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The ultimate pizza showdown
By William C. Altreuter, Alan Bedenko, Mark Criden, Vicki G. Marshall, Kevin Purdy, and Margaret M. Toohey; photos by kc kratt
Welcome to Spree’s first WNY pizza tournament. We’ve used the March madness model for this contest: a process of elimination that starts with sixteen venues, then narrows down to eight, then four, then two, culminating in a final winner. We’re not the first to do this—in February, Every Day with Rachael Ray organized a nationwide tournament that included sixty-four pizzerias and regional winners, as well as an overall winner (Pizzeria Blanco in Phoenix). We felt sixteen was a fair and practical number for the Buffalo area; you’ll find the gamut here, from thick, gooey, Buffalo-style slices to elegant Neopolitan offerings to everything in between. Even a pod! Nonetheless, we are also aware that there are hundreds of pizza places throughout the area—so apologies in advance if your favorite is not included in the sixteen. Initially, the six food writers traveled to each venue, but for the final four, they got together as a group to choose the two semi-finalists and champion. (You can skip to the end to see who that is, if you have to.)
Every pizzeria was tested on their cheese and pepperoni option. Enjoy!
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Romeo and Juliet
Pepperoni and Mozzarella
$9.75
1292 Hertel Ave., Buffalo
www.rjcaffe.com
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Winner: Romeo and Juliet
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Pizza Plant vs. Romeo and Juliet
Famous for “Pizza Pods,” which are essentially calzones, and its wide selection of quality draft beer, Pizza Plant is also notably family friendly, with a cheerful color scheme, faux-eclectic décor, and flattering lighting. It is not hard to understand the appeal of the place; relaxing with a pint surrounded by family or friends: what could be more pleasant?
The pizza options include stuffed or flat crust; white, whole wheat, sesame seed, spinach, or garlic dough, and more toppings and topping combinations than we could be bothered to count. There is a lot to like about this place, though the pizza is oddly one-dimensional. We went with the signature option, the calzone-like pod. The pepperoni is of good quality, but the whole thing is somewhat overwhelmed by the sweet sauce. It is a good faith effort. I’d go back because it is comfortable spot to sit and have a pint.
Romeo and Juliet is not strictly a pizzeria—it is billed as a café and bakery, and the glass display case filled with desserts in the front is a reminder that you might want to save some room for canoli. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the clientele seems to be mostly adult, although well-behaved children are treated respectfully and babies are beamed at. The pizza here is the pizza that you’d get in Rome, and not so long ago you’d have to go to Rome to get it—this is not an American pie. The crust is thin, yeasty, and salty with a hint of char to add complexity. The sauce is light and tastes like tomato and a little oregano. The cheese is fresh mozzarella, with the distinctive creaminess that only unprocessed cheese possesses.
This is a pizza that deserves to be enjoyed with a glass of red wine. Surprisingly, a Romeo’s pie survives the trip home—you don’t get the benefit of the fresh-from-the-oven meltiness of the mozzarella, but the crust holds up pretty well. That’s worth keeping in mind if you want to economize, because the wine list mark-up here is the wine list mark-up you’ll see in any restaurant. —WA
Winner:
Romeo & Juliet
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Just Pizza
Medium Traditional with Pepperoni
$13.95
300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo,
various other locations
www.justpizzausa.com
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Winner: Bocce Club
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Bocce Club vs. Just Pizza
Bocce Club is the pizza that has fueled hundreds of thousands of birthday parties, Super Bowl games, and Little League treats. It’s probably the pie that every other Buffalo joint had in mind when they were coming up with their recipe. The basic Bocce is engineered to travel and is a model of excess—thick, chewy crust; thick, powerfully seasoned sauce; a heavy layer of cheese; and pepperoni laid on with a generous hand. It’s also a big pie—the medium would pass for a large at most places. It’s the sauce that makes this work, I think. It has the cooked down intensity that long simmering imparts, with a distinct tomato flavor accented with oregano notes.
