I caught dinner with journalistic competitor Alan Blank before a Costa Mesa City Council meeting last night. We settled on Doria’s Original Haus of Pizza because 1) I was paying and 2) Blank, who grew up in Costa Mesa, hadn’t had a slice from the Haus in over a decade and couldn’t remember if he liked it or not.
If you’re a follower of Food Frenzy, you’ll also recall that this eatery was rated No. 1 in our Hole-in-the-Wall thread, eliciting both positive and negative comments.
A reader named Megan called Doria’s the “best pizza in Orange County I’ve had so far,” while commenter Bobby didn’t hold back when he said “haus of pizza is the worst pizza i have ever had in my life.”
Sorry Bob, but I’m going with Meg on this one.
We went with a small Haus Special. The pizza, with eight slices for $12.15, came loaded with pepperoni, sausage, onions, olives and mushrooms. There was loads of gooey cheese too - a salty combination of whole milk and skim milk mozzarella, our waiter said.
The toppings were of high quality, and the oregano-packed sauce was spot on, but what really put this pie over the top was its delicious, buttery crust.
The ends and the bottom were crisp while the inside dough remained soft and chewy. They even have an awesome pizza cutter/slice-picker-upper to assist with carving your way through the thick dough.
Alan wanted a salad, so we started things off with Doria’s antipasto salad. This was seriously the Italian version of a taco salad. Sure, the word “salad” is in the name, but there’s nothing healthy about this massive meat-and-cheese beast.
Pictured is the individual portion, sold for $2, and it fed us both, plus we had leftovers. The dish includes lettuce, mushrooms, olives, salami, shredded mozzarella and Italian dressing. We both found that the dressing was largely unnecessary simply because the cheese, salami and olives were plenty oily on their own.
Alan and I might be competitors, but we can both agree with the hole-in-the-wall voters - Doria’s brings down the haus.
Doria’s Original Haus of Pizza
1500 Adams Ave.
Costa Mesa
714-751-8777
If the moon hits your eye and you crave pizza pie …
- Cheesy bites at Big O To Go
- Ameci inspires the question: Why do chain restaurants stink?
- New Yawk slices at LaRocco’s
- Apple pizza pie at The Crosby
- Real-deal Chicago-style at Tony’s Little Italy
Yessss! I’m so glad you liked it. Who could resist the gooey deliciousness of that cheese mixed with the crispy crust?
Now I want some.
megan: i totally screwed my diet over today and went back with another buddy for lunch. the personal sized 10-inch was still statisfying, but the crust was a little thinner, which i wasn’t totally cool with.
suggestion to all: if you’re gonna go, go big.
Niyaz, just curious….. did you take care when photographing your thumb this time
(the pic with the pizza cutter)
i’ve been trying to shoot thumb free. it’s not easy though!
The problem I find with pizza opinions is it always comes down to style. Everyone has a pizza preference whether they realize it or not, especially if they grew up in a pizza city like New York City or Chicago.
Me, I like to think I’m open minded so I’d give this one a whirl. My hometown of Los Angeles didn’t start having their own pizza Renaissance of artisan pies and strange toppings until Wolfgang Puck decided salmon would taste good on a pizza. I grew up eating local chain delivery and am glad for the change.
mike: i’m not sure about that salmon pizza. but that’s only because i don’t like salmon. my favorite california pizza has always been the BLT (with mayo doused lettuce strips) or the thai chicken, both from CPK.
OMG the BLT pizza @ CPK is delish!!! However, do not, I repeat, do not take it to go. I did and was very disappointed since I had a major hankering goin’ on; it’s just a cheese pizza with everything on the side. A must dine-in pizza. And for the record, I’m a thin crust ocgirl..lol.
yeah, i can see that. i’m sure the mayo on the lettuce totally gets soggy and disgusting after a while.
The only place I’ve had it was actually The Wynn in Vegas. It was more like a breakfast pizza with salmon layered on cream cheese. It might as well have been a bagel! It was delicious though….
Not to down play their pizza, because it is so ridiculously wonderful, but they also have a very good daily pasta special that changes each day of the week. That is worth going back for a second trip!
I always go back thinking I’ll order one of their specials because I’ve actually never had anything but their pizza and salads. But every time I go, I always go for the pizza. Haha.
I haven’t had Haus of Pizza in a long time because I favor a thin crust, but I do remember that I like it a lot! Need to go back there for a pie revisit
Does anyone know the answer to this???
