Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Review: Pedroso's Pizza *SICILIAN SLICE* - Austin, TX


UPDATE FEBRUARY 2024

Not long ago, we visited Pedroso's Pizza in their trailer on Burnet Rd, not far from Route 183. We were smitten with both the NY slice and the Grandma style slice, and our full review follows this update. 

On a recent revisit, we found a Wednesday slice special featuring  Sicilian style pizza. In fact, the menu for whole pizzas includes thin crust New York pizza, slightly thicker American style pizza, square Grandma pizza, square Sicilian style pizza, and a Trenton tomato pie! (There are now two Pedroso's locations, including a "Pedroso's Square Pie Trailer" in Round Rock that offers Grandma, Sicilian, and Detroit style pizzas.)

One huge pepperoni slice, cut into 2 peices

We ordered three slices: NY with pepperoni ($4.25), NY Margherita ($4.25), and Sicilian with pepperoni ($6.50). I had forgotten how big the slices are; when our order came out, we asked for a knife (two people sharing three kinds of slices). The thoughtful woman working there offered to cut them all in half for us.

Another huge slice, the Margherita, cut in two

The New York style pizza was just as good as our first visit, and surprisingly, I liked the meatless Margherita better than the perfectly executed pepperoni slice because its flavors were so well balanced. But the purpose of this update is to talk about the Sicilian pizza.

Half of a square Sicilian slice

While Neapolitan and Detroit style pizza places are getting a lot of press across the country, Sicilian seems to have fallen out of style. Certainly, while plenty of mom-and-pop shops across New Jersey still offer it alongside their round pies, it's become a bit of  an "old-school" style that isn't getting much attention or love in the newest and hippest pizza joints.

As a primer, Sicilian is a thick style of pizza that is baked in a rectangluar (square, here at Pedroso's) pan. It shares some features with a Detroit style pizza, but it lacks the edge of caramelized cheese. That crunchy wall along the sides of Detroit pizza may be what has launched it to the forefront of our attention.

Beautiful crispy undercarriage

A full-size Sicilian at Pedroso's is 12" x 12"; those pies are cut into four 6" x 6" individual pieces for sale by the slice. as with the NY slices, even half a slice was a substantial amount of pizza.

How was it? Well, the sauce and the cheese had a pretty conventional appearance, and they were of the same high quality as found on the NY slices. The sauce is particularly vibrant. The cup-and-char pepperoni on top was the finest quality, consistent with everything about the pizza at Pedroso's. But the magic of this slice was the crust.

The very first bite revealed the almost-impossible combination of a distinct external crunch combined with an other-worldly pillow, soft, airy, delicate interior. This is the goal of many pizzaioli and breadmakers, but few have reached such a level of perfection. The texture of this thick slice was perfect, and of course the crust had a magnificent flavor, too. 

Thiago Vasconcelos, the man behind Pedroso's (pic from https://pizzatoday.com/topics/people-pizzerias/thiago-vasconcelos-pedrosos-pizza-austin-tx-rising-star-2023/)

The bottom was ideally crisped and browned, and it brought to mind the remarkable undercarriage of the iconic pan-fried slices at Pizza Perfect in Trucksville, PA, which has its own take on the "Old Forge" pizza style beloved in Northeast Pennsylvania.

This was the most remarkable slice of pizza I've eaten in a long time, and locally the only thing comparable is the impeccable Detroit pizza at Brack's Backyard in Spicewood, Texas. Even though Pedroso's is 25 miles from my home, I'm going back soon for more of this spectacular Sicilian pizza. And I have to try the Trenton Tomato Pie!

ORIGINAL REVIEW 

Four years into my Texas journey, I'm finding that good-to-great pizza places are popping up in and around Austin faster than I can try them all. What a wonderful conundrum.

The grandma pizza

Out in the western suburbs, a short drive can take me to legit Chicago pies (thin crust and deep dish) at Lefty's, St. Louis style flatbread pizzas at 'Zza, incredible Detroit and New York pizzas at Brack's Backyard, or a Texas spin on New York pizza at Toss.

Nick and Larry joined me at Pedroso's

Beyond the wealth of great pizza options out here in Spicewood/Bee Cave, there's so many more within the city of Austin, and the one that called to me was Pedroso's Pizza or Burnet Road. 

