Dallas | Pizza

[Firemans4Horn 17847]

5 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

Kids out of control

😂 

 

that’s why I go. So my kids and my friends’ kids can run around while we eat pizza. 

[C-Man 27071]

2 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

Different people. As C-Man has previously posted (I think in this thread) they guy who started Bona trained under Omar in Lakewood and then went out on his own in Bluffview.

 

Right? @C-Man?

Yes, I believe that's the story. Bona is a 5-minute walk (if that) from my house and I drive by there just about every single day. It is still open.

[DDD Dad 14267]

Confirmed that Cigarz location next to The Goat will be Zalat White Rock by January 31.

https://lakewood.advocatemag.com/zalat-pizza-white-rock/

[C-Man 27071]

On 1/11/2023 at 12:10 PM, DDD Dad said:

Confirmed that Cigarz location next to The Goat will be Zalat White Rock by January 31.

https://lakewood.advocatemag.com/zalat-pizza-white-rock/

Got an EM from Zalat earlier today that they're heading to Austin too. I've stopped ordering from them.

[DDD Dad 14267]

3 hours ago, C-Man said:

Got an EM from Zalat earlier today that they're heading to Austin too. I've stopped ordering from them.

I ordered from them a few weeks ago and the pizza was cold when I picked it up (stood outside for 10-15 minutes waiting to get to the window). They sent me a $25 coupon when I replied to their feedback email. So I will probably give the new location a try. 
 

Unfortunately with Cigarz gone the options near me aren’t great (for that style of pizza). 

[C-Man 27071]

Got home from happy hour tonight with nothing to cook or do so I ordered a pie from Bona. Since I got my Ooni, I have barely ordered pizza out. Owner (don’t know his name sadly) recognized me and asked how I’ve been — pizza slammed and went hard.

[C-Man 27071]

Brian Luscher has been promoting Pizzeria Carina, which recently opened in Preston Center. A buddy went by the other night and said it's fantastic.

[threesheets 1652]

I would fold that over and eat the whole fucking thing like a Muchaco. Got damn I'm starving.

[C-Man 27071]

Got the exact pie above tonight and a straight pepperoni. Enjoyed it. Y’all support this guy — super nice, putting out good product that is well priced.

[C-Man 27071]

A group of us went back up to Carina tonight -- one of my wife's ding-dong friends loves doing Dave Portnoy-like pizza reviews (she's a train wreck but a lot of fun) -- and sampled just about everything. I think it's Roman-style pizza, so very, very thin. It's very, very good and Eugene, who is Ukrainian, is a hell of a nice guy. Please support this dude. One of our other friends did two years in Georgia in the Peace Corps. There is one item that is not on Carina's menu at the shop (or Carina's website) but is on all the order delivery sites. He calls it "Cheeseboat." Our friend said this a traditional Georgian/Ukrainian pizza presentation that is fucking out of this world good. You can add certain toppings if you like but the Georgian style is a single cracked egg in the middle, which is what we got last night. Holy fucking hell is it good.

 

He also makes his own version of Anthony Bourdain's favorite sandwich -- fried/seared mortadella and provolone.

 

[LonghornJones 835]

Went to Carina for lunch today We started with the chickpea fries, I got the Cheeseboat with an egg in the middle, and the wife got the Nora. The sauce with the fries was a standout for me. The cheeseboat was very rich and I only finished half. It is a LOT of cheese. The pizza was delicious. I will be getting pizza next time, which there def will be a next time.

The owner was super nice and chatted with us for a bit. Just an authentic little Romanian-style pizza place.

[C-Man 27071]

On 4/19/2024 at 4:02 PM, LonghornJones said:

Went to Carina for lunch today We started with the chickpea fries, I got the Cheeseboat with an egg in the middle, and the wife got the Nora. The sauce with the fries was a standout for me. The cheeseboat was very rich and I only finished half. It is a LOT of cheese. The pizza was delicious. I will be getting pizza next time, which there def will be a next time.

The owner was super nice and chatted with us for a bit. Just an authentic little Romanian-style pizza place.

Ha, my wife and I went by there Friday night and sat out front. Eugene is such a nice guy.

