OT: Is it time for a new pizza thread?

[That Aud Smell]

I’ve arrived at a point in my life where I won’t shame, scold, admonish anyone for eating (doing) something they like, provided it’s not hurting someone. 

So the whole universe of “Ranch on wings?! Never!” Or “pineapple never goes on pizza” is gone for me.

Eat what you like. And as Digital Underground once counseled: Dowutchalike (sp?) ( 🎶 I see guys and girls dancin’ 🎶)

Now. Mind you. Will I ever get ranch with my wings or ask for pineapple on my pizza? Never, ever, ever. But that doesn’t mean someone else shouldn’t.

[FrenchConnection44]

On 7/14/2023 at 11:52 AM, Mr. Allen said:

Funny.  I’m having a birthday party for my son back home in Buffalo this weekend and no clue where to get the pizza from.  My brother likes Franco’s but I’m not a huge fan.  Is Bocces still any good? Been living out of town for a couple years and no clue who is good. 

Was going to ask the same thing. Bocces was primo in the 70s but I moved away in ‘79. ☹️ Would love to sample some Buffalo pizza right now. Mmmm 😋 

[Zamboni]

1 minute ago, FrenchConnection44 said:

Was going to ask the same thing. Bocces was primo in the 70s but I moved away in ‘79. ☹️ Would love to sample some Buffalo pizza right now. Mmmm 😋 

I think Bocce’s is terrific. But get it from Hopkins or Bailey location.

[Stoner]

No, but it is time for a new pizza oven.

[JoeSchmoe]

On 7/16/2023 at 1:59 PM, That Aud Smell said:

I’ve arrived at a point in my life where I won’t shame, scold, admonish anyone for eating (doing) something they like, provided it’s not hurting someone. 

So the whole universe of “Ranch on wings?! Never!” Or “pineapple never goes on pizza” is gone for me.

Eat what you like. And as Digital Underground once counseled: Dowutchalike (sp?) ( 🎶 I see guys and girls dancin’ 🎶)

Now. Mind you. Will I ever get ranch with my wings or ask for pineapple on my pizza? Never, ever, ever. But that doesn’t mean someone else shouldn’t.

While I 100% with the sentiment of what you're saying, I need to add one caveat.

I've been to so called wing joints in Canada north of Toronto where Blue Cheese isn't even an option. Instead, they push a "dill sauce" which is nothing less than a cheap substitute for the real thing. Completely unacceptable.

[Doohicksie]

So I got the Beef On Week pizza at Buffalo Bros tonight.  It's two Buffalo treats in one.

[That Aud Smell]

8 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

While I 100% with the sentiment of what you're saying, I need to add one caveat.

I've been to so called wing joints in Canada north of Toronto where Blue Cheese isn't even an option. Instead, they push a "dill sauce" which is nothing less than a cheap substitute for the real thing. Completely unacceptable.

I could not agree more. There's a whole bunch of caveats, [Robin Williams Genie voice] provisos, quid pro quos that could be added to my "you do you" take above.

If you're serving Wings (and you're in a place where they're on the menu as Buffalo Wings), then you should offer the blue cheese side. If for no other reason, the blue should be available as a hat tip to the dish's origins, even if local palates don't command it. Like, if I'm ordering a gyro, there had better be tzatziki sauce available.

Speaking of which, I saw some social media content this past weekend (from a clever creator, Sam Al Khatib (he's just great)) that made me realize anew that some significant percentage -- 20%? 40%? 60%? ... -- of Wing eaters out there in the big wide whirled do not know why they're called "Buffalo Wings." 

Edited July 18, 2023 by That Aud Smell

[CallawaySabres]

My new thing is Doordash for the BBQ Chicken pizza at Pie O Mine. It never disappoints. 

[MattPie]

On 7/15/2023 at 10:52 AM, PASabreFan said:

It's possible I've never had good pizza. At least not this fantasy pizza yall are speaking of. There's a local place here that I think has top notch garlic pizza. Other than that I survive on the chains. I'm high on Domino's pan pizza right now. I've recounted several times that I had La Nova pizza in Buffalo a few years ago and it was a sickly mess. I don't hear that name bandied about much tho. I do fantasize about how good some of this zza must be.