The Margherita NY slice

The review that drew me to Pedroso's was the well-informed encouraging feature on The Infatuation. (In addition, the "One Bite" Barstool vlogger also went to Pedroso's, but his YouTube review confirms that he's a buffoon that no serious pizza eater should trust.)

I was intrigued about the prospect of getting a grandma pie here in Austin. (Note: I first experienced a grandma slice in Brooklyn at Lenny's in 2011 - the very same pizzeria where Tony Manero bought two slices during the 70's disco era and then gobbled them stacked together while walking down the street to the rhythm of a Bee Gees song in Saturday Night Fever). 

Sonoran hot dog at T-Loc's

Three of us arrived at lunchtime on a warm but drizzly Thursday in late March, having already enjoyed the incredible Sonoron Hot Dog at T-Loc's, a spectacular food trailer just a few minutes away on Burnet Road. That astounding sandwich on its dense toasted bun should fill any belly, yet we came here to down a few slices.

The pepperoni slice

Although I went to Pedroso's more for the grandma pie than the NY style, on that day, individual slices were available only for the NY pizza. I sampled the Margherita slice fresh from the oven and took home a pepperoni slice that I reheated later.

Terrific hole structure at the cornicione

This NY style pizza had an exceptionally thin crust that ballooned at the cornicione with impressive hole structure and a crisp crunch all the way through. Much like the superb NY pizza at Brack's Backyard, the pie sports the telltale crisscross markings underneath, indicating that it was baked (or par-baked) on a screen. Spoiler: while I once regarded the screen technique with suspicion, I no longer do. Brack's and Pedroso's are making stellar NY style slices.

The Margherita slice sported excellent fresh mozzarella that wasn't wet or soupy, a brilliant and vibrant red sauce, a crackling crisp crust, and a lovely topping of shredded fresh basil. It was an ideal balance of ingredients, textures, and flavors. A perfect slice, as good or better than 99% of actual NYC pizza joints. It's not a complicated pizza, but it exemplifies the pinnacle of the craft.

Undercarriage screen marks

Given a gentle re-heat at home, the pepperoni slice attained the same lovely crispness underneath. Like the Margherita, it was a big slice, and it was covered with good quality cup 'n' char pepperoni. Slices are $4 - $5 and that's a good value. 

Because I had to try the grandma pie, I ordered a pizza to go ($18.75 with a meat topping), which cooked while we enjoyed our NY slices. It's difficult to master one style of pizza, but I discovered that (like Brack's) Pedroso's has nailed it; the grandma pizza is legit, authentic, and delicious.

A grandma pizza is baked in a rectangular pan like a Sicilian pizza, but its crust is thinner (but still thicker than a conventional round pizza). This crust had a nicely chewy center and a crispy oiled bottom. Like a Detroit pizza, a generous amount of red sauce is applied to the pizza in stripes after it has baked.

Crispy oiled bottom of the grandma pie

I ordered sausage as a topping, and I was delighted to learn that they apply it the only proper way - it goes on the pie raw, cooks on the pie, and gets a lovely browning while sharing its flavor with the pizza. Much like the NY slices, everything on this pizza was ideally balanced.

One small pizza trailer, two terrific kinds of pizza. I haven't yet experienced grandma pizza anywhere else in Texas, and this one was terrific. Even better, though, are the NY slices. With Brack's, they are without peer in Texas and were at least as good as the best slices in NYC.

Re-heating at home on perforated pan

Beyond the great pizza here, the gentlemen working there were especially friendly. Pedroso's is adjacent to The Night Owl bar, where you can grab a drink while you wait for pizza *or* take your pizza inside. Two giant thumbs up for Pedroso's Pizza.

Thursday, December 28, 2023

2023 Breakout Pizzas

Do you remember your Top Five Meals of 2023? I can't swear that I could name mine, but I can put together the Top Five Breakout Pizzas of 2023. To be clear, these are not the "Five Best Pizzas in the World" (although they all belong on the ballot), but simply the five best pizzas that I tried for the first time in 2023.

Let's count them down!

5. Dovetail Pizza & Bar, Austin TX. Dovetail occupies a friendly, hip, casual spot in the Bouldin Creek section of Austin. They are crafting lovely ovals in a Neapolitan/New York hybrid style. 

We said in our review: 

The pizza at Dovetail is hands-down terrific. A brilliant hybrid crust that embraces much of the best features of Neapolitan and New York styles; it stands toe to toe with the best of such pizzas, like those at Pizza Brain in Philadelphia. Crisp, pliant, tasty, and up to the task of supporting the excellent payload of top-end ingredients. The space is modern, open, and inviting. 

