...Dr. Oetker, one of Europe's top frozen pizza brands, is launching its Ristorante line in America and has called on the reality TV personality to be the spokesperson for the thin-crust pizza. "We feel Fabio is the perfect voice for the brand," Dr. Oetker USA said in a statement. "He has an incredible personality and a real passion for cooking."
Anyone had Dr. Oetker frozen pizzas? What can we expect? Will they make me give up my Totino's pizzaritos?
I live in the UK, and you can find these pizzas in any supermarket here. I think they are the best frozen pizzas you can buy. Really nice thin crust which comes out nice and crispy if you bake it on a proper pan. My favorite is the mushroom pizza. In other European countries you get different flavors that you cant get in England (like spinach, which I would love to try). The regular Ristorante is quite nice. Good use of mozzarella and good flavoring of basil pesto.
I live in Canada and this is my fave thin crust frozen pizza. I'm happy for Fabio, he made this "Top Chef" snooze at least a bit enjoyable. Maybe the FN will be smart enough to pick him up.
I'd agree with my fellow UK poster - they're definitely one of the superior frozen brands. Good crust and dispersion of toppings. Terribly cheesey ads on TV, though!!
Frozen pizza in Europe is a joke- they never took it seriously to begin with. This is one area (however sad a commentary it is) that American businesses definitely have the upperhand.
That said, I have not tried this specific brand. Maybe they're the outlier?
Am I the only one or is it odd that it's named "Dr. Oetker"? I don't know about you, but I usually think of hygiene when I think of Dr. so and so's (insert product).
My absolute favorite frozen pizza is the Trader Joe's pizza from Italy. I love those damn things.
I've never tasted a good frozen pizza. I don't think that animal exists, and I can't imagine an Italian chef ever eating it. I am glad we'll get to see more of Fabio. He can put his Italian leather clogs under my bunky bed anytime.
I like them! For some reason they are very popular in Russia. I developed a taste for them there and then kept eating them when I returned to the UK. Have not been able to find them in the US, though. They're so nice and thin. None of that cardboardy taste.
"In 1891 Dr. August Oetker developed the baking powder Backin at his pharmacy in Bielefeld, Germany....To increase public awareness of Backin the company published special recipe booklets, ran newspaper advertisements and printed recipe suggestions on the packaging."
They later expanded their product line into other baking supplies, packaged products like pudding and according to their website, pizza in 2003.
Also, their pizza is really good. I enjoy the thin crust and how it is not overly cheesy.
The pizza is pretty tasty. It's been in stores in the Albany area for a few weeks. It's smaller and pricier than other brands, but it also tastes better. I tried the mozzarella style. Lots of cheese with big rounds of fresh looking mozz. Little blobs of basil (mixed with butter or oil?) melted nicely into the pie as it cooked.
I agree that it was a bit salty, but I like salty. And maybe I'm a piggy, but I could probably eat the whole thing instead of sharing next time. FWIW, they kept the Italian names.
Also Canadian, The Ristorante pizzas are easily the best frozen pizzas on the market. And the cheapest too... However if you are looking to feed more than 2 people, (or 1 boy) you probably need more than one pizza since they are quite a bit smaller. But that makes me wonder if they will "American Size" the pizza for the US....
I'm in Canada, and I'll agree that Dr. Oetker is the best frozen pizza (that I've had, at least), though that's not exactly high praise. Saying "best frozen pizza" is sort of like saying "best STD"...
As a child of a German mother, I grew up cooking with Dr. Oetker products, and cookbooks. I still have one of their English cookbooks on my shelf, and I will hold onto it until my dying breath. Traditional German cooking is awesome. I know that without the good Dr.'s vanilla sugar and a few other things, Christmas would not have happened in my house.
I'm really looking forward to trying these out. They'll probably ruin them trying to accommodate American tastes, though, I'll bet.
Whether or not the pizzas are good, the company certainly made a good call. If Fabio isn't the top chef, he is most certainly the perfect food product spokesperson.
Never tried it. It's strange, but Safeway/Kroger makes a very nice organic pizza. They're made in Italy, with minimal ingredients, and marketed under their house organics line. My fave is their spinach-garlic flavor, and it's literally not much more than olive oil, flour, spinach, garlic, and salt. They're about $4 a pizza, so I doubt Dr. O's can beat it, for flavor OR price.
I heart Fabio and will at least try the stuff in support of him. The reviews on this thread seem to be pretty good.
As an aside, even though he didn't make it to F3, he's the one with the spokesdeal, he's the one with the new show that will be made public in April, he's the one with the fan base. I think it's pretty clear who the real winner is, yes?
They would have to be better than Trader Giotto's (from Trader Joes) Organic Three Cheese Thin Crust Frozen Pizza, which is actually made in Italy. I grew up in an Italian family that owned a pizzeria, so I am picky about my pizza.