Doria’s website specifically says “Not associated with Haus of Pizza in Garden Grove.” Yet, GG uses the same logo..? Were the restaurants connected at some point?
They don’t use the same castle logo do they? I think they put that on their website because of the spelling. Not sure.
“GG uses the same logo”
Yes, that is what I meant…. they use the same logo
I asked this of them once and they said they are not and never were affiliated with them. I think the whole Doria’s in the name is what differentiates them. And, for the record, has been my family’s favorite pizza forever! There are always extravagant tyoe pizza joints were you can have the off the wall toppings, but for real, everyday, pizza as you know it, this is the place!
I heard that Doria’s used to own the GG Haus of Pizza but sold it years ago. They also sold the GG location the recipes for the pizza, etc and let them keep the name. I heard this from an old employee from the Costa Mesa place so again, it’s 2nd hand information so I’m not sure how true it is…. :O)
We sold the GG store in 1986. We were getting broken into about every month. The new owners changed ALL the recepies the first day. Unfotunately the deal was done. I asked them “why don’t you change the name since the food is not the same?” The answer was they did not want to buy a new sign.
No matter what the reviews are or what is on the pizza, it is still just pizza. Not like it is a culinary masterpiece that a cheeseburger is or maybe a chili dog.
LOL @ Seriously
Me and my cheap ass friends love to go to Haus (pronounced House) and get the $4 spaghetti special and water and laugh at each other for being such cheap asses and having a dinner for 4 for under $20.
dan: i seriously just sent that comment around the office and we’re all laughing. i was staring at the wall when i was there thinking: “god, those specials are cheap.”
Yes, and I should mention that you get salad and garlic bread and it is all tasty. If you want to show a girl a good time, order one dinner and an extra plate. She will think you are so smart. Then take the 4 bucks you saved and buy some condoms cause your going to need them!
i would, uh, try that advice, but i’m afriad the fiancee may read this post and know where i got the idea from …
No need to focus so heavily on the pizza. I’ll put the spaghetti, lasagna and garlic bread up against any challengers. And don’t get me started on the pizza bread… don’t even get me started (SNL? anyone?). With all that said: please don’t go there!
Don’t forget the beer man! Served in chilled steins, all yo-ho-ho and builds musc.
Judging by the picture, it looks like a pretty tasty pizza. I’ll have to try it next time I’m in Costa Mesa.
Oooh, I haven’t been there in a while - have to go.
OMG, I have been going to Haus of Pizza for 12 years now. I usually order the Baked Tortellini. I used to live right behind it and I was pregnant at the time and I could smell it from my house. From then on, I was hooked! Now I drive from Anaheim just to get my favorite pasta in the world.
kc: i keep reading about the pasta, i’ll have to try that out when i’m allowed to eat poorly again (ie: next week; all my eating is done for the week, i’ve just got to write it up).
if you like good tortellini though, try this place that i went to in orange recently:
http://foodfrenzy.freedomblogging.com/2009/05/20/homemade-pasta-homemade-empanadas-under-1-roof/7601/
Yes, meat & cheese is VERY unhealthy.
People have been eating meat for millions of years & cheese for at leased 4000 years. People have been dieing as long as they have been eating meat & cheese. I would be willing to bet that all people who have died have eaten meat or cheese with in 1 year of dieing. Obviously meat & cheese lead to all of these deaths.
VERY unhealthy!
Carrots lead to all those deaths as well…. Everyone I know that has eaten carrots had died…….
Every woman I know who has spent her life on a diet has died… So I embrace the fact that I am just undertall.
I think eating causes death. You die if you eat anything & you die if you don’t eat anything. Obviously it’s the eating thing that does everyone it.
Eating causes death. You die if you do, you die if you don’t!
PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT DORIA’S HOUSE OF PIZZA!. Once the word is out - it will be impossible to get a table!
