For The Love Of Port

I am very easy to please when having either a Chicago style deep dish pizza or a NY slice of Sicilian or Neopolitan, preferably the latter. As to toppings, I love plain cheese but also a good pepperoni always wins me over and on rare occasions, mushrooms too. But when crafting pizzas at home, there's nothing like one with a little fresh basil leaf too.

What about you, what's your preferred pizza topping?

Pepperoni, mushrooms, and black olives. And a glass of dolcetto.

MEAT!

I did not claw my to the top of the food chain to put fruits and vegetables on pizza.

Brian C. wrote:Pepperoni, mushrooms, and black olives. .

Same here, but I also love a good BBQ chicken pizza with onions as well.

That's an easy one:

Linguica and Onion

1. Chevre, sun dried tomatos, ricotta and lots of roasted garlic

2. Margherita (fresh tomatos, fresh basil, fresh mozzerlla)

3. Black Olives

...and now I've got to try the Linguica and Onions (Have to wait to the summer <Cape Cod> to get the Linguica as despite a lot of Portugese in NJ, cannot really find it here.).

John M. wrote: ...and now I've got to try the Linguica and Onions (Have to wait to the summer <Cape Cod> to get the Linguica as despite a lot of Portugese in NJ, cannot really find it here.).

Every place on the Cape has it. Boston, forget... Not one pizza place has it.

On the Cape, I grew up on Linguica franks instead of hot dogs!

I am with Pete, give me meat, preferably pepperoni with lots of fresh garlic and a glass (or two) of dry italian red wine.

If I'm making it myself, I like goat cheese, roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. For restaurant pizzas, one of my favorite combinations is mushrooms, sausage and pineapple. This is reminding me that it's time for dinner.

Jim R. wrote:I am with Pete, give me meat, preferably pepperoni with lots of fresh garlic and a glass (or two) of dry italian red wine.

A local pizza delivery has the Meat-Lovers Pizza: thin crust, basic sauce and cheese, and then a full topping of every meat they have available (8-10, depending). They bake it until the meat renders out and then cut it into little 3x3 (75mm) squares that drip grease down your arms until it runs off your elbows. Spread out the Vis-Queen(TM), boys! (that's polythene to you UKers, polyethylene sheeting to the rest of the world)

Good with ANY beverage, as your brain shuts down and you can't tell what you are drinking.

I get this one every time we order pizza, while the rest come up with fancy meat/veg/fruit combinations (like Hawaiian - ham, pineapple, onion, green pepper - often ordered; often left over). For some odd reason all the weird stuff ends up as leftovers while MY pizza evaporates. You'd think they'd learn, but NOOOOooooo.... (If *I* want leftovers, I have to order a second MLP and hide it 'til the vultures leave. Excellent when cold!)

I have a couple of favorites, one which dates back to my college days.

These days my favorite pizza is a thin crust sausage & pepperoni from Pine Lake Pizzeria. They used to be a Tony Maroni's franchise, but either lost their license (or just ditched it) and struck out on their own. The pizza is even better than before, and their sausage & pepperoni always seems to fit my pizza mood perfectly.

Rock Pizza (there are several around Seattle) has a bunch of different pizzas that I really like, too, but they're a little bit fancier and none of them deliver to my house. PLP is right around the corner so only takes about 20 minutes to get a pie.

Back in the day I used to play trombone, and each section in the band was supposed to hold independent rehersals at least once a week. Most sections actually did have a real practice session, but the Low Brass instead had a weekly pizza gathering which was dubbed the Low Brass Sectional. Everyone was invited, but the one constant was the pizza of choice - Shrimp & Onion. I don't remember the name of the pizzeria, but they used a cheese that was very high in butter content so the entire pizza appeared to be greasy. It wasn't - it was simply delicious! I'm still fond of Shrimp & Onion pizza, but no one makes it like I had it in college.

OK, so does anybody besides Melanie, make their own pizza pies?

Roy Hersh wrote:OK, so does anybody besides Melanie, make their own pizza pies?

Nope.

I live in an area that prides itself on "creative" pizza, yet still offers plenty of classics. At my favorite restaurant I can get a perfect pepperoni and sausage thin crust (twice a week as an appetizer, and take home the leftovers for the next two day's lunch); and from my favorite delivery place, the MLP. Why would I want to make Pizza at home?

Sorry, I'm basically a "find what you like and stick to it" guy. No creative pizzas for me.

Pete, I'll tell you why I make my own pizza: Sometimes instead of the Americanized version of pizza, with its thick crust, loads of sauce and cheese and tons of toppings, I want a more Italian version with thin crust, my own choice of cheeses (usually 2-4 kinds), little to no sauce (most of the time I just use olive oil instead), and whatever toppings I choose, often goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, which are not common choices at most pizza joints. I really like the flavor of the crust I make, especially if I let it rise and overnight or longer in the fridge--it gets a nice fermented sort of deliciousness. I have never had that kind of flavor from any commercial pizza. Plus it helps that I just like to cook, and I get satisfaction out of eating something I made myself. I'm not sure if it's actually cheaper to make my own, but I like to think that it is.

Melanie, I guess that's sort of my point. The pizzas I describe and like are very much as you describe: thin crust; very light on the sauce; the Paesanos, at least, has a very tasty thin crust, sauce, and high-quality cheeses. (The MLP, it really doesn't matter how the crust or sauce tastes since the overload of meat simply swamps everything else about it.)

As far as "adventurous" goes, I'm really not. More power to those who are (like yourself), but I'm the sort of person who might go to a restaurant and order the exact same thing every time. Sad to say that at a restaurant whose chef gets 53,000 google hits (and who designed the sauce on their pizza, btw) I tend to pick from the same 2 or 3 things off the menu when we eat there twice a week.

when figs are in season, figs and san daniele prosciutto is my favourite combination. Also a big fan of olives, capers, and anchovies.

Daniel R. wrote:when figs are in season, figs and san daniele prosciutto is my favourite combination.

There's a local restaurant called "Figs" owned by Todd English which has a similar pizza which I too adore. I think there's some raspberry jam on it as well. Awesome fancy-schmantzy style pizza.

Long ago I worked in an Italian restaurant, and among other tasks, I regularly made the pizza dough. I also spent a lot of time slicing cheese and meats and preparing other toppings. I do make my own pies today, but not frequently.

My wife and I regularly order the clam pizza special at one of our local joints. They feature that on Friday nights, and we get the white version.

When I make my own, I do all sorts of toppings, but my favorite, which traces back to the restaurant days, is a spicy cappicola.

Peter, I do see your points. But I do think there is something to be said for trying new things. Of course there is no arguing with one's taste. I have a friend whose husband orders a chicken caesar salad almost everywhere we ever go for dinner, and it bugs the daylights out of me--why, I can't say. I guess it's just because I am quite the opposite most times, wanting to try as many new things as I can. I think that's the "foodie" part of me, wanting to find that next great flavor combination.

Lucky you. It's only a friend who seems stuck in a rut. My Eva, who eats anything and loves to try new foods and combinations is stuck with a husband who wants the same-old-same-old every time. We dine out a LOT.

(Your sig (which I like) reminds me of a snarky t-shirt I once saw: "If you can't laugh at yourself, I'd be glad to do it for you.")