Pizza Delicious opens full-time

[midcity]

Pizza D opened its own restaurant on Piety Street last week. Went today and got a house salad and cheese pizza. Excellent as always. They were also featuring a few of their specialty pies, pasta and some interesting-looking desserts.

[sanglier]

Just curious, does PD stay pretty crowded at nite? As a comparison, I go to Maurepas Foods on a weekday at about 7 and have zero trouble getting a table. Is that a necessary strategy to avoid a wait at PD? Thanks.

[paz5559]

PD is far better than either Domenica or Ancora (IMHO), which I would put as no better than Tower.

If we are talking about great pop-ups, I just went to the Salty Swine last weekend at Vega Tapas, which was extra-ordinary. This weekend Dim Sum and Then Sum reappears.

[Hungry Celeste]

Finally went to PD last weekend. It's a nice NY slice, with a crunchy crust. Very limited choice of toppings, though. I did like the tiny little garlic knots. But I still like napoletana pizza better than NY 'za. It is nice to have so many styles to choose from these days.

And the high quality stuff atop Ancora and Domenica pies disqualify a mention of sketchy Tower in the same sentence.

[paz5559]

PD offers 20 pies on a rotating basis.

Toppings ought not to come into play when discussing pizza quality.

[nolala]

PD a few weeks ago...the sauce had absolutely no spiciness to it and the knots were way overdone. For consistency in the neighborhood, I'd rather go to Sugar Park. Good soups there, as well. For best quality, though, it's easily Domenica. And yes, toppings do matter.

[kibbles]

spiciness? what sort...? i ask because SP has spicy adobo sauce on some of its pies but i wouldnt expect that normally. i dont think PD sauce is very different than standard east-coast red pizza sauce...just the right balance of tangy and sweet.

bummer your knots were overdone. i suppose that can happen, but it certainly isnt the norm. thats one reason we dont go to SP very often -- they routinely bake their pizza such that the perimeter crust becomes a hard, snapable thing, like a baked breadsteak. i cant stand it, especially on a supposed NY-style pizza. since they do it every single time i guess its intentional, but it isnt agreeable with me.

i find PD's toppings style to be quite satisfactory -- on any given nite one can get a cheese, a pepperoni, or a margarrita (one of our favs), or one of the two specialty pies of the nite, which have their own toppings. these can be modified of course. the result is a set of basics and a set of well-developed "specials", serverd on a rotation. it's a nice variety and we dont find ourselves wishing for things it doesnt offer. but thats because we really like what they do.

[shanefink]

I’ve been to PD twice now and I love it. It is exactly like what we get in Brooklyn or Long Island. They’ve done a nice job. I will say that I enjoyed it more dining in than taking it home and eating it 45 minutes later, but I imagine that would be the case with just about any food.

[nolala]

I've been there three times. First two, spicy, third time, not at all spicy. Guess I just don't see what the big deal is about PD.

[kibbles]

do you like east coast pizza? asking in earnest. we have family on the east coast and really enjoy it, which is probably why we really like PD.

what sort of spiciness are you referring to in their sauce? not like Sugar Park's spicy adobo sauce, right?

[pizzajunkie]

is it byob?

[montuori]

They have a nice selection draft beer (though served in plastic). There's a list on their website: http://pizzadelicious.com

[kibbles]

i think theyre also served in glass -- i dont recall plastic on our visits. they have pitchers, too.

[montuori]

Cool! I've only had plastic but maybe it's because I look like I'm probably unsafe around breakables.

[noradeirdre]

We were there tonight- food was great. We ordered the puttanesca pie, the carbonara, and an amazing endive and butternut squash salad. Had cheese (tallegio?) and crushed pecans in the dressing. The desserts were small /simple but inventive and awesome. I fad a cardamom - coffee chocolate chip cookie and my husband had an ice cream sandwich composed of rosemary shortbread and olive oil gelato.

Beers were great and served in glasses. We ordered the Brooklyn Brewing "There Will Be Black" and a Sierra Nevada "Celebration" Ale.

