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.

You can read our full review here:   https://mainlinepizzaquest.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-il-forno-pizza-san-antonio-tx.html

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.

Read the full review and see more pics here:  https://mainlinepizzaquest.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-oakwood-pizza-box-raleigh-nc.html

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!

Review: Oakwood Pizza Box, Raleigh NC

I first visited Raleigh in 1980. At the time, it seemed like a distant ugly cousin to the two gems anchoring the other corners of the burgeoning Research Triangle: Durham and Chapel Hill. Likewise, North Carolina State University was a plain and functional school lacking the lovely campus views and amenities of Duke and the University of North Carolina. I was delighted to see that so much has changed since then.

Raleigh today is a lovely city with abundant green spaces and a charming downtown full of great shops and restaurants. The N.C. State campus is vibrant. During six sunny days in November, we visited lovely (and free) state and county parks and ate in some spectacular restaurants (shoutout to Poole's Diner, Boulted Bread, The Pit barbecue, 42nd Street Oyster House, Brewery Bhavana, and MOFU Shoppe). Best of all, I had a list of some fine looking pizza joints to choose from.

Street view of Oakwood Pizza Box

I was intrigued by the rectangular pizza at Oakwood Pizza Box,which I had found in a list of "12 best Raleigh area pizzas" published by Eater Carolinas. It rose to the top of my list when I saw a picture of their 18" round pizza; its magnificent cornicione told me that there was some excellent dough going into these pizzas.

We arrived around 6pm on a Wednesday evening. Oakwood Pizza Box is located on a street bustling with restaurants and take-out joints. It would be easy to miss from its street-front appearance; in the dim light, I couldn't even see any signage. The restaurant is configured as a long narrow space with a counter and a few tables in the rear; our party of four was able to be seated without a wait.

The menu is short and simple; I've rarely seen fewer options in a pizza joint. Choices include an 18" round red pie (they call it "cheese"), an 18" round white pie, or an 18" x 12" rectangular red pie. We chose a round red with pepperoni and a square pie without extras. The square pie comes with the admonition that it requires a 20 minute bake.

The full menu

Oakwood Pizza box offers a nice variety of wines by the bottle or the glass and even champagne! I chose a $6 Narragansett pilsner from the two draft beer options, and it was both crisp and ice cold. We shared a "large" salad that was more than enough for our party of four, and it featured very fresh greens, olives, salami, red onion, and pecorino with a tangy oil and vinegar dressing. 

The square pizza arrived first. As much as I had been impressed by the appearance of the crust in pictures I had seen, what struck me first was the brilliant deep red sauce. Much like the classic Trenton tomato pies at Papa's and DeLorenzo's, the sauce is applied amply and unevenly, so that some slices will be cheesier and others more full of red sauce. All of it was topped post-bake with huge leaves of fresh basil and a generous sprinkle of Grana Padano cheese (as is done at Di Fara in Brooklyn).

Much like the special take on Old Forge style pizza served in places like Pizza Perfect in Trucksville PA, this rectangular pie is sort of pan fried; it is baked in a pan with oil underneath the crust. I couldn't discern if the oil here was peanut or olive oil or something else, but it enabled a lovely crunch on the underside of the crust.

Crispy oiled bottom of the square pie

This pizza was thicker than a conventional round pizza, perhaps thicker than a Grandma pizza, but not as thick as a Sicilian pie. While the bottom was uniformly crisp, the interior was al dente soft, and never wet or soggy (will explain why later). And crucially, the crust was full of its own rich flavor. In spite of that magnificent crust, the "wow" from the first bite was that red sauce - bursting with a fresh and bright tomato flavor.

Cheese assembly on the square pan pie

There are three cheeses on this pie, even though only one is shown on the menu. To provide substance *and* to keep that wonderful sauce from making the crust soggy, a thin layer of sliced low moisture mozzarella is placed across the surface. On the rectangular pizza, dollops of fresh whole milk mozzarella are added before the sauce; on the round pie, the sauce precedes the second round of cheese. And, as mentioned, the third cheese is a sprinkle of Grana Padano after it comes out of the oven. See the process here: Owner Anthony Guerra explains his pizza.

All that top-shelf cheese, though, is a role player to the perfect crust and that rich red sauce. 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 (having said that, I did transfer a few slices of pepperoni from the other pizza to a slice, and it was just one more wonderful layer of flavor).

Bottom line on the square pie: brilliant crust, abundant rich red sauce, top grade cheese in the right proportion, cooked to perfection, and ideally balanced in textures and flavors. My lofty expectations were exceeded.

As noted, it was a photo of the round pizza that was my major clue that there was some dough magic going on at Oakwood Pizza Box, and that pizza arrived as I was finishing my first slice of the square pie. We ordered this one with pepperoni, and it was generously loaded with the perfect style, spicy cup pepperoni that curls up into little cups with crispy edges.

The cornicione in person looked even better than the pictures, with an uneven shape and color variations that are the hallmark of a great loaf of rustic bread. This was a very thin pizza, but each slice was almost magically rigid, such that you could hold it by the edge with no droop. This can only happen when the cheese and sauce are applied in proportion to what the crust can support; and, of course, the slices of low-moisture mozzarella prevent the sauce from making the crust soggy.

I suspect that this dough is the same (or similar, perhaps a different rise time?) to that used in the square pie; it surely shared the same rich flavor. Without the oil underneath, it was drier but still brilliantly crisp and just a bit chewy in the best ways. The corniciones were a delight, enough to persuade almost any fussy pizza eater to eat the full slice, including the edges. 

Amazingly crisp and rigid, no flop

With the same sauce and cheese, 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.

Beautiful char underneath

There are a few hoary myths about the secret to great pizza. So often I've heard that "it's the water," especially in New York. Others focus on the oven -- "brick oven" pizza or "wood-fired" pizza. Both of those myths have been disproved countless times, and this was just more evidence. I have had world-class pizza in Spicewood Texas (near my home, where the water is terrible), Sedona Arizona, Boca Raton Florida, Boston Massachusetts, Portland Oregon, Seattle Washington, Charleston South Carolina, and now Raleigh North Carolina. It's not the water.

Likewise, it's not the ovens. Some great pizzas come from fancy ovens, but most (like the pizzas at Oakwood Pizza box) come out of conventional gas deck ovens. Destination pizza comes from great ingredients and the skill of the pizzaiolo. It's not complicated or mysterious. Oakwood Pizza Box is fabulous for these basic reasons.

Serendipitously, I was wearing my DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies t-shirt during our visit. A gentleman working there noticed and was astounded to see it in his Raleigh pizza shop (he didn't announce it, but I later learned that it was owner Anthony Guerra). He was wearing a t-shirt featuring Brooklyn's Best Pizza, and we traded notes on both legendary pie joints.

He has created something very special here; he's making two kinds of pizza, keeping it simple, and nailing it on both styles. The restaurant has a fun vibe, service was superb, prices were fair, and it's hard to imagine a more satisfying meal than the one we had. Ten out of ten for Oakwood Pizza Box.