Your Favorite Pizza in Omaha

guitarguy · Post by **guitarguy** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 3:14 am

Before I moved I went to one of the all time famous Brooklyn pizzerias and the reason why its incredible is because of the subtle balance achieved using the best of everything and a recipe refined over 100 years.. anyone could assemble this pizza but the skill necessary to make a pie like this has to be insane.. The line for this place is typically hours long no matter what time of the day or day of the week.

http://grimaldisnyc.com/ - a google search will show a lot of pictures of their pies

Hyok Kim · Post by **Hyok Kim** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 3:45 am

guitarguy wrote:
http://grimaldisnyc.com/ - a google search will show a lot of pictures of their pies

Looks a lot like Don Carmelo's. I thought NYC style pizza had a lot thinner crust. How good did it taste after 2 days inside the refrigerator, cold?

guitarguy · Post by **guitarguy** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:04 am

The one I got was as thin as a cracker all the way to the edge.. and there were no left overs haha

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:38 am

I was not aware that there are two Carmelos running pizza places. I just know of the one in Rockbrook. My coworker and I would always get pizza from Don Carmelo's when he was at 160th and Center.

Hyok Kim · Post by **Hyok Kim** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:49 am

guitarguy wrote:The one I got was as thin as a cracker all the way to the edge..

Yep, that's the NYC style pizzas I had tried over the years. They got the style right, but not the substance.

guitarguy wrote:........... and there were no left overs haha

I always order pizzas quite a bigger than I can finish, at least, medium, or large even, the reason being smaller the pizza, the more it becomes those dreadful pizza by the slice they sell during lunch time. Becomes too dry, yes, even Don Carmelo's and Zio's as well.

If it is high quality pizza, then the dough/crust becomes vaguely baguette like after it gets cold. They actually taste reasonably good, especially with a good beverage of one's choice to wash it down.

The artisan mini-local chain at Portland I had mentioned amazingly retained the freshness even after 2 days. It was actually quite refreshing in summer.

Hyok Kim · Post by **Hyok Kim** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:36 am

jessep28 wrote:I was not aware that there are two Carmelos running pizza places.

How long have you been patronizing Don Carmelo's? I have patronized Carmelo's since 92 when they had a branch in downtown, the place now occupied by Maria Sangria's, the Spanish version of 'Traditional Family-style Italian-American Steak/Pasta house'.

Till 98, it was the best pizza I had ever had. That artisan pizza chain in Portland took the throne in 98, held ever since. Then Vivace took the second place from Don Carmelo's.

The fake 'Don Carmelo's' was the one Tommy Colina's took over from at 35th & Farnam. The fake one took over after the previous real Don Carmelo's had a fire and was shut down.

To be fair, it has a far better decor than the previous real Don Carmelo's. Kinda retro modern 50's with checkerboard floors and red chairs, chrome accented tables, and long counter see through kitchen where the patrons could see all the actions.

In late afternoon, I was the only customer. There was only one person working, yep, one person, making the pizza, tending the registers, waiting, busing, washing dishes!

He was the nephew of the woman who once married a Don Carmelo family and divorced later.

I ordered medium size as usual and anticipated that usual Don Carmelo touch, fresh ingredients, sauce, and yes, that chewy, yeasty, baguette like crust, and found out I bit into a Night Flight/Home Team trash.

He came around and asked me, "How do you like the pizza?" and "Where do you work?" He was sizing me up to see if I could/would spread the good words to bring more people into the joint.

I lied. "Pretty good." (What was I supposed to say? Your pizza is one of the worst pizza I ever had, and is competing with Night Flight/Home Team as the worst pizza I have ever eaten? I had worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years. I didn't have the heart to say to him.)

I forced myself into eating 2 slices of this trash, and asked him for a box, which I threw it away into a trash bin as soon as I was out of his sight. Later I read from OWH article that the real Don Carmelo's sued the fake Don Carmelo's for the trademark infringement, and the fake Don Carmelo's immediately shut down, with the owner and his aunt refusing to comment on the lawsuit from OWH.

jessep28 wrote: I just know of the one in Rockbrook. My coworker and I would always get pizza from Don Carmelo's when he was at 160th and Center.

Driving all the way for Don Carmelo's from 160th & center to Rockbrook, you are a man of taste, class, and principle.

Btw. To you all, I don't want to sound as if I am endorsing Maria Sangria's. I don't. Maria Sangria's Paella does not have socarrat, no saffron. They don't even use bomba rice. They don't use any oil of any kind in their so-called paella. It's basically cafeteria spanish rice with some chicken pieces thrown in, all pre-made, warmed up on buffet table back in the kitchen.