Also, I am an almost 40-something who lives in the Irish Channel, if that is relevant for judging the clientele of the establishment. I love PD, Ancora, and Domenica and am happy to enjoy pizza from all of these places whenever I can.

[montuori]

If you liked their salads, you might want to keep an eye out for the NOLA Seoul popup (they were at Pravda on 19 Dec) ... it appears that the salad guy from PD is associated with the project. I was sad to have missed them at Pravda, but the Reveillon menu at Commander's was an acceptable excuse!

[kibbles]

i was sad to see what the new owners did to Pravda... it was such a nice dark, subdued place w/ the couches, lamps and red drapes.

the mood, staff, and clientele is so different there now i dont know why they even kept the name.

[noradeirdre]

I thought they changed the name to Peristroika.

[kibbles]

dunno, but a couple weeks ago it still had Pravda on the drink menu.

[N.O.Food]

HIPSTERS REJOICE!!!

[nolala]

The pizza is good, garlic knots are wonderful (though a little overdone most recently), and service is solid. But...I still don't get the East Coasters who rave about PD like it's the best thing ever. Domenica's pizza is still far better than PD.

[kibbles]

completely different products. domenica is neopolitan style, PD is classic east coast pie. theyre both best of breed.

[Hungry Celeste]

Domenica isn't properly neapolitan style....that would be Ancora.

[kibbles]

well, if we want to get picky...neither is Ancora, since they dont follow the measures required to get passed and listed by the AVPN:

http://anticapizzeria.net/vpn/members/members.html
http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/index_...

...this involves buying ingredients from italy, having the oven reviewed, and other guarantees. when i heard Ancora was opening i contacted the AVPN to ask if they were certifying them; they hadn't heard of it and its still not listed.

sounds strange but since ive been to those that have (and loved them) im always curious who does and doesnt.

[Hungry Celeste]

I did not assert that Ancora was VPN, only that it was neapolitan style. Frankly, I'd prefer a pizza with a chance of excellent local ingredients rather than an all-imported pie that slavishly adheres to a self-promoting trade group's standard. The obsession with doppio zero flour and canned San Marzanos can border on the ridiculous. You can get terrible pizza at a VPN certified joint if the person handling the pie/oven isn't adept; following the rules don't compensate for talent/expertise.

[kibbles]

perhaps, but ive only had excellent experiences at VPN spots.

im not sure which liberties Ancora takes from the standard, but i still find Domenica to be in the same style.

[Hungry Celeste]

Ancora's oven is much hotter--leading to the classic leopard spots on the crust and some real charring. Domenica's crust rarely shows true charred speckling, and its texture is more crisp-chewy than Domenica's crisp-tender. Hairsplitting, some might say, but no more squidgy than listening to drinkers drone on about housemade bitters.

[kibbles]

maybe it's just chance? ive gotten quite a bit of char at Domenica, and in fact there was a lady on here not long ago complaining about her Domenica pizza being burned due to the char....

[nolala]

But I don't care that one is east coast and one is neopolitan. I'm merely comparing them and stating which is the best. Domenica's is easily the best in town, and places like Sugar Park and Pizza Delicious are the second tier. I haven't been to Ancora.

[montuori]

Ah, but not when it's raining and you want a pizza delivered.

[nolala]

What you are willing to accept in a pinch is a totally different situation than which is the best. The whole NY or Neapolitan thing is silly. It's like types of gumbo. There are different types of gumbo, but when it comes down to it, people rank restaurants for "gumbo" period, not for which ones have okra and which ones have file. Just gumbo. In the same way, it's just pizza. Pizza Delicious is 2nd best in town, in my opinion. No shame in that.

[kibbles]

it would be completely reasonable to say Restaurant X has the best *seafood* gumbo, while Restaurant Y has the best *andouille* gumbo.

or any variation of anything. say, chicken, or fish. is the best fried chicken/fish offering the same or different than a haute preparation at a fine dining restaurant? different, id say, and worth sub-categorizing.

[nolala]

Kibbles, respectfully, what you call "completely reasonable" and "sub-categorizing" is probably no more than naval-gazing transpotting specificity.