OH BOY!!! I have to laugh whenever I read reviews of pizza out here on the left coast. YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!!! First of all……I have yet to find an authentic antipasto out here. Anytime I’ve ever ordered one, I get a lettuce and tomato salad w/some cheese, salami, and some olives thrown on top (the black canned olives, I might add!!). A true antipasto salad includes cured Italian meats, a variety of cured Italian olives, marinated eggplant, marinated mushrooms, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and aged provolone. All this is dressed w/a perfect balance of Italian extra virgin olive oil and Italian aged balsamic vinegar, seasoned w/fresh herbs, salt, and pepper! Secondly, the pizza out here has ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON to the REAL THING back East. And there’s one very simple reason for that. It’s the crust, stupid! It’s a proven fact that the water makes the crust and the tap water out here is undrinkable! I went back to see my family for Christmas and I had truly forgotten how incredibly wonderful the water back there is. You can drink it right from the faucet WITHOUT having to purify it first…….and it’s ice cold and delicious! So when I hear all of you raving about your # 1 pick for great pizza, it takes me a few minutes to be able to get up of the floor because I’m laughing so hard! I also remind you all of how many times over the years you’ve voted in the ‘OC’s Best’ Pizza Hut as the best pizza in the county……..O…M….G…..YOU HAVE GOT TO BE HIGH!!!!
lol, there really must be something in that water back east. the antipasto salad was $2, i don’t think it was intended as the all-time greatest. and geez, this was just the no. 1 hole-in-the-wall, not the no. 1 pizza - we’re talking about character, not just the food. that said, there is way better pizza to be found locally than at doria’s, but as far as regular old pizza goes, it’s fine.
as far as that voting in OC’s Best is concerned too, i think those kinds of chain restaurants frequently win best honors is because the readers, who i believe vote on these things, often eat most at chains.
and how’s something small like rocky’s chicken in mission viejo, which i think is the best grilled chicken i’ve ever had in OC, going to compare with el pollo loco when nobody outside of MV has heard of it.
so you can talk about the water all you want - and you may be right - but on the last part of your comment, i think you’re a little misled.
@CAlvr
“the pizza out here has ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON to the REAL THING”
So imagine two Napoleans getting home from a vacation in the Big Apple. I can just hear a conversation like this……….
Si, Nueva Yorka is a greata place to visit, but il mio dio, that pizza! Don’ta they know whata real pizza should be like?
So does CAlvr mean “California Lover” or “California Leaver”? If you haven’t left yet, why not?
They are…you are so right CAlvr. I’m an OC native and have been to NY several times and they have the absolute best pizza. The best part is you can go to ANY pizza, excuse me, pie house and they all taste the same…FANTASTIC. None of this Pizza Hut vs Dominos vs Papa Johns, you get the drift. I was literally buying a slice at every house i passed…yummy.
Wow…an NYer commenting on how bad our pizza sucks and how great it is in NY-what a surprise. Im Shocked I tell you….Shocked.
lol.
The Best Pizza Is Massimo’s Pizza in HB.
Oh and P.S. - don’t EVEN get me started on what you guys call ’steamers’…….UNBELIEVABLE!!!!
p.s.: what’s a steamer?
I don’t call ‘em steamers but I always wash my hands after.
Duh…steamed clams. OK this is where I differ…there are some pretty good places around here that have great ones with some pretty tasty dippings. What is your recipe for steamers?
okay, so i thought he was talking about clams, but it just didn’t make sense in the context of a pizza thread. thanks for confirming.
My family loved Calentino’s pizza until it closed. We occasionally go to Haus and love the crust on the pizza but the rest of my family doesn’t care for the sauce. I love the antipasto salad and will have to try out the pastas.
What happened to Calentino’s? Did they move locations or close completely?
rukamax: alan was talking about this place last night and how they had the best pizza in costa mesa. he said they closed because the family simply couldn’t compete anymore.
what is the address of Doria’s haus of Pizza? i wanna go…..
Doria’s Original Haus of Pizza
1500 Adams Ave.
Costa Mesa
714-751-8777
it’s in the center on harbor and adams next to the paul mitchell salon school.
After the review I ordered 3 for my office - and it was undercooked and chewy. So I guess if they actually cooked it all the way, maybe it would be good, maybe it would still be chewy. Who knows!
T, call me on Tuesday. I will make you 3 more. No charge.
Rick
Illiano’s in Tustin has the best pizza in O.C. Hands down. The crust is amazing! East Coast snobs need to check it out.