Just Pizza—which, despite its name, also sells wings and subs—claims that it is the Home of the World Famous 3 Cheese Steak Pizza. There is a diverse variety on offer here. The crusts available are a dizzying array: sesame seed, garlic, onion, Cajun, poppy, Romano, Italiana, deluxe, hot pepper, honey, honey sesame, honey BBQ, lemon pepper, and chive. You can eat in at the “mother location” at Summer and Elmwood, but you probably won’t—this is basically take-out pizza. A basic cheese and pepperoni here is a pretty generic proposition: thick, chewy crust, heavy cheese, basic sauce.
I liked that the Just Pizza website (www.justpizzausa.com) has a page devoted to wine parings. (They suggest a nice Barbera with the World Famous 3 Cheese Steak Pizza, which would probably work.) I’m usually at a loss with what to do with the 20–25 minutes it takes from the time I order until the time I can pick up my pie, but next time I’ll use the Just Pizza site as a wine shopping guide on my way over. —WA
Winner:
Bocce club
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Blasdell Pizza
Large Pepperoni
$13.95
3904 S. Park Ave., Blasdell
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Winner: La Hacienda
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La Hacienda vs. Blasdell Pizza
La Hacienda is one of the best pizzerias in WNY, offering not just New York-style thin crust pizza, but really excellent Italian entrees. It has been in operation on Pine Avenue since 1947, and when it comes to the Mexican-themed décor, your guess is as good as mine.
The pizzas feature a thin, salty crust that is dry on the bottom, indicating that it’s been baked on the stone, not in a pan. A bit of corn meal adds crunch and helps get the pizza in and out of the oven. The cheese and sauce meld to become one substance when baked, and it’s clear that the ingredients are of high quality. The small slices of pepperoni are spicier than usual, so much so that they detract, somewhat, from the overall excellence.
Blasdell Pizza is a Southtowns institution with several locations. The original is on South Park Avenue. Upon arrival, we placed our order and paid. Blasdell Pizza takes plastic, but doesn’t serve alcohol. When eating in you take a number and the pizza is brought out to you.
What you get is a typical Buffalo pizza. The sauce is mildly sweet and nicely seasoned with oregano and other spices. There is a thick coating of cheese, which separated from the sauce. The crust is thick, moist, and floppy—with inexplicable venting holes, although the pies are baked on a pan. I’m sure they make their own dough, but the holes made them look store-bought.
If you like Buffalo-style pizza, you’ll love Blasdell Pizza. But you can get a pie like Blasdell’s at any corner pizzeria anywhere. The trip to Niagara Falls’ Little Italy is well worth it for a great slice. —AB
Winner:
La Hacienda
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Pizza Oven
X-Large (they also offer small,
no medium or large)
$11.58
54 Vine St., Lockport
www.pizzaovenlkpt.com
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Buzzy’s
Large Cheese and Pepperoni
$11.50
7617 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls
www.buzzyspizza.com |
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Winner: Buzzy’s
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Pizza Oven vs. Buzzy’s
This Niagara County pizza battle pits a Lockport institution against a Niagara Falls favorite. From the outside, Pizza Oven looks like any other somewhat shabby neighborhood pizza parlor (take-out only).
The pizzas, however, are unique. I find that most local pizzas feature a tomato sauce that’s sweeter than average. Pizza Oven, however, uses a sauce that’s so intensely sweet it’s practically legendary. People will travel miles to get a fix of a truly addictive pizza, and everything about this pie is a bit offbeat.
The chewy cheese and thick, sweet sauce are applied right up to the edge of the crust, and the pie is then baked in a pan. The result is a crust that’s moist, soft, and floppy, with the sauce charred and caramelized along the edges—and the pepperoni charred as well. That, to me, is what makes this pizza so good.
Buzzy’s is located in a newish building on Niagara Falls Boulevard not far from the outlet mall. It has two smallish dining rooms and a patio, a beer and wine selection, and a busy weekend crowd.
