Buttitta’s Pizzeria
12664 East 116th Street
Fishers, Indiana 46037
http://www.buttittaspizzeria.com

This review is a revisit for the blog but a first visit for me after IndianapolisEater reviewed Buttitta’s back in April of 2012. IndianpolisEater made the comment that after trying one of Buttitta’s specialty pizzas, he would have like a more traditional pizza better. In this revisit, I went to Buttitta’s seeking good traditional pizza a step above what you might get at a chain pizza place.

Buttitta’s is the closest place to my home to get pizza, so my plan was to stop and pick up on my way home from work on a Friday. I called at 4:30 to place an order and got now answer or recording. After arriving home and going to their web page, I found that they do not open on until 5PM and close for an Italian rest break in the afternoon from 2:30-5:00. Do they really get more orders at 2PM on a Friday that 4:30? It took extra effort to go back out on a Friday night to make this pizza experience happen.

What I Got: Large (16″) Pizza; $14.95, with sausage, pepperoni & mushrooms at $1.25 a topping. The Total cost with tax $20.24

When I arrived to pick up my order, I saw a sign on their window that said something to the order of come in and taste the difference of our pizza vs. chain pizza. The high expectations had been set. Considering that the cost for this three topping pizza was twice that of a supreme at a chain store, the pizza needed to live up to the hype including high quality ingredients. Fresh mushrooms are a must to me when ordering a pizza I had no doubt this pizza had fresh mushrooms. The crust was good and firm which is always appreciated on a thin crust pizza. That sauce was not sweet and loaded with sugar and had a more rich tomato taste to it. Although this gave the pizza a solid base, I did not like how much crust there was and want to see my sauce and cheese come out nearly to the edge of the pizza. With such a big crust, the pizza felt more like a medium. It was a large pizza box but the pizza certainly did not fill the box.

The real problem with this pizza was the toppings. Where were they? If you look at the picture, it is hard to differentiate between the chunks of sausage and the mushrooms but there was not a piece of pizza with more than three pieces of sausage with some have only two or one. It is bad when you are counting toppings to decide what piece you are going to eat. The mushrooms were spread so thin that you on occasionally got a taste of mushroom on the pizza. Nearly half the pizza did not have cheese. Between the large crust and nearly two in of pizza next to the crust where you only see sauce, this pizza had half the cheese it should have. Cheese preserves the sauce and as a result, this pizza was dry unless you were eating the portion from the middle of the pie.

What I Got: Breadsticks (8) Pizza; $5.00 + and additional $.50 for cheese.

Buttitta’s has coupons on www.coupons4indy.com and I got these breadsticks for free with the coupon and I paid for the cheese cup. Maybe I should not complain, but the when I called and ordered, I was asked what kind of dip I wanted and cheese was one of the choices I was given. The employee taking my order did not tell me there was an additional charge for anything besides pizza sauce. I don’t mind paying if I am told there is an additional cost. The cheese I got was cold and tasted like it was straight out of a can.
The breadsticks I got are not what I would qualify as breadsticks. They should have been called garlic sticks. Don’t get me wrong, I like garlic, but these sticks, which seemed to be some kind of whole wheat or multi-grain sticks, were absolutely coated in what seemed like a pasty butter to hold on chunks of garlic. It was overpowering and I did not like the texture or taste.

Would I Buy It Again? Absolutely Not! Many places, I am willing to give a second chance to but this place was so far off target and the cost being twice as much as chain pizza and not being as good was a complete disappointment. The difference I tasted was not a good one. You can get much better breadsticks for $3.99 a block away at HotBox Pizza. As for the pizza, if you want a great thin crust pizza that is of high quality and loaded with toppings and plentiful cheese in the same price range, check out these two reviews I did at Greek’s and Nancy’s Pizza in Fishers.

-EatHSE

Giordano’s
http://www.giordanos.com/

Food in Chicago is a battle between the million hot dog/gyro/beef joints versus a very progressive food scene with superstar chefs.  To be honest, I am glad that both exist and continue to thrive.   However, if you ask anyone that has a clue what kind of food Chicago is known for, they will say pizza or Chicago dogs.   Both are some of the most awesome things you can cram in your gullet.

In my opinion, Giordano’s is the epitome of Chicago Style pizza.  Uno is a chain whore.  Gino’s East has a crust that tastes like cornbread to me.  Sure there are others in the city and some of them are quite good, but Giordano’s is the king.

What I Ate:   Medium stuffed pizza with Sausage and pepperoni; $23.00.

The most awesome part about this review is….this was my lunch order.  Yes, I was alone.

For those of you that are not familiar, Chicago style is kind of upside down.   From top to bottom:  meat, cheese and then sauce.  You have to plan accordingly because it takes about 35 minutes for the pizza to bake after you order it.  Don’t try to pick it up, this is a fork and knife pizza.  In my opinion, it’s the only acceptable fork and knife pizza.  If you eat regular pizza with a fork and knife, you are either a grandma or a snooty prep.