Haus of Pizza is sooo good. I can eat there 7 days a week. The only thing that kills it is the Shi**y service. The people that work there are so rude. When i call in an order they have some crazy attitude while they are taking my order. Then when i get there to pick it up they are still rude. One time in particular i went in to pick up my order and there was a lady in there complaining about her service as well. If you want better service with just as good food go down the street to Pizza D’ Oro.
ockingfan: while i do love pizza d’ oro’s giant slice too, i think the pizza at the haus is a bit different. the pizza d’ oro stuff is more new york style, especially those giant slices.
i like eating their cheese slices, then dipping the crust in ranch dressing.
both are good, but i think i prefer haus of pizza.
also, both of the servers i had, yesterday and today, were friendly and helpful.
Everyone is HIGH. True, pizza is subjective, but c’mon. Doria’s is good pizza, but unless you’ve tried Tony’s Little Italy in Placentia, you can’t really say it’s the best. Some of the best Chicago, and Sicilian style pizza (also New York thin, which I don’t eat there) in the county that I know of. There may be many others that I have not tried, but saying Doria’s is the best before you try a place like Tony’s is crazy.
If you like pizza, and you haven’t tried Tony’s, you are doing yourself a disservice! It is worth the drive!
Agreed, and that’s why we linked above to our review of Tony’s. Here’s the link again - even if you don’t read the review, the pics alone will make you hungry.
http://foodfrenzy.freedomblogging.com/2009/01/30/searching-for-ocs-best-pizza-vol-2-tonys-little-italy-in-placentia-the-real-deal-chicago-deep-dish/3708/
By the way, ever since the artice came out on best hole in the wall, we discovered Fu Wing Lo/Low ever since - its all that and more!! I have never had better chicken etc. Also, dont forget to go to the other best hole in the wall Las Barcas - always great no matter what you get.
we’ll make sure we get to las barcas soon, t.
Until then, here’s our review of Fu Wing Low - yum!
http://foodfrenzy.freedomblogging.com/2009/04/21/ive-met-the-noodle-of-my-dreams/6745/
Jeff - you just don’t get it! There is NO “way better pizza to be found out there” in the OC!!! And again, the reason for that is the water! Crust is a major part of what makes a pizza a great pizza. Otherwise you might as well just make some pasta and throw your favorite toppings into it!
Niyaz Parani - first, please check your grammar before submitting your post. Secondly, why are you writing for Foodfrenzy on the OC Reg and asking me what a steamer is? I hope they’re not paying you for any of your posts! Because when you ask a question like that, you don’t come across very professional. If you don’t know what a steamer is, GOOGLE IT!!!!
Calm down it’s just food. Also, if you want to talk best pizza - go to Italy.
Pizza in American (not just OC) is obviously different because it’s an adaptation of the traditional dish.
Ha, I hear ya CALvr, just don’t agree. I guess I just don’t believe any one type of pizza can lay claim to being the best. I actually like St. Louis-style more than any other, but I can appreciate the others for what they are.
Also bro, we totally like that you’re passionate about your hometown, so just a tip, please give your adopted home some love and refrain from calling it “the” O.C.
By the way, you are right to call Niyaz out for his steamer question (I assume you are referring to clams) but before you rip his grammar, you might want to double-check your spelling - it’s Pirani, not Parani. = D.
When I google it, I get a jazz club, seafood, a dry cleaners, a book at amazon.com, a soccer team, a vacuum, and a soft ball team.
So, thanks for clearing that up, CAlvr.
I just hope you wash your hands after taking a “steamer.”
CALvr - what is wrong with you? I’m sitting here readiing these delightful posts about this Pizza Haus. Seems most people, not all, love it. So I’m reading post after post, and enjoying every one thinking I’ve got to go to this place. I’m getting so hungry and it sounds so good. Then, I come across yours. Telling Niyaz Parani to check his grammar! Please, the post is not about grammar. That is so petty. And I didn’t know what a “steamer” was, so I was glad he asked and that somebody answered. Saved me from going to Google. Lighten up a little. Take the post for what it is. A bit of information and opinions from a wide variety of people. It’s here if you want to read it and if not that’s fine too. Have a good day!
CostCo’s pizza is good enough for me!!!! And I like the price.
angry white dude: you’re totally right. while costco pizza is ridiculously calorie laden, it is tasty.
also, turn that frown upside down.
Steamers = clams
The one time I went there to order a pizza to go the staff was so rude. I don’t care how good the pizza is if you staff is unprofessional it should not be considered the best of anything since waiter/waitresses are part of the dining out experience.
Sorry Melissa, I am working on it….. Really. Kids these days are very different from 10-15 years ago.
