Let There be Pizza!

I have talked a little about the frozen pizza before and felt it was high time we start getting serious about determining the reigning champion.

Today we are looking at both the Red Baron and the Freschetta Pizzas. Both can be located in your local grocery store and both come in several variety and styles. I am well aware that the Pizzas used in this study are different crusts and toppings. these were chosen at random and will be reviewing the overall experience specific toppings and styles aside.

Like all Frozen foods the image on the box always looks more impressive then the pizza it actually contains. Granted these pizzas aren't cooked yet this is a comparison on how the looked right out of the box.

First up! Red Baron. (Don’t be alarmed by the spontaneous olives. They were added for my preference.)

The Red Baron Pizza tastes how I would expect a pizza dedicated to Ace Pilot to taste. Since we have no context on what that would be, you will agree with me on that statement and we will move on. I found for brick oven style crust pizza it hit its mark but there may be some debate as to what makes it an authentic Brick oven Pizza or just a hard crust.

In my opinion this pizzas crust was to hard and after a few pieces I couldn't be bothered to eat the crust do to how much effort it cause my jawbone. Yes its supposed to be a thin crispy crust, but this was a little overboard.

Here are a few highlights

1. Cooks in 16 minutes

2. only $3 at most stores.

All in all this is a satisfactory Pizza

Next up! Freschetta

Freschetta has been a personal favorite of mine for quite sometime. One thing I have always found remarkable about this particular pizza is how it tends be be more on the level with Digiorno pizzas when it comes to quality but the price range is more on par with lesser pizzas .

This pizza featured a Natural Rising Crust which improves the experience over other pizzas that don't rise or have more in common with a tortilla then a Pizza crust. The crust was delightful and fluffy yet it also was crispy on the outside. It is thicker which also makes it more filling. this pizza can feed more people the your typical frozen pizza.

A few highlights

1. Cooks in 26 minutes

2. typically $5 at the store.

I would say this is an excellent pizza and should be enjoyed by all.

Here is a side by side comparison of a few slices.

All things considered. I would say that Freschetta is the superior pizza in this match up and it shall move on to the next round.

Starvin Marvin’s Pizza In the little town of Homer Alaska is a place that is easily overlooked. It’s easy to miss on your way out to the Homer Spit and looks a little run down. I had eaten there several years ago and remembered it being fantastic. We rolled in at the beginning of the lunch hour and the place was dead. The pizza was good. I may have talked it up in my head a little over the years but one thing we all agreed on was that the crust is amazing it was so sweet and almost buttery. We were pretty surprised that they didn’t have cinnamon sticks or something on the menu because that dough would be perfect.

The pizza overall was pretty good. It’s probably not winning any big awards but it is certainly place I could go back to. (Seeing as how I have) the cheese and the toppings were satisfactory and the pizza was hot and fresh. I would say it’s the best pizza in the area.

SLABpizza

When you think about tasty Pizza you probably think Italy. WRONG! Tasty pizza comes from America. Americans love Pizza because they love FREEDOM and in America you have the freedom to put what ever the heck you want on your pizza. Given this has isn’t always a good idea. Who thought Veggie pizza  needed to be a thing??? Half the fun of ordering a pizza is you can deck it out just the way you would like. SLABpizza takes it a step further and makes it really easy to create your own pizza to share among a small group. The idea is you order a 20″ pie and then pick the topping in fourths. so ideally 4 people can split a pie and get exactly what each want. In this case this pizza was split by two people but the concept is the same. They bring the pizza out to you already split into fourths on a sheet of paper.

It was very good and did not disappoint. The crust was thin and almost had an artisan taste and style to it. The toppings were perfect in quantity and in taste. I ate my half in one sitting…..AND I REGRET NOTHING! the last quarter of pizza we took home. when we asked for a box they gave us a miniature space blanket to wrap the leftovers in. The next day I removed the baby space blanket and tested the REHEATABILITY!!! The verdict is this pizza reheats surprisingly well and was better reheated then some pizzas are fresh. Not bad at all.

All in all this place was good and I would eat there again.