This particular OWH reviewer does not know anything about paella.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130412/GO/704129985

nebport5 · Post by **nebport5** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:24 am

guitarguy wrote:I think with Chicago way closer and still very much in the Midwest Omaha takes more after Chicago style than any other style. I haven't been to Old Chicago since moving back but I always remember that place being a pretty awesome place to go to if my friends and I wanted good pizza.

I have to disagree here. Chicago pizza has little in common with Omaha's. Lou Malnati's, Rosati's, Giordano's, (pick your beloved Chicago institution) with their rock hard crusts(deep dish or thin), layers of cheese, excess sauce and italian beef. You won't find ground beef as a topping at most Chicago pizza joints, but rather, Italian beef. Basically lunch meat on pizza.

And personally I'd rather eat Old Chicago over "real" Chicago pizza. Old Chicago, which there are none of in Chicago...it actually started in Colorado. I've found the ones here to be very inconsistent as well.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:13 pm

Hyok Kim wrote:
Btw. Night Flight aka Home Team Pizza is absolutely the worst pizza I ever had in my life.

I think their niche is satisfying the cravings of a bunch of young, drunk people after the bars. I've had a few late-night runins with Home Team and I had no complaints.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:15 pm

While we're talking about Pizza, I'll add in Roman Coin.

Don't know why I like it, I just do.

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:13 pm

Hyok Kim wrote:
jessep28 wrote:I was not aware that there are two Carmelos running pizza places.

How long have you been patronizing Don Carmelo's? I have patronized Carmelo's since 92 when they had a branch in downtown, the place now occupied by Maria Sangria's, the Spanish version of 'Traditional Family-style Italian-American Steak/Pasta house'.

Till 98, it was the best pizza I had ever had. That artisan pizza chain in Portland took the throne in 98, held ever since. Then Vivace took the second place from Don Carmelo's.

The fake 'Don Carmelo's' was the one Tommy Colina's took over from at 35th & Farnam. The fake one took over after the previous real Don Carmelo's had a fire and was shut down.

To be fair, it has a far better decor than the previous real Don Carmelo's. Kinda retro modern 50's with checkerboard floors and red chairs, chrome accented tables, and long counter see through kitchen where the patrons could see all the actions.

In late afternoon, I was the only customer. There was only one person working, yep, one person, making the pizza, tending the registers, waiting, busing, washing dishes!

He was the nephew of the woman who once married a Don Carmelo family and divorced later.

I ordered medium size as usual and anticipated that usual Don Carmelo touch, fresh ingredients, sauce, and yes, that chewy, yeasty, baguette like crust, and found out I bit into a Night Flight/Home Team trash.

He came around and asked me, "How do you like the pizza?" and "Where do you work?" He was sizing me up to see if I could/would spread the good words to bring more people into the joint.

I lied. "Pretty good." (What was I supposed to say? Your pizza is one of the worst pizza I ever had, and is competing with Night Flight/Home Team as the worst pizza I have ever eaten? I had worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years. I didn't have the heart to say to him.)

I forced myself into eating 2 slices of this trash, and asked him for a box, which I threw it away into a trash bin as soon as I was out of his sight. Later I read from OWH article that the real Don Carmelo's sued the fake Don Carmelo's for the trademark infringement, and the fake Don Carmelo's immediately shut down, with the owner and his aunt refusing to comment on the lawsuit from OWH.

jessep28 wrote: I just know of the one in Rockbrook. My coworker and I would always get pizza from Don Carmelo's when he was at 160th and Center.
Driving all the way for Don Carmelo's from 160th & center to Rockbrook, you are a man of taste, class, and principle.

Btw. To you all, I don't want to sound as if I am endorsing Maria Sangria's. I don't. Maria Sangria's Paella does not have socarrat, no saffron. They don't even use bomba rice. They don't use any oil of any kind in their so-called paella. It's basically cafeteria spanish rice with some chicken pieces thrown in, all pre-made, warmed up on buffet table back in the kitchen.

This particular OWH reviewer does not know anything about paella.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130412/GO/704129985

I haven't had Carmelos in I'd say six years. I used to work retail out near 180th and center in college when they were in that strip mall just to the east. This was during 04-07.

Hyok Kim · Post by **Hyok Kim** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:27 pm

S33 wrote:I think their niche is satisfying the cravings of a bunch of young, drunk people after the bars.

I understand that, but I am neither young, nor a drinker. Are you?

