Your Favorite Pizza Weblog Went To Ohio And All You Get Is This Lousy Photo
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 25, 2004 at 11:00 PM
Cleveland Rocks:A very blurry and very drunk Robert Pollard (top left), of rock band Guided By Voices. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (top right), designed by I.M. Pei, on the shore of Lake Erie. A combination pizzeria–gas station just off I-90 somewhere in Ohio. A wider view of the same gas station (below right).
This reporter went to Ohio on Saturday intent on trying some Cleveland pizza. With a little help from my friends, I had even targeted a preferred parlor. But like travelers on the highway to hell, our wheels merely sped down a westbound strip of interstate paved with the asphalt of good intentions. No, friends, the closest we got to pizza was during a quick refueling stop somewhere in eastern Ohio, at the combination gas station–pizza shop you see in the photos here.
We were headed to Cleveland to see rock band Guided by Voices on its final tour. Robert Pollard, the legendarily drunk ex–school teacher genius behind the band, is calling it quits after two decades; we wanted to see the group on its home turf.
Pollard and GBV were long ago inducted into this reporter's personal rock and roll hall of fame. His fake English singing accent, infamous stage antics, and perfectly crafted songs that somehow draw on the British Invasion, seventies arena rock, and current indie rock all in two minutes or less have made for some of the best shows I've seen. And GBV's recorded material has always sounded like music that might emanate from a car radio you found in a bucket of junk at a Midwestern parts swap on the county fairgrounds.
Unfortunately, we got into town too late and weren't able to try Mama Santa's, in Cleveland's Little Italy district. And the next afternoon, we were too consumed with visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where I searched desperately for some sort of pizza-related detritus. I mean, heck, they had Buddy Holly's grade-school report on Robert Frost, fercryin' out. Why not some greased-stained pizza boxes from Joey Ramone?
In place of true pizza reportage, I'll give you a pizza quote or two from Mr. Pollard. One, from an Onion interview: "Here in the Midwest, you drink beer and you eat pizza."Mr. Pollard commenting on his solo record Kid Marine: "My personal favorite, a weird record, almost a concept album, about the typical Ohio male and what he does—drink, watch television, eat pizza."
Speaking of Ohio, it was nice to finally spend some time in the Buckeye State. The folks were friendly there, and it was comfortingly Midwestern. Like a small slice of home, but farther east.
I moved to Ohio from CT ... you know, Pepe's and Sally's. I can only report that with respect to Ohio and pizza ... there is no "there", there. Before CT, I lived for quite a while in Pittsburgh where the pizza of my youth was actually fairly good neopolitan but not west across the border. Here in Ohio, everything is, as my friends say, too damn hyphenated. So Italian becomes Italo-american. Fer get it.
Correction, the best pizza in Ohio comes from Flying Pizza, a place that's as close to NY as you'll get around here. Dewey's is no comparison. Even NY residents claim that Flying Pizza makes the best pie in OH (probably since it's NY/Italian-American owned). Not to mention, they serve pizza by the slice, which is the best way to get it if you ask me. Great site, by the way. Although a Flying Pizza review should definitely replace Dewey's, as it's in a completely different league.
LaRosa's is quality pizza. Chain? Yes. Slightly sweet delicious sauce, real provolone cheese and fresh toppings? ABSOLUTELY.
I love Brooklyn Pizza, but NOTHING is LaRosa's to me -- and I've hooked friends from around the country.
I live in Tennessee now-- want to talk about a ghost town for pizza -- this is it! Nothing but Papa John's and Dominos.
My family still lives in Cincinnati (Sharonville, a suburb outside of Cincy) My little brother swears by a family-owned place called Rocafella's, but I haven't tried it yet -- you can buy by the slice and the family is from NYC if I'm not mistaken... Pasqualis was good... now there is an Angilos Pizza -- been there forever, they are pretty good but their hoagy's are better than their pizza.
Trust me, Cincy is a raging metropolis of pizza comparied to Cleveland, TN or Chattanooga for that matter...
Little Italy in Cleveland is just east of downtown on Mayfield Road. Here you will find Mama Santa, good pizza, and Prestis Bakery. Prestis has pizza by the slice all the time as well as great pastries. Try the artichoke pizza. By far the best NY style thin crust pizza is Marotta's.Just east of Little Italy Lee Rd. in Cleveland Hts. is this little place. It is only open for dinner and is never sold by the slice.
I lived in Hamilton Ohio, aka Hamiltucky a suburb of cincinnati. I also worked in downtown cincy. I am originally from Geneva Ohio suburb of cleveland, and Cincy has NOTHING on the land of Cleves when it comes to pizza.
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This reporter went to Ohio on Saturday intent on trying some Cleveland pizza. With a little help from my friends, I had even targeted a preferred parlor. But like travelers on the highway to hell, our wheels merely sped down a westbound strip of interstate paved with the asphalt of good intentions. No, friends, the closest we got to pizza was during a quick refueling stop somewhere in eastern Ohio, at the combination gas station–pizza shop you see in the photos here.
5 Comments:
I moved to Ohio from CT ... you know, Pepe's and Sally's. I can only report that with respect to Ohio and pizza ... there is no "there", there. Before CT, I lived for quite a while in Pittsburgh where the pizza of my youth was actually fairly good neopolitan but not west across the border. Here in Ohio, everything is, as my friends say, too damn hyphenated. So Italian becomes Italo-american. Fer get it.
Slice Paul at 9:37PM on 09/28/06
Correction, the best pizza in Ohio comes from Flying Pizza, a place that's as close to NY as you'll get around here. Dewey's is no comparison. Even NY residents claim that Flying Pizza makes the best pie in OH (probably since it's NY/Italian-American owned). Not to mention, they serve pizza by the slice, which is the best way to get it if you ask me. Great site, by the way. Although a Flying Pizza review should definitely replace Dewey's, as it's in a completely different league.
Slice Matt at 11:19PM on 05/01/07
LaRosa's is quality pizza. Chain? Yes. Slightly sweet delicious sauce, real provolone cheese and fresh toppings? ABSOLUTELY.
I love Brooklyn Pizza, but NOTHING is LaRosa's to me -- and I've hooked friends from around the country.
I live in Tennessee now-- want to talk about a ghost town for pizza -- this is it! Nothing but Papa John's and Dominos.
My family still lives in Cincinnati (Sharonville, a suburb outside of Cincy) My little brother swears by a family-owned place called Rocafella's, but I haven't tried it yet -- you can buy by the slice and the family is from NYC if I'm not mistaken... Pasqualis was good... now there is an Angilos Pizza -- been there forever, they are pretty good but their hoagy's are better than their pizza.
Trust me, Cincy is a raging metropolis of pizza comparied to Cleveland, TN or Chattanooga for that matter...
Browneyedgirl83 at 11:12AM on 04/21/08
Little Italy in Cleveland is just east of downtown on Mayfield Road. Here you will find Mama Santa, good pizza, and Prestis Bakery. Prestis has pizza by the slice all the time as well as great pastries. Try the artichoke pizza. By far the best NY style thin crust pizza is Marotta's.Just east of Little Italy Lee Rd. in Cleveland Hts. is this little place. It is only open for dinner and is never sold by the slice.
heyed at 9:09PM on 04/28/08
I lived in Hamilton Ohio, aka Hamiltucky a suburb of cincinnati. I also worked in downtown cincy. I am originally from Geneva Ohio suburb of cleveland, and Cincy has NOTHING on the land of Cleves when it comes to pizza.
tonecapo at 11:47AM on 08/14/08