When they deliver it to your table, they scoop a piece out and the cheese is dangling from the slice to the plate and they have to cut it on the side of your plate with a spatula.  Words cannot explain how much cheese is on this.   In all reality, it is really an unacceptable amount.   The toppings were of good quality, and I really like their sauce.  A sprinkle of oregano and red pepper flakes really bring it to life.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes.  It is one of the most awesome foods in the country.  So basic, yet so good.  I have been going to Giordano’s for a long time while on the way to concerts and Bulls games growing up.  At this point, I feel like I would be letting my family down if I was in Chicago and didn’t go to Giordano’s.

I have to admit though, ordering that much food at lunch was asinine.  I had a ton of leftovers, therefore ate it in my hotel anytime I thought I was hungry.  I think that I gained four pounds from this pizza.  However, it was worth the time at the gym.

-wibia

Maria’s Pizza
1106 Prospect Street
Indianapolis, Indiana  46203
http://www.mariasoriginalpizza.com

Maria’s Pizza is located in historic Fountain Square.   They have been open since 1955, so I figured that they must be doing something right.   Pre-show to see The Healing Sixes at Radio Radio, I decided to stop by and give it a try.

It was a Friday night and they had a piano player and a sax player knocking out jazz standards.  I was digging that, and it’s a nice touch for a pizza joint.  Tables were scattered around and there were a few couches by the fireplace as well.  It seemed like there is a better seating arrangement to fit more people in.  The place was pretty much full.

What I Ate:  Medium Sausage and Pepperoni.  I can’t remember the price specifically, but it was around $12-$13 range.

The pizza took 45 minutes to arrive.  Plus, Maria’s does not serve alcohol.  It is a rare occasion that I am out on a Friday night and there is not a drink in my hand for 45 minutes straight.  Tragic.  They were apologetic that it took so long and kind about the wait.

Toppings were strategically placed on the pizza.  The sausage was tasty and didn’t feel like the normal mass produced chain sausage.  The pepperoni was buried between the cheese and dark red sauce.  Nothing special there.  The crust was thin, but not foldy/bendy like NY Style.  It was flaky/buttery and stiff-ish with very little bend.  Not my favorite type of crust by any means.

Would I Buy It Again?  Probably not.  It surely wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t anything that I would travel for.  I liked the jazz duo and the place was homey and friendly, I just didn’t love the pizza.  Based on the audience and the recommendation from a friend, there are plenty of people that enjoy the pizza here and it is surely worth a try.

-wibia

NY Slice Food Truck
Location varies
https://www.facebook.com/TheNySlice

I am always really excited when I see a new food truck.  I spent a good amount of time in Portland, Oregon where there are a ton of food trucks.  My understanding of the mission of a food truck is to have a narrower focus and do that really well.  Sure, there are some that offer a wide variety of items, but it seems like everyone of them has a hook.  NY style pizza is a big enough hook to get me excited.  I am a big fan of NY style pizza and Brozinni’s is the only place in town that does it well.  Let’s see if we can add another one.

What I Ate:  Pepperoni; $3.00.  Sausage and pepperoni; $3.25.  Garlic Knots; $3.50.

The pepperoni slice wasn’t all that bad.  You can get a nice fold out of it, I liked the sauce and I thought that it was an honest size for the price.  Good coverage on the toppings as well.  The slice of sausage and pepperoni was considerably smaller and the amount of toppings on the pizza is embarrassing.  The garlic knots were very doughy and extremely bland.  The cheese sauce was the straight out of the can variety.  I feel like I should be writing more, but it was pretty straight forward pizza.

Would I Buy It Again?  No.  I love the idea, but execution needs a good amount of work.  The pepperoni was good, but if I have $3 in my pocket and I want a slice of pizza, Brozinni’s is still my go to.  It pains me to write this as I fully support the food truck scene, but take the food truck experience out and this pizza is forgettable.

-wibia

Napolese
114 East 49th St
Indianapolis, Indiana 46205
http://www.cafepatachou.com

Napolese has been around for a little while and it has been a place that I have always wanted to try.   I love pizza and I really enjoy pizza done well.   Knowing the level of detail and focus that goes into Patachou, I was really looking forward to this.

What I Ate: Side Focaccia ($3), Side Tomato Sauce ($2) and Hamaker Pizza ($14).

Having my two year old with me, I wanted to get him something to nosh on while we wait.  If not, he can turn into a diva at times.  The focaccia was bad.  Strips of what appeared to be pizza dough where some of them were saturated with oil and others with dry as a cracker.   However, I liked the sauce.  Plain, light on seasoning just like I enjoy it.  For $5 total, this was not very good at all.

The Hamaker is sausage, pepperoni and mushroom.  This is my favorite three topping combo, so I had to give it a try.  The pizza looked good when it was delivered, but  that is where the story ends.   I liked that the mushrooms were left whole on the pizza and they had a little bite to them.  The sausage was okay, but I tend to like a fennel-y sausage more than this versions.   What I didn’t like is the pepperoni.   There were two long slices there were difficult to chew and navigate.   The worst part was the crust because I couldn’t eat it with my hands.  I think the amount of meats pushed enough oil to the crust that you couldn’t pick this up.