You're well outside the Buffalo "all the pizza is pretty good, some are better than others" radius, unfortunately. I'd think there's at least one or two good places in Bradford (right?), but I've never stopped there to have any evidence of it. I haven't had La Nova in a very long time (possibly 12-ish years ago when MsPie and I were first dating, if not then in the 90s when I worked at the Big G), but it wasn't my favorite back then. I haven't had many of the places mentioned here, we order from Pasquale's in East Aurora while we're in town since that's local to our parents' houses. I'm not sure it's great Buffalo pizza, but Pizza Plant is pretty good for interesting options; there's one right next to the Arena if you get the itch.

4 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

I could not agree more. There's a whole bunch of caveats, [Robin Williams Genie voice] provisos, quid pro quos that could be added to my "you do you" take above.

If you're serving Wings (and you're in a place where they're on the menu as Buffalo Wings), then you should offer the blue cheese side. If for no other reason, the blue should be available as a hat tip to the dish's origins, even if local palates don't command it. Like, if I'm ordering a gyro, there had better be tzatziki sauce available.

Speaking of which, I saw some social media content this past weekend (from a clever creator, Sam Al Khatib (he's just great)) that made me realize anew that some significant percentage -- 20%? 40%? 60%? ... -- of Wing eaters out there in the big wide whirled do not know why they're called "Buffalo Wings." 

 

[Pimlach]

On 7/15/2023 at 9:05 PM, JustOneParade said:

Great call on LaHacienda. When I was growing up it’s pizza was the best around and it wasn’t particularly close.

Bocces on Bailey Ave in Amherst was once great, now it’s hit and miss, and you have to order the pizza  “well done” to get it cooked right. 

Went to Bob and John’s LaHacienda a few years ago and was totally disappointed.   Afterwards I was told they had two styles of pizza. You have to specify Cup and char pepperoni or else you get the bigger flat pepperoni, which is bland and not a true Buffalo style pie. 
 

At one time Mr Pizza (Elmwood and Bird) was fantastic.  The owner has recently passed and now the quality is not always there.  Just Pizza is an offshoot (one of the Mr Pizza owners left to form it), but it is now a local franchise chain so some locations are better than others.  
 

Imperial in South Buffalo is very good.  I prefer to stay in North Buffalo/ Elmwood Village when I stay in the city but Imperial is worth the drive.  
 

The real La Nova, on the West Side, is very good too. 
 

Leonardi’s did not survive Covid.  Shame, their pizza was really good.  

[That Aud Smell]

39 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Went to Bob and John’s LaHacienda a few years ago and was totally disappointed.   Afterwards I was told they had two styles of pizza. You have to specify Cup and char pepperoni or else you get the bigger flat pepperoni, which is bland and not a true Buffalo style pie. 

At one time Mr Pizza (Elmwood and Bird) was fantastic.  The owner has recently passed and now the quality is not always there.  Just Pizza is an offshoot (one of the Mr Pizza owners left to form it), but it is now a local franchise chain so some locations are better than others.  

Lots of accurate Buffalo pizza knowledge in this post. I'll echo the Bob and John's take. They used to be definitive North Buffalo pizza. Nowadays, I find them hit and miss. And shoutout for sure to the old Mr. Pizza at Elmwood and Bird. Fantastic. I didn't know that Just Pizza grew from the Mr. Pizza stores. Just Pizza was reliably very good when they started, but, there again and like you, I find them hit and miss now.

[Night Train]

Further down Elmwood in Kenmore (north of Buffalo) is Mustachios Pizza. Wings are nothing special but their pizza is excellent IMO. 

[JustOneParade]

37 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Lots of accurate Buffalo pizza knowledge in this post. I'll echo the Bob and John's take. They used to be definitive North Buffalo pizza. Nowadays, I find them hit and miss. And shoutout for sure to the old Mr. Pizza at Elmwood and Bird. Fantastic. I didn't know that Just Pizza grew from the Mr. Pizza stores. Just Pizza was reliably very good when they started, but, there again and like you, I find them hit and miss now.

I should have been more specific about my LaHacienda comment as its such a generic name. I was referring to the one on Pine Ave. in the Falls. Not even sure its still open. That whole section of town has hit the skids.