There isn't a big gap from our number one pizza(s) to this fine stuff at Dovetail; put it on your list. Full review here:   https://mainlinepizzaquest.blogspot.com/2023/07/review-dovetail-pizza-bar-austin-tx.html


4. Il Forno, San Antonio, TX. This place got onto our radar after an Italian website called it one of the 50 best pizzas in America. It's a very friendly and casual spot in the SoFlo district. The pies are straight-up authentic Neapolitans. 

We enjoyed all four types we tried, but especially the Carbonara. We noted:

All of the pizzas are genuine Neapolitans, baked less than 2 minutes at a very high temperature in a dome oven. That wood-burning oven (using local oak) was hand-built by chef and owner Michael Sohocki. The theme here is "local" with house-made meats and local vegetables, but the spirit is true to Naples in the crafting of the pizzas.

The pizza that was truly next-level was the Carbonara. I love the concept of a fried egg on a Neapolitan pizza, and it rarely disappoints. The blend of Fontina and Pecorino cheeses was creamy and rich, while the exotic mushrooms added a blast of umami. The garlic sauce, applied in ideal proportion, was yet another layer of flavor. The roasted onions and pancetta and parsley all made their own contributions to the swirl of flavors and textures that blended harmoniously.

This Carbonara pizza was one of the best Neapolitan pizzas I've had anywhere, and the one pie on the menu that can help justify Il Forno's high national ranking.


3. Pedroso's Pizza - Austin, TX. Pedroso's operates out of a trailer on Burnet Road in Austin. From that small space, Pedroso's is crafting top-rank New York style and Grandma style pizzas. I loved them both! 

Regarding the New York slice, we said:

The Margherita slice sported excellent fresh mozzarella that wasn't wet or soupy, a brilliant and vibrant red sauce, a crackling crisp crust, and a lovely topping of shredded fresh basil. It was an ideal balance of ingredients, textures, and flavors. A perfect slice, as good or better than 99% of actual NYC pizza joints. It's not a complicated pizza, but it exemplifies the pinnacle of the craft.

For the Grandma pie, we noted:

A grandma pizza is baked in a rectangular pan like a Sicilian pizza, but its crust is thinner (but still thicker than a conventional round pizza). This crust had a nicely chewy center and a crispy oiled bottom. Like a Detroit pizza, a generous amount of red sauce is applied to the pizza in stripes after it has baked. Pedroso's has nailed it; the grandma pizza is legit, authentic, and delicious.

Read our detailed write-up here:   https://mainlinepizzaquest.blogspot.com/2023/04/review-pedrosos-pizza-austin-tx.html


2. Oakwood Pizza Box, Raleigh NC. A trip to Raleigh afforded me the chance to research the top pizzas in the region. I expected great pizza and my expectations were exceeded! Bonus, I met the owner who was delighted to see my "DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies" t-shirt. 

Like Pedroso's, Oakwood is offering two kinds of pizza, albeit in a restaurant setting instead of a trailer. One is a traditional (but large 18") round in a New York style, and the other is a pan-baked rectangle described only as a "square" pie. 

The square pizza is pan-fried and lives somewhere between a Grandma and a thicker Sicilian style pizza. We wrote:

We ordered this pizza without extras and it didn't need any enhancements; a great pizza doesn't need to have fancy or inventive toppings when the foundation is beyond reproach ... brilliant crust, abundant rich red sauce, top grade cheese in the right proportion, cooked to perfection, and ideally balanced in textures and flavors. 

The New York pie was equally fabulous. Whisper-thin but rigid enough to support its wonderful toppings. 

We reported:

With the same sauce and cheese [as the square pizza], this pie was another grand success. The pepperoni did elevate it by adding a huge umami punch. This is a pretty bold declaration, but I can't think of a better conventional round pizza; everything was perfect on this pie. Our group was split on whether the square pie or the round pie was better; my advice is to eat both, and eat them often if you get the chance.


1.) TIE! I refuse to put either of these gems above the other, and I present them alphabetically. I can't believe these world-class pizza makers are just minutes from my home. New York, Detroit, Neapolitan, and Midwestern party-cut pies!

1a) Brack's Backyard, Spicewood TX. When I moved from the Philly suburbs to the Austin suburbs in 2019, I left my dreams of great pizza behind, hoping to fill the void with Tex-Mex and BBQ. I could never have imagined that by 2023, I'd find this world class pizza in my own backyard.