S33 wrote:
I've had a few late-night runins with Home Team and I had no complaints.

As you had admitted before yourself, you are not hard to please when it comes to pizzas.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 1:11 pm

Hyok Kim wrote: I understand that, but I am neither young, nor a drinker. Are you?

Well it's not as if I wake up in the morning reaching for a half drank, stale beer with cigarette buts in the bottom, but I do enjoy drinks when the time is right. And I'm fairly young, and most people I know would have a hard time passing up some cheap pizza after a long night out.

Hyok Kim wrote:As you had admitted before yourself, you are not hard to please when it comes to pizzas.

Again, good luck finding any younger demographic who would pass up that pizza in those circumstances.

Yeah, for pizza, it's about a 1.5 out of 10, and they earn that ranking simply because it has cheese and vaguely resembles the shape of a pizza, but it's still pizza.

Linkin5 · Post by **Linkin5** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 2:32 pm

My favorite pizza in the area is still Yai Yai's in Lincoln, fantastic pizza.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 5:36 pm

Linkin5 wrote:My favorite pizza in the area is still Yai Yai's in Lincoln, fantastic pizza.

Their beer selection is good...the building inside looks amazingly cool....but their pizza has left a lot to be desired (in my opinion) the many times I went there during undergrad. It's good for helping prevent a hangover though, and maybe I've just be unlucky the times I went there.

Or maybe I was too intoxicated to have taste....

garyomaha · Post by **garyomaha** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:33 am

Hyok Kim wrote: The artisan mini-local chain at Portland I had mentioned amazingly retained the freshness even after 2 days. It was actually quite refreshing in summer.

Forgive me...but I cannot find the reference to the name of the Portland pizza you mentioned. We travel to Portland regularly and I'd like to try it. Thanks!

Hyok Kim · Post by **Hyok Kim** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:57 am

S33 wrote:
Well it's not as if I wake up in the morning reaching for a half drank, stale beer with cigarette buts in the bottom, but I do enjoy drinks when the time is right. And I'm fairly young, and most people I know would have a hard time passing up some cheap pizza after a long night out.

For me, pizza is a guilty pleasure. I am on combination of primarily, raw, blood type, glycemic index, linus Pauling, Alkaline, colon cleansing diet.

I can eat pizza only once a while. I want to maximize my guilty pleasure.

S33 wrote:
Yeah, for pizza, it's about a 1.5 out of 10, and they earn that ranking simply because it has cheese and vaguely resembles the shape of a pizza, but it's still pizza.

Hey, in prison, she rates 11 out of 10.

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 3:24 am

I sometimes long for school cafeteria pizza. The 4 x 6 pieces that come in giant trays.

bbinks · Post by **bbinks** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 4:34 am

jessep28 wrote:I sometimes long for school cafeteria pizza. The 4 x 6 pieces that come in giant trays.

The stuff where the cheese ( or fake cheese ) would not melt?

Hyok Kim · Post by **Hyok Kim** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:37 am

garyomaha wrote:

Forgive me...but I cannot find the reference to the name of the Portland pizza you mentioned. We travel to Portland regularly and I'd like to try it. Thanks!

I thought this thread was about the best pizza in Omaha. Why would I want to share my secret source so that I would wait longer and probably pay more due to more demand when I fly back to PDX?

http://www.foodrepublic.com/2011/04/08/hot-lips-pizza

Please notice that the reviewers are culinary pro's and native NYCers, and based on NYC, to boot. We all know how NYC people think they have the best pizza in the world.

Btw. For whatever it's worth, many of the biggest fans of Hot Lips happen to be transplants from NYC and east coast.

http://hotlipspizza.com/category/slices-and-pizzas/

When I said I could taste the freshness of the ingredients even after 2 days, I wasn't kidding.

http://hotlipspizza.com/pizzamenus/pizzas/

My favorites are BBQ Chicken, Waldorf, and Greek Style pizzas from this place.

Simply superior, and fresher ingredients.

This is the granddaddy of gourmet pizza in Portland, long before gourmet pizza became trendy. What's especially remarkable is that they are a mini-chain, and expanding over the years, and still kept the quality control (of labor) within acceptable limit, while actually increasing the quality of ingredients (which is actually not as hard as the labor, since the bigger economy of scale gives better accessibility and better bargaining power, one just needs to be organized and keep a good track of the materials), and the choices available.

Now, some believe there are other better pizzerias, but they simply do not have the selection of choices Hot Lips has. I don't want to eat the same meat, cheese heavy pizzas all the time no matter how great.

