Thin-crust pizza in Raleigh?

[AlwaysHungry_16]

Just got back from a trip to Boston where we had pizza from Upper Crust in Beacon Hill. Great, super thin crust with a light, homemade tomato sauce. And fresh spinach.

All the pizza around here, and I've lived here for years, is too thick. Anyone had good pizza with a thin crust?

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Upper Crust
1702 US Highway 17, Richmond Hill, GA 31324

[yahooer]

Bella Mia is the place. One bite and WOW, this is it. Great flavor. Great crust. We had the Margherita with tomato sauce, cheese and basil. Also had an order of meatballs cooked in the coal oven. Perfection. Pretty place. Good service. Want a pizza? Head to Cary. Last time we were there, I noticed a sign saying they have a lunch special - pizza and a salad for $9.00. I'll see you there.

[rockycat]

This pizza may be good, but $9 for a lunch "special?" Doesn't sound too special to me. I can get 2 slices and a drink for $5 or $6 at Fuggedaboutit or, for that matter, have an heirloom tomato BLT with sides at 18 Seaboard for about $8. If this is what constitutes a deal in Cary I'll stay in Raleigh.

In this economy a $9 pizza lunch is definitely not special. I don't think you'll be seeing me there anytime soon.

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18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604

[dinersaurus]

Bella Mia is a very different animal from Fuggedaboutit. The quality is much, much higher. The crust really makes the pizzas there. And, the pizzas haven't been sitting out for hours before someone throws them in the oven. $5 for a couple slices is too much at Fuggedaboutit, but $9 at Bella Mia sounds good to me.

[chazzer]

What do you get for the $9.00 special, is it just a slice or is it an individual pizza, and what type of salad?

[RonboNC]

Gosh, I was at Bella Mia and I think I totally forgot about my salad! The $9 special two weeks ago was a choice of a margherita pizza, panini or calzone.. Not sure if it's changed but might have...

[spitfire.girl]

The best in Raleigh is I Love NY Pizza on Hillsborough by NC State. ILNY Pizza reminds me of home. Pizza by the slice, and one slice will fill you (I'm a medium-to-big eater). White pizza, veggies, spinach, sausage, great toppings.

I'm from NY, but been all over, experienced all sorts of disappointing pizza hype. The worst being a pie-crust pizza that is loved in Maryland (Ledo's) - blech. If it doesn't have yeast in it, it's not pizza.

Ruckus is OK, good thin crust, but slices are not as large as ILNY and also the toppings are skimpy. My spinach slice was pulled off a cheese pizza, 2 or 3 baby spinach leaves slapped on, and heated.

[sisterbeer]

I like J&S in Apex and Fuquay. The old man that operates the original location in Apex is from northern NJ. He uses the typical pizza oven that you find in places around NJ. There are a few seats there, but it's mostly take out. He does sell by the slice. It's a good pie with a great crust, imo.
The second location is run by younger relatives of his, and is geared more towards sit-down, and has a bigger menu. The non-pizza options are hit and miss (imo, they use entirely the wrong kind of ham for a cold sub, for example) but the pizza there is as good as in Apex. Thin crust, good quality cheese, good sauce. It's my favorite outside of home.

[burgeoningfoodie]

Okay I finally checked out Bella Mia last night. Here is my short review of the place having had the margherita with mushrooms.

Pros
They do take out despite them wanting to be more sit down casual
Pizza taste good
Fresh ingredients (especially basil)
Interior of the place looks nice

Cons
Flimsy crust (end crust was tough). Now before you start getting up in arms about this I will say the charcoal flavor was nice, but I'm sorry the crust should not be that tough or flimsy for the rest of the pie.
Charcoal Shmarcoal while it does add a unique taste (for this area) and gives some blister to the crust.. the pizzas still need better crust or be cooked a tad longer. It's like barbque. You can cook it over coals or wood, but ify ou don't cook it right.. it won't be good.
Slices - four slices.. I feel like it should have been sliced into eighths. Not only will it go farther, but you won't unintentionally eat as much (necessarily).

I'm not going to argue price point given that is in Cary. I believe Rockwood Filling Station charged about as much for their pies as well. Despite there being more cons than pros, I'd still try another pie from their place. It is different for the area and I don't know how new they are exactly, but hopefully my experience was something of an inconsistency.

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Rockwood Filling Station
2512 University Dr, Durham, NC 27707

[mball]

Bell Mia, the only place to eat Pizza in the Raleigh area. You feel like you are in NYC. Go, don't run, it is simply the best! Thanks for bringing pizza to our area. I have not had pizza this good since my last trip to NYC.

[grafiks]

Bella Mia Coal Fired Pizza, 2025 Renaissance Park Place
Cary, NC 27513
[phone]
Excellent Pizza and great service. If you are ever in the area, give it a try.

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Park Place Restaurant
10517 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28210

[raleighboy]

I love when people don't read previous posts to learn that pretty much this whole discussion has been Bella Mia-centric thus far.

[TerryG]

Huh? Not so.

