I think it's time for me to go back to chain store pizza

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Carson Dyle

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2012
8,173
524
126
I'd love to be able to do all that, but the point is I need something that I can call in while I'm at work and pick it up on the way home.

So how many pizza joints do you actually have to choose from where you can do that?

It isn't complicated. You make a list of them, find their pricing, try their pizza, decide if it's worth it, find who has specials, coupons, etc. If you just want cheapest by the pound, I don't doubt that that cardboard box o' bread from Pizza Hut will be the winner.
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,599
126
So how many pizza joints do you actually have to choose from where you can do that?

I believe I drive past every major pizza chain and no less than 5 mom & pops, with another 5-10 that would deliver.
 

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
25,944
24,262
136
I would setup a pizza-at-home system. First, you can make amazing pizza at home. Second, it involves hardly any work once you get everything setup. Don't be fooled into thinking that making incredible pizza at home is hard or time-consuming or can't be done. There are plenty of recipes that don't require any kneading (either no-knead recipes or food processor recipes), can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge, and can be frozen, so you can prepare a bunch of pizza dough balls ahead of time & just thaw them out whenever. Or do what I do & make pizza like 3 times a week, haha...I always have pizza dough in my fridge. Only takes a few minutes to make the dough, so it's a piece of cake to do dough prep once or twice a week if you want it fresh.

Endless topping variations. I try to mix it up by doing a red pizza, followed by a white pizza, followed by a naked pizza (olive oil & toppings). Lots of recipe variations from standard pepperoni to PB-bacon (seriously amazing) to chicken/green pepper/pineapple (this is like the PB&J of the pizza world). You can also tweak it to make calzones & stuff like spinach pies. Most people have no idea how easy working with dough can be using either the no-knead or food processor techniques. Like literally a minute or two of effort. You can even par-bake the dough itself & just store the partially cooked pies in the freezer so you can top & cook whenever you want a quick meal. Some people even prep the whole pizza, flash-freeze it (just freeze on a cookie sheet for a couple hours, then mummify in saran wrap), and create their own "DiGornios" pizza at a fraction of the cost (I don't know what it costs where you live, but a rising-crust pepperoni from the freezer section is like $8.99 these days!).

Once you get into the habit, it's really easy. Same with bread. I cook fresh bread pretty much daily. I rotate through RideFree's 13-cent recipe with my bread machine, bread machine potato bread, and a standard no-knead loaf. From there you can make sandwiches, toast, pirate eyes, meatloaf, French toast, paninis, all kinds of stuff. I have a little bread-making supplies station setup...literally takes me 2 minutes of prep before going to bed to make RideFree's recipe (cooks & cools overnight so it's warm & ready when I wake up, woot woot)!. Once you get acquainted with the techniques & settle down on some recipes you like, it literally becomes routine to integrate delicious homemade bread & pizza into your diet on a regular basis.

In a nutshell:

1. Buy a decent pizza oven. Breville has a monster toaster oven for $270 (that's less than the cost of 10 of your mom & pop pizzas with tip) that comes with a 13" pizza tray:

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV845BSS-Convection-Toaster-Stainless/dp/B00XBOXVIA/

2. Get a food processor for making dough. You don't need anything crazy. This $35 model should do it:

https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Processor-Scraper-70730/dp/B008J8MJIQ/

3. Practice with a bunch of recipes. Look up pizza dough recipes from Todd English, Mark Bittman, Jim Lahey, and Serious Eats. Tons of variations available too. Kenji just posted an awesome technique for doing a thin-crust pizza using a flour tortilla:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/08/cast-iron-pizza-tortilla-video-recipe-food-lab.html

If you love Pizza Hut, his pan recipe is incredible. This is currently my family's favorite recipe:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/01/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe.html

Endless options.


Anglais?
 

disappoint

Lifer
Dec 7, 2009
10,132
382
126
I guess that is half the fun to us, I like making my own stuff :)

UpVNM01.jpg

What is that alien life form on the jar of tomato sauce?
 

Carson Dyle

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2012
8,173
524
126
I believe I drive past every major pizza chain and no less than 5 mom & pops, with another 5-10 that would deliver.

Then it sounds like you have a lot of work to do. :)

Do you have any Marco's Pizza near you? Not bad for a fairly inexpensive chain. We had another shop from a very small midwestern chain for a couple of years that ultimately didn't make it (poor location, and this town is saturated with pizza joints and a million other restaurants) - Falbo Bros. Pizzeria. Very good pie.
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
Yup so many mom and pop pizza places are super expensive and most aren't that good. It's not easy finding a really really good one worth the big cost increase of just going to Costco.
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,599
126
Yup so many mom and pop pizza places are super expensive and most aren't that good. It's not easy finding a really really good one worth the big cost increase of just going to Costco.