Stop by and say Hi! Some Monday night and I will by you a glass of wine as an
apology.
Rick
Haus of Pizza is good, but Antonucci’s in Mission Viejo is way better! I used to order from Doria’s until I moved a few months ago. But, Antonucci’s house special pizza rocks!
i’ve lived in mission viejo for nearly 10 years, and i’ve yet to try this place out. it’s next to my favorite bagel shop (i heart bagels). i’m glad you brought up antonucci’s. it finally gives me the push i needed to get out there.
My goodness! If you haven’t tried the meatball sandwich you have to go back for one. Cheaper than Subway and chock full of meatballs sauce and cheese. The best ever!
I had the pleasure of joining Mr. Pirani at lunch today at Doria’s and the experience was wonderful. Prompt and attentive wait staff, nice atmosphere, good food and good prices.
I ordered the personal pizza with pepperoni and jalapenos. The crust was crisp and the cheese gooey, the pepperoni the right balance of salty and peppery goodness, and the jalapenos packed just enough punch to accent the other flavors without being overpowering.
I’m a pretty easy sell when it comes to pizza. I usually get my pie from Angelo and Vinci’s or Top Class in Fullerton, or Rosa’s in Placentia but Doria’s pizza was some of the best I have had in recent memory. I will definitely be stopping by again on a lunch break soon.
Hands down Nick’s Pizza in Costa Mesa on Harbor has the best pizza I think in OC.
Thanks for mentioning Nick’s. We used to go there regularly, years ago when we lived in CM. Glad he’s still around — and does he still sing Italian opera in the back when he’s making the pizza?
haus of pizza is disgusting.
Jeff - I’ve NEVER heard of St. Louis style pizza (and I have a very good friend who lives there). I’m a purist and the fact of the matter is that pizza in this country originated in NYC…..that’s just a fact Jack! Everything else is just a poor knock-off. Why is it that when a restaurant out here wants to market themselves as the real deal, they use ‘New York’ in their name??? I’ve found that to be a wide spread gimmick - in San Diego AND Orange Counties.
As far as giving my “adopted home some love”, I guess you didn’t notice my moniker.
I believe that many would say that spelling an uncommon last name incorrectly is more forgivable than writing a grammatically flawed post. The later completely loses its punch, rendering the post ineffective.
And finally, dude, don’t call me ‘bro’! You’ve assumed I’m male…..and we all know what happens when one assumes anything!
CALvr - By adopted home, just meant Orange County. Sorry for assuming on the gender. But hey, in all honesty, this blog is all about love of food, so we really like this back-and-forth, cheers…
CAlvr, have you had your blood pressure checked? Man (and I mean that generically) you are going to explode.
CAlvr, Google it:
St. Louis-style pizza is a distinct style of pizza popular in St. Louis, Missouri and surrounding areas. The definitive characteristics of St. Louis-style pizza are a super-thin yeast-less crust, the common (but not mandatory) use of Provel processed cheese, and pizzas cut into squares or rectangles instead of large pie shaped slices. Provel is a trademark for three cheeses fused to form one (provolone, swiss, and white cheddar), used instead of (or, rarely, in addition to) the mozzarella or provolone common to other styles of pizza. Provel cheese was developed by the St. Louis firm Costa Grocery in the 1950s and is made in Wisconsin primarily for the St. Louis market. The cheese is not widely available outside the St. Louis-area.
Wow, jwillson, really turned that “go Google it” thing around on CALVr! And yes, that is a very accurate description of St. Louis-style - the provel cheese has a very unique consistency - not too gooey, not too firm, kinda sticks to the roof of your mouth - and the depth of flavor puts mozzarella to shame. Here’s the most famous one:
http://www.imospizza.com/
CAlvr ….Amen to most of your posts!
In your post of June 3rd, 3:24 Post Meridian, you stated that you believe that many would say that spelling an uncommon last name incorrectly is more forgivable than writing a grammatically flawed post. I would agree. But, your next sentence says, “The LATER completely loses its punch, rendering the post ineffective.” I believe you should have used “LATTER” rather than “LATER”, what do you think?
Isn’t there some adage about the pot calling the kettle black?
Pizza is really a subjective matter, much like art. Art may be in the eye of the beholder, but pizza is in the mouth of the eater; ergo, it’s all a matter of taste.
