Pizza Pizzazz

Grand View Buffet at the Rivers Casino

2011-03-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

We had a great time once again!

Last night, the buffet wasn't as crowded as it has been on other visits and we were able to snag a table with a beautiful river view. The salad bar had a large selection of fresh and prepared salad items. We tried both soups - chicken noodle and chicken rice - both had large chunks of meat and vegetables and loads of flavor. (Even though they sound similar, they had different flavors and ingredients.)

We were mixed about the dinner selections we tried, but the roasted turkey was some of the best I ever tasted. I also really liked the polenta with marinara sauce, yellow squash, stir fried broccoli and ... the pizza! Although we didn't go to the buffet just for the pizza, it really is very good and worth trying. I noticed that they are cutting smaller slices than the last time we visited, which is very smart and perfect for tasting.

As usual, though, the highlight for me was the dessert buffet - I went back for seconds on a tiny parfait that was layers of raspberry parfait, gelatin, blueberries and raspberries. And don't miss the gelato!!!!

Monday was a good time to visit the buffet - we didn't wait in line as long as we have on weekend days. As an extra bonus, we were given an extra 10% discount for showing our player's cards. Fun time!

Steelers Championship Black and Gold Pizza

2011-01-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

1 12" prepared pizza crust (we used a whole wheat Boboli crust)
1 cup pizza sauce *
1/2 cup slice black olives
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Place pizza crust on a baking sheet.

Spread pizza sauce evenly over crust. Sprinkle sliced olives over sauce, then top with Cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Slice and serve.

Go STEELERS!!!!

Frisch's - Caste Village

2010-12-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

Caste Village Shopping Center
Baptist and Grove Roads
412-881-6555

One thing I've learned from my "career" as a pizza blogger, is that you can find decent pizza in places where you would never expect it.

We have long been fans of Frisch's awesome chicken and have served it at many family gatherings, but never tried their pizza. Actually, I didn't even know they made pizza until I took a close look at their menu. Frisch's was packed after Sunday's Steelers game, so other people had the same idea.

It turned out to be very good. The crust was thick with crisp edges, and tasted homemade. The sauce was mild and slightly chunky - all in all, very enjoyable. The cheese was very thick, very gooey, and tasted fresh. If you like loads of cheese, you'll definitely like this pizza!

The only downside was, to me, the cheese - I had asked for "easy on the cheese" because of my ongoing attempt to control my cholesterol, but it came loaded with about a 1/2" thick layer of cheese. I just pulled it off. Oh well!

Frisch's has a very extensive menu and I've enjoyed any item of theirs that I have ever tried. Menu items include fresh soups, many sandwiches, salads - by the pound or prepared, pizza, pizza calzones, wedgies, seafood (fish, shrimp, scallops, and tuna melt), side orders, broasted chicken (again ... awesome!), wings, and desserts. They also offer value meals, which include buckets and barrels of chicken and a hoagie/pizza combination, and a kid's menu.

Frisch's also has a large catering menu that includes hoagies and sandwich rings, party trays, homemade pastas, ribs salads, and chicken among many other items ... the perfect thing for a busy Holiday season.

Pino Gelato - South Side Works

2010-11-30T13:10:00.000-08:00

You know that I am a huge fan of the Pino Gelato Pizza Cone - in fact, it's one of my favorite all time treats! I was thrilled when I heard that Pino Gelato was opening in the South Side Works.

I finally got a chance to visit there yesterday and ... no pizza cone! But you know what? That's perfectly okay. Their gelato is absolutely amazing - very creamy with inventive flavors. And they have the next best thing to the pizza cone - crepes! The very friendly staff suggest adding a scoop of gelato to the crepe, but I like the plain nutella filled or the lemon.

Yum!

Turkey and Mashed Potatoes Pizza Recipe

2010-11-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

1 12" prepared pizza crust

These measurements are approximate - use your leftovers in whatever proportions you like!
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup stuffing (optional)
1/2 cup grated cheese - I like provolone, but chunks of feta can also be good.

Spread mashed potatoes evenly on pizza crust. Sprinkle turkey evenly over top. Dot with spoonfuls of stuffing (if desired). Top with cheese. Bake according to the directions on the pizza crust that you used, or until the toppings are warm and cheese is melted.