[luke duke 6399]

Cenzo’s (pronounced Chenzos) in Oak Cliff is pretty damn good. The owner used to own The Hightower in Austin.

https://www.cenzospizzaanddeli.com/

[Jive Turkey 12568]

Went to Fortunate Son in downtown Garland a few weeks ago. Owned by the same folks as Goodfriend. It’s New Haven, CT style pizza. Didn’t know that was a thing. But it was great. Cool spot. Great beer selection like Goodfriend. Big space with a big patio. Great for families. We’ll definitely go back. 

 

Edited June 11 by Jive Turkey

[conVINCEd 21468]

36 minutes ago, Jive Turkey said:

Went to Fortunate Son in downtown Garland a few weeks ago. Owned by the same folks as Goodfriends. It’s New Haven, CT style pizza. Didn’t know that was a thing. But it was great. Cool spot. Great beer selection like Goodfriends. Big space with a big patio. Great for families. We’ll definitely go back. 

 

Bbq place is pretty good as well for the one time per year I find myself in that part of town around lunch.

[Texzilla588 769]

Went to Fortunate Son in downtown Garland a few weeks ago. Owned by the same folks as Goodfriend. It’s New Haven, CT style pizza. Didn’t know that was a thing. But it was great. Cool spot. Great beer selection like Goodfriend. Big space with a big patio. Great for families. We’ll definitely go back. 
 

That doesn’t look like New Haven apizza to me. Appears pretty thick. The real deal is thin crust, little edge, very similar to Neopolitan style that costs an arm and leg at Cane Rosso.

Corky’s in Arlington is the only true New Haven style pizza in DFW. It is awesomeness. Owned by a family who grew up in the business in New Haven, except for mom who’s a Texan.

http://www.corkyspizza.com/id5.html

Frank Pepe’s in New Haven is considered the OG. It’s been named the best pizza in the country before.

https://pepespizzeria.com/

[C-Man 27071]

Dea, the Tracy Rathbun/Lynae Fearing concept that went in to the old Fireside Pies next to Shinsei, didn't make it very long. We went once and service was an absolute mess. The food wasn't good enough for us to go back. Well, it's being reimagined as Perch Bistro & Bar. It's maybe not a "pizza only" place but that's a large part of the menu.

https://www.dallasnews.com/food/restaurant-news/2024/08/08/dea-dallas-restaurant-redesigned-perch-bistro/

[C-Man 27071]

Mrs C-Man and I went to Perch tonight. It was good. Not great and definitely the weakest (still) of the Rathbun/Fearing trio of places on that corner. Only four pizzas so I wouldn’t call it a pizza place. Pizza was fine. Nothing special. I know the change was pretty recent but the dessert menu came out on a card with Dea logoing on it. That seems lazy to me.

[C-Man 27071]

Went to Pizzana on Knox tonight with my wife and one of her good friends. Been wanting to go for awhile. Had no idea it was related to Sprinkles cupcakes. It’s the same owner. Oh well, the pizza is pretty fantastic. The salad my wife and I split was great too.

[nolongerU2horn 750]

RIP Fireside Pies. The Triple 'Roni was my favorite pizza in Dallas 2005-2008

[royiv 9173]

15 hours ago, C-Man said:

Went to Pizzana on Knox tonight with my wife and one of her good friends. Been wanting to go for awhile. Had no idea it was related to Sprinkles cupcakes. It’s the same owner. Oh well, the pizza is pretty fantastic. The salad my wife and I split was great too.

If it wasn’t the shaved Brussels sprouts salad that you got, put it on the list for next time. It’s fantastic.

[C-Man 27071]

18 minutes ago, royiv said:

If it wasn’t the shaved Brussels sprouts salad that you got, put it on the list for next time. It’s fantastic.

Will do. Saw that on there. Wife went with the Tricolore, which was pretty terrific.

[DDD Dad 14267]

I rediscovered Olivella's recently after about a 15 year hiatus.  Pizza is very good and the prices are extremely affordable.  Wine list is decent and also very attractively priced.  

[Jive Turkey 12568]

On 9/4/2024 at 12:58 PM, nolongerU2horn said:

RIP Fireside Pies. The Triple 'Roni was my favorite pizza in Dallas 2005-2008

Cheese salad was the bomb, too.  man, OG Fireside Pies on Henderson was the hottest spot in Dallas for a spell.