Here’s a tip from a 74-year old native Californian whose girlfriend is from NYC and who constantly complains about not being able to find a decent “hard roll” or “pizza crust”: take a trip down the 405 to the Kaleidoscope “mall” and check out a new “deli” (New York-style, of course) which just opened. The owner is importing his water from New York with which to make his bread/pizza products. Additionally, he says that his “deli” will stock New York and Italian products. Don’t think it’ll be quite like Arthur Street in the Bronx, however, but, who knows?
I won’t be able to check out the new deli (isn’t that a city in India?) until about the first week in July as Elaine and I will be going on a trip. “Where”, you ask?
To the Big Apple, of course. My oldest daughter lives in Battery Park City at the tip of Manhattan. I’m sure we’ll be able to find a decent pizza pie and a real, real antipasto salad there.
Blessings on you for your “antipasto” description …spoken like a person (please notice no male/female description) who knows what the hell an antipasto is all about. And, wow!, I was terribly disappointed by so many people not knowing what the hell “steamers” are! Even this old guy knows what a steamer is! Mercy!
OK, check out the “dueling pianos” deli at the Kaleidoscope place and get back to me with your take ,,,,OK? Pirani says he’s going to check it out along with another place with “New York” in its title ….another pie shop, I suppose.
Over the years, I’ve had some “decent” pizza pies here in “beloved” Orange County. One pie shop I do recall as having a pretty damned good pie was “Chicago Chicago”. Alas, it’s gone the way of so many good restaurants and is now part of history. They did the “Chicago” cut ….you know, in squares.
Take care and happy eating!
Ciao
Haus’ is a Costa Mesa classic. Heck, I had a smallish wedding and they catered the food. Everyone raved about it. The daily specials are the best deal around..
On another note, Nicks pizza is really good also. Although they haven’t been a hole in the wall since the Harbor center got rebuilt, but the food is killer. Plus you get a show if Nick is in there yelling at his family… LOL
Forgot to mention that my wedding was 15 years ago, so….
Also, check out Dorias Haus’ Facebook fan page if you are a true junkie!!!
I love their specials. I think they are all under $7, include entree, salad and garlic bread. So worth it! Love their lasagna, raviolis and the best meatballs in town. I go a few times a month and love this place. Glad to see them getting some props. The pizza is great too.
Haus of Pizza is amazing….great high quality ingredients and the owner Dave…or was it Rick-knows its all in the quality of ingredients. Never been to the place in Placentia but for this part of OC Haus is #1 followed by Nicks Pizza which happens to be right down the street. Try the Pizza Blanca with a glass of wine.
Plus, no mention of this but isn’t it one of the oldest original restaurants in Costa Mesa?
Megan - I am very sorry but I lived in Italy for years and the pizza was so so. I have eaten pizza from Bologna where the dough (or bread for that matter has no salt) to Naples to Sicily. Some regions make it very bland - others use topping like a cut wurstel which is a fancy way of saying hotdog. The dough in Italy and the sauce are very good most of the time but the toppings are not extremely tasty. Rome has good pizza by the slice and great toppings. I personally love the cheeseless onion pizza they make in Palermo.
Doria’s Haus of Pizza is excellent - too bad we buy it and drive all the way home to South County to eat it. We have been telling Rick Doria to open something in South County but he just laughs!
I have been craving Doria’s since this morning. I am definitely going there for dinner tonight.
For those of you who have never eaten there, I highly suggest the garlic pizza. Fresh minced garlic (sometimes still in chunks) all over the top of the pizza! NOM! If you have a meeting for work tomorrow, I suggest you stay away from it though. It is what it is.
I didn’t mean to post that there.
But I agree it was hit or miss with the pizza in Italy, I just said that because CALlvr was on their high horse about how the pizza in Orange County sucks.
Try the meatball and onion pizza.
Jeff - NP! And I couldn’t agree w/you more……it’s all about the love of food……..and banter is ALWAYS a good thing, especially when we’re cooking!
Arrivederci!
CAlvr ….wish I had your e-mail address ….I have the funniest “real Italian cooking” video you’ll ever see. You’ll laugh mulineri off! Take a chance and get back to me at: maj sky king @ g mail dot com Promise I’ll only send you that video and nothing more.
Worst pizza I ever had was in Rome, but the Naples area has some pretty good stuff! Italian pizza varies as much as American pizza and personal favorites will vary…
Hey CAlvr, thanks for stating the obvious but guess what, you and we DON’T LIVE IN NYC?!?!?!?!?! So for those of us that like pizza and live in OC, let us talk and share about which places are great without your stupid comments.