I love the mushroom pizza! The mushrooms are so earthy tasting. We have these usually on Fridays in Holland or when I am too tired/lazy to cook, I can taste it now with a bit of parmesean sprinkled on. I am sure making them in the US will somehow kill the flavor.
these are easily the best frozen pizza I have access to in supermarkets here in The Netherlands. And at €2,20 (=$2,80), they ain't exactly expensive either. They make quite a few. I'd link to the list if the website wasn't so crappy, but here are the Ristorante versions:
Ristorante Bolognese
Ristorante Calzone Speciale
Ristorante Funghi
Ristorante Hawaii
Ristorante Mozzarella
Ristorante Pasta
Ristorante Pepperoni Salame Piccante (tip!)
Ristorante Pollo
Ristorante Formaggi & Pomodori
Ristorante Prosciutto
Ristorante Quattro Formaggi
Ristorante Quattro Stagioni
Ristorante Salame
Ristorante Spinaci
Ristorante Tonno
Ristorante Vegetale
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The blog YumSugar reports that Top Chef Season 5's Fabio Viviani will be hawking a new line of frozen pizzas:
32 Comments:
I live in the UK, and you can find these pizzas in any supermarket here. I think they are the best frozen pizzas you can buy. Really nice thin crust which comes out nice and crispy if you bake it on a proper pan. My favorite is the mushroom pizza. In other European countries you get different flavors that you cant get in England (like spinach, which I would love to try). The regular Ristorante is quite nice. Good use of mozzarella and good flavoring of basil pesto.
heavenlyhousewife at 10:38AM on 03/04/09
I live in Canada and this is my fave thin crust frozen pizza. I'm happy for Fabio, he made this "Top Chef" snooze at least a bit enjoyable. Maybe the FN will be smart enough to pick him up.
Olivia at 10:42AM on 03/04/09
I'd agree with my fellow UK poster - they're definitely one of the superior frozen brands. Good crust and dispersion of toppings. Terribly cheesey ads on TV, though!!
juniper77 at 10:49AM on 03/04/09
They're tagline should be: "Swarthier than Wolfgang Puck Frozen Pizzas"
JudgeFudge at 10:56AM on 03/04/09
Frozen pizza in Europe is a joke- they never took it seriously to begin with. This is one area (however sad a commentary it is) that American businesses definitely have the upperhand.
That said, I have not tried this specific brand. Maybe they're the outlier?
LikesToEatJunk at 11:09AM on 03/04/09
Am I the only one or is it odd that it's named "Dr. Oetker"? I don't know about you, but I usually think of hygiene when I think of Dr. so and so's (insert product).
My absolute favorite frozen pizza is the Trader Joe's pizza from Italy. I love those damn things.
dineomite at 11:17AM on 03/04/09
I've never tasted a good frozen pizza. I don't think that animal exists, and I can't imagine an Italian chef ever eating it. I am glad we'll get to see more of Fabio. He can put his Italian leather clogs under my bunky bed anytime.
PerkyMac at 11:31AM on 03/04/09
I live in Canada where these are available. Easily the best frozen pizza you can get. My only beef with it is how salty they are.
xutopia at 11:33AM on 03/04/09
If I have to eat frozen pizza, I'd definitely choose Ristorante Mozzarella.. and pimp it with some prosciutto.
jammarita at 11:35AM on 03/04/09
I live in Canada too and these things are always on sale. They are much smaller than the big rising crust pizzas and quite tasty.
I wonder if they'll keep the Italian names like Spinaci, Funghi, Vegetale, Quattro Formaggi. Maybe Fabio will help with that!
Glad to see Fabio cashing in!
artychoke at 11:54AM on 03/04/09
I like them! For some reason they are very popular in Russia. I developed a taste for them there and then kept eating them when I returned to the UK. Have not been able to find them in the US, though. They're so nice and thin. None of that cardboardy taste.
Michele Humes at 12:16PM on 03/04/09
"In 1891 Dr. August Oetker developed the baking powder Backin at his pharmacy in Bielefeld, Germany....To increase public awareness of Backin the company published special recipe booklets, ran newspaper advertisements and printed recipe suggestions on the packaging."
They later expanded their product line into other baking supplies, packaged products like pudding and according to their website, pizza in 2003.
Also, their pizza is really good. I enjoy the thin crust and how it is not overly cheesy.
doyouloveanapple at 1:57PM on 03/04/09
The pizza is pretty tasty. It's been in stores in the Albany area for a few weeks. It's smaller and pricier than other brands, but it also tastes better. I tried the mozzarella style. Lots of cheese with big rounds of fresh looking mozz. Little blobs of basil (mixed with butter or oil?) melted nicely into the pie as it cooked.
I agree that it was a bit salty, but I like salty. And maybe I'm a piggy, but I could probably eat the whole thing instead of sharing next time. FWIW, they kept the Italian names.
Kerosena at 2:09PM on 03/04/09
I tried a Dr. Oetker cake mix once. Bought it at the natural foods store. It was just horrible. So I'll stick with the pizza for now.