The facility is comfortable, and the pizza is really great. Buzzy’s touts itself as serving “New York Style” pizzas, and it lives up to that description. The bottom of the thinnish crust is dry, indicative of it being baked directly on the floor of the oven, with cornmeal adding crunch. The tomato sauce—not too sweet nor over-seasoned—is just right. Buzzy’s uses whole milk mozzarella which becomes one with the sauce.
While Pizza Oven is unique, Buzzy’s gets the win for offering up excellent New York-style pizza in a comfortable atmosphere. —AB
Winner:
Buzzy’s
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New York Pizza
Medium Pepperoni
$16.74
160 Allen St., Buffalo |
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Winner: Gino & Joe’s
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Gino & Joe’s vs. New York Pizza
Both of these contestants are modeled on New York corner pizzerias where locals wait five minutes while their pizza warms in an oven half the size of their apartment, then walk out with a thin crust slice they swear is better than anything we have upstate.
Gino & Joe’s is the first thing you smell when you walk into the Main Place Mall. On a weekday lunch rush, half a dozen workers are slinging pies between ovens and warming pans, and assembling the occasional sub or salad. The bottom of the slice is reminiscent of Gotham-style slices, with a very light dusting of cornmeal and a smattering of burn marks. The crust, though, is a springy knot that fights back when you cut in with your teeth. There’s a generous amount of slightly spicy sauce on top, and the greasy pockets of slippery cheese—white shirt types, be warned. Our two test slices each got precisely six pieces of wide, flat pepperoni in bowling pin formations.
New York Pizza, at the corner of Allen and Park streets delivers even more of the New York experience. The dough and crust is thinner, and the edges are crispier. The slices are easy to fold and eat, and you’re less likely to spill sauce on yourself because there is simply less of the oregano-inflected sauce on the slice. There is also less of the evenly-distributed cheese and pepperoni—adding up to a generally less filling and somewhat diminished bite.
Gino & Joe’s took this round for its doughy-but-not-too-thick crust, the slightly tangy sauce, and the ample cheese and pepperoni in every bite. —KP
Winner:
Gino & Joe’s
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La Pizza Club
Large Pepperoni
$14.49
1151 Hertel Ave., Buffalo |
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Winner: Mister Pizza
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Mister Pizza vs. La Pizza Club
Our first stop was Mister Pizza, which has been in business for thirteen years at the Elmwood and Bird location and has a somewhat newer outpost on Niagara Falls Boulevard. The selection of pizzas is extensive, spanning the spectrum from the exotic (Mister Potato Pizza, with potatoes, bacon, chives and three cheeses) to the usual cheese and pepperoni and the increasingly popular chicken finger version.
Our pizza was a bit greasy, but quite tasty. The cheese was very generous—as though we had ordered double cheese—and the small, crusty pepperoni were flavorful. The crust was nicely browned. One flaw: The tomato sauce was pretty much not to be seen or tasted because of all the cheese. On balance this was a very good pizza.
La Pizza Club has been in the same location on Hertel Avenue for over thirty years. Here we could order a small pie cut into eight slices, reminding our driver of what Yogi Berra said upon being asked if he wanted his pizza cut into four or eight slices: “You better make it four. I don’t think I could eat eight.”
The La Pizza rendering was very similar to that of Mister Pizza, but had a distinctlive tomato sauce with a strong hit of oregano. The crust was nicely browned, the cheese was flavorful and the pepperoni just crusty-enough. It was hard to pick a winner but we gave the edge, just barely, to Mister Pizza. —VM/MT
Winner:
Mister Pizza
Siena vs. Trattoria Aroma
It’s almost unfair to call the pies that emerge from Trattoria Aroma and Siena “pizzas,” so far removed are they from the classic Buffalo pie. It should also be noted that these are full-service fine dining experiences, with a wide range of refined Italian offerings on their respective menus and extensive wine lists. Nonetheless, both are known for their pizza, which accounts for their inclusion in this competition.