Feel free to move back to NY. It seems like from your posting, you are a true NY’er. Rude and ignorant.
Actually Josh, attacking me because of the FACTS I’ve stated, really makes you appear sophomoric. As far as your statement that “true NY’ers” are rude and ignorant, I’ve been cut-off by “rude” CA drivers to the point of nearly colliding w/other cars on the 405 more times than I can count (and then, of course, I GET FLIPPED THE BIRD), I can’t find one instance of a Yankee fan KILLING an opposing team’s fan at Yankee Stadium, and of course, Orange County is where the series for the show “The Real Housewives of …….” originated. So your RUDE comment really doesn’t hold any water.
Take care, Bubby!
That was quite a St. Louis-style smack down! Ouch!
thanks troll.
You obviously don’t know how to drive then.
The Housewife comment is ridiculous. So ridiculous because they now do NY and separate NJ versions. 2 to 1. You win. And if you can’t find one instance of a Yanks fan killing or being killed by a Sox or Mets fan, you aren’t looking hard enough.
Oh, and didn’t your football team pelt its players and opponents with snowballs to the point where the league stepped in and revoked season tickets? Yeah, NY again. What a great place!!!! Xanadu!
Personally I’m a fan of deep dish styles but I couldn’t help but add a comment or two regarding east coast styles. My hubby is from back east and raved about pizza from Pepe’s in CT. We had to drive from NYC to RI and stopped in along the way. Talk about a hole in the wall - we waited over an hour if the flipping cold waiting to get in. All they serve is pizza and I guess they have something like the oldest original oven in the US. So hubby’s going on and on about how great it is and blah, blah, blah. I took one bite and O.M.G. - it was the worst pizza evah! It was super thin and half of it was burnt to crisp underneath and the other half was not even cooked. No thanks.
But, as a little nod to CAlvr, I do have to give Kudos to Rays Pizza around the corner from the M&M store in Times Square. That was really good, even it was a dive hole-in-the wall!
OCreadergal - I couldn’t agree w/you more! I NEVER UNDERSTOOD all the claims of Pepe’s being the best pizza in CT. I just NEVER got that, just a lot of hype w/no taste to back it up! Like you, I HATED IT AND to add culinary palette insult to injury, they make you wait for that crap! But I actually think that Modern Pizza is the best in New Haven. And when you visit back there again and are making the drive to RI, (or, if not, take the train in from the City to Stratford) be sure to stop at Salerno’s Apizza in Stratford, CT. Their pies are TO DIE FOR!!! Hands down, the best in CT.
As for Ray’s Pizza, I’ve never had it so I can’t comment. Thanks for your input. It’s nice to have someone comment about back East pizza who has actually experienced what they’re critiquing.
Jeff and jwillson - you can Google all you want and post the results here. But the fact of the matter is that pizza in the USA ORIGINATED in NYC, that’s just a fact! It’s where the standard for pizza was set in this country and, if you’re a purist like myself, any variation of that standard is just an inferior knock-off. Also when you talk about Italians immigrating to America, more times than not, they entered this country through Ellis Island in NEW YORK CITY!! I don’t doubt that some Italians immigrated via Eastern Europe, Asia, etc. to the west coast of America, but most often you’ll find their origins were NYC. So the Italians that settled in the Midwest - places like Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis - more likely will trace their first generation family back to NYC. So what this all means is that they took their knowledge of pizza from the original NYC product and re-invented it for their own, therein creating their own business. And I think you’ll both agree…….that’s what being an AMERICAN is all about!
Well, according to your facts and statements, maybe we should just outlaw the use of the word Pizza in any restaurant in the USA, except in NY. It will be like Sparkling Wine as opposed to true Champagne. Better yet, why don’t you give it a rest and let us tell our pizza eating experiences in the great OC, so others might find another option for their cravings, instead of having to read past your continuing drivel.
I don’t care where pizza originated, I was just informing you and all of your good friends from the St. Louis area about St. Louis style.
I am sure NYC pizza is the best but I guess my motto would be, if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with, and right now, I’m with CA-style pizza.
I’m not convinced at all. Not one bit. I’ve eaten a zillion pies in the North East. Some have been good. Others have sucked. I’ve had pies in Chicago, same deal.
