Pizza wars: Whole Foods

The contender: Whole Foods

Style: Thin crust

In your mouth: For a pizza sold as "thin crust" the crust provides a remarkable amount of its flavor. It tastes a lot like dough, even when fully cooked. I couldn't taste the sauce or cheese, and the pepperoni flavor was very weak. I don't know what "chemicals" they put in regular pizza, but I miss them.

The next day: Doesn't taste like dough anymore, or much of anything.

Overall: If you're recovering from a terrible illness and can't handle strong flavors, this is the pizza for you.

Pizza Wars: Cappy's Pizza

The contender: Cappy's Pizza

Style: Deep Dish

In your mouth: With all the sauce and peperoni you'd expect water or oil to drain out of each slice, but the sauce doesn't even move. It's the cleanest pizza I've ever seen:



So, first you taste astonishment, then jealousy.

For most of the eating experience you can't taste the crust--the sauce dominates. It's rich and savory with a hint of oregano. There could be a bit of red pepper flakes, but the suggestion of "heat" may be from the pepperoni; it's that subtle. The cheese also stands out, it's the flavor you would get from a fried mozzarella stick, but held back a little.

The crust is very delicate, I almost want to call it pastry. I now understand why some people say "pizza pie".



It's nice to eat the crust after
The next day: Much more acidic, the cheese flavor has faded and oregano stands out.

Overall: It sounds pretentious to say it was a revelation, but yeah, it was a revelation.

A Very Special Pizza Wars

The deal: My purchase of pizza caused a pizza to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House, so I get to write a blog post and help sick children.

I'm not saying other bloggers hate sick children, but they do.

The contender: Fortunato's Italian Market

Style: New York

In your mouth: The cheese is sweet, it tastes fresh and wholesome. The peperoni is flavorful, but isn't hot, and adds bits of saltiness. The sauce, which usually isn't a big player in New York style pizza, stands out. The crust is just the right thickness to hold everything together.

The next day: Not the least bit soggy, although it doesn't taste nearly as wonderful as when it was warm.

Overall: Generous. This pizza has been designed to maximize flavor without being too messy.

They asks at the counter, "Was it good?". The answer is "Yes!"

Pizza Wars: Pizza Hut

The contender: Pizza Hut

Style: Deep Dish

In your mouth: Where a normal deep dish pizza is filled with toppings, this one is filled with dough. After the first bite there's a burning sensation at the back of your throat, and I'm not sure what it's from because the pepperoni isn't particularly spicy. There is almost no sauce, the cheese is bland and the crust is greasy. Also, there's a weird smell, like burnt cheese, hanging over everything.

The next day: It tastes sad.

Overall: A thick piece of bread with cheese on top. This is the first pizza I've tasted that had no redeeming qualities.

Pizza Wars: Domino's Pizza

The contender: Domino's Pizza

Style: New York

In your mouth: The crust is soft and seems to be coated in a light layer of butter. The sauce has a muted tartness. The cheese is noticeably bland and the peperoni less so, but everything about the pizza seems dialed down. To counteract the dullness they sprinkle the crust with some sort of garlic salt mixture, which you taste long after you've swallowed your last bite.

The next day: The crust isn't soft anymore! Now it's stale on the outside.

Overall: Weird and exotic.

Pizza Wars: Anytime Pizza

The contender: Anytime Pizza

Style: New York

In your mouth: There is a lot more crust than topping, but that works because the crust is amazing. There's a bit of flour on the bottom and some burnt bits on the edges. It tastes yeasty and is just the right thickness. The toppings taste clean, spicy, and a little salty. They balance well with the crust.

The next day: Really soggy, but still tasty.

Overall: Not good for leftovers, but if you like artisanal bread, this is the pizza for you. Has a personality.

PIzza Wars: Mazzaro's Italian Market

The contender: Mazzaro's Italian Market

Style: Pizzeria

In your mouth: The sauce tasted exactly like hot tomatoes, almost like tomato soup. The cheese is remarkably stringy and the crust is rather spongy. There's too much grease.

The next day: Nothing special.

Overall: Unsatisfying. Most pizzas have some grease, but this one had so much it seemed unwholesome. And the textures stood out more than the flavors.

Pizza Wars: Walmart

The contender: Walmart's Marketside Pizza

Style: Pizzeria

In your mouth: The crust is like cardboard on the bottom (yes, I removed the cardboard), and gooey on top. Unpleasant. The pepperoni is spicy, but you get the impression this is to cover an "off" taste in the meat.

The next day: The moisture has redistributed itself in the crust. It tastes a lot less distinctive, which in this case is a good thing.

Overall: Strangely flat. Fresh pizza that you'd swear was frozen (and expired).

Pizza Wars: Gianni's NY PIZZA

The contender: Gianni's NY PIZZA

Style: New York

In your mouth: The sauce is slightly acidic. The pepperoni stands out and there's a slightly hot, peppery aftertaste.

The next day: The crust is stale, but I prefer everything else this way. It's sweeter, and more interesting.

Overall: There's nothing distinctive about it. It's good pizza and I can like it, but I can't love it.

Pizza Wars: Valentino's Little Italy

The contender: Valentino's Little Italy

Style: New York

In your mouth: The crust is thin but still chewy. Interesting texture underneath. There's a taste of oregano, and a saltiness that brings out the sweetness of the cheese.

The next day: The crust has held up but the flavor profile has shifted... spicy!

Overall: A light, fun pizza.