Serve with cranberry sauce on the side.

E. M. Pizzeria - Brentwood

2010-11-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

4140 Saw Mill Run Blvd. (Rt. 51)
Brentwood
412-884-3034

This review is a testament to the fact that advertising does work! We must have driven by the E. M. Pizzeria thousands of times but never really noticed it. This past week, we found a menu tucked into our copy of the either the South Hills Record or the Pennysaver ... and it looked pretty good! We tried it last night and are glad we did.

The pizza had a very tasty thick and chewy hand tossed crust. The fresh sauce was thick and flecked with herbs, and the pizza was just the way we like it - extra sauce and light cheese. (We asked for light cheese on our pizza which is why it looks thin in the photo.) I read another review that said the sauce is bland - that is not at all how we feel! We liked the sauce very much, and although it is mild, it is also very flavorful.

E.M. Pizzeria has a very extensive menu with many varieties and combinations of pizza, salads, calzones, wedgies, pasta, specialty pasta, oven-baked hoagies, gourmet hoagies, gyros, wings, appretizers and desserts! We love the sound of the Chicken Spinach Gourmet Hoagie, the Gyro Hoagie and the Chicken Ranchero sounds awesome - chicken breast, ranch sauce, french fries and provolone. I can imagine myself stopping back very soon for a yummy Chicken Gyro Platter, Greek Pizza or a Tuscan Chicken Pizza (grilled chicken, tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and mozzarella).

We'll be back!

Main Street Cafe, Hilton Head Island, SC

2010-11-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

We loved the hospitality at the Main Street Cafe - they were all very friendly and nice. They let us sit outside with our dog ... and even brought him a bowl of water and a treat! We absolutely loved their green pea soup - it tasted just like homemade. Actually, I guess, better than homemade!

On the last night of our vacation, we decided to order a Main Street pizza to go. I have to admit that we like the crust on the pizza at our other Hilton Head favorite, New York City Pizza, a tad better ... but loved the sauce on the Main Street pizza. They even gave us an extra container of sauce. When we think about the other excellent menu items (did I forget to mention the chicken parm subs?), the friendly staff, the dog friendly atmosphere ... and the amazing soup ... we've definitely added Main Street to our list of Hilton Head cravings!

New York City Pizza, Hilton Head Island, SC

2010-11-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

When our vacation was about a week away, we started to think about our favorite Hilton Head things - New York City Pizza, the pizza cone and gelato at Pino Gelato, the awesome chocolate cake at the Fresh Market ... and, oh yeah, the beach.

We're weren't disappointed. In the photo, the pizza might look a little lopsided, but that was the way I carried it. It was awesome.

Urbanspoon Rocks!

2010-10-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

We love Urbanspoon! Not only do we check it out to find local restaurants, on a recent vacation to Hilton Head, we found some new favorites on the Hilton Head Urbanspoon. Thanks, guys!

McGinnis Sisters Margherita White Pizza

2010-10-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

I often stop and pick up a "regular" pizza at McGinnis Sisters, but last week a lot of people must have had the same idea because the only pizza left in the case was this lovely little white pizza!

I liked the freshness of the ingredients - the roma tomatoes were firm, the cheese excellent and the crust was good, as usual. I liked the addition of the dots of pesto sauce - nice touch!

All in all, I think I personally prefer McGinnis' pizza with red pizza sauce, but this was a nice alternative on a chilly, rainy night. And it's beautiful, isn't it?

Conicella's Pizza - Greenfield

2010-09-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

422 Greenfield Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA
412-521-6570

We loved it! Conicella's pizza had a thick, Pittsburgh-style hand-tossed crust that was tender with just the right amount of chewiness. The sauce was mild and family friendly, yet rich enough to satisfy the adult tastes, too. Although I normally don't like a lot of cheese on our pizza (cholesterol problems!), Conicella's cheese was fresh and flavorful - it was totally worth it to indulge when it was the real deal.

I had looked everywhere online for a Conicella's menu and couldn't find one, so intended to pick it up along with the pizza ... but when I got there, I just forgot. Sorry! Friends who have been there said that they hoagies and sides and that everything they've had from Conicella's is outstanding. I believe them.

