Best Pizza in the Triangle

[Varmint]

Crickets chirping . . . . . .

Yeah, I'm having a bit of a problem coming up with a good candidate in this category. Why, oh, why is pizza so damn mediocre around here? Someone please help me, as the single best pizza I've had was at a friend's house -- you know the type -- the one who cut off the lock from his oven so he could bake the pizzas on the self-cleaning cycle. Now those were good!

[foodiehall]

Best pizza in the triangle? Guess that depends on what your taste buds are in the mood for at a given moment---thin, cracker-like crust; thick, chewy crust; great tomato sauce/no tomato sauce, etc. etc. etc. I can make a pretty fine pie in my home oven....crust is focaccia-like and I can use whatever toppings I want to, put as many mushrooms on as I like---after my pizzas, the commercial ones pale in comparison. I do however lament the loss of Brothers Pizza on Hillsborough Street.

[Varmint]

Sure, whenever you get into a "best of" discussion, subjective tastes definitely come into play. But I have trouble even beginning a debate on best pizza, as I've had troubles finding a solid example of any type.

[foodiehall]

Sure, whenever you get into a "best of" discussion, subjective tastes definitely come into play.  But I have trouble even beginning a debate on best pizza, as I've had troubles finding a solid example of any type.

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Guess Raleigh isn't a pizza kind of place! Visitors come to NC looking for great 'cue, but great pizza? Not so much. You, of all people, know that!

[VaNC]

Another problem with picking the best pizza is not just various tastes, but various types of pizza. There is what I call "gourmet pizza" with the fancy toppings, or good old fashioned pizza. Personally, and as many know, I move in a very small geographical world, I think Lilly's has the best "gourmet pizza" and really like Mellow Mushroom for good old-fashioned pizza. But, then, every now and then, I have to hit Piccola Italia for a good old-fashioned pizza with fresh garlic.....

Some day, I may be forced to try pizza outside the beltline................

Well, actually, for a thin crust pizza, I like Bella Monica...hey..that's outside the beltline! Mostly, though, we eat Bella Monica pizza's that we get at WF and keep in the freeezer.

[BryanZ]

Oh Mellow Mushroom is sooo terrible. Really, I can't stand it. If you're going to be pretentious about your product it better be good. Technically, their crust is way doughy, the pizzas way oversauced and over-cheesed. Toppings underdone. Just not good.

There is no "good" pizza in the Triangle in my experience. If you're looking for a serviceable pizzeria pie I can do Randy's, even Cinelli's "brick oven" style.

[phlawless]

Oh Mellow Mushroom is sooo terrible.  Really, I can't stand it.  If you're going to be pretentious about your product it better be good.  Technically, their crust is way doughy, the pizzas way oversauced and over-cheesed.  Toppings underdone.  Just not good.

There is no "good" pizza in the Triangle in my experience.  If you're looking for a serviceable pizzeria pie I can do Randy's, even Cinelli's "brick oven" style.

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totally agree...and would even add Bocci's to the doable list

[nibbs]

I have to agree with Bryan - Randy's and Cinelli's are the best you can buy in Durham. Cinellis offers hot cherry peppers as a topping, which combined with sausage (which they cut into thing longwise slices) makes a great pie. The new Randy's up on Guess Rd has a particularly good guy on the oven many nights. If you like it a little overdone (as I do), he's happy to comply.

And the Mellow Mushroom is awful.

I also agree with Varmint. Cut the lock and make some great pizza.

http://jvpizza.sliceny.com/

I'd post a pic of one of my pies, but egullet doesn't seem to show me that option. But they look about like what this guy is putting out. Jeff Varasanos insight into making great pizza at home are fantastic.

~Nibbs

[Chops]

My favorite NY Style would be J&S Pizza in Apex. I love talking to the elderly italian couple running the place. It's as authentic as I can find in the area. Pizza Italia on Westgate Rd. in Raleigh was also pretty good, but I have not been there in years. The owner said he is unable to get the same dough in Raleigh as in NYC because of the water. I guess its not hard enough........

