Barbecue grills may be heating up with ribs, brisket and burgers, but pizza remains an American summer staple. There’s nothing quite like a good pie and a cold brew to celebrate the end of the winter blues. Salem is lucky to have a wide selection of locally owned establishments that are cranking out as many pies as they can to feed the urge of pizza enthusiasts. Of course, not all pies are the same.
Sometimes you might want the thin crusted, grease of a New York-style pizza. Other moods may call for a taste of the Windy City. Sure, everyone has access to Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa Johns in a phone call or mouse click. True pizza eaters will want to raise the bar and enjoy a more discriminate pie. With some luck and due diligence even the most finicky pizza eater can find something to satisfy their taste buds.
New Yorkers demand a lot from their pizza. Stories crop up from time to time about restaurants on the West Coast going so far as to import water from New York to perfect the New York-style flavor. The result of all of this work is a wide slice of hand-tossed thin crust pizza that begs you to fold it in half.
Don’t you dare eat it with a fork. Not even The Donald, himself, can get away with using one without ridicule. A traditional slice consists of just mozzarella cheese and light sauce, but options are aplenty.
There are varying consistencies when it comes to the amount of grease floating over the toppings of each slice – ranging from just enough to sopping wet. Don’t get me wrong: grease is an essential part of a New York-style pizza, so you want a little grease. Comedian Adam Carolla calls it “foreplay,” because it’s a good hint at the type of pizza that you’ll soon be devouring.
If there were a pizza war version of Superman, Chicago would be New York’s Lex Luthor. They take their pizza just as seriously and the rivalry between the cities and their respective styles is epic.
The Chicago-style pizza was invented, by most accounts, at a pizzeria called Pizzeria Uno in the south side of Chicago. It’s a cheese-lover’s paradise, so expect large amounts of it. Instead of the usual pizza that we see in our mind’s eye, Chicago-style fanatics like their pizza upside down. Mozzarella, usually sliced, is placed directly on the crust, then toppings are added with plenty of sauce topping it all off. A Chicago-style pizza doesn’t have as many crust options as other varieties. Thin crust is a no-no for authenticity; it’s all about the deep-dish.
You can get an authentic Chicago-style pizza directly from the Land of Lincoln shipped to your door. A popular Chicago pizzeria Lou Malnati’s will send you a dry iced pizza for a cool $39.95.
If dry ice isn’t your idea of the best way to try an authentic pizza, Geppetto’s on Lancaster is ready to give you a taste of Chicago that doesn’t involve UPS. They take their pizza seriously, educating diners in their menu with a diagram and history of their pizza making. Their menu states:
“Two brothers returning from Italy after World War II, Ken & Dick Cortopassi originally started our pizza on Chicago’s south side. I had the opportunity to learn from them and with their younger brother, Bob, in the 50′s. Now you can relax, enjoy, and taste the difference. Buon Appetito, Tom.”
The beautiful thing about a pizza is that every chef can take a style and switch it around. It’s not just New York vs. Chicago. Or even the types of pizza that they serve up in Greece or Italy. They certainly don’t have to be pepperoni and mozzarella cheese with powdered parmesan. Stay away from the national chains and opt for one of the many local pizzerias that are trying something a little different.
Straight From New York
233 Liberty St. NE
503-581-5863
2918 Commercial St. SE
503-363-SFNY
1095 Commercial St. SE
503-361-1234
www.sfnypizza.com
As their name suggests, Straight From New York is known for their New York-style slice. The combination of their spicy sauce and higher quality pepperoni adds a little bite and makes for an excellent meal. Prior to choosing your pie, take a look at the ready-to-eat slices in their display, if it looks greasy there it’s only going to get worse as it’s reheated. On this particular trip, the grease was practically covering the bottom of the per-slice container. Other times, it’s been perfect.
Their downtown location is a good place to grab a quick slice. It usually takes around three minutes. One tip though, if you go to the downtown location, sit outside or take it to go, the place turns to a sauna quickly as the temperature rises.
