect of absorbing flavors.
Overall
One of the best pizzas that I've ever had. My co-eater, Kiley, ordered a pizza with eggplant that was really fantastic. I recommend Fred's Brick House Cafe to anyone interested in good pizza. You can expect more reviews of their other chicken pizzas in the future.
Fred's Brick House Cafe is an odd combination of brick oven pizza, barbecue, sandwiches and live music. Yeah, you heard that. Fred's has live, local music almost every single night of the week. To be honest, I think that is the only think I don't like about the place. The live music is just too loud to be able to enjoy conversation over beer and pizza.
The Pizza
I ordered the "Big Glen" pizza for obvious reasons. I mean, I'd have to, right? This description comes from the online menu: BIG GLEN - spinach, tomato, onion, gorgonzola, bacon, chicken, creamy garlic. I read that and thought "yes, if I were a pizza, I would be this one." The big glen is a white pizza on Fred's great woodfire cooked crust.
The Chicken
Ok, so here's what they do, and this is fucking brilliant. At Fred's they use shredded chicken, but then the clumps are chopped into smaller pieces. When I make shredded chicken at home, I just shred the chicken and the meat forms some long strips and I just use that. Here they make it bite size, which is what everyone should do with pizza toppings. Who enjoys it when you take a bite of pizza and then half the toppings slide off because you just snagged a big green pepper ring? The answer is nobody because it's unpleasant and you can actually get burned that way.
The Sauce and the Taste
This pizza did not have barbecue sauce, but the creamy garlic sauce was tasty and worked very, very well with the gorgonzola and onions and bacon. This was a very potent and flavorful pizza. It had all sorts of salty toppings, but I have to say that it didn't end up being too salty for me. The onions and spinach and broccoli were neutral-to-sweet ingredients that provided good balance. Also, broccoli has the amazing effect of absorbing flavors.
Overall
One of the best pizzas that I've ever had. My co-eater, Kiley, ordered a pizza with eggplant that was really fantastic. I recommend Fred's Brick House Cafe to anyone interested in good pizza. You can expect more reviews of their other chicken pizzas in the future.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Junior's (B)
I'm up in Vermont visiting friends, this week. Last night, Aimee brought me to her favorite Burlington-area pizza joint: Juniors. The restaurant has two sides, one a standard pizza place and the other a fine Italian restaurant.
The Location
It's a classic Vermont-ish eatery. You go up to a counter and order your food and then take a number to whichever table you want. They bring the pizza to you. The pizzaria side was a straightforward, open area with classic red and white checkerboard tablecloths. The pizza came out fast, the staff were friendly enough and overall I'd say the place was ok. Of course, it's kind of a moot point because it's in Vermont.
The Pizza
The crust on this pizza is excellent. Its a medium thickness, with a nice chewy center but a crunchy bottom surface. So it crunches in your mouth, but without turning into a mass of pizza shards. It's chewy but chewable. The cheese was stretchy and enjoyable. Overall, one of the best basic pizzas ever. We ordered one buffalo chicken pizza and one barbecue chicken pizza. After all, if that was my last visit to Junior's, I had to try them both!
The Chicken
Being an Italian restaurant, I was excited for what I suspected might be coming: flattened breaded chicken. I was right. It was like eating a chicken parm on a crust...but with bbq sauce. Ok, maybe it wasn't like chicken parm at all, but it was delicious!
The Sauce and the Taste
The buffalo sauce and the barbecue sauce were both pretty tasty. My big issue was that neither pizza included other toppings. The buffalo chicken really could have used some bleu cheese and the BBQ chicken really could have used some onions. I feel like these uni-flavor pizzas really kind of dropped the ball.
Overall
A very well constructed pizza. I think that Junior's is, overall, high quality food. I just don't think they put in the effort to coming up with a barbecue chicken pizza that is their own. It really needs to be a special thing, not just another topping. I give it a B!
The Location
It's a classic Vermont-ish eatery. You go up to a counter and order your food and then take a number to whichever table you want. They bring the pizza to you. The pizzaria side was a straightforward, open area with classic red and white checkerboard tablecloths. The pizza came out fast, the staff were friendly enough and overall I'd say the place was ok. Of course, it's kind of a moot point because it's in Vermont.
The Pizza
 |
| No I did not eat them both by myself. I did consider it. |
The Chicken
Being an Italian restaurant, I was excited for what I suspected might be coming: flattened breaded chicken. I was right. It was like eating a chicken parm on a crust...but with bbq sauce. Ok, maybe it wasn't like chicken parm at all, but it was delicious!
The Sauce and the Taste
The buffalo sauce and the barbecue sauce were both pretty tasty. My big issue was that neither pizza included other toppings. The buffalo chicken really could have used some bleu cheese and the BBQ chicken really could have used some onions. I feel like these uni-flavor pizzas really kind of dropped the ball.