I rate this pizza a 8 out of 10.

Grimaldi’s

When the Ancient Pilgrims came across the Pacific Ocean in their Ark filled with 2 of every animal they carried with them a closely guarded Secret. 1. Not all Pizza is created equal and 2. The recipe for Grimaldi’s Pizza.

We visited this temple of The Pizza God’s in the Woodlands, Texas. This place was top notch. The environment was relaxing the staff friendly and prompt. And the Pizza? Oh the pizza was pristine. I took one bite and said to my wife I’m going to eat this whole thing so go get your own dinner. I kid, I kid. (Not really)

The pizza was of the thin crust variety and was cooked to a crisp, but the good kind of crisp. It was moments from burning and maintained its perfect color and taste. The toppings were authentic and the Cheese was not overwhelming and just enough to act as the glue it is.

We all left happy and filled this is a place I plan to visit again.

9.5 out of 10.

Pizza Rosa

OK kiddies, I’ll make this quick. While spending a weekend in sunny California I had the opportunity to try out a pie from “Pizza Rosa”. We had take out king size which probably translates to your typical extra large. Scuttle butt is that they also make a Pizza that is as large as a house or does it feed a house hold… no matter. This pizza was A-OK. The crust was soft and fluffy and was only missing the extra sauce for dipping. Toppings were good. Definitely heavy on the Cheese but not too excessive.

Overall this was good pizza and did the job. Not the most exciting pizza.

I rate this pizza a 7 out of 10.

Brick Oven Pizza

Much like the people in world we live, Pizza is diverse and comes in many forms. It is important not to judge and make assumptions of Pizza despite its form. It is however completely acceptable to do so when dealing with people. Especially people who do not love pizza. But I digress, one of the members of the pizza family is the Calzone. It’s official name is Canisius-zoneius. Also known as the Italian Burrito. This lovely thing is basically a Pizza that has been folded in half. Granted it’s really more then that.

This delightful creation was ordered along with a personal pizza that I shared with my spouse. The Calzone was perfect. The crust was soft yet firm and the toppings/fillings were exactly what you would expect from a class A Pizza. It also came with marinara dipping sauce for maximum dunkage.

All in all this was a top notch joint that served pizza and Calzones as they should be.

7.5/10

Marcos Pizza

Alright People!!! Evanator is back!!! It has been quite some time since I have graced all my fellow Pizza lovers with a review, and for that I am deeply sorry. The fact is you just need to get over it. That’s why Pizza exists, it is a Gift from the mighty Pizza God to help us weak and sad humans through the hard times.

Enough with the pleasantries, A lot has happened in the Life of the Evanator. Gather around children and I shall tell you a very rough summary. I moved a few times, finished college, met an awesome girl, married said awesome girl and just had possibly some of the best Pizza of my life!

Sorry to get all personal on a Pizza blog, but now let me take a moment to tell you about the pizza that has brought me out of retirement. Just yesterday I took the advice given to me by a friend some time ago, let’s call him Rennan. Rennan came to me one day and said to me in his strong Serbian accent, “Comrade, you must go to the new Marco’s Pizza.” I must confess I didn’t think much of it considering his fascist political views. However, yesterday I came across Marco’s Pizza and said “why not?”

So, I went for it. I ordered Pepperoni Magnifico. This magestic pie consisted of two pepperonis, Old World and Classic and olives (of course) with Marco’s Special Italian Seasoning. I had never had Old world peperoni before and man was it good! The crust was excellent. It tasted so soft and fluffy like it was molded by angels. The price was relatively average. The service was great! Everyone in the pizzeria smiled and said welcome. Reheatability was great as well, It maintained it’s soft and fluffy nature which is rare in Pizza.

Overall I would give this Pizza a 9 out of 10.

I recommend that everyone tries it at least once. I guarantee you will be hooked.

When I was but a young lad and still discovering the world in which I was born I stumbled upon the greatest personal discovery of my life.

While I unfortunately cannot recall exactly the precise moment that my life changed for ever, I distinctly remember the sensation of my first bite and the sudden realization that life is indeed good and that this was going to alter my destiny forever.