When I ate my leftovers the next day, I put it in the toaster over to crisp the crust and I thought it was a lot better.   To be honest, I should’ve sent it back, but that wouldn’t have fixed the pepperoni problem.   However, sending back pizza  is difficult to do wait for another when your kid is ready to jet.

Would I Buy It Again?   I really don’t know.  I can only imagine that this was poor execution.  The quality of the ingredients was there, I liked their red sauce and it was a cool place.   And, if I am ever in the mood to trap a Meridian-Kessler Cougar, this place is like shooting fish in the barrel.

I will give it another try and report back.

-wibia

Monical’s Pizza
12501 North Meridan Street
Carmel, Indiana  46032
http://www.monicalspizza.com/

As mentioned before, I would go to Roselli’s Pizza Buffet with a pal of mine about twice a month.  I love it there.  Great food, service and a good place to chill and grab a few slices.  My partner in crime changed jobs and works in a different area now so we are looking for a new pizza buffet home.

What I Ate:  Pizza Buffet; ~$7.00.

Walking into the joint, I thought it was generally nice digs for a pizza place.  It is actually pretty big on the inside.  Taking a look at the buffet, I had my concerns.  It seemed like it was an afterthought because of the way it was built into the wall.  I had my doubts early.  Also, they have servers there for drink service.  To be honest, she was nice, but I thought that it was annoying that looking for a quick cheap lunch that I have to tip someone out.  Put a soda machine by the pizza and problem solved.

Also, the pizza buffet was just pizza.  No salads, pasta, breadsticks…nothing!  All the pizzas were single topping which was annoying as well.  Part of me wanted to take an entire pepperoni pizza just so I can peel off the pepperoni and then put it on my sausage pizza and leave the rest behind just to prove a point.

As far as the taste, it was better than it looked.  The crust was a little hard and cracker for me as I prefer a softer crust.  There was a lot of Italian seasoning on the pizza, which I thought took away from the ingredients on the pie.  However, it needed more flavor than sparsely placed pepperoni, so it was welcomed.  They had a deep dish type pizza (2nd pic on the right) there that I like more than the thin crust.  It barely showed up on the buffet, but it just okay.

Would I Buy It Again?  Nope.  I didn’t enjoy the pizza, I didn’t like that there was only one topping pizzas and I didn’t like the absence of a salad bar.  Maybe I have it wrong, there were a good amount of people there, so someone likes it.

-wibia

Little Caesar’s Pizza
http://www.littlecaesars.com/

I love this concept.  On the way home from work and need to pick up something to feed hungry bellies that doesn’t cost much, this is a workable choice.   Pizza size is 14″, costs $5.00 and Pepperoni is always an option.  Some stores also have other options like Ultimate Supreme, Hula Hawaiian and 3 Meat Treat, but you’ll have to call your local store for availability.

What I Got:  Hot-N-Ready Pepperoni Pizza; $5.00.

The pizza is really bland.  Sauce, crust and even the pepperoni is pretty bland.  However, sprinkle some Italian Seasoning or Oregano and Red Pepper flakes on it and it turns out to be quite edible.  Outside of that, this is just a typical pizza and there’s nothing remarkable.

Would I Buy It Again?  I am really torn here.   It is a 10+ on the value scale.  It is a lot better than most frozen pizzas and about as much as a combo meal from a fast food joint.  However, on taste alone, it is probably a 5/10.  The most average inoffensive pizza that you could have.   Because of that, it’s a good choice when you need to feed a couple of kids.  

-wibia

The Deal Decoder segment brought me to this pizza.   Large pizza with two toppings for $5.99.  I have been on a major pizza kick lately and for $6, I figured why not.  Plus, the new recipe came out in January 2010 (our initial review) and this is my first time trying it.

What I Ate: Large pizza with sausage and pepperoni; $5.99.

On the way home, I noticed a pretty strong garlic smell coming from the box and I was looking forward to giving it a try.  Upon opening the box, it looked like any other chain pizza.  I noticed a few gaps were there appeared to be very little cheese or sauce.  The crust was pretty chewy and I prefer a little more crisp on the bottom.  However, it did appear as if it was cooked to what they intended to do.  I tasted very little sauce, so I can’t really comment on if it added anything to the equation.  The sausage was nothing to talk about and pepperoni was a little bland as well.

What I liked a lot is the garlic seasoning that is around the crust.  It is gluttonously buttery and pretty tasty really.   I know that it was an unnecessary touch, but I thought that it added a lot of flavor to a pretty bland pizza.

Would I Buy It Again?  For $6.00, Sure – only because it is the best $6.00 pizza that I have ever had. Considering that it is only $1.00 more than a Hot ‘N Ready from Little Caesars (keep in mind only one topping on the Hot ‘N Ready), I thought that the Domino’s pizza tasted better and was a better value.  I would also say that it is better than most frozen pizzas at that price point.  Based on taste alone, I like it better than Papa John’s, Jack’s and Hot Box.  This is the first time that I have had a Domino’s pizza in more than a year and it was better than I expected.

-wibia