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| Ricardo’s pizza even looks yummy. |
We were sitting at our favorite pizza place this summer, with my daughter and her two kids. My 2-½ year old granddaughter was happily eating mac and cheese while we had our pre-pizza salad, not a care in the world. Then the pizza arrived. Kapow! The mac and cheese was immediately pushed aside as she screamed “pizza!” and swung her arms and legs in excitement. Who wants boring ol’ mac and cheese when there’s pizza?
The question is, which is the best? A few months ago, Milwaukee Magazine published a list on this web site of what they believed to be the top pizza places in Milwaukee. They were conducting a reader’s poll to ultimately crown Milwaukee’s best pizza of 2011.
I was ready to participate. I love pizza. But of the 40 pizza places they included, my favorite wasn’t there. With all due respect, there were some really obscure places on the list, like Marchese’s Olive Pit on First Street – who would have dreamed that an Olive Pit would have pizza? I guess some people put olives on pizza, so if you were at Marchese’s you wouldn’t have to go too far to get your olives. Then there’s Doc’s Dry Dock (say that fast) in Pewaukee – I lived in Pewaukee for more than 5 years and I’d never heard of Doc’s. Doesn’t sound like a pizza place to me; maybe you can get a physical while you’re waiting. But I digress.
As the editors here pointed out in their introduction to the reader’s poll, “Everyone has their favorite spot to get pizza, the one place they swear has the ‘best pizza ever’!” I think they’re right. Pizza might be the most subjective food on earth.
So here’s Palmer’s Pizza Poll. Small sample, not really projectable but who cares, it’s my perspective.
The favorite by far is Ricardo’s. Admittedly it’s kind of off the beaten path, right in the little village in Greendale. But the pizza is perfect. They don’t do thin or thick or anything like that, its one crust, relatively thin but not too, the cheese and sauce are phenomenal and the toppings are fresh and tasty. As good as it gets.
And Riverfront Pizzeria on Erie St. along the river is just as good because Ricardo’s owns it and the pizza is virtually identical. Plus it’s on the river.
Ann’s in Hales Corners is right up there too. Their pizza is similar in texture to Ricardo’s and has great flavor. It’s a fun little place with a great wine list stuffed in between a bunch of car dealers, a very funky experience, especially in the summer when you’re on the patio and Holz is revving up a few Corvettes.
There are some that are just okay, including Joey Buona’s, Mama Mia’s, Balistreri’s, DeMarini’s, Marty’s. I don’t like Rocky Rococo’s, too heavy and greasy. Mia Famiglia in Hales Corners is virtually all dough, and has a scant amount of sauce. Go there for the patio and the pasta, and the really good wine pours, but stay away from the pizza.
And then there is Zaffiro’s. It won the “Best Of 2011” award. You’ve got to be kidding. Even the review says it has an “airy saltine base”. That’s not surprising because it tastes like a saltine. But clearly a ton of people like it so who am I to criticize?
Bottom line is that Milwaukee is a great pizza town. The pizza in here is incredibly diverse, mostly good, sometimes great, and usually interesting. I’d be interested to know if you have a favorite.
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On a lighter note, there are some fun ways to make ordering a take-out pizza as much fun as eating pizza.
· Tell the person on the phone, I’d like my pizza “medium rare”. There is always a long pause as they consider exactly how to do that.
· Then next time, ask for your pizza “shaken, not stirred”. They probably haven’t heard of James Bond so this will mean nothing to them.
· Ask what topping goes with an oaky Chardonnay. This actually might get a response.
· And this may really get them scratching their heads: tell them to cut the pizza into 4 pieces, that you’re not hungry enough for a full eight.
Noi amiamo la pizza!