Overall
A very well constructed pizza. I think that Junior's is, overall, high quality food. I just don't think they put in the effort to coming up with a barbecue chicken pizza that is their own. It really needs to be a special thing, not just another topping. I give it a B!
Pizza Place (B-)
The Lovely Kiley recently moved to an apartment in Stonington, CT. For those of you who are far away, Stonington is on the coast, right on the Rhode Island border. Kiley's apartment is within walking distance of Westerly, Rhode Island. We walked into Westerly and spent an afternoon in their downtown. It was quintessential New England at its most...well, just at its most, that's what quintessential means. It could not have been more New England.
The Location
The restaurant is actually called Pizza Place, which is clever and quaint and classy. The atmosphere inside was big and open and friendly. Two large groups, a family and some sort of middle school sports team were eating in the main dining room...and I could totally see why. Pizza Place has a decent selection of beers and several chicken pizzas.
The Pizza
The crust was reasonably good, the cheese was decent. Overall the pizza was quality. I ordered the buffalo chicken pizza, this time, which came with bleu cheese and an assortment of bell peppers.
The Chicken
The pieces of chicken were ok. They seemed to be cubes cut from leftover chicken breasts, which is not my favorite, but not bad either. They were leftover, it seems, but not too chewy.
The Sauce and the Taste
Here is where the rubber meets the road, as they say. The buffalo sauce was excellent and the bleu cheese was really salty and sumptuous and enjoyable. The weakness of this pizza was the choice to add bell peppers to the toppings. I don't mind pepper on pizzas but it just didn't fit with the buffalo sauce. You need something that contrasts with the salty heat. Onions usually do the trick.
Overall
I liked this pizza, I ate way too much of it. Nothing about it was amazing, but it worked ok. I think B- is a fair judgment for a decent pizza with ok meat, good sauce and a weak topping.
The Location
The restaurant is actually called Pizza Place, which is clever and quaint and classy. The atmosphere inside was big and open and friendly. Two large groups, a family and some sort of middle school sports team were eating in the main dining room...and I could totally see why. Pizza Place has a decent selection of beers and several chicken pizzas.
The Pizza
The crust was reasonably good, the cheese was decent. Overall the pizza was quality. I ordered the buffalo chicken pizza, this time, which came with bleu cheese and an assortment of bell peppers.
 |
| It does kind of look like someone got murdered, but I assure you all that blood is delicious. |
The pieces of chicken were ok. They seemed to be cubes cut from leftover chicken breasts, which is not my favorite, but not bad either. They were leftover, it seems, but not too chewy.
The Sauce and the Taste
Here is where the rubber meets the road, as they say. The buffalo sauce was excellent and the bleu cheese was really salty and sumptuous and enjoyable. The weakness of this pizza was the choice to add bell peppers to the toppings. I don't mind pepper on pizzas but it just didn't fit with the buffalo sauce. You need something that contrasts with the salty heat. Onions usually do the trick.
Overall
I liked this pizza, I ate way too much of it. Nothing about it was amazing, but it worked ok. I think B- is a fair judgment for a decent pizza with ok meat, good sauce and a weak topping.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Home-made Part Two (C)
Location
My very own kitchen! Last night I looked in the fridge and saw cheese, chicken, feta and an onion. There isn't really much else you can do with that, other than buy pizza dough and sauce and whip up a delicious chicken pizza.
The Pizza
I bought premade dough and premade sauce and started in, cooking like a fiend. The cheese was a chedder and mozzarella mix, which I just don't think comes out as well as pure mozzarella. The chedder makes it gooey and I really just don't want gooey pizza. The dough was pretty tasty, but did not cook all the way, in the center. I rolled it out on the pizza stone and then slid the stone into the oven, cold. Everyone knows that pizza stones are supposed to be preheated! I need to remember that when I am cooking with Big Y unrisen dough, I need to use a metal pizza pan, which conducts heat more easily.
The Chicken
I have perfected the chicken technique, if I must say so myself. I pounded a breast flat, dipped it flour, egg and bread crumbs, then fried it in a skillet. I sliced it, dunked it in sauce and laid the strips across the top of the pizza. The only thing that really needs work is my pounding. I never thought I would say that, but it's true. Recipes all call for chicken flattened to an even 1/2 inch or thinner. I can't seem to manage that. I pound and pound, but it keeps some if its shape. Oh well, it cooks evenly, which is the most important part.
The Sauce and the Taste
I was out of barbecue sauce, so I decided to use some Frank's Red Hot sauce, instead. I shook the chicken slices in the sauce to give an even coating, then splashed some across the surface of the pizza. I also included feta cheese and carmelized red onions. I have to say that, despite the cheese and the dough being kind of soft and gooey, the taste of this pizza was amazing. It was a perfect combination of heat, sweet and salty.