[C-Man 27071]

On 9/17/2024 at 1:56 PM, DDD Dad said:

I rediscovered Olivella's recently after about a 15 year hiatus.  Pizza is very good and the prices are extremely affordable.  Wine list is decent and also very attractively priced.  

Same. We've been twice the past month, last time to the original spot (they've expanded into the next door space) and would probably head over there tonight but it's Parents' Weekend at SMU and tons of FSU folks in town. The Pancetta pizza is ridiculously good.

[DDD Dad 14267]

1 hour ago, C-Man said:

Same. We've been twice the past month, last time to the original spot (they've expanded into the next door space) and would probably head over there tonight but it's Parents' Weekend at SMU and tons of FSU folks in town. The Pancetta pizza is ridiculously good.

I’ve been at the SFOT all afternoon. It’s a tradition unlike any other. 
 

[Jive Turkey 12568]

Fortunate Son got the Dave Portnoy seal of approval. By all accounts, a score of 8.1 is really really good for him. 

 

[bluto 4895]

Ya that owners life just changed ~overnight. 

[DDD Dad 14267]

I’m happy for him and all but Portnoy is a colossal DB. 

[C-Man 27071]

On 10/12/2024 at 8:28 AM, DDD Dad said:

I’m happy for him and all but Portnoy is a colossal DB. 

This.

[mdmost 42869]

I saw he also rated Thunderbird Pies near White Rock Lake a 7.3. It's Detroit style. I think I shared pics of it upthread. It's good if you're into that style. Portnoy is a douchebag for sure. He also pulled for OU this weekend so he can enjoy that L as well. 

[ztejas 43266]

Not saying he isn't a DB - but I think a lot of the time he just roots for whoever he has money on. He's a degenerate gambler. 

I feel like I've seen him fairly often go against Texas though so maybe he isn't a big fan on top of that. 

[mdmost 42869]

8 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Not saying he isn't a DB - but I think a lot of the time he just roots for whoever he has money on. He's a degenerate gambler. 

I feel like I've seen him fairly often go against Texas though so maybe he isn't a big fan on top of that. 

He picked OU on whatever show he was doing from the State Fair when everyone else picked Texas. He seems like a typical Boston shithead. 

 

[ztejas 43266]

1 minute ago, mdmost said:

He seems like a typical Boston shithead. 

Oh for sure. I can't tell what % of it is a shtick or not. Some of the pizza reviews he seems like an honest Masshole and some of them he seems like a dickhead.

The rest of their media empire I can do without. It's a little frat-douche, anti-PC even for me.

[DDD Dad 14267]

On 10/15/2024 at 1:17 PM, ztejas said:

It's a little frat-douche, anti-PC even for me.

It's not a schtick.  I think your quoted post above answers your own quesiton.

[C-Man 27071]

On 10/15/2024 at 1:17 PM, ztejas said:

Oh for sure. I can't tell what % of it is a shtick or not. Some of the pizza reviews he seems like an honest Masshole and some of them he seems like a dickhead.

The rest of their media empire I can do without. It's a little frat-douche, anti-PC even for me.

 

4 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

It's not a schtick.  I think your quoted post above answers your own quesiton.

His food/pizza reviews are the most likable thing about him. He's not Clay Travis terrible but he's playing in the same sandbox.

[C-Man 27071]

Wife and I met a buddy at Fortunate Son last Thursday. Really cool space and "downtown" Garland looks fun. It's way the fuck far away from my house, though. It was 40 mins out there. The pie was very, very good.

[DDD Dad 14267]

On 10/29/2024 at 3:28 PM, C-Man said:

Wife and I met a buddy at Fortunate Son last Thursday. Really cool space and "downtown" Garland looks fun. It's way the fuck far away from my house, though. It was 40 mins out there. The pie was very, very good.

[After irth 1243]

New arrival Good Side Pizza Pub is a winner on the western edge of Deep Ellum. 

Friendly spot, just like all of J.R. Munoz' other endeavors (Will Call and Elm St. Saloon).  

Good pie, good bar.  Will eventually develop it's own personality as time goes by, I hope.

For this downtown dweller, it's definitely my new pizza spot.