It has been an incredible journey and a defining aspect of my life. To this day I am known by all my friends and family as the “Pie Connoisseur”, a “Master of Peperoni”, and a “Lover of Pizza”.

Frosos

Here’s a little something I should have posted a few months back. This here is my buddy Ryan who worked at a restaurant in Soldotna, Alaska called Froso’s for a few weeks. They are a Greek/ Mexican place mostly but also serve Pizza which isn’t to bad. but don’t go eat there. The people who run the place are Scum.

Papa John's

Pizza is always better in the right company. Some people look upon Pizza as merely a meal to satisfy their desire to feed like some sort of incoherent zombie. They couldn't be farther from the truth. As I am sure I have said many times Pizza should be an experience one that all who participate will remember and reflect on.

The images above outlines one of those moments. At the end of a long week I wanted nothing more then to kick back and enjoy some down time with my sister (Carissa) and brother-in-law (Josh). Josh suggested we use a 50% coupon he had to order some Papa Johns delivery. Then that Night got real. We carefully read to coupons fine print and discovered we had to place the order online. Online ordering of Pizza is one of the latest innovations in the pizza delivery industry. Many of the larger chains are implementing this option into their services. Domino's and Pizza Hut are also well renounced for their online ordering option. You can place these orders by simply logging on to their website via personal computer or by downloading their free apps to your mobile device.

After navigating our way thru the ordering process we did what everyone does when they are expecting a pizza delivery. Stare out the window and eyeball every passing car and pedestrian. I was of course shooed away from the window by my sister several times on the grounds of "being creepy" No matter, when the Extra Large peperoni arrived we were not disappointed. Josh dug right in. Even my Prego sis decided to have a slice....or two. Of course it was only because "the baby loves Pizza."

When I took my first bite I could feel the warmth of its crust rush into my mouth and produce enough heat to keep me warm during the coldest of Alaskan winters. The overall taste was unique which is always a good sign but what makes this pizza stand apart from all its competitors is the garlic dipping sauce that is included for the dipping of the crust. One taste Make a man want to curse in Arabic, and haven't a clue how to speak Arabic

Needless to say there were no leftovers...except the slice that Carissa threw away without checking if the box was empty....Jeez woman.

This Pizza deserves notice in the pizza realms so I award it an 8/10.

A VOTE FOR OBAMA IS A VOTE FOR A WORLD WITHOUT PIZZA!

THINK HARD!

Pizza Boys

I've been slacking on keeping my many fans up to date on what the pizza world has to offer them.  So I give to you a review of a pizza I totally didn’t eat over two months ago. Here we have the fruits of Soldotna Alaska’s oldest pizza parlor. Pizza Boys has been around since I was a wee lad. I remember my Father taking me there to get a slice. A Whole Slice! That’s a lot of pizza for a four year old boy, but I was destined for bigger things and bigger pizza!  It is the earliest memory I have of enjoying the most significant contribution the Italians ever gave to the world, aside from organized crime. Ironically there is a Godfathers Pizza. Coincidence? I think not!

Now the pizza itself does have a few unique factors. The first one being that they layer every topping in a layer of cheese. So for every topping you ask for you get an additional layer of cheese. There has never been a easier way to Clog arteries.  Notable feature is their ingredients. They won’t reveal to me where they obtain their toppings but I can honestly say I have never had any quite like it. I’m not saying they are amazing. They are good but unique.

Now on to what isn’t so great about this pizza. (My least favorite part of any review)             

 Ok so I’m going to be blunt and to the point. This pizza is expensive! I honestly cant fathom how they have been in the biz so long with prices so high. Order more than a single topping and prepare that eviction notice for that Jackson in your wallet. I know I said their pizza was unique but you may also have noticed I never said it really stood out. Sure that’s a contradiction but nothing about this pizza makes me want to go back for more my reaction is something like this, “Meh…It’s Pizza”

This is merely one Pizza lovers opinion to another. Go try it yourself

I rate this Pizza a 6 out of 10.