Veraci Pizza, Seattle, Washington, USA - Fail

Oh Seattle, we don't blame you for this restaurant, and we don't even really blame them.  It's not their fault that they suck.   Wait a minute, it IS their fault that they suck, and they do, hard.  But please don't feel sorry for them, they've brought it on themselves.  They make claims that they can't live up to and they compensate for very sub-standard products with very poor techniques, even shameful, dare I say embarrassing.  These 2 points I'll explain in detail, shortly.

The scene of the crime, Veraci Pizza, Seattle.  I'll not bother with the address, etc... Please just log the name and if you ever have the chance or her the name uttered, just skip it.

                    

At first glance I thought it was going to be killer.  I saw an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Channel showcasing this place, so when the trip to Seattle was in the planning stages, I added it to the list.  

Walking through the door you are presented with a fantastic open kitchen of which the centerpiece is a beautiful wood oven.

And then, to my horror, I see the left of the oven, some kid, the one responsible for preparing the dough for the other people that applied the toppings, and then there was yet another who placed the pie in and removed from the oven.  Kinda stupid assembly line thing, but that's not where my problem lies.  

The fucken kid has a rolling pin and is rolling out the dough!!!!!    

WTF!?!?!?!?!?!?

For those of you who may not realized how hugely lame this is, I'll explain.  The reason he is using a rolling pin is to get the dough thin, duh.  However, the problem is the dough, IT"S THE WRONG TYPE OF DOUGH FOR THIS TYPE OF PIZZA!!!!!!!  Thin crusted pizza is obtained by having a very loose, pliable, dough.  One that stretches easily, using only your hands.  If you have to use a rolling pin then your dough is shit, or wrong for the application.  It's like using a bread dough recipe or something and trying to make a pizza out of it.  And the end result may "look" like a pizza, but god damn that shit aint gonna taste right, and it didn't.  

Still ranting on the crust here, please look at the photos just below.  Looks like a thin cracker crust right?  This style would be typical Roman style, fyi.  BUT IT WASN"T!!!  It was doughy like they smashed a loaf of Wonder Bread and put some sauce on it!  Ughhhhhh!!!!!!!    And then, then, then, the kid, after he has destroyed any sort of leavening from the yeast in the dough, assuming they used any, but I'm not sure of anything after this place, the kid takes a cutter and makes the dough round.....WTF?!?!?!?!?  Are you kidding me?  Not sure what the cut off pieces were used for cause I had to stop watching and just walk away.  Stupid assholes.

Rolling pin, cutting the edge to make it round (stupid) made the pizza dough taste like a pita bread.  Really, like it had a pocket even, now I'm getting all pissed off again.  Man, I really hate this place, and I'm still only on the first stupid thing, second one is coming.

And if you are wondering, yes, we ate the pie, most of it.  And I gotta say that the peperoni was good, I liked it, and the beer was a local amber ale and was delicious.

OK, the second major error by this place, the first being shitty dough driving them to use a rolling pin, dumb asses.  Was that they claim that their pizza is Neapolitan.

Again, this issue may not resonate with some or even most of you.  However, to educate, or entertain, or to offend, whatever, Neapolitan is not simply having a wood oven and making a thin pizza.  Neapolitan is using very specific ingredients, combined in specific proportions, allowed to rise naturally (no refrigeration) and then cooked in a specific way.  This place couldn't be farther from Neapolitan if it had a fucken Dominoe's sign over the front door.  The only true, true neapolitan pizza in the USA is Una Pizza Napolitana, now in San Francisco, previously in NYC.  I have been to both locations ad it's mind blowing.  There are no toping options, a set 5 pizzas which are all very similar.   In the Neapolitan world there is no hawaiian pizza, no artichoke hearts, none of that stuff.  Stuff, by the way, which I love on a pizza.  But if you give yourself a label, or make a claim, have your shit together and back it up, other wise just claim that you make pizzas.  Artisan is a good word to use as well, or craft, then I don't have to choke you out for being sofaking stupid.  Don't be stupid.

DVA

Looks good, tastes good, made by idiots.

This is what you get when people that like to eat open a restaurant and don't know what they are doing.  

Hey Veraci! Back to your couch!  Stay out of the kitchen!