A cheese slice will set you back $2.50. Pepperoni is $3, with specialties like Hawaiian, Vegetarian, and Pepperoni Sausage is $3.50. There are various specials throughout the day so check in at their website, sfnypizza.com, for more information and their full menu.
Geppetto’s Italian Restaurant
616 Lancaster Dr. NE
503-378-1271
www.geppettos-salem.com
Geppetto’s serves up a decent deep-dish pizza. A Chicago-style pizza is all about the crust and Geppetto’s is soft while simultaneously being chewy. The goal is a “springy” crust and this meets the mark. The sauce is tame and borders on bland. There aren’t any discernible spices in the sauce, except for the tomato base.
One thing that does Geppetto’s a disservice is their location. They’re tucked away next to OfficeMax and a dirty inflatable mascot for Mattress World. It’s one block south of Lancaster Mall, but you’ll have to look for it.
A small deep-dish pizza that serves two to three people will set you back $8.75 for a small cheese pizza to a large with three ingredients for $22.25. The restaurant serves up a lunch buffet Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Walery’s
1555 Edgewater St. NW
waleryspizza.com
Waiting across the bridge to West Salem is Walery’s Pizza. Salem Weekly readers gave them the Best Pizza nod in the Best of 2010 competition.
Walery’s offers a thin crust that is almost cracker-like. They use very little sauce and good quality ingredients. I usually order a pretty generic pepperoni pizza and have always been happy with the result. I wouldn’t go so far as to call the pizza bland, but the cheese occasionally overpowers the pepperoni. Their customer service is friendly, quick to answer the phone when you place an order to go and always waiting at the cash register with a smile.
A small pizza starts at $9.55 with a large going up to $22.40. They don’t offer single slices, but they do have a lunch buffet Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $7.45, which includes a medium drink.
Padington’s
410 Pine St. NE
503-378-0345
5255 Commercial St. SE
503-370-7556
It’s almost impossible not to compare Padington’s and Walery’s because the style of the pizza is almost identical. One advantage that Padington’s has is that their crust is a bit crispier. The difference in the crust gives a Padington’s pie more texture and a little more crunch. I prefer the Bandito (beef, onion, cheddar cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato and a tangy sauce) here, but there’s a wide range of options offered for any type of pizza connoisseur.
There was a bit of a customer service hiccup in picking up my order this visit. As I walked in and approached the register, the leaning cooks avoided eye contact until someone else came from the other side of the restaurant. A simple “Hi, someone will be right with you.” goes a long way to a good restaurant experience.
A small pizza ranges $9.15 for an Old Pizza Bill (cheese only) to $24.75 for a large Bandito or Deputy’s Delight (comes with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, and a blend of cheeses.) A lunch portion is available for most pizza types for around $5.
Christo’s Pizzeria
1108 Broadway St. NE
503-371-2892
Christo’s Pizzeria is a local favorite and a dominant force among Salem Weekly’s Facebook friends. The restaurant has picked up a reputation for being the place to eat if you’re looking for high quality, fresh ingredients.
They rank as the most consistent pizza out of all of the places I’ve eaten at. They offer a more traditional hand-tossed thin crust pie with a large variety of flavors. The crust has the right amount of chewy. On this visit, I stuck with a basic pepperoni and cheese. It comes with fresh Parmesan sprinkled on the top of thinly sliced pepperonis. The small pizza was considerably larger than advertised. Their menu says 12 inches, but it was larger. If you’re looking for a clean, fresh tasting pie, Christo’s is the place to eat.
For some reason, there is a perception about the restaurant being super expensive. It is falsely earned. Die-hards will pay the extra dollar for quality. A small cheese pizza starts at $10.75 with a large Greek pizza (which includes a rosso pizza with mozzarella cheese, salami, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, artichokes, red and green onions and sausage) runs $26.75. They offer lunch sizes as well.
