Pizza paradise: I ordered two slices, got two pies
Celebrating Iowa pizza: When a dream becomes a saucy reality
Even a dedicated pizza fanatic like me has his limits.
This past week was National Pizza Week, and I intended to celebrate. But when I stopped at Big Grove Brewery & Taproom in Des Moines, I ended up with more than I could chew.
Big Grove offers a special on Wednesdays. The pizza pop up known as Benny’s Red Top serves tasty Detroit style concoctions by the piece and 12-slice pie. For those unfamiliar with this type, it involves a thick, pastry-like crust, chewy and crispy edges, Wisconsin brick cheese and a layer of sauce on top.
I picked a seat at the bar and ordered one slice of Italian sausage and a slice of cheese pizza. Plenty to fill me up, right? As the wait grew longer and longer, I wondered if I’d get my dinner.
My eyes widened as I saw several kitchen employees carry two large, heavy duty kitchen pans walk toward me, giggling a bit. I realized what this meant: My supper had been super sized.
It was more than I could stomach.
The server who took my order explained that it was a mistake, and that I’d be charged the two slice price. (Kudos to the Big Grove crew.)
I ended up devouring three slices at the restaurant and contacting two big families to share the pan-style bonanza. For the next few days, I munched and microwaved. A pizza paradise, to be sure.
This is the latest chapter in my love affair with pizza. I grew up in the Des Moines area, enjoying family feasts on Happy Joe’s taco pizza and Felix & Oscar’s thick pan style. I rode shotgun with my thin crust-loving dad on trips downtown to pick up a pie from Babe’s. Shakey’s on Hickman was a treat, and a family vacation visit in an Indianapolis location resulted in a family birthday joke that has persisted for nearly 50 years.
Pizza has been a favorite in Iowa since before I was born. There’s something special about that mix of cheese, meats and veggies on a platter of baked dough.
In college, I enjoyed Pizza Pit slices with extra sauce and dipped Great Plains Sauce & Dough Co.’s wheat crust in honey. Godfather’s and Pizza Hut were Des Moines-area hangouts when I was a teenager.
As an adult, I developed a passion for late night visits to Big Tomato Pizza and Fong’s. Chuck’s, Gusto, Noah’s Ark, Scornovacca’s and Centro are favorites, and I miss local classics like La Pizza House and Mama Lacona’s.
Work and leisure travels have taken me to Mabe’s in Decorah, George’s in Pella, Leon’s in Webster City.
My fellow food fanatics George Formaro and Jim Duncan wrote brief chapters on Des Moines-area pizza legends in a book, “Where to Eat Pizza.”
A slice from Brooklyn, N.Y. (John Naughton photo.)
Our state has a special place in culinary history when it comes to pizza chains. Among them:
*Happy Joe’s, founded in 1972 in Bettendorf, is credited with creation of the taco pizza.
*Casey’s, a chain notably known for breakfast pizza, has sold pies since the mid-1980s.
*Pizza Ranch, which began in 1981 in Hull, has become a popular pizza (and chicken!) buffet in at least 15 states.
*Breadeaux Pizza opened in Corning in 1985 and is now in five states.
Pizza: Stacked with memories, tradition, innovation — a slice of fun to share with family and friends.
May all your pizza dreams come true.
Your pizza bonanza was surely a harbinger of blessings, prosperity and culinary happiness to come in 2023! Fun walk down pizza establishment memory lane... and since we had Gateway pizza for dinner, quite fitting. Thanks for sharing!