Lola, Minnesota, Ahhhhhhhhh

Pizzeria Lola

5557 Xerxes Ave. S.

Minneapolis, MN 55410

(612) 424-8338

http://www.pizzerialola.com

First of all BIG props to this place for not claiming Neapolitan.  They simply say that they create artisan pizzas, correct.  Neapolitan is something altogether different and very specific.  Simply having a wood fired oven and thin crust DOES NOT MAKE YOUR PIZZA NEAPOLITAN!  This pisses me off so much that I'll be yelling a blog out soon about that.  Back to this gem.

A Korean immigrant opened this place, from what I gather from her website (the place was super busy when I was there and no time to chat....next time) and this place rocks.  The crust is thin yet the edge is delightfully thick and pillowy, chewy yet there is a bit of a pull, blistered a bit and very flavorful, you can taste the yeast, feel the bubbles, really nice.  And although the house combination pizzas have quite a few toppings the dough holds up very well.

The oven, ahhhh the beautiful oven.  Really nice and the centerpiece of the restaurant.  I love an exhibition kitchen and none are better than this one.  This oven is almost smack dab in the middle of the dining room, very cool.

I had the Lady Zaza.  Kimchi, housemade korean sausage, serrano peppers, other asian flavors.  Sofaking good.   I don't think I shared more than a slice.  I really enjoyed this one.  Very original and done quite well.  Reminds me of the mashed potato pizza at Urbn in San Diego.  I avoided that one for a long time, sounded stupid and lame to put mashed potatoes on a pizza, but man is it good, my favorite at Urbn.  I'll be going there soon so I'll hold further comments till I can give it a proper presentation.

Cousin Dan had this beauty, the Sunnyside (obviously named because of the eggs).  There's other stuff on it as well but the main attraction is the egg, obviously.  And again, done very well.  I doubt I would ever order this on my own but I was happy to try a slice.

This one was too far down the table so I have no idea what it was other than the obvious arugula. 

Mushroom-ish one and the standard Margherita, both were yumm.

I love this one.  All the family, long table, many pizzas, what a great night.

Cousins Dan, Heather, and Breah

Cousins Ben, Dawn, and baby Olivia

Cousins Mike and Katy

And for some reason I don't have a photo of Jim and Corinne who were also there, and a very important part of the night and my life, very much.  I'm an idiot, at times.

DVA

Chubby Wieners.....

Yeah, so the plan was to go to Hot Doug's for hot dogs in Chicago, but it was Memorial Day and Hot Doug's was closed FOR THE WEEK!  Duh.  Thank goodness for the interwebs who directed us to this fantastic place, with the great name, and best chili cheese fries I've ever had or dreamed of having.

Chubby Wieners

4652 N. Western Avenue

Lincoln Square, Chicago IL

(773) 769-1394

http://www.chubbywieners.com

Never had a chicago dog, and frankly not a big hot dog fan at all.  My favorite, if I must be honest, and I must, is at a baseball game.  Not the big foot long or sausage thing or whatever.  The shitty steamed wrinkly old little thing in the aluminum foil wrap.  Love em and can eat a dozen.  But I digress.

The plan was to have a Chicago dog, so that's what we had, and added chili cheese fries cause they sounded good on the menu for some reason.

First to the dog.  I enjoyed it.  I thought the balance of ingredients, the many ingredients, worked really well for me.  I cannot say that I tasted a hot dog or anything similar within this, this, this, salad roll.  But I enjoyed it, very much.  The roll was a bit soft if I can be a bit critical, and I can be.  But I imagine that this is how it is supposed to be as I have no reference point.  I liked it.

But this, this, this splendid basket of fantastic loveliness.  The fries has some sort of light batter or coating that was soo crispy and wonderful, and that crispiness played so fantastically with the nacho cheese and chili which had become a wonderful melange of silky smooth and deliciously sticky, beany, gooey loveliness.  If you are ever in Chicago you have to eat this stuff. Great food from a great named place.  Super cool.

DVA

Pine State Biscuits, Portland Oregon, USA

Pine State Biscuits
3640 SE Belmont Street

Portland, OR 97214
(503) 236-3346
http://www.pinestatebiscuits.com


Mr. Kai Trinh gave this most amazing, and most appreciated suggestion for breakfast while in Portland, and I am SOOO happy to pass it along.