Trattoria Aroma is, of course, part of the Aroma Empire, with its brethren Vino, Café, and Trattoria Aroma City. We decided to grab ours from Trattoria Aroma in Williamsville.
Siena, an outpost of Henry Gorino-ville on Main in Snyder, produces fine chow like its cousins, 800 Maple in Williamsville and Oliver’s on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, and features hearth-baked pizzas.
Both restaurants offer Margherita pies: Siena’s with tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, and sautéed mushrooms (we had them hold the ’shrooms), Aroma’s with mozzarella, basil, and tomato sauce. There was no pepperoni at Aroma, so we had them add sopressata, an Italian salami normally full of character. But the pie was too mild to overcome a sublime offering from Siena, sporting crisp, charred crust and pepperoni, generous, garlicky sauce, and a light, chewy mozzarella blanket. —MC
Winner:
Siena
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Zetti’s
Large Cheese and Pepperoni
$13.74
Three locations,
www.zettis.com
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La Nova
Large Cheese and Pepperoni
$16.49
Two locations
www.lanova.com |
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Winner: La Nova
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Zetti’s vs. La Nova
Cries from worried La Nova partisans were heard when this bracket was established, so towering is the repute of Zetti’s.
Zetti’s, of course, lit up the landscape some years ago, as folded-pizza doyens, especially those hailing from downstate, extolled its virtues—large slices, chewy, thin crusts, high quality toppings. Perhaps the leading cheerleader was Spree’s own Alan Bedenko, who sang the pie’s praises in many a dispatch. In contrast, La Nova owns a major piece of Buffalo’s pizza history. Started over fifty years ago by the Todaro family, it claims to be the largest independent pizzeria in the United States. Its pies are found all over late-night WNY.
At first, we thought Zetti’s would win in a walk. The La Nova pie had browned, a result of a patient wait under a warming lamp before the appointed pick-up time, while Zetti’s entry was beautiful, with an oily sheen, and a crunchy crust. But where was the sauce? Its skimpiness was magnified by the flavorless mozzarella and pedestrian pepperoni. In contrast, the darkened La Nova pie, oil seeping through the pores of its soft crust, was loaded with sweet, deep red sauce, sharp mozzarella, and chunky, spicy pepperoni. The La Nova pie, handicapped by heat lamps, emerged triumphant. —MC
Winner:
La Nova
Romeo and Juliet vs. Siena
Sometimes the best teams meet before the Super Bowl, and sometimes the best pizzas suffer this fate as well. You can almost hear the sportscaster saying that it’s a shame one has to lose. Either Romeo and Juliet or Siena would be a worthy Best Pizza in Buffalo, but only one will advance.
Here’s the bottom line. Pizza is bread. It is not a delivery system for cheese or sauce or toppings—if the crust isn’t great, the entire pizza experience is flawed. Both of these places understand this. Both are thin-crusted, both are hearth baked. Siena’s oven is wood fired, but in my experience, fuel is less important than temperature: both Siena and Romeo and Juliet bring the heat that is necessary to create the ideal snap. Their crusts taste fresh because they are fresh—there is nothing in there but flour, water, yeast, and salt.
Since both pies excel in this aspect we must consider what else makes a great pizza and judge on that basis. The simplest things are the hardest to do, in the kitchen and in life, and both of these kitchens manage simple superbly.
In the final analysis I give the edge to Romeo and Juliet because its pie has the strength of its convictions: it is a balanced pizza, with each component contributing to the overall experience. Siena, excellent though it is, falters by going a bit too far with the sauce and the cheese. It is just slightly too much of a good thing. I’d go back in a heartbeat, but the Romeo’s pizza is the pizza I dream about. —WA
Winner:
Romeo and Juliet
Buzzy’s vs. Bocce Club
This bracket was expected to be a close one since every time we mentioned pizza people had this glazed look in their eyes as they wistfully said, “Oh, Bocce’s ...” Of course many in Niagara County said Buzzy’s just as quickly.