[kibbles]

somebody's a little cranky today. tips not looking so good?

[nolala]

That's fine, but you're in the distinct minority from what I hear around the city. Most of the PD ravers are those in their 20s who live in Bywater .

[kibbles]

@nolala - your noted dislike for Bywater is perplexing (eg, your distaste for Maurepas, where again you chastise it for so-called hipster harboring), and is probably a deeply personal issue.

heres somebody who isnt a 20-year-old Bywater kid -- my father, who made pizza for a living in Brooklyn. he feels they nailed it, tho the cheese could be a little gooier.

is that a "valid" enough subjective opinion for you? or are you the sole issuer of such things...?

[nolala]

You're riding the slippery slope. There's no demonstrated "dislike for Bywater." I live in Bywater and love it. I just think that Maurepas is overrated, Elizabeth's appears to have lost it, and Pizza Delicious is secondary to Domenica. I could just as easily have raved about The Joint, Bacchanal, or Satsuma, but they weren't the subjects. Simple as that.

[Hungry Celeste]

It's sad that Elizabeth's has lost it.

[Gizmo56]

HC, Elizabeth's made a very fine breakfast when I was there in August.

Note that nolala does not recount any direct experience, but merely contends that Elizabeth's "appears" to have lost it, whatever that means.

[nolala]

Deep breath...gizmo, I have no desire to revisit this, only that you can enjoy your meals at places like Elizabeth's, Mother's, Fiorella's and wherever else makes you happy. C'mon, though, everybody who lives here and eats here (generalizing, of course) knows their glory days are in the past.

[Gizmo56]

Glad that "everybody" in New Orleans has nominated you as your spokesperson.

On Chowhound, individual persons describe specific experiences that they have actually had at restaurants under discussion. That is far more useful than persons who speak in vague generalities,

I have never talked about Mother's or Fiorella's. I have described a pleasant recent meal at Elizabeth's. Many who "lives and here and eats here" like Elizabeth's, which can be verified by a search on this board.

Perhaps one day you will describe an actual experience with a meal that you have eaten in a restaurant, in detail, in a positive or negative way. That is the sort of post that is useful for other diners.

Merry Christmas.

[nolala]

Really...there's no need for petulance. "Vague generalities" of the sort like "Mena's Palace is bland and a waste of time" or that "Prime Grille really seems to be struggling right out of the gate" are succinct and informative. Reading between the lines is not that difficult.

I don't get the struggle that a few have about propping up Elizabeth's. I live in the neighborhood. Again, I live in New Orleans. I'm not a visitor who posts on the forum of a city in which I don't live. I wish their food was better, but I'd rather walk farther and go to the new Ruby Slipper, which has good service, solid food and no wait if you show up early enough.

[kibbles]

Ruby Slipper isnt that great, either. it's overpriced breakfast fare and (equally overpriced) mimosas. their most famous signature dish (the crabcake egg dish Brett Anderson praised in his review of the original location) isnt even on the regular menu at the two new locations.

when it comes to a high-quality breakfast in the neighborhood, nothing beats Satsuma for us.

[nolala]

Midcity, respectfully, what you're describing sounds like comfort food for the sake of nostalgia. Shaky theory for culinary quality, though, right?

[kibbles]

> I'm merely comparing them and stating which is the best.

hmm, well then i counter your argument with: "But I think PD is better than Domenica." boom.

[midcity]

Well, if, like me, you grew up in the Northeast eating PD-style pizza every week and hadn't had any decent Northeast-style pizza here before PD opened, you might get it too. I get PD because I really like it, but also because it tastes like Friday nights after football games and childhood sleepovers with my friends, some of whom I now go years without seeing. Domenica's really good too, but they are so different that I wouldn't really consider going to one if I were hungry for the other.

As for gumbo, I find that, no matter how good the restaurant versions are, most people I know say their Mawmaw makes the best gumbo anyway.

[noradeirdre]

So excited to go!

[kibbles]

yep weve tried it a couple of times as well. like you say, as good as ever.