[Stoner]

2 hours ago, MattPie said:

You're well outside the Buffalo "all the pizza is pretty good, some are better than others" radius, unfortunately. I'd think there's at least one or two good places in Bradford (right?), but I've never stopped there to have any evidence of it. I haven't had La Nova in a very long time (possibly 12-ish years ago when MsPie and I were first dating, if not then in the 90s when I worked at the Big G), but it wasn't my favorite back then. I haven't had many of the places mentioned here, we order from Pasquale's in East Aurora while we're in town since that's local to our parents' houses. I'm not sure it's great Buffalo pizza, but Pizza Plant is pretty good for interesting options; there's one right next to the Arena if you get the itch.

 

I'm pretty sure there's no good pizza here. Altho I vaguely remember our old friend d4rk stopping here and saying he got good pizza at Slice of the 80s.

Thanks for the advice. You have the right username to give it.

[That Aud Smell]

29 minutes ago, JustOneParade said:

I should have been more specific about my LaHacienda comment as its such a generic name. I was referring to the one on Pine Ave. in the Falls. Not even sure its still open. That whole section of town has hit the skids.

Ha - whoa. There's a Bob and John's LaHacienda in NF as well?! (I'm familiar with LaHacienda in Town of Tonawanda - that place is good.)

[...]

33 minutes ago, JustOneParade said:

I should have been more specific about my LaHacienda comment as its such a generic name. I was referring to the one on Pine Ave. in the Falls. Not even sure its still open. That whole section of town has hit the skids.

It is surprisingly generic. La Hacienda Brighton has really good pizza and wings.

[Curt]

Because it’s the offseason, there seems to be a lot of interest among you guys, and because I don’t know the answer……..What are the characteristics that define “Buffalo” pizza?

Edited July 18, 2023 by Curt

[Stoner]

13 minutes ago, Curt said:

Because it’s the offseason, there seems to be a lot of interest among you guys, and because I don’t know the answer……..What are the characteristics that define “Buffalo” pizza?

This guy's voice is super annoying, but I think he covers all the bases.

 

[That Aud Smell]

2 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

This guy's voice is super annoying, but I think he covers all the bases.

Disqualifyingly so. Also, I couldn't really get past him saying he's never had pizza from Buffalo and that his information was based on internet research.

[Curt]

3 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Disqualifyingly so. Also, I couldn't really get past him saying he's never had pizza from Buffalo and that his information was based on internet research.

I’ve never had pizza from Buffalo and my information is based on internet research as well.

This guy probably makes and reviews hundreds of recipes from all over the place, so it’s kind of unrealistic to expect that he has been to each dishes place of origin.

[Weave]

18 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Disqualifyingly so. Also, I couldn't really get past him saying he's never had pizza from Buffalo and that his information was based on internet research.

He’s from Utica.  He also did a Detroit style pizza that I can confirm was very close to actual Detroit style pizza.  He does seem to get things right more than not, and is not bashful about saying he substituted something not traditional when he knows.

That episode seemed to me like a pretty good approximation of Bocce’s from what I recall.

[Doohicksie]

26 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Disqualifyingly so. Also, I couldn't really get past him saying he's never had pizza from Buffalo and that his information was based on internet research.

But he insists he got pretty close.  HOW WOULD HE KNOW?

[...]

Can't listen to the video but I can tell by breezing through it the crust is all sorts of wrong. Dunno what he's doing with that sauce, either.

Pizza across the Buffalo metro area, including the Falls, varies widely. The elements that are common to pizza in WNY is the texture of the dough and not necessarily the flavour (although I tend to think the dough is fundamentally heavy on the yeast flavour), the pepperoni, a shockingly basic sauce, and a slight emphasis on the oregano and garlic.

If the crust is stiff or too dense and not slightly chewy then the crust is a fail.

[JustOneParade]

2 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

Ha - whoa. There's a Bob and John's LaHacienda in NF as well?! (I'm familiar with LaHacienda in Town of Tonawanda - that place is good.)

I don't know @That Aud Smell. It may be the same place with new owners that are pretty full of themselves.  😃

Edit: Google is just showing the one in NF as LaHacienda.

[JustOneParade]

1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

Disqualifyingly so. Also, I couldn't really get past him saying he's never had pizza from Buffalo and that his information was based on internet research.

Agreed.

I had sex with Scarlett Johansson once. Well, not really. But I found her picture on the internet once and ....

Kinda saying the the same thing, innit?  😆