At Buzzy’s, we ordered the small 13-inch six-slice pie, described on their menu as “NY Style” and in the tradition of wide, thin, and foldable. There is a nice ratio of tomato sauce to cheese, with larger, very flavorful pepperoni. Simply really good pizza.
The Bocce Club pie came in their special packaging, enabling us to eat hot pizza even after a thirty-minute drive home. We had not had a Bocce pizza in a long, long time, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The sauce was sweet (as we like it), the cheese tasty, the pepperoni was the right size and not too spicy. The crust was delicious, but—and this was a big but—it was much too thick. After much back and forth and a lot of angst, we chose Buzzy’s. —VM/MT
Winner:
Buzzy’s
Gino & Joe’s vs. La Hacienda
It’s a rare thing to be asked if you want your pizza “well done,” but that’s what you get when you call La Hacienda. Its competitor for this round, Gino & Joe’s, has a crust that’s closer to Italian bread than bread sticks. They are from two very different schools of pizza.
La Hacienda’s slices are cooked thoroughly but evenly, from the rims of the upturned pepperoni slices down through the bread. The crust snaps on the outside but offers far more give at its core. It’s far from health food, but you won’t feel like you’ve taken a shot of olive oil when you polish off a slice or two. Looking at a Hacienda pizza as a whole, the one thing you come away with is consistency: even cheese coverage, thorough baking, a clean crust/cheese separation, and an even spread of the deliciously spicy pepperoni.
Gino & Joe’s is less cooked than La Hacienda, plain and simple. Nothing quite crisps. That’s not always a bad thing—it can feel great to literally sink your teeth into a soft, cheesy bite. But the pepperoni and sauce on Gino’s slices aren’t quite at the same level as Hacienda’s balance of lightly sweet and spicy, and the way the cheese and pepperoni occasionally clump on a Gino slice makes it a risky venture for anyone wearing a shirt they care about.
This reviewer had gone four years without a slice from La Hacienda, but the particulars of its taste came right back on the first bite—in the car, over the steering wheel, because it smelled far too good to wait until the Grand Island bridge. —KP
Winner:
La Hacienda
Mister Pizza vs. La Nova
Mister Pizza’s pepperoni pie is marked by its greasiness—as is anything with which it comes into contact. While the Foodies gave the edge to Mister Pizza over La Pizza Club, they, too, commented on its greasiness, but it seems the pie they got was made with a bit more care than mine. I found Mister Pizza’s to be a typical Buffalo-style pie, with a not-quite-thin, oily crust, a mildly sweet sauce with a strong oregano flavor, and an balanced mix of toppings. I didn’t get the ring of char that the Foodies enjoyed. In essence, Mister Pizza serves standard Buffalo fare.
There are two La Nova locations, and we went to the original on West Ferry. La Nova’s crust was not unlike Mister Pizza’s—thick, floppy, with a greasy undercarriage. Our pie had been baked longer or in a hotter oven, so it had some pleasing char on the crust. The outer crust had sesame seeds on it, which may seem strange but gave the last bite an interesting little kick.
La Nova’s sauce tastes like a ripe summertime tomato with a natural sweetness and tang. I’ll note that the cheese separated from the sauce at both locations—a pet peeve of mine, indicating that there was too much sauce, cheese, or both. La Nova also serves typical Buffalo fare, but the strong tomato flavor coupled with the silky cheese helps pull La Nova across the finish line ahead of Mister Pizza. —AB
Winner:
La Nova
Unlike the random site selections of the elimination rounds, the final four matched up in the carefully controlled environment of the Spree Test Kitchen. Free from distracting amateurs and competing odors, the well-scrubbed tasting panel put remaining contenders through rigorous scientific testing.
Curiously, the final four broke down neatly by geography, with not just Niagara County, but the city of Niagara Falls itself fielding half the candidates. Representing the Cataract City was dark horse Buzzy’s, which found itself up against its far better-known neighbor La Hacienda.
The second-half of this double-header was all-Erie County, with the famed La Nova battling the scrappy, surprising Romeo and Juliet’s. Were we fated to have an all-La finale?