Same in SoCal. I’ve had a few pies here in Orange County that in terms of flavor have been as good as anything I’ve tried anywhere else. I’ve had many others here that weren’t so great. I’ve had tremendous pies in L.A., Seattle, Scottsdale, and New Orleans as well. None of those were from back east either, but they smoked MOST of the pies I tried at every other locale.
But we’re not really talking about going to get a pie for lunch or dinner today anywhere else, but here at home today in the OC.
I can’t wait any longer to get down to Doria’s. the thought of biting into one of their pies right now is driving me crazy!
weak. go try al’s pizza on 17th and irvine and then tell me that doria’s ” brings down the haus”.
will do. when kat was blogging, i believe she stopped there. i’ll check on that and if she hasn’t gone, i’ll blog it.
heck, if she has gone, i’ll still go. i’m down for pizza whenever.
Kat did blog on Al’s NY Cafe in Costa Mesa. One Saturday, I just had to make the trip.
Definitely THE best pizza I’ve had outside of NY, but then again, it’s a matter of preference, I like thin crust pizza.
The restaurant is tiny tiny tiny and but the pizza absolutely must be eaten right from the oven while the crust is still crisp. It was really cheesy too…. my arms weren’t long enough to snap the strands when I took a bite.
Closer to home, I like Nonna Lucci’s.
Psychomomma………..COME ON……don’t make up a new alias………come clean w/us……..we know who you really are………OCTO-MOM……….you can’t hide from us!!! LMAO!!!
As far as pizza goes everyone has their own tastes, but sometimes a lot of the enjoyable meal you had was the atmosphere or circumstance. I can remember a time recently I was at A16 in SF with some friends and that pizza was amazing. It may have been the wine or the good times we were having but when I went back a few weeks later the pizza didn’t stand up to the first time. I have been to NY and sampled many of the best joints with the exception of Grimaldi’s. I still think the best I had in NY was Sal & Carmines on the upper westside. I have many friends who are chefs and that helps in finding good food in general but also has perks in getting dishes not on the menu. One pizza I can remember like this was at Enoteca in The Venetian. It was a Mortadella pizza, which was amazing. I have also had some amazing pizza at a little hole in the wall in San Margherita, Italy. But of all these great experiences and wonderful pizzas the best I’ve ever had is at a small place called Settebello in Henderson, NV. Next time you come to Vegas make sure and take the drive to Henderson for this amazing pizza. http://www.settebello.net Also in Vegas is the best Thai food in the country at Lotus of Siam. The head chef is up for a James Beard award like every year.
Next time im in “The NY” I gotta try the pizza.
Many years ago….
….the best pizza in the world was at around 2:00am, at about the 3rd bowlful, right out of the freezer, into the Microwave - 5 minutes later, BAM! Pizza ready and Munchee’s kicking into highgear… Pizza later…sleepy time…
Hey CALhtr, if NY pizza is the end all, be all, then why is Pizzeria Bianco in AZ and Mozza in Los Angeles considered better than most NY places?
I concur with J.Wilson from above, I don’t care where it was originated. I have been to and had several pizzas in NY which were good and bad. Just because it started back east doesn’t mean you can’t make it and enjoy it out here.
Have you been to Haus of Pizza? Or Gina’s? Or Nick’s? Or P.Ortica? Or Pizza e Vino? Until you make a lap around OC’s best, zip it.
Gina’s absolutely sucks!!! Nick’s is just OK. Again, being a purist, I would never patronize a pizza place named “Haus”. It wouldn’t be a place that would entice me to come in to check out their PIZZA. However, I would patronize a German restaurant named “Haus”.
CAlvr, gotta give you some props for saying the truth. Hey all pizza is pretty good, I even enjoy pizza hut once in a while, but If there were more people like you that demanded quality I believe CA pizza would be even better. With that being said don’t count us out just yet, So. Cal has been innovative and we even have our own style now. It just hasn’t trickled down to the neighborhood joint and may never.
Long live pizza!!!!
They do have a great pizza,but is it me or did they change the sauce this year? I have tried pizza from all over OC and nothing compares to the pizza at Haus. They are not stingy with the cheese or any other toppings.
I know it’s a chain, but I don’t see how you can talk about best pizza and not mention Numero Uno’s deep-dish pies. I believe the only OC branch left is in Huntington Beach.