Kerosena at 2:12PM on 03/04/09
Also Canadian, The Ristorante pizzas are easily the best frozen pizzas on the market. And the cheapest too... However if you are looking to feed more than 2 people, (or 1 boy) you probably need more than one pizza since they are quite a bit smaller. But that makes me wonder if they will "American Size" the pizza for the US....
jlweber at 2:26PM on 03/04/09
I would always get Dr. Oetker as a frozen pizza choice when I lived in Ireland. I like it I think it's really good.
kimbodian at 2:36PM on 03/04/09
I'm very happy for Fabio...he should have been in the final three.
bessfour at 2:53PM on 03/04/09
I'm in Canada, and I'll agree that Dr. Oetker is the best frozen pizza (that I've had, at least), though that's not exactly high praise. Saying "best frozen pizza" is sort of like saying "best STD"...
MichaelN at 3:15PM on 03/04/09
As a child of a German mother, I grew up cooking with Dr. Oetker products, and cookbooks. I still have one of their English cookbooks on my shelf, and I will hold onto it until my dying breath. Traditional German cooking is awesome. I know that without the good Dr.'s vanilla sugar and a few other things, Christmas would not have happened in my house.
I'm really looking forward to trying these out. They'll probably ruin them trying to accommodate American tastes, though, I'll bet.
HardwareLust at 4:56PM on 03/04/09
Whether or not the pizzas are good, the company certainly made a good call. If Fabio isn't the top chef, he is most certainly the perfect food product spokesperson.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 5:03PM on 03/04/09
I heart Fabio.
Meidabomb at 5:22PM on 03/04/09
There is only one frozen pizza I've ever had that you could fool me into believing it was not frozen and bought at the supermarket.
American Flatbread.
Sadly, our local Albertsons no longer sells them.
All the others (including the Trader Joe's Italian one) are all "pretty good... for a frozen pizza", but crap compared to a real pizza.
peekpoke at 6:03PM on 03/04/09
Never tried it. It's strange, but Safeway/Kroger makes a very nice organic pizza. They're made in Italy, with minimal ingredients, and marketed under their house organics line. My fave is their spinach-garlic flavor, and it's literally not much more than olive oil, flour, spinach, garlic, and salt. They're about $4 a pizza, so I doubt Dr. O's can beat it, for flavor OR price.
bialy at 7:32PM on 03/04/09
These "food contest" shows are ruining the Food Channel.
The only food contest I want to see is an eating contest.
Mooner at 9:03PM on 03/04/09
Nothing like frozen pizza to bring out the Canadians. And yeah, I dig Dr. Oetker's.
piccola at 10:36PM on 03/04/09
I heart Fabio and will at least try the stuff in support of him. The reviews on this thread seem to be pretty good.
As an aside, even though he didn't make it to F3, he's the one with the spokesdeal, he's the one with the new show that will be made public in April, he's the one with the fan base. I think it's pretty clear who the real winner is, yes?
/jumps down from soapbox
chisai at 12:52PM on 03/05/09
Fabio was fabulous. I would definately try his pizzas. What a clever company to discover him! He is a true talent.
bailey44 at 6:05PM on 03/05/09
They would have to be better than Trader Giotto's (from Trader Joes) Organic Three Cheese Thin Crust Frozen Pizza, which is actually made in Italy. I grew up in an Italian family that owned a pizzeria, so I am picky about my pizza.
PattiShock at 7:07PM on 03/05/09
Ciao Fabio! Ma che bello uomo!
Give us MORE Fabio!
Go Fabs Go!
Pointy at 7:25PM on 03/05/09
I love the mushroom pizza! The mushrooms are so earthy tasting. We have these usually on Fridays in Holland or when I am too tired/lazy to cook, I can taste it now with a bit of parmesean sprinkled on. I am sure making them in the US will somehow kill the flavor.
ijuli at 8:06AM on 03/06/09
Oh, just had a thought, wonder if they will make it for the US with shoarma, now THAT I would try.
ijuli at 8:11AM on 03/06/09
these are easily the best frozen pizza I have access to in supermarkets here in The Netherlands. And at €2,20 (=$2,80), they ain't exactly expensive either. They make quite a few. I'd link to the list if the website wasn't so crappy, but here are the Ristorante versions:
Ristorante Bolognese
Ristorante Calzone Speciale
Ristorante Funghi
Ristorante Hawaii
Ristorante Mozzarella
Ristorante Pasta
Ristorante Pepperoni Salame Piccante (tip!)
Ristorante Pollo
Ristorante Formaggi & Pomodori
Ristorante Prosciutto
Ristorante Quattro Formaggi
Ristorante Quattro Stagioni
Ristorante Salame
Ristorante Spinaci
Ristorante Tonno
Ristorante Vegetale
hannibalsmith at 5:36PM on 03/10/09