I mean the one in the OP was actually pretty good. Was it $29 for a 14" good? Not really.
 

Raincity

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2000
4,477
12
81
Most of the local mom&pop pizza joint here in Vegas churn out crap and exist because of the high profit margin on pizza. The best mom&pop place was closed down by the Feds due to money laundering since the owners ran a strip club down the street.
 

brainhulk

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2007
9,376
454
126
it would depend on the quality of mom & pop spot. The difference is tangible and I gladly pay more for the better ones.
 
Mar 11, 2004
23,444
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I've found mom and pop places in general to be massively overrated. Chains are a crapshoot though.

I'm starting to wonder if I actually like pizza though. I think I hate pizza sauce (which is weird because I love tomatoes, ketchup, and plenty of things with tomatoes, and good tomato sauce was what I liked about pastas). Its not due to heartburn (don't get it) either.

For me now, if I want pizza, seems like Pizza Hut pepperoni lover's with pretzel crust and no sauce (I really hate Pizza Hut's sauce now, and makes leftover pizza practically inedible to me) is what I'm craving. I can eat other pizza, but I don't ever crave it.
 
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BarkingGhostar

Diamond Member
Nov 20, 2009
8,410
1,617
136
Nuttin beats the value of Costco pie fresh and full. For $10 I find myself feeling guilty for eating only 1/3 of it, refrigerating 1/3 and tossing the rest as its too much.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,124
613
126
Yup so many mom and pop pizza places are super expensive and most aren't that good. It's not easy finding a really really good one worth the big cost increase of just going to Costco.
Get outta here. That costco crap is nasty.

And Ns1, I feel you. On Monday we finally tried Lido's....$48 for two large pizzas. One had 2 toppings and the other 3. It was good but like you said, it didn't taste like $50......
 

Sonikku

Lifer
Jun 23, 2005
15,871
4,857
136
Pizza hut is acceptable for the price. There was a time when the bottom of their pizza was far too greasy for my tastes, but they have moved away from that. Their pricing is also compelling. With online order you can get a large two topping for $7.99 out the door. They also have a Buy 2 for $5 each deal where you can get two of any combination of medium one topping pizzas, 8 wings, bread sticks etc. I sign up for their email offers and sometimes get $10 off a $20+ order for filling out a survey. I'll get the $20 box with two medium pizzas, wings, breadsticks and sauce for ten bucks. They're better than Dominos and Papa John and a country wide mile above Caesars. A notch below mom and pop freshly made chains.
 

Ruptga

Lifer
Aug 3, 2006
10,246
207
106
Pizza Hut sucks. Domino's sucks too but not nearly as much, and around here they run better specials. Large 3 toppings for $8 carryout is awesome.
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Pizza Hut's pizzas make me sad. Their sauce is so bitter and their crust is like cardboard. The thincrust is OK, but not my favorite place.

Fortunately we have 3 ma&pa places within a half mile of our house and they have great deals, so we always get good stuff (one offers 1/2 all pizzas on Mondays and Wednesdays :D !)
 

lupi

Lifer
Apr 8, 2001
32,539
260
126
I actually do miss the old pizza Hut buffets.


Have a NY style shop around the corner, can get an 18" pepperoni for 14, and it is noticeably larger than a chain large. And the next size up is even crazier.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
61,495
17,056
136
It depends, is this something you want to eat to enjoy, or is it just "food"?
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
50,386
6,558
136
I've never seen a single pizza cost $27 (even with a tip). More like $11-$13.

Quoting OP's pricing.

Also, come to CT. I bought a large pie from a popular local place the other day. Almost fell over when at pickup when they said it was $23 + tax.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
50,386
6,558
136
I actually do miss the old pizza Hut buffets.


Have a NY style shop around the corner, can get an 18" pepperoni for 14, and it is noticeably larger than a chain large. And the next size up is even crazier.

Yeah, we used to go all the time in little league baseball. Pizza Hut buffet, pitchers of soda, and dessert pizza FTW!

I don't know if being a kid is what made it good, or if it was actually good in the late 80's & early 90's before everyone started using crazy amounts of preservatives & crap.
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,599
126
re: Costco

Costco slices at the food court have a nostalgic effect on me, and the pepperoni is crispy so I don't mind. I can't stand the takeout or take & bake pizzas though....
 

rumpleforeskin

Senior member
Nov 3, 2008
380
13
81
The pizzas pictured in this thread make me sad.... So much cheese, and it its the bland stuff too :(
Pizza should be about flavor and texture not about how many calories you can fit on a bread disc.

Sadly THIS place closed recently, probably because they jacked their prices sky high but the link has some pics on how a Pizza should look.