Conicella's is take out only.

Giovanni's Pizza - Dormont

2010-09-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

3047 West Liberty Avenue

Dormont, PA 15216

412-344-6622

Giovanni's makes an awesome crust - I have to say that it is one of the best crusts I have had in Pittsburgh - tender and flaky, thin yet sturdy, and very flavorful. We ordered an 8-cut pizza with extra sauce, light cheese, and mushrooms on half. The sauce is a little sweet for my personal taste, but my co-taster loved it. I think if I had ordered the regular amount of sauce rather than double sauce, it would have been perfect for me. (I can't help it - I love pizza sauce.) The mushrooms were fresh and plentiful, and I enjoyed them - I wished I had also ordered banana pepper rings as a topping, but that I'll try that next time.

We also ordered mozzarella sticks, which were also wonderful - perfectly fried and just the right amount of spice in the coating. The sauce that came with the sticks was not the same sauce as on the pizza - it was very good marinara sauce.

Although we ordered our pizza to go, Giovanni's has plenty of seating if you'd like your meal fresh from the oven. In addition to the traditional pizza that we ordered, Giovanni's has 19 gourmet pizzas on their menu - the most unusual gourmet pizza is the new "Crab Trap" - it is topped with shrimp, scallops, crabmeat and spinach in a homemade lobster sauce and sprinkled with Old Bay Seasoning. All of Giovanni's pizzas and bread twists are also available for Take-N-Bake.

Giovanni's has plenty more options if you don't feel like pizza - 14 Appetizers, 7 Bread Twists, Jumbo Buffalo Wings with your choose of sauces, Soups and Salad, Gyros, Wedgies and Calzones, Hoagies and Wraps, Pasta dishesm, and 24 House Specialties. Wow! The newest House Specialties are Pasta Picasso, Penne ala Vodka with Chicken, Pasta Primavera and Lasagna. Some of the entrees are even available gluten free - Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Spinach, Mediterranean Pasta, Italian Dinner, and Baked Ziti.

And, if that's not enough, Giovanni's offers five desserts - Homemade Cheesecake, Tiramisu, Cannoli, Sweet Twists, and Homemade Doughnut Puffs that are dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar and served with a chocolate dipping sauce.

A Calzone from the Grand View Buffet at the Rivers Casino

2010-08-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

Awe. Some. We love the Grandview Buffet!

We took part of our winnings (yes, we did have winnings!) and bought dinner at the Grand View Buffet. We loved everything we tried, from the huge soup and salad bar on through to dessert.

On our last visit to the Grandview, we tried pizza, and liked it. This time, I could see that the pizza station was very popular. When I saw this lonely piece of calzone left at the buffet, I quickly transferred it to my plate. It was very good - the calzone was tender inside with a firm, yet flaky, exterior. I don't normally choose pepperoni as a topping, but I did like the spicy pepperoni and red pepper filling ... which also had a perfect proportion of luscious, creamy cheese.

I can't wait to taste what the chef's come up with next!

P.S. Honestly, if you go, don't miss the dessert bar!

Muffin Tin Pizzas - Every Day Food Magazine

2010-08-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

The September issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine has some great pizza ideas - including making mini pizzas in mini muffin tins. I would have never thought of that!!! You should buy the magazine to see the photos in gorgeous full color and read the instructions, but basically the idea is using your mini muffin tins to make mini deep dish pizzas. I love it!

Book Review: Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder by Chris Cavender

2010-08-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

Fun, with a great plot and several recipes!

I read quite a bit, and this book combined two of my favorite things - cozy mysteries and pizza! The book centers around a pizzeria in a small town in Tennessee, the owner - Eleanor - and her sister, Maddie. The set up seems natural, the characters believable, and it kept me guessing until the end. There were two recipes included in the book - which looked easy to make - and suggestions for other pizza-type recipes sprinkled throughout the book.

Loved it and can't wait for the next installment!

