Pizza

New York Style Pizza in Tampa

On my most recent visit to Tampa, I wanted to check out some New York Style pizza places.  I tried two new ones-- East Coast Pizza in Riverview (photos above) and Eddie & Sam's in the downtown area (photos below.)

 

I really enjoyed my slice at East Coast (rated 4.0 of 5) but you can see from the photo that is wasn't exactly a "large slice."  Eddie and Sam's (4.5 of 5), I thought, was better, and the slice was bigger.  

As I was coming into the downtown area, I saw the giant Italian flag above Eddie and Sam's and I knew I was going to be pleased, and I definitely was not disappointed.  

Incidentally, I was in Tampa to pick up some friends at the airport.  After picking them up we headed to Clearwater and they both said they were hungry and would like a slice of pizza.  So where did we end up?  Mike's Pizza & Deli in Clearwater, of course! 

 

Pizza at Bella Napoli in Port Charlotte, FL

PIcked up a couple large cheese pies from Bella Napoli.  Came to my parents house to watch the South Carolina Gamecocks play the Florida Gators.

Madonna's Outrageous Claim: "I Never Had a Slice of New York Pizza"

I've never been a big fan of Madonna's but I've always been intrigued by here ability to stir up a big controversy and get press.  Well, she's done it again and this time it regards a topic very important to me.    On David Letterman recently, she claimed that she had never eaten a slice of New York Pizza. 

According to her Wikipedia article, she lived in New York City for at least 5 years beginning in 1977.  Now tell me, what kind of person would or could live in NYC for 5 years and never have a slice?  This is outrageous!  She is either a bald-faced liar or she is some kind of FREAK!   Which is it, we may never know, but in the meantime, once again, Madonna has made headlines.  You can check out the Letterman clip below...

Looking for New York Style Pizza in Tampa

I am heading back to the Tampa area again.  I am looking for good New York Style pizza in the Tampa  / St. Pete / Clearwater area.   I haven't even blogged all my findings from the last visit yet, and I'm going back for more.

Got any ideas for me? 

Someone suggested CBD's in Tampa but after looking at their menu (click here) I'm not so sure.

Send me your ideas! 

 

Pizza - 3 Meals in One Day in Clearwater / St. Petersburg Florida

I did it.  Three meals in one day.  Pizza for every meal.

I didn't plan it, it just happened.  It started at Mike's Pizza & Deli where I picked up some breakfast pizza.  As noted previously, that was yummy.  For lunch, it was Sardo's over in Largo.   

When it was time for dinner I thought about my options, and decided to try two more pizza places:  Zeko's Pizzeria on Gulf-to-Bay and George's on Belcher.  Zeko's was not bad.  George's I would not recommend.  I would not consider either of them New York Style.  

Sardos in Largo - You Want Some %$@*#in' Pizza?

While in the Clearwater / St. Petersburg area of Florida, the subject of pizza came up, and one of my colleagues, Steve, asked me what kind of pizza  I liked.  "New York Style," I said.  

He looked at me quizically.  "What does that mean?  How do you know if it's the right kind?" 

I then proceeded to enumerate the Sliker Rating Scale:

"It has to be thin crust," I said.   "Check," he responded.

"It has to have pizza by the slice."   "Check." 

"Large slices."  "Check."  (Excitement was building.  We were 3 for 3.)

"Traditional pizza ovens.  No conveyer belts."   "Check. Check." 

"They have Sicilian.  Square slices."   "Yeah, I think so." 

"Run by Italians."   "Definitely."

"Red & Green or Italy in the theme or name."  "Check." 

"Pizza or Pizzeria in the name."   "Check.   I think we've got a match." 

Pizza or Pizzeria in Title (Spelled Correctly) (5%)

If you see Pizzeria spelled with two a's in it (ie, Pizzaria), RUN AWAY.

Red & Green & Italian Theme (5%)

I realize this has nothing to do with the pizza, but trust me-- this is a good sign of a good pizza place. 

Large Slices (10%)

A large pizza (18-20") should be sliced into 8 slices max.  What's up with these places that cut their pizzas into 10 or 12 slices, or maybe even more? 

A medium pie should be sliced into 6 slices max.

Thin Crust Pizza (40%)

This might seem redundant or overly obvious, but the place has got to have pizza that is made in the New York style, which to me means a thin crust.  Ultimately it’s all about the pizza, right?

Syndicate content