Overall
This pizza still has a ways to go. I have certainly found better pizzas at restaurants...but I think I am catching up. This pizza was better than the ones I made a few months ago and I think I know how to make it even better. The chicken and the other toppings are secure in their superiority. Now what I really need is to find a good recipe for pizza dough and a good cheese blend.
My very own kitchen! Last night I looked in the fridge and saw cheese, chicken, feta and an onion. There isn't really much else you can do with that, other than buy pizza dough and sauce and whip up a delicious chicken pizza.
The Pizza
I bought premade dough and premade sauce and started in, cooking like a fiend. The cheese was a chedder and mozzarella mix, which I just don't think comes out as well as pure mozzarella. The chedder makes it gooey and I really just don't want gooey pizza. The dough was pretty tasty, but did not cook all the way, in the center. I rolled it out on the pizza stone and then slid the stone into the oven, cold. Everyone knows that pizza stones are supposed to be preheated! I need to remember that when I am cooking with Big Y unrisen dough, I need to use a metal pizza pan, which conducts heat more easily.
The Chicken
I have perfected the chicken technique, if I must say so myself. I pounded a breast flat, dipped it flour, egg and bread crumbs, then fried it in a skillet. I sliced it, dunked it in sauce and laid the strips across the top of the pizza. The only thing that really needs work is my pounding. I never thought I would say that, but it's true. Recipes all call for chicken flattened to an even 1/2 inch or thinner. I can't seem to manage that. I pound and pound, but it keeps some if its shape. Oh well, it cooks evenly, which is the most important part.
The Sauce and the Taste
I was out of barbecue sauce, so I decided to use some Frank's Red Hot sauce, instead. I shook the chicken slices in the sauce to give an even coating, then splashed some across the surface of the pizza. I also included feta cheese and carmelized red onions. I have to say that, despite the cheese and the dough being kind of soft and gooey, the taste of this pizza was amazing. It was a perfect combination of heat, sweet and salty.
Overall
This pizza still has a ways to go. I have certainly found better pizzas at restaurants...but I think I am catching up. This pizza was better than the ones I made a few months ago and I think I know how to make it even better. The chicken and the other toppings are secure in their superiority. Now what I really need is to find a good recipe for pizza dough and a good cheese blend.
Sgt. Pepperoni (D-)
Location
Sgt. Pepperoni is located between my office in the Gentry Building and my car in F Lot. I stopped in after a late night in the office, sometime in January. I'm going to be honest, the best part of the experience was looking at the hot girl behind the counter.
I spent the rest of the evening, eating the entire medium (quite large) pizza by myself. I went to sleep early, figuring I was slipping into a food coma...not realizing that I was ill. I woke up at midnight and spent the rest of the night throwing up periodically. I swore I would never return to Sgt. Pepperoni and came very close to swearing that I would never eat BBQ chicken pizza again. It's been a month and a half and I am finally ready to resume my quest for the perfect chicken pizza. But first I need to purge the awfulness that was Sgt. Pepperoni. (I should note that it was a stomach bug and not food poisoning, but I'm still pissed that I spent money on this pizza so I'm going to put this note in parentheses rather than giving it the full weight of its own sentence).
The Pizza
Well, not much to say. There was a cheese pizza with some chicken on top. It looked like very generic small town pizza.
The Chicken
Chunks. Flavorless, chewy chunks.
The Sauce and the Taste
Not much sauce, virtually no taste.
Overall
Am I biased by the fact that this pizza was purged from my system in the most unpleasant way possible? Yes. I don't give a flying fuck. This pizza sucked. I am never going back.
Sgt. Pepperoni is located between my office in the Gentry Building and my car in F Lot. I stopped in after a late night in the office, sometime in January. I'm going to be honest, the best part of the experience was looking at the hot girl behind the counter.
I spent the rest of the evening, eating the entire medium (quite large) pizza by myself. I went to sleep early, figuring I was slipping into a food coma...not realizing that I was ill. I woke up at midnight and spent the rest of the night throwing up periodically. I swore I would never return to Sgt. Pepperoni and came very close to swearing that I would never eat BBQ chicken pizza again. It's been a month and a half and I am finally ready to resume my quest for the perfect chicken pizza. But first I need to purge the awfulness that was Sgt. Pepperoni. (I should note that it was a stomach bug and not food poisoning, but I'm still pissed that I spent money on this pizza so I'm going to put this note in parentheses rather than giving it the full weight of its own sentence).
The Pizza
Well, not much to say. There was a cheese pizza with some chicken on top. It looked like very generic small town pizza.
The Chicken
Chunks. Flavorless, chewy chunks.
The Sauce and the Taste
Not much sauce, virtually no taste.
Overall
Am I biased by the fact that this pizza was purged from my system in the most unpleasant way possible? Yes. I don't give a flying fuck. This pizza sucked. I am never going back.
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