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PIZZA THE ALIBI Bar pizza at its finest, and the cult of regulars swears by the thin-crust. Plenty of other good things on the menu, but it’s the pizza rep that turned this bar into a Troy hot spot. AMICI’S One of the first true gourmet pies in the area, right in the middle of downtown Berkley. They top their pies with style and have a cult following that has stayed with them from their Royal Oak roots. Atkins devotees are swooning over the low-carb pizza. Sandwiches and salads also take a higher road than those found in the typical stick-to-the-top-of-the-box pizzerias. There is an outdoor café and it’s attached to the Living Room, a smoke- and pretension-free martini bar. BUDDY’S PIZZA You don’t need a Supreme Court decision to decide who wins in Detroit’s pizza popularity contest. Buddy’s has consistently won “Best of” in virtually every magazine, newspaper and readers poll in town. It is the original to which all others are compared, and the likely reason you get a choice of round or square pizza when you call up anyone, because before Buddy’s they were all round. It started as a rendezvous for buddies, a blind-pig saloon of sorts on the outskirts of Hamtramck. When Gus and Anna bought it and started serving their famous deep-dish pie it became a part of our history. There are Buddy’s all over the metro map and most have full menus with pasta, sandwiches and rockin’ burgers, and salads—the antipasto is almost as classic as the pizza. All fans should make a pilgrimage to the original at least once in their life. It’s pretty much the same as it was over half a century ago—some of the original seasoned pans are still in use. It’s a bone fide Detroit institution. COMO’S The best pizza in Ferndale and one of the best bar pizzas in the world, which isn’t fair to all the other bars because this place also happens to be a time honored Italian restaurant. The pizza comes round or deep dish, and you can eat in the restaurant, at the massive onyx bar or outside on one of the most happening patios in the city. The crowd is lively, especially on the weekend, and when the live entertainment starts, the food, drinks and customer playing blend to a party-perfect harmony. They deliver, but why would you want to miss all the fun? CRUST PIZZA & WINE BAR The upper crust of the pizza pecking order, celebrating the two most wonderful things on earth, wine and pizza. Crust is more than an upscale version of a pizza parlor, it's a contemporary bistro which just happens to specialize in our favorite food. They don't offer delivery, but they do deliver big on taste, with fresh pie from a Naples-style oven that delivers perfect consistency each time. Coupled with an incredible wine selection, you have a pizza place for grown ups—a cool, classy environment to enjoy a thin crust pie that rates at the top in the area with, a perfect wine match. DETROIT PIZZA FACTORY DPF delivers, literally. One of the few places south of 8 Mile that delivers a great-tasting pizza and actually brings it right to you. Magazine production people prefer it ten to one versus pizza you get by driving elsewhere. J. BALDWIN’S RESTAURANT Former Whitney chef Jeff Baldwin’s stone-fired pizzas have been named the best in Macomb County. This eight-slice gourmet pie, with toppings such as surf & turf, shrimp scampi, and one of the best, if not the best ever, vegetarian. But the big treat is Baldwin’s nine-item signature pie—proscuitto, chicken, artichokes, red onions, feta, mozzarella, roasted garlic and peppers, topped with fresh basil. LOUI’S PIZZA With a recipe rumored to come from the original Buddy’s, the pie differs most notably by the slight burning on the top, which nobody seems to mind—a line out the door, sometimes snaking around the block, is an indication of how loyal Loui’s lovers are to this square pizza. Empty Chianti bottles with adoring autographs on the straw wrappers adorn the walls. NIKI’S PIZZERIA A Greek restaurant within stumbling distance of the legendary St. Andrew’s Hall, Niki’s is a pre- and post-concert ritual. The pizza is truly unique, a mouthwatering square with a crispy crust and lots of tasty Greek toppings to choose from. PIZZAPAPALIS TAVERNA The best Chicago-style deep-dish pizza outside of Chicago, located in the heart of Greektown. Be prepared for about a 45-minute wait from the time of placing the order to actually tasting it, because that’s how long it takes to cook a pizza this thick. Now that’s deep dish! They also offer a thin-crusted pizza for the not-so-patient, as well as an eclectic menu of Mediterranean goodies. One of the best pizzas in the entire state. SHIELD’S RESTAURANT, BAR AND PIZZERIA One of the most famous pizzerias to ever come out of in Detroit, Shield’s has been serving it since 1946 (and the bar part of the equation started in 1937). The original location off Davidson is long gone, like the neighborhood, but Shield’s is bigger than ever. They now have strategic locations all over the Metro area. Shield’s is very much the Detroit-style square pizza—the pizza sauce is mildly spicy, with a tangy sweetness no other pizza has. The fans are legion, and the pie has won numerous “Best of” awards including the Michigan’s Best poll by the Detroit News (and second place for their ribs). If it was ever possible to tire of pizza this good, there’s subs, sandwiches, pastas, salads, and even salmon on the menu, all served in the comfortable family-friendly way they’ve been doing it forever. SGT. PEPPERONI’S Back when the Beatles played at the Majestic Theatre, they missed the taste of Liverpool, Italy, where the group began. At that time, there was no pizza invented yet, and Ringo came up with the idea for a food that would be shaped like a drum skin. The rest is history, and Sgt. Pepperoni’s is now the fuel that powers Detroit rock. The most important thing—it is also available by the slice, so any band can afford some, even if they are signed to Tremor Records. Save that crust for the drummer. TOMATOES APIZZA 24369 Halsted Rd., Farmington Hills The pizzas are a little pricey to people who are used to the $5 variety, but this is not your average $5 pizza. Neither round nor square, these are fresh-made, free-form pizzas and come out as a big oval or rectangle or a little of both, and a small isn’t. It might not even be in the same gene pool as carryout pizza. It is a thin crust with a big taste that many call the best pizza in the area and some don’t care for at all. The ingredients are fresh, you can get it with red, white or classic sauce and there is one with crab in a slippery buttery sauce that will have you continually reaching for more slices and napkins. RED DEVIL Virtually forgotten Detroit landmark, with the name we love and can’t forget. Very good, classic round pizza. © 2008 Guide to Detroit, LLC |