#pizzareviews

The next stop on my tour of local pizza parlors was The Big Slice, which has just opened a location near my home.  I was hungry, so I ordered what looked like their biggest pie: The Sicilian.  Little did I know.

The Sicilian isn’t a size so much as a crust type, in this case thick and square cut.  It’s the deepest pizza I’ve had for some time, and I loved the Hell out of it.  The crust is light enough not to overwhelm the toppings, which are generous and fresh.  The sauce is well seasoned and plentiful.  This pizza fed me for three meals and ever after the third I wasn’t tired of it - but I was very satisfied.  Definitely something to check out, especially if you’re a fan of deep dish.

I went back the next weekend and tried their regular crust, and it did not disappoint.  The thinner, softer crust was just as flavorful and the toppings just as genuine and generous.  One slice was enough to make a meal, so you can imagine how long a whole pizza lasted me.  Btw, I can report that both the Sicilian and regular crusts are nearly as good reheated as they are fresh, and that’s not something I can say about every pizza place.

I also tried the stromboli.  There are two sizes of this, small and large, and the small was enough for two meals.  I’m not sure who the large is aimed at, but I hope they’re hungry.  As much as I loved the pizza, the stromboli may have been my favorite part of the experience.  A golden, buttery crust cooked just right, filled with mozzarella (and in my case, ham).  So good.  When I go back I’ll have a hard time choosing what to get, and that’s no lie.

The first local place I decided to try was Pappos, for no other reason than that they popped up first on a Google search for “locally owned pizza place Springfield MO.”  It took a couple of weeks because I wanted to get a good sampling, but my final impression mirrors my first:  blech.

They have two crust types, hand tossed or thin.  I found both to be completely bland, lacking any real flavor of their own. They were also both overcooked, leading to an unpleasant texture which didn’t help the lack of flavor.  The sauce, similarly, was under seasoned to the point of being just smashed tomatoes.  I will give them points for toppings, which were tasty and plentiful, but not enough of either to drown out the chore that was gnawing my way through that crust.

The sides weren’t any better, unfortunately.  I tried the meatballs, which are so heavily seasoned it makes me wonder if they just didn’t have enough seasoning left for the crust or sauce.  I love black pepper, oregano, and garlic and use all three generously when I cook, but these meatballs had far too much of all three.  They did come with a nice little loaf of italian bread which was my favorite part of the meal:  light and airy and flavorful.

Finally, I tried the toasted ravioli and they botched that too.  The dough for the ravioli was this heavy wheat bread mix, the filling was mostly air, and the dip was more of the unseasoned smashed tomatoes.  The overall impression was of dipping dry wheat toast into tomato paste.

I have decided, in the name of expanding my own horizons ever so slightly and having something, no matter how petty, to do, that I will taste the product of every locally owned pizza restaruant here in Springfield, MO.  Mostly in order to track my progress, and also to help me remember which ones are worth going back to, I’ll be posting reviews here.

For a start, let’s throw out some Big Chains, just to get them out of the way:

Pizza Hut is probably my favorite national chain.  I like the sauce, I like all their crusts, I like the toppings, I like the sides.  In the Dark Days before 2019 when Everything Delivery came to Springfield, the choices for pizza delivery (or food delivery in general) basically came down to the Hut, Domino’s, or Papa John’s, and the Hut was my default.

Papa John’s is...not bad?  I actually prefer their crust and some of their toppings (dat ham, mmmm) to Pizza Hut, but the sauce is bland and there’s just something lacking in most of their product.  Like they could be great, if they just tried a little harder, but they don’t.

Domino’s...man, Domino’s is the Perfectly Serviceable of Big Chain Pizza.  I won’t turn down a slice of their product, but I probably won’t reach for it if there are any alternatives.  Everything about their product is just not as good as the competitors, even if only barely.  Sorry, Domino’s.  But hey, you’re cheap and you’re edible and that got me through some times in my early twenties.

Recently we got a Bellacino’s, and man are they good.  They’re more expensive than most, but you definitely pay for quality.  The sauce is nice and tangy, the toppings taste fresh, and the crust is something else.  It’s like they use bread dough instead of pizza crust...so airy and fluffy.  And the grinders!  If you haven’t eaten one of their Cubans, you’re missing out.

The newest Big Chain in town, that I know of, is Marco’s, and they’re another hit.  A soft, thin crust perfect for folding, a well seasoned sauce and a selection of toppings you don’t get elsewhere.  Definitely worth checking out if you haven’t.

There’s a Godfather’s in Nixa that delivers to my apartment, barely.  I found their product perfect fine.  Not great or stand out in any way, but...perfectly fine.