[C-Man 27071]

I need to get over to Vector. Sounds like a bunch of us do if we want them to stick around.

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-brewpub-shifts-focus-coffee-beer-sales-drop/3694688/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGgxEVleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHfiuWPt5qWuRhClqixRpXlaFAzAyIbi8094Td-B1EiwTY6edwWtQjxGdHg_aem_v-js1bBKx1vWL1N9WCI5xg

Quote

For as long as it’s been pouring pints, Vector Brewing has been fueled by fight.

“We were in a unique position where we opened right after COVID got started, so about two weeks after the world shut down we opened our doors,” said Craig Bradley.

“The world closed and we opened,” added his wife Veronica Bradley.

Right away, Veronica and Craig Bradley had to decide to do whatever it took to stay alive.

“While we couldn't allow people in the doors that didn't work here we could let people in the parking lot and it was pretty amazing,” said Veronica.

“For two months it was all just slinging beer and pizza out the door to cars, and we weren't set up to be a brewery that was packaging, so we were doing every single can by hand our staff was just canning one at a time,” said Craig.

Five years later and you might mistake this for a neighborhood diner rather than the brewpub Vector grew into.

Reinventing again, the Bradleys have expanded their hours to serve coffee and breakfast amid the grim reality of another challenging chapter.

“We absolutely would have closed two months ago, so coffee’s keeping the doors open,” said Veronica.

While the Bradleys face the same hurdles as many small businesses, including rising costs, slowing sales and a consumer shift towards convenience, craft breweries have a unique challenge.

Last year, the brewer’s association reported the overall beer market shrank by 5% as beer sales dropped.

“The things that we’re seeing that are most prevalent right now are drinking habits have changed and younger people aren’t drinking straight beer as much. They’re looking for alternatives,” said Vice Chair of the Texas Craft Brewer’s Guild Seth Morgan.

Morgan said his own sales at Denton County Brewing Company are still down 18% from where they were pre-pandemic.

He said the group has lobbied state lawmakers for ways to boost sales.

That includes allowing brewpubs to sell straight to consumers via third-party delivery apps, just like restaurants and package stores. But those efforts have failed, and several breweries around the state have closed their doors.

“I am worried because candidly, we’re all scared and if we were to have a bad quarter, a lot of folks would not be in business anymore,” he said.

“We have friends that come in on a Friday night and they're like, 'Man, y'all are packed, y'all are killing it.' We're not killing it. We're killing it for one night and a place can't survive on one night,” said Craig.

That’s why they continue to innovate.

The Bradleys aren’t alone in launching a coffee and breakfast service.

They learned how from a fellow brewer.

Others, including Morgan, have expanded menus to include non-beer beverages. And both he and the Bradleys are among those treating events like a critical part of their business plan, doing whatever it takes to survive.

“This is more emotional than I wanted to get. My kids are so proud of this place. I think you really do it for them. Then, I'm really stubborn,” said Veronica.

“You can't go into business without being stubborn,” added Craig.

“There’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity and we're there,” said Veronica.

Vector is open starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

 

[mdmost 42869]

Vector is good but they should've never gone in at that shopping center especially around Covid. It was fairly ambitious. Somewhere in the industrial area off 635 like Lakewood Brewing and Oak Highlands did would've been smarter. I hope they stick around and I get some pizzas and to-go beers from them every now and then. I don't see how switching to earlier hours and adding coffee is going to make things better for them. This is where it would be nice if the stupid landlord of that shopping center, which has already had tremendous turnover including a previous pizza place, would be smart to give them a price break. But they won't and another anchor goes away eventually. I enjoy the Fine Swine when I go there. 

[DFWTexEx 275]

On 10/29/2024 at 3:28 PM, C-Man said:

Wife and I met a buddy at Fortunate Son last Thursday. Really cool space and "downtown" Garland looks fun. It's way the fuck far away from my house, though. It was 40 mins out there. The pie was very, very good.

I love pizza, but no pizza is worth a 40 minute drive.  Yes, I know I am outlier on this group.   The best pizza to me is the closest, good pizza.  I know I am lucky.  I can walk or have a short drive to really excellent pizza (Cenzo's, Nova, Eno's, Cibo) or just good enough local pizza.