Pizza Warehouse at Kennywood

2010-08-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

It wouldn't be summer without a trip to Kennywood! We made our annual visit earlier this week. It was late when we arrived, so we went with the less expensive "Nightrider" ticket option. Since it was late, we were also pretty hungry, we walked past the new Sky Rocket roller coaster (I miss the Turnpike!) and headed straight for the first pizza that we found. That happened to be the Pizza Warehouse, which is located near the Ferris Wheel. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting very much from the pizza, but as it turns out, I liked it! The pizzas are already made, so we weren't able to ask for our usual extra sauce and light cheese - as you can see, our pizza arrived covered in thick, luscious cheese that turned out to be quite tasty. The crust was decent, and I especially liked the edges, which were a crisp and had a good flavor.

We thought we'd try some of the other pizzas at Kennywood, but didn't taste any others that night. The personal pizzas at Lost Kennywood looked especially good and we'll try one next time ... maybe for a Fright Night visit?

We also stood in line for over half an hour at the Potato Patch and the line hardly moved. A gorgeous woman in front of us kept stalking off and returning impatiently to the line. She finally turned to her boyfriend and said "I am just not getting what I want." (Whenever I have my own diva moments, I just think to myself , "I am just not getting what I want" and laugh.) On the other hand, I was just not getting what I wanted either! When half an hour stretched into 45 minutes and the line wasn't getting much shorter, we left and went to the food pavilion and ordered french fries with cheese. And you know what? They were awesome!

But back to pizza! Was the Pizza Warehouse pizza as good as our favorite handmade pizzeria pizzas? No, but for a sweet summer night, it was just perfect.

Sunseri's Mushroom Pizza

2010-08-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

2805 Custer Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15227
(412) 885-8833

We love to try new pizzerias, but every now and then we need to visit an old favorite - Sunseri's! We normally order a plain pizza, but this time I had a sudden craving for mushrooms - and they were plentiful! Great flavor, as usual, and a reminder as to why they remain on our top favorites list.

Diamond Pizza @ PNC Park

2010-08-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

Diamond Pizza (formerly Vincents)
PNCPark
Pittsburgh, PA

This is a review from a guest blogger. Thank you!

"My friend Norm and I went to the Pirates game a couple of weeks ago; the one that had the Steve Miller concert afterward. Lo and behold, we saw that they sold pizza there at Diamond Pizza.

"It was the end of the seventh inning and I knew I had to try that pizza. It was three stories down and to the right, in the first floor out field area. Long walk. Then it started to rain. Perfect timing, I thought. We went in to get the pizza and asked a few questions while we were waiting. The man working there said that everything is made fresh every day. I believe him, because it looked very fresh. The pizza was evenly covered in cheese and a nice amount of sauce, too. I ordered the plain; my friend got the pepperoni.

"Everything was great, except that I wanted to take a picture and forgot my camera ... which was three stories up, back at my seat! That meant carrying my pizza and going back to my seat in the pouring rain. Do you know how hard it is to do that, carrying it through thousands of people, and trying to keep your pizza dry? And not take a single bite? Anyway, I got my camera and snapped a photo. Not the best one, out on the ramp with everybody else, but the pizza held its own. Sorry for the thumb.

"Great multi-cheese taste, a mild sauce, and not too greasy. We liked it.

"And Steve Miller was pretty good, too."

Michael's Pizza Bar - South Side

2010-07-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

We visited Michael's Pizza Bar last year and liked it. Now our friend and neighbor, Chef Matt, works at Michael's and made this pizza. This photo is of the pizza before I reheated it, so imagine that gorgeous cheese warm and gooey from the oven.

Lexi says, "It's bomb!"

The Pizza Company - North Baldwin / Carrick, PA

2010-07-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

3050 Churchview Avenue
Baldwin, PA
412-882-6101

The Pizza Company is a small, but steadily growing, take-out pizza chain and since there is one fairly close to us, we'd been curious about their pizza. We ordered a traditional crust pizza with extra sauce and asked that they go "easy on the cheese" since we don't like huge mounds of cheese on a pizza.

We were happy with the pizza - we're not yet ready to add it to our top ten, but we'd definitely try it again. The pizza is very family friendly - the sauce is mild and pleasantly herby. The crust was a nice texture - it was cooked enough that it held the sauce well, and the ends were firm, but was not so hard as to have that cardboard texture that some crusts do. Our friend Lexi loved it and said that it was an "awesome pizza"! I only wished that it had more sauce, but again, that's my personal preference.