Buzzy’s vs. La Hacienda
One taste of the Buzzy’s pie made it easy to see why this parlor trounced earlier contestants. Its thin, easy-to-fold crust—accented by cornmeal for additional crunch—held a worthy balance of cheese, spicy, thinly-sliced pepperoni, and a fresh, herbal sauce, singing with oregano, a seasoning that most pizza joints around here have forgotten. Only a residual grease factor marred a truly fine performance. Reason enough for a trip to the Falls.
The truly legendary La Hacienda had turned back all comers in the early rounds, but Buzzy’s oregano-scented breath was hot on its neck. Would it be up to the challenge? If you’re not a regular, the pies turned out by La Hac are revelations: serious, high quality thin-crusted foldable pizzas, with a fine balance between cheese, sauce and (very) spicy pepperoni. In fact, the Niagara pies seemed like cousins—although the La Hacienda side of the family didn’t get the memo about oregano. Close call, but is there a better Niagara County pie than La Hacienda? We think not.
Winner:
La Hacienda
La Nova vs. Romeo and Juliet’s
From a bustling trattoria on Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo, Romeo’s turns out exceptional bread, foccacia, pastries, panini, and yes, pizza, different from all other contenders in WNY. Romeo’s pie is light, crisp, thin, sweet and balanced, without the golden, oily sheen affected by others; with such a low grease-factor it was hard to believe it was so rich with cheese and pepperoni. Here were high quality ingredients, deftly handled, in perfect balance. Who knew?
La Nova was the only classic Buffalo-style pie to make the semis, and it didn’t betray its roots. If you like this style, La Nova’s entry was paradigmatic. Sweet, rich sauce; abundant, soft cheese; thick, chewy crust; excellent, charred, hand-hewn pepperoni. A generous, tasty, greasy slice, lacking subtlety but an excellent example of the classic Buffalo pie. Good for what it was. But not good enough.
Winner:
Romeo and Juliet’s
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La Hacienda
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Romeo and Juliet's
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Winner: Romeo and Juliet's
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La Hacienda vs. Romeo and Juliet’s
With WNY’s heavyweight pizza crown at stake, the Niagara County slugger La Hacienda weighed in against Erie County’s surprising Romeo and Juliet’s. Those who witnessed this match will never forget the night the powerful, legendary Niagara pie was expected to crush the refined, poetic Buffalo slice. Sonny Liston v. Cassius Clay. Beer Pizza versus Wine Pizza. It was a head on, full-tilt, bruising match.
The bell rang and La Hacienda came out swinging. But it had a hard time laying a glove on the pie from Romeo’s. Unfortunately, underestimating the competition, La Hac sent a half-baked pie (finished on site) to do battle. This was like bringing a knife to a gun-fight, but, in fact, even La Hacienda’s B-game is something to contend with, as the cohesion among sauce, cheese, dough, and spicy pepperoni is strong.
The untraditional Romeo’s, though, was cooking on all burners. Light on its feet, with a refinement to its sauce, a creaminess to its cheese, a grace note of char on the porky pepperoni, and a crisp, nearly greaseless crust, it floated like a butterfly. And with La Hac on the ropes, Romeo’s delivered a mighty left hook—intensity without heaviness. A fabulous, balanced pizza that tasted like real Italian food, Romeo’s stung like a bee.
In the end, there was no knock-out, but as La Hacienda staggered, the fight was called, and the judges raised Romeo’s hand. The winner and new champion, the best pizza in Western New York—Romeo and Juliet’s.
Winner:
Romeo and Juliet's
Editor’s note:
Many thanks to our hard-working pizza judges, who traveled far and wide across the region to bring you these assessments. It’s quite possible, however, that you may disagree with our astute tasting panel. Whether you agree or disagree, please feel free to add your comments to the Spree website, which now has every one of these brackets up as a blog entry. And while the entire pizza panel participated in Round 3 and the Final Round, the writing is by Mark Criden.
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