Brack's began by offering two styles of pizza (see a trend here?) -- New York and Detroit. They have since expanded to a third style, what I would call a midwestern party cut pizza or perhaps a bar pie; Brack's labels it "Cracker Thin" style.

Owner Robert studied under pizza guru Tony Gemignani, and it shows. His Detroit pizza is better than the previous standard-bearer for the region, Austin's Via 313. His New York pizza is sneaky good, with an ideal crust topped by the same wonderful sauce that goes on the Detroit pie. And now the trifecta, with a superb execution of that Midwestern cracker-crust party-cut pie.

About that thin pizza, we said:

The iconic versions of this style can be found at Vito and Nick's on the south side of Chicago, Lee's Tavern in Staten Island, Rubino's in Columbus Ohio, and Lucca Grill in Bloomington Illinois. Well, the "Cracker Thin" at Brack's beats them all. Robert worked hard to perfect the dough, and it shows. That thin crust has a perfect texture and a wonderful buttery flavor.

Regarding the New York style pie, we noted:

At the cornicione, the artistry behind this pie became more obvious. It was crackly crispy on top and bottom, but the outer edges revealed a beautiful hole structure that is the hallmark of great dough. We ate half this pizza one night and then finished it a few nights later, and it was still great. Conventional construction, but made with terrific dough and high grade mozzarella.

For their sublime Detroit pizza, our reaction was:

The crust of this pizza was a pillowy dream. It was thick and dense yet light, soft but substantial. And just brilliantly crisp on the bottom, and off-the-chart crispy/crunchy along the edges where (as with all Detroit pizza), the cheese gets caramelized in the blue steel pan used for baking a Detroit pizza ... the twin racing stripes of red sauce on top were astounding. It was thick, dense, and jam-packed full of tomato flavor. I rarely get excited about the sauce on any pizza, but this was other-worldly.

Not only is this at the top of my 2023 Pizza Discoveries, but also quickly became my "Best Pizza (I've Had) in Texas." All three of these pies can stand with their peers in Detroit, across the Midwest, and in New York City.

Full review: https://mainlinepizzaquest.blogspot.com/2023/02/review-bracks-backyard-spicewood-tx.html


1b) Winston's, Lakeway TX. If my 2023 discoveries had ended with Brack's, that alone would have made me happy. New York, Detroit, and thin party-cut pizza! What else could I ask for?

Well, how about Neapolitan pizza cooked in a 900 degree dome oven, gas and wood fired, with a rotating oven floor so that the pies cook evenly? Yep, that is what Winston's brought to our region in 2023.

Just like Robert and Tracy at Brack's, Winston's is owned and operated by a lovely couple (Sally and Aaron Creamer) with a passion for crafting great pizza. While these are "Neapolitan" to any normal pizza eater, they technically don't qualify due the upgraded features of the dome oven and the occasional use of the poolish technique for the dough. But I sure don't care about that; delicious well-crafted pizza is the only thing that matters.

Winston's is smartly configured as a dual-purpose space, a coffee shop in the AM hours, transistioning into a pizza shop around lunchtime. There are a few salads and other menu items, but the pizza is the main draw. We said:

While nearly everything except the oven turntable made these pizzas qualify as legitimate Neapolitans, the results were a bit different. The crust was somehow very tender yet more crisp and sturdy; no droop, no wet spots. The low gluten Caputo Italian 00 flour yielded a cornicione that was less puffy and denser than the typical Neapolitan. 

It's a stretch to say that this is Neapolitan/NY style hybrid pizza, but it's in that zone. Bottom line, this crust was damn near perfect. I loved its flavor and its texture and how well it was mated to the other ingredients. 

As the menu notes, the tomato sauce is made with imported San Marzano DOP tomatoes. Co-owner and London native Aaron Creamer shared with us that the mozzarella is Grande from Wisconsin. From the flour to the tomatoes to the cheese and the toppings, all of the ingredients are top-shelf and thoughtfully chosen. 

Winston's is not just the New King of Spicewood-Lakeway-Bee Cave Neapolitan Pizzas, it can go toe-to-toe with the best Neapolitans of Austin. It's better than the acclaimed Bufalina Due, better than Pieous, and better than Jester King in Dripping Springs.