In addition to the traditional hand tossed pizza, the Pizza Company has white pizza and nine varieties of specialty pizzas - Supreme, Veggie, Pepperoni Feast, Gourmet White, Meat Eaters, White Chicken, BBQ Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Greek. (I think the Greek sounds really good - imported olive oil, garlic, spices, spinach, kalamata olives and feta cheese.) They also offer wings, salad, some sides, and breadsticks.

One interesting sandwich is the "Original Untouchable", that sounds kinda like a Primanti Brothers - meats topped with spice slaw and French fries on fresh Italian bread. You can order an Original Untouchable with your choice of Steak, Ham, Salami, Capicolla, Meatball, Sausage or Turkey for $5.50, or a Bacon and Egg Untouchable for $5.75. You can also order either topped with tomato or a fried egg for a tiny extra charge.

Smoked Mozzarella Artisan Cheese from Emerald Valley Farm

2010-07-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

There's a new vendor at the Whitehall Farmer's Market and they are selling one of our favorite things ... cheese! The Emerald Valley Farm makes artisan "old world style" aged cheeses. Their cheeses don't have any added hormones, food colorings or preservatives, gluten or binders. And best of all, they taste good! They were giving out samples of their cheeses at the Farmers Market, and this smoked mozzarella was our favorite.

Pizza at the 2010 Summer Fancy Food Show

2010-07-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

According to the National Association for the Speciality Food Trade, pizza remains a staple (well, we knew that!) with frozen pizzas that go far beyond pepperoni and sausage.

Rick Bayless' Frontera Kitchens has three new varieties of wood-fired frozen pizza which are available in stores now:

Four Cheese with fresh vine-ripe tomatoes and cilantro
Roasted Vegetable with with red, yellow and poblano peppers
Barbeque Style Chicken with grilled red onions and cilantro

Wow!

Another famous chef, Chef Wolfgang Puck, has added a Four Cheese Tomato Pesto Pizza to his frozen food line - according to their website, the pizza has a "A thin, honey-infused crust topped with a classic basil-pesto sauce, mozzarella, fontina, parmesan and imported goat cheeses and hand-sliced tomatoes."

Amy's Kitchen, always a favorite of ours, has new pizza varities also - Four Cheese Pizza, with a combination of fontina, provolone, parmesan and mozzarella, and Broccoli and Spinach in a White Cheese Sauce.

A company new on the specialty food scene, Red Fork Natural Foods, introduced Chicken and Smoked Gouda Pizza, and Bianca Pizza with Mushrooms and Kalamata Olives. And if you're looking for pizza flavored snacks, Cruncho Snacks has pizza flavored peanuts that are available in two size of bags (and in bulk).

There is lots more pizza news and new products to talk about - more later!

Nominate Your Favorite Pizza as Pittsburgh's Best on WPXI

2010-07-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

Have you found Pittsburgh's best pizza? WPXI is looking for nominations for Pittsburgh's best pizza - nominations end July 15.

I'll have to think about which pizza I'll nominate as my own favorite - so far, I have nine of them!

Domino's Show Us Your Pizza Contest

2010-07-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

I think all pizzas are beautiful, but is your pizza especially gorgeous? Well, just take a photo and submit it to Domino's Show Us Your Pizza Contest and you might win $500!

They will accept entries until July 26, 2010, and will judge the entries on creativity/originality, quality of composition, and adherence to the photo promise as shown in the rules. Four inners will be chosen and will be announced on August 16, 2010.

Good luck!

My Pizza Garden - The Fennel Has Disappeared!

2010-07-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

It is super hot today ... and what happened to my fennel? When I went outside to water this morning, my little patch of fennel is nowhere to be found. I think either the deer or the bunnies must have eaten it! On the plus side, the herbs are rockin' - the oregano is thick and full of gorgeous purple blossoms, the basil is very fragrant and healthy, and the parsley is delicious. (Why aren't the bunnies eating the parsley as they have in other years?) I pulled out two hot pepper plants, but the rest seem to be doing okay. I don't have any ripe tomatoes yet, but there are plenty of little green ones on the way. I can't wait for some ripe tomatoes - I have a recipe for a Caprese Pizza, and am just waiting for some fresh, homegrown tomatoes so that I can give it a try.