[dinersaurus]

Another thumbs up for Bella Mia. This is now number 1 on my local pizza list. Very nice crust, nice crisp, blistered a bit, good flavor. Reminded me of pie I had in Italy with the good crisp on the ends and a wee bit limp in the middle. Might prefer the red sauce at Piola a little bit more, but overall Bella Mia makes the better pie.

Also had a couple of good salads. They've got a decent selection of wines by the glass and a few offerings for a mere $4.50. It was a bit swankier than I expected. I expected more of a pizza parlor vibe rather than the upscale, yet still casual, decor.

[burgeoningfoodie]

Seems that Bella Mia on Harrison in Cary near Bonefish Grill and An is going to be big soon enough.. See Varmintbite's article below

http://varmintbites.com/2010/06/30/co...

[rafeco]

Had dinner at Bella Mia last Thursday. It was ridiculously good. We had the Margherita, the pizza with broccoli rabe and sausage, and the pizza with fresh prosciutto and arugula. All three were perfect.

I have a hard time describing the crust other than to say that it was not chewy at all, in a good way. The toppings were simple and excellent. It was a great meal.

[RonboNC]

When you say thin-crust do you mean NY style or are you looking for more of a cracker type crust? I'm guessing you're thinking of basic neapolitan if you're talking about Boston. My faves in Raleigh/Cary are Fuhgeddaboudit and NY Pizza. Dominic's, Bada Bing and Casalinga are also decent. And there's a brand new place in Cary called Bella Mia that's doing coal-fired thin crust. Definitely need to check it out.

I've got more details on my blog but don't want to post link since I'm not sure if they're ok with it here on Chowhound...

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Fuhgeddaboudit
7321 Six Forks Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615

[Fu Dee]

Pizza Italia and is very good, as are their Steak subs. Brixx and Stromboli's are not bad. Pioli was thin but not cooked well on my only visit. Fuhgeddaboudit is my favorite.

All these places are a little inconsistent, depending on who made the dough and who cooked it. I made dough and thousands of pizzas as a teeneager working for a mom and pop joint in D.C. Making really good pies is an art.

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Pizza Italia
6405 Westgate Rd, Raleigh, NC 27617

Fuhgeddaboudit
7321 Six Forks Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615

[raleighboy]

Bella Mia is definitely something special. Imported ingredients, local produce, humanely treated animals, all that fun stuff. The only caveat would be that its a tad expensive- about $13 on average for a 12 inch pizza. The wings (also cooked in the coal fire oven- marinated with rosemary and served with caramelized onions, are the best I've ever had)

[RonboNC]

Alright, great to hear that they're doing pizza right at Bella Mia! The wings sound awesome too. If it makes you feel any better, I paid $25 for a large sausage pizza ($5/slice) at DiFara's in Brooklyn. But in all honesty, it was totally worth it!

[rockycat]

And I've had a night where two of us dropped $50 at Totonno's. You can't compare Dom's or Totonno's to anywhere else. One, because they really are that good and, two, all the hype associated with them. They can get away with it *because* they are Di Fara's and Totonno's. They'd have a lot of trouble getting away with those prices anywhere else. It's not a fair comparison.

[rockycat]

Pizza Italia on Westgate and Fuggedaboutit on Six Forks. Both have their good days and bad days, like any authentic pizzeria, but when they hit it - especially Pizza Italia - the crust is great. Both are NY-style, neither are "gourmet." Fuggetabouit is has a few more creative options, Pizza Italia is old-school traditional.

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Pizza Italia
6405 Westgate Rd, Raleigh, NC 27617

[TerryG]

Bella Monica on Duraleigh & Edwards Mill and Vivace on Lassiter Mill Rd (North Hills) both specialize in thin crust pizza. A bit more upscale than those suggested so far but pizzas are reasonable. I think either of these would be more what you are looking for and they are NOT chains.

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Bella Monica Restaurant
3121 Edwards Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC 27612

Vivace
4209 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh, NC 27609

[meatn3]

My favorite thin crust pizza is Capital Creations. It is pickup or delivery - no dining in. Very good, creative combination's, quality ingredients.

In the past I had some very good pies at The Point. Then the quality and service became erratic to the point that we just stopped going. Might be worth a try if you catch them on the upswing. When they were at the top of their game they were great!

[cackalackie]

I haven't been there yet - but it looks like this new place at North Hills, Piola, might fit the bill:

http://www.piola.it/food.php?menu_num...

It's a chain - but it's a chain direct from Italy. It's across the street from North Hills, where the new Harris Teeter is. It looks really cool. I'm anxious to check it out.

[dinersaurus]

Piola does do thin crusts, and they're pretty good. They have a wide selection of pizzas including a few Napoli style options. I wasn't as impressed with these as I was with some of the Napoli-style pie slingers in DC with the Napoli certifications and whatnot. But, I would go back. And the wine prices are very good - $5 for a decent Montepulciano or Chianti. Their crusts have a nice flavor and crispness to them.

[cackalackie]

That's good to hear. I'm anxious to check it out. Looks like nice salad and carpaccio options as well.