Winston's full review is here: https://mainlinepizzaquest.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-winstons-lakeway-tx.html

You can't go wrong at any of our 2023 Top Discoveries. I remain astounded by all of the talented pizzaioli across Texas and America making pies that are miles better than what you could find in most places just 15-20 years ago. The Pizza Renaissance continues!





Thursday, December 14, 2023

Review: Archetype Pizza - York, PA

Archetype Pizza is the sister restaurant to Roost Uncommon Kitchen, and they share a connected space at 33 West Market Street in York, PA. Roost opened for business in 2017, and co-owner Philip Given began offering a pizza menu at Archetype in the fall of 2022. 

Even though I moved from southeastern Pennsylvania to Texas in 2019, Archetype has been on my radar as I've followed their progress on Facebook, drooling over pictures of the pizza. A recent vacation in Gettysburg put me close enough to finally visit, and I rounded up our party of five for dinner at Archetype on a Saturday night.

Archetype Pizza

York has important history, serving as the first capital (or fourth, depending on who you ask) of the United States in 1777. Members of congress drafted the The Articles of Confederation in York. 

Downtown York PA

More recently, the Peppermint Patty was invented in York! York went through some troubled times during the civil unrest of the 1960s, but a series of efforts to revitalize this small city has scored some wins.

We found the downtown area to be especially lively on this December Saturday. Archetype was already buzzing with activity at our 6pm arrival, so much that the best seating option for our group was in the Roost Uncommon Kitchen side of the adjoined restaurants.


The Detroit pizza

Archetype offers three kinds of pizzas, and we chose one of each: a Detroit pie topped with half sausage, half pepperoni ($18); a"Brooklyn style" pizza called The Forager with mozzarella, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and gorgonzola ($20.50); and a Grandma pie ($17).

Crispy bottom on the Detroit pie

The Detroit pie was beautiful, with a wall of crispy caramelized cheese around its outer edges and the twin racing stripes of red sauce on top. The crust was thick with a serious crunch on the edges, but light and airy inside. It carried just the right amount of cheese, described on the menu as "a blend" (Detroit pizzas typically feature a blend with cheeses like Brick, Mozzarella, or Monterey Jack).

Some of the sausage-topped Detroit slice

The thick red sauce on top was perfectly mated to this pie. It was deeply flavored and added another serious layer to the flavors of the cheese and crust. We were cautious in choosing just a single layer of toppings, and it worked nicely. Depending on which slice you chose, the sauasge or the pepperoni was that final pop of umami to make a deeply sastisfying bite every time.

"The Forager" Brooklyn pie

Archetype has a few adventurous specialty Detroit pizzas, including a loaded Hawaiian and the "Shut Up and Eat It" pizza featuring soppressata, meatballs, red onion, sweet peppers, cheese blend, vodka sauce, and shaved Parmesan. If I get a chance to go back, I'd surely try one of these bold pizzas.

Displaying a treasured crust bubble

The Brooklyn pizza was just as lovely as the round pies I'd seen on Archetype's Facebook page, and it appeared bigger than the advertised 16" size. It sported some lovely bubbles and just the right amount of char; even the caramelized onions and mushrooms combined to make a lovely brown palate. 

Despite my love for Gorgonzola cheese, however, it overpowered the other flavors. We enjoyed this well-crafted pie, but I'd be keen to get this pizza with that delicious red sauce next time.

Under the carriage

Even after these two beauties, the Grandma pie was the prettiest. This square pizza was medium thick and it sported diagonal stripes of red sauce with a few dots of green fresh basil and shavings of aged Italian cheese on top. Cooked in a pan, like the Detroit it had some nice frico on the edges. We ordered it without any additional toppings, and that really allowed its core elements to shine.

The texture was perfect, with a wonderful crunch on the bottom and just the right balance of tenderness and sturdiness to support the cheese and sauce. This pizza was ideally balanced in its flavors and textures, and it wins the prize as both the prettiest and tastiest Grandma pizza I can remember.

Our crew was mixed on preferences, with the finely balanced Grandma edging out the big bomb crunch and flavor of the Detroit to be the consensus favorite. Beyond these fabulous pizzas, we had some excellent craft beers and top-notch service from our server Percy. This place was buzzing with happy people, and it's the kind of place that can serve as an anchor to a revitalized downtown.

Underneath the Grandma slice

It was 50 minutes from Gettysburg to York, a long drive -- but absolutely worth it for this destination pizza.