I have to agree with Bryan - Randy's and Cinelli's are the best you can buy in Durham.  Cinellis offers hot cherry peppers as a topping, which combined with sausage (which they cut into thing longwise slices) makes a great pie.  The new Randy's up on Guess Rd has a particularly good guy on the oven many nights.  If you like it a little overdone (as I do), he's happy to comply.

And the Mellow Mushroom is awful.

I also agree with Varmint.  Cut the lock and make some great pizza.

http://jvpizza.sliceny.com/

I'd post a pic of one of my pies, but egullet doesn't seem to show me that option.  But they look about like what this guy is putting out.  Jeff Varasanos insight into making great pizza at home are fantastic.

~Nibbs

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[Zeb A]

Not really what you are talking about I suppose, but I had a real good pizza at Evoo the other day.

Pizza with pork three ways, salami, pepperoni and house made sausage with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese 10.00

[challah-baker]

For NY style pizza, my favorite is Anna Maria's in Hillsborough. I just go in to listen to the boss's NY accent. It isn't fancy or gourmet or anything like that. Just the pizza-by-the-slice-you-fold-up-and walk-around with. Of course, you can only really walk around the parking lot, but...

[ditsydine]

Mellow Mushroom is a joke.

The best pies are from Cinelli's (I'm fond of the one @ North Hills & Wake Forest)

Also, for non-ny style I can't believe no one wrote about Moonlight (corner of morgan & boylan) which is fab, and captial creations. Bella Monica's pies are good, you can even get them frozen @ Whole Foods.

[ChefSwartz]

i like lilly's

[ditsydine]

lilly's is decent. just trust me avoid their wings!

what about daniel's pizza pasta in apex? I haven't been in years but it used to be great

[David Santucci]

I am NOT a fan of Cinelli's, though the Grandmother pizza is decent. My favorite is I (heart) Manhattan on 9th Street, but it is one of those places you HAVE to get it by the slice -- buy a pie and the crust is doughy, buy a slice and on the second time through the oven it gets nice and browned and crispy. I can't figure out why the place isn't more popular. My favorite is the spinach and tomato slice; the cheese and meat overload (my name for it, not theirs) are pretty good too. Skip the white pizza, though. Other than there, I like Amante's -- for their interesting combinations of toppings.

Edited January 8, 2008 by David Santucci (log)

[albionmoonlight]

I LOVE Lily's. Never had their wings, so I can't speak to those, but the pizza is terrific -- really high quality ingredients, tasty crust. Worthy of standing up with really good pizza anywhere, as far as I am concerned. If you eat in, there will be a wait (at least at traditional going-out-to-eat times), but I feel it's well worth it. (Or do it take-out.)

[Varmint]

I just don't get Lilly's. Never have. Their crust is way too sweet, and their red sauce isn't great, either. Now it's better than most places and would be better if they toned down the sweetness and baked their pies longer, but it's just not worth the hassle and price to me.

[Guest]

What about Pop's in Durham? That's the best pizza I can think of around here.

I agree with the others that Cinelli's New York Pizza and Grandma are great, as long as you don't get any toppings. The staff there is kind of freaky, though.

If Randy's served booze, that's probably where I'd go most nights.

Some folks like Satisfaction in Brightleaf, but I think it pretty much is on par with Mellow Mushroom. And <hack> the smoke is not so great in there either.

Edited March 26, 2008 by umbabaru (log)

[Pyewacket]

Oh will you listen to yourselves!

As one who grew up in the Triangle and now lives in NY I can attest that there are few things more tiresome than transplanted Yankees griping about not finding NY style pizza in the south!

Frankly, I've been here 10 years, eaten pizza at lots of famous and not so famous NY pizza joints and I can't for the life of me figure out what there is to be so nostalgic about!

Chewy bland dough with ubiquitous sauce and gloppy cheese! So you can fold it-big deal!

Blaming the water is a lame enterprise when waxing on about something so completely ordinary that sane people might wonder what all the fuss was about.

Now if you want to eat something that tastes good, is round, resembles the ubiquitous NY pie, and is actually worth passing your lips, venture over to Chapel Hill and have a slice at Pepper's.

Whenever we return home for a visit, a stop at Pepper's is always on the agenda.

BTW-always liked Pop's poached egg and roasted prosciutto pizza.