Best Pizza in Iowa?

roundball

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Dec 8, 2013
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Iowa City area
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Not possible t get too much cheese and meat is it?

It's all about the ratios. And when the meat and cheese look as rank as they do in that picture, yes, it's possible to have too much. The quote below sums it up best.

People start to form opinions on pizza when they are little kids and they love the cheese and meats but don't even want to eat the crust. Later in life people figure out that too many topping ruins a lot of pizza, the more topping the faster the crust turns bad. Its all about the crust when it comes to pizza, from the type of flour to the proofing to the spinning or pressing and finally the type of heat used to bake it.
 

KnappShack

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May 26, 2008
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The bread is as important as the cheese and other toppings.

Dough must me prepared daily and allowed to rise overnight. I've heard that called a "baker's crust"

You have any frozen bread and that's an auto DQ. Fresh bread.....an under appreciated part of the pie, but once you have it the rest is garbage
 

Bret44

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Bought it, ate it, not bad.

There is currently one in my Freezer. Also, only 310 calories per serving at 2 servings per pie.



Sure isn't the best thing in the world, but it will make ya feel better after eating the whole thing in 3 minutes.
 

3TrueFans

Just a Happily Married Man
Sep 10, 2009
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There is currently one in my Freezer. Also, only 310 calories per serving at 2 servings per pie.



Sure isn't the best thing in the world, but it will make ya feel better after eating the whole thing in 3 minutes.
Yeah, I mean it's still a totinos pizza, but I like totinos pizzas.
 

roundball

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Dec 8, 2013
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Iowa City area
Speaking of Pizza, what has happened to Pizza Hut. At one time it wasn't bad pizza, well the pizza still isn't bad but they all seem to be poorly managed.

Youngsters might not remember this, but Pizza Hut used to primarily be a sit-down place with waitstaff and a salad bar and a jukebox and even beer. It got a lot of business from birthday parties and kids coming in after sporting events. It was owned by Pepsi, who spun it and their other restaurants off as Yum Brands in 1997. I think that marks when Pizza Hut shifted to a delivery-first business and started adding things like wings to their menu.
 

klamath632

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Nov 19, 2011
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This entire thread and I have not seen anyone say the words BRICK OVEN. Come on people!!!

I love pizza, so I was really excited to see this today!

My favorites are Great Plains, El Fredo's in Sioux City, Centro in Des Moines, and Woody's Pizza in Estherville. They each have their own special traits. Great Plains is about as unique of a pizza there is, and it's an Ames icon, but I can see why people might not like it. El Fredo's is just a good, solid, cheap pizza. Centro has great brick oven pizza with fresh mozzarella and that chewy, sweet crust with bits of char on it. Woody's has outstanding thin crust pizza, and though it's not the best I've ever had, it's the best I've had in Iowa.
 

HFCS

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Aug 13, 2010
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Youngsters might not remember this, but Pizza Hut used to primarily be a sit-down place with waitstaff and a salad bar and a jukebox and even beer. It got a lot of business from birthday parties and kids coming in after sporting events. It was owned by Pepsi, who spun it and their other restaurants off as Yum Brands in 1997. I think that marks when Pizza Hut shifted to a delivery-first business and started adding things like wings to their menu.

They also had regular quality cheese and usually a couple awesome arcade game cabinets. I still remember Outrun and a Nintendo Vs cabinet with Castlevania being associated with pizza. Spilled an entire pitcher of soda on my dad's lap as a kid...twice...and still remember the heat I got for it, good times, good memories.

I don't think they use artificial cheese like Totino's but it has to be the absolute lowest quality they can get and still claim it as real cheese.
 

Cybirdy

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Sep 10, 2009
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Youngsters might not remember this, but Pizza Hut used to primarily be a sit-down place with waitstaff and a salad bar and a jukebox and even beer. It got a lot of business from birthday parties and kids coming in after sporting events. It was owned by Pepsi, who spun it and their other restaurants off as Yum Brands in 1997. I think that marks when Pizza Hut shifted to a delivery-first business and started adding things like wings to their menu.

In the small town where I grew up Pizza Hut was just a block away from the middle school. After middle school dances we would congregate at Pizza Hut--they probably dreaded those dances more than anything. We wouldn't always leave the place in the same condition as when we arrived.
 

kentkel

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Apr 12, 2006
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We've had quite a few pizza discussions & I will reiterate what I said in a previous thread. I absolutely love Pagliai's Pizza (in Grinnell - although you can go to Johnston as well). Not only is it great pizza (gotta get the sausage or house special), but it is the cleanest joint in the state. Not long ago, a buddy of mine was eating there and struck up a convo with the couple next to him. The guy says, "I deliver food to restaurants and this is one of my stops. I dropped off food in the kitchen & the place was immaculate. I figured a place this clean MUST have great food, so my wife and I drove over an hour just to come and eat here." Also, just last year, they had a surprise inspection and passed with a PERFECT score. The inspector said something to the fact that he had never given that high of a score in his life. If the other location is even half as good as the Grinnell location, you'll be wise in trying it!
 

Cyclones01

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May 23, 2008
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In case anybody is curious, the reason Casey's breakfast pizza is so good is because they use Frito cheese dip for the sauce.

My wife and I tried making it once, and it was just as delicious, but with 1/10 the amount of grease.
 

kentkel

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Apr 12, 2006
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In case anybody is curious, the reason Casey's breakfast pizza is so good is because they use Frito cheese dip for the sauce.

My wife and I tried making it once, and it was just as delicious, but with 1/10 the amount of grease.
I make a version of this too. I use the ragu double cheddar cheese sauce. Then I put some uncooked scrambled eggs on the top, & cover it with a mexican cheese blend and pre-cooked bacon. I used to cook the scrambled eggs before hand, but they would be way over-done after baking the pizza. BTW, I use an artisan-bread based dough and cook the pizza for about 10 minutes at 500 degrees on a baking stone placed on the bottom rack of the oven. Turns out perfect every time!
 

TRZA

Active Member
Mar 4, 2009
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West Side of Des Moines
New places at 63rd and Grand and on Ingersoll opening up this year. Big time renovations on each building. I will check them out eventually, both are going with pizza and pasta menus.
 

jbindm

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Dec 2, 2010
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Des Moines
New places at 63rd and Grand and on Ingersoll opening up this year. Big time renovations on each building. I will check them out eventually, both are going with pizza and pasta menus.


The place on 63rd and Grand is called the Blue Tomato and I believe it was opened by the proprietors of Baru 66. It's been open for a few months now I think, but I have not been there yet. High expectations for it. The place on Ingersoll used to be a Blockbuster and last I heard din't have a name yet, but it's being opened by the owner of Alba. Pretty pumped for that one too. The patio they've built off the front of the building looks great.