If one likes more 'traditional' style, then one might go for Apizza Scholls, supposedly one of the 5 best pizzeria in the nation, according Ed Levine.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2 ... on-or.html

Please notice that Ed Levine was impressed even by the pizza from Apizza Scholls that had been fedexed to NYC. Yep, that's right, Fedexed from Portland, OR to NYC!

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2 ... regon.html

The same seriouseats rated Hot Lips very highly, maybe not as high as Apizza, but consider Hot Lips is a chain, and has a lot more selections, and they deliver! A lot less waiting than Apizza Scholls.

Btw. Overall ingredient selection criteria at Hot Lips is as good as Dante pizzeria, some Dante is better, some others Hot Lips is better, overall, about the same, and Hot Lips is a chain, Dante is a one shop business. This is incredibly hard to do. If Dante became a chain, and offered more selections, then the chances are its quality would go down.

Another word, Hot Lips would have better pizzas than Dante's. Supposedly #1 Pizza in Omaha.

Btw. Dante is run by a trained chef from Italy, with years of experience of fine dining at prestigious establishment, Apizza Scholls is run by a guy with no formal training, just lot of passion, and experience, Hot Lips, just line cooks with good training.

Here comes Pizza friend.

http://www.apizzascholls.com/FAQ/index.html

Please notice that when it comes to both ingredients and labor, Apizza Scholls actually is far stricter than even Dante's!

I have not dined on Apizza Scholls. As good as it may be, why bother? Unless I am just hung up on 'traditional' ingredients? When I just can go to Hot Lips, and has a pizza that is almost as good, with far more selections, without all that wait?

garyomaha · Post by **garyomaha** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 12:23 pm

Hyok Kim wrote: I thought this thread was about the best pizza in Omaha.

You're right. Never mind.

(But thanks for the in depth review, and we'll definitely check out Hot Lips next time we're there.)

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 4:27 pm

guitarguy wrote:I haven't been to Old Chicago since moving back but I always remember that place being a pretty awesome place to go to if my friends and I wanted good pizza.

Old Chicago was my favorite place for pizza. Or Godfather's. I never really found a local joint that had amazing pizza.

garyomaha · Post by **garyomaha** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 5:08 pm

We used to love Old Chicago -- one of our favorite places.

Then they dropped the stuffed pizza.*
Then they added a spicy "shake" to their thin pizza.
Then they changed their thin pizza altogether.

Couldn't they have left it alone? Nope, "New and Improved!!" is what's taught in marketing.

Ragazzi's is our new favorite...coincidentally (or maybe not) operated by former Old Chicago employees.

(*By the way, does anyone still have stuffed pizza in Omaha?)

Craigs92X · Post by **Craigs92X** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 5:50 pm

Pudgy's Pizza 168th Harrison

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:04 pm

I don't go to Old Chicago unless I don't really have a choice.

bbinks wrote:
jessep28 wrote:I sometimes long for school cafeteria pizza. The 4 x 6 pieces that come in giant trays.
The stuff where the cheese ( or fake cheese ) would not melt?

Yeah, but just for nostalgia sake. I don't really crave it.

Post by **Brad** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 7:01 pm

I go to Old Chicago every chance I get. I hardly ever have pizza, but love the Word Beer Tour!

S33 · Post by **S33** » Fri Aug 16, 2013 9:04 pm

If Old Chicago weren't a chain, and had a single, qwerky location in the old market with a bunch of goofey |expletive| hanging on the walls, everyone would love it. :)

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 6:06 am

I'll only go to Old Chicago if I'm not the one picking the place.

guitarguy · Post by **guitarguy** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 6:33 am

So from what people are saying Old Chicago is |expletive| now?? It used to be delicious 10 years ago but maybe they over expanded and started producing |expletive|?

bigredmed · Post by **bigredmed** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 11:29 am

guitarguy wrote:So from what people are saying Old Chicago is |expletive| now?? It used to be delicious 10 years ago but maybe they over expanded and started producing |expletive|?

Maybe it had it's hay day before I came back too town in 91, but I rarely used have good food there and have stopped going. I do sympathize with the comment about the quirky location in the Old Market equalling "amazing". There seems to be a blanket amnesty for craptastic food when served in the Old Market. And many a food critic and forum poster is guilty of this.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 5:31 pm

Old Chicago has consistently The Worst pizza of any chain I have ever visited.

Post by **BRoss** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 6:20 pm

MadMartin8 wrote:While we're talking about Pizza, I'll add in Roman Coin.