A VERY small place but well worth the minor inconveniences, i.e., bussing your own table, only a few places to sit, parking. But, if it's biscuits you crave, this is your place. LIght, fluffy, buttery layers, yumm. The chicken is some of the best I've ever had, San Diego has a great chicken and waffle place I'll tell you about soon, so stay tuned.


Yummy combinations, cool owners/employees, great coffee, a must for anyone in or passing through Portland.




Please allow me to introduce - The Reggie

And his best friend - The Chatfield


DVA

Apizza Scholls, Portland Oregon, USA - Pizza Perfection

Apizza Scholls

4741 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard

Portland, OR 97215

(503) 233-1286

http://www.apizzascholls.com

It is truly only fitting that I start with this place as my flagship food related entry.  

Best pizza I've ever eaten.  Period.  (at least right now...)  And I'll rant about "best'" in the coming days I'm sure, so stay tuned for that.  

So, at this time in my life, on this day, THIS WAS THE BEST F'ING THING EVER!!!!  So well done, perfectly crafted piece of heaven.

As this is pizza, lets start the breakdown with the crust, because obviously this is the foundation, and if it sucks, theres no reason to continue.

Not only does this not suck, it is masterful craftsmanship.  But let's be clear, this is New Haven Style pizza (the specific style is named Apizza).  Similar to New York style except that the crust is a bit crispier, not uniform in shape, more rustic, more porous crust.

Apizza Scholls is amazing.  They not only nail the crust perfectly, and from what I've read the owner is an ex-baker so he sure knows what he's doing with his dough, har har har.  Anyway, he also has the balls to not over sauce and over cheese the fucken thing.  Easy does it so that you dont ruin the texture of the crust, the essence of the pie.  Respect the pie.  True dat.  To take this further there are rules at Apizza Scholls.  No more than 3 toppings and no more than 2 meats.  Balance, respect the balance.  There is a Neapolitan place in San Diego that could be superb but the owner has bowed to what he believes are the american diners demand for more.  He also has a GREAT crust and great oven, but he puts to much on top, and then it turns to a soggy mess, blech.  Pizzeria Bruno on Park Blvd.  Could be great, is not.

Speaking of ovens, the oven at Apizza Scholls is electric.  I know that there are many camps on what type of heat source is the best and imparts the best flavor to the pie, etc., etc.,   But AS (im getting tired of typing the whole name, I think you understand...) thinks, and I agree, that the temperature is what's important, and the higher the better.  I don't think I've ever had a coal or wood fired pizza and thought "this coal or wood tastes great!'  So bravo for the electricity, easier to clean and maintain and more time to focus on the stuff that matters, dough, sauce, cheese, customer experience (but I have to say that seeing a wood oven is cool, me like).

This one is half sausage half peperoni.

 The peperoni was great, the fennel sausage was just OK, but they made it in-house so I thought we should try it.

Oh, by the way, the we is me and my daughter Courtney.  We were on a 10 day road trip (this was day 8) across the country, eating all the way from NC to California.

The top one in the photo just below is the margherita.  Superb.  A bit of crushed garlic and basil added to their basic cheese pie.

This shot explains it all, enjoy, I'll be quite....

Yummm, I miss them already, or still.

The only negative comment I have is that their t-shirts are the WORST EVER!!!  Please get cool shirts, or jackets, or hoodies, or something so that I can spread the word of this amazing culinary experience that I had, and that I hope all can one day share.

DVA

OK, Here we go.....

I think it only fair to start with this photo as this trip to Tokyo, and the inspiration of these two guys with me in the photo, really kicked off my interest in exploring food, photographing said eats, and sharing/explaining my impressions of my experiences.  So, to you David Chang and Anthony Bourdain, Cheers, and thanks.

As I begin I think it only fair to explain a bit of what my purpose with this blog is.  As you know, I do not  participate in Facebook, and I wont go into why here, but I NEEDED a vehicle to communicate and connect with those in my life, both near and far.

As the name implies, this will primarily be a blog about pizza.  However, as this is mine, I will feel free to do and say as I damn well please, as it pleases me.  So I hope to not offend or tiptoe too far over the line of appropriateness, but if I do, that's just too fucken bad.  Enjoy.

Pizza, food, life experiences, thoughts, feelings, rants, and more food.  This is what you will find here.  Please feel free to share and pass along to anyone you think might have an interest, as I hope you will as well.

Sincerely yours, DVA