Don't know why I like it, I just do.

I love their Philly Cheesesteak pizza!

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 1:30 pm

Its not cool to like a chain!

Rock Bottom used to have a great bbq chicken lunch pizza that came with a salad. Perfect amount for lunch and was great tasting. I dont think they have quite the same thing anymore.

Orsis is nasty thick salty gut bomb stuff
I like La casa but also very salty
Ragazis will require another visit. It was worth that but cant recall more
We order caseys taco a lot cause its close and its quite satisfying
Papa johns gets points for the banana peppers in the box and the dip for the crust

S33 · Post by **S33** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:22 pm

Casey's pizza is good, I'll second that.

Post by **nebugeater** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:41 pm

What about Dane Pizzeria in the Shops of Legacy

I have only been there twice and cannot really decide if I like it or not.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:48 pm

nebugeater wrote:What about Dante Pizzeria in the Shops of Legacy

My opinion?

Okay, maybe that's being overly dramatic, but I've done twice and both times were...not good.

I'd be interested to know if there was actually a decent Neapolitan Style Pizza place in Omaha.

Post by **nebugeater** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:53 pm

MadMartin8 wrote:
nebugeater wrote:What about Dante Pizzeria in the Shops of Legacy

My opinion?

Okay, maybe that's being overly dramatic, but I've done twice and both times were...not good.

I'd be interested to know if there was actually a decent Neapolitan Style Pizza place in Omaha.

That is kind of where I am on it. I want it to be good / great but just can't convince myself it is. Have had great Neapolitan style Pizza in a few other places but I think With a Green Egg Grill I cound match this at home with just a bit of practice.

guitarguy · Post by **guitarguy** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:58 pm

Im assuming La Casa is one of the/the best offering of Neopolitan style in Omaha.. Wondering if places make the mistake of trying to cook the pizza at normal temps when true good Neopolitan style is to be cooked at 800 degrees.. Would make sense as to the mushy consistency.

MadMartin8 · Post by **MadMartin8** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:59 pm

You could match it, probably beat it in terms of flavor, and it wouldn't cost nearly as much.

As crazy as it sounds, the best Neapolitan Style Pizza I've had is Spin Pizza in K.C.

jessep28 · Post by **jessep28** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 8:14 pm

The only thing I don't like about Casey's is their prices.

Globochem · Post by **Globochem** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:41 am

cdub wrote:Its not cool to like a chain!

Rock Bottom used to have a great bbq chicken lunch pizza that came with a salad. Perfect amount for lunch and was great tasting. I dont think they have quite the same thing anymore.

Orsis is nasty thick salty gut bomb stuff
I like La casa but also very salty
Ragazis will require another visit. It was worth that but cant recall more
We order caseys taco a lot cause its close and its quite satisfying
Papa johns gets points for the banana peppers in the box and the dip for the crust

This is a punch list of all that is perverse about this thread.

1st. Other foods in "pizza form" are not better. It is not inventive, clever, let alone delicious to eat a sandwich or chicken wing or bowl of spaghetti on a pizza crust. So "pad thai" - let me finish - pizza is a nasty, childish, stupid and disgusting approach to pizza. If you subscribe to eating other foods re-imaged as pizza, as weird and equally parochial as the sauerkraut pizza I once misfortunately consumed in Hastings, do so in silence and shame. It's like playing with mashed potatoes. Either you grow up and stop, or you do it and don't tell anyone.

2nd. Convenience store pizza?! Lunch lady pizza?! Frozen pizza?! Night Flight?! This is a hit-list of the nauseating, albeit redolent depths of college poverty. Again, eat this in silence. If it is unfortunately "delicious" to you, that is due to a tragic lack of good taste, which is certainly one's prerogative, but adds absolutely nothing to the discussion of the "best" anything.

3rd. Orsi or La Casa are weird Omaha phenomena that were once sellable as pizza when pizza was considered exotic. There is some nostalgic value to places like these that have an idiosyncratic place in our heart. But there are so many choices now of legitimately crafted pie that old school joints like that are better suited to a "do you remember" conversation than a "best of" list.

4th. There is so much mediocre 'za in town that it smothers the discussion under a greasy pool of Sysco processed cheese. It is in fact exceedingly difficult to make good pizza because it is exceedingly difficult to make good bread. Four ingredients. Yeast, water, flour and salt. The rest is know-how. 2 places in town exhibit a high level of skill in that department: Franks and Dante. Others are either wildly inconsistent or a dense doughy mess. Franks and Dante are different styles, but both are quality executions of their respective approach.