Round Two - Dean's Pizza

Brent: So here we are after a week of nibbling on left over pizza. Saturday comes and it's time for beer, football and more pizza. The University of Oregon smashed Colorado--for me the game was over by the first quarter when the Ducks had a 29-0 lead. We had a social engagement during the middle part of the day, but we were able to escape just in time to start the second half of a great game: Michigan State vs. Wisconsin. And Carrie was happy to see Notre Dame imploding against USC. Ay me. What better way to enhance the evening than with some pizza delivered to our door? That's right, there isn't!

So it was Carrie's turn to order, and she chose Dean's Pizza on Redondo Ave.

Carrie: The gentleman on the phone was very friendly and informative.  upon the request for their Best Pizza, he gave me two options They Tie Chicken or the Italian. Now this is not the first time I have ordered pizza from Dean's, and in the past when asking for a pepperoni or sausage, I have been told repeatedly that I should try their tie, so tie it is. 

40 minutes and 15 dollars later Michigan State had pulled off an amazing Hail Mary touchdown (with no time on the clock) and Oklahoma was being outgunned by little Texas Tech, and we had pizza at our door.  The pizza looked and smelled both tangy and sweet with onions, bell peppers, chicken, and cheese over a Thai sauce, what more could we ask for?   The first thing that I notice when tasting any pizza for the first time is the crust.  And I would have to say Dean's crust was good, but I don't know if I could call it "Great."  It was soft and thin but it was missing the type of crunch around its outer edges that Texas Tech was delivering on 4th ranked Oklahoma .  The peanut infused Thai sauce was a pleasant sunrise, though.  The bell peppers, onions, and chicken had a bland sweetness that was significantly improved with a dip in Siracha hot sauce, the red sauce with the rooster on the label.

The next day I would have to say Dean's Thai was kind of like watching the BCS countdown on ESPN,  mildly enjoyable but not surprising in any way.  I would order from Dean's again, and I would get their peanut based Thai sauce over a traditional tomato base, but instead of bell peppers onions and chicken, I would choose toppings with more flavor.

Final analysis: An average pizza.  We might order something with more flavorful toppings next time.

The count:

• Service: 9
• Crust: 5
• Flavor: 6
• Value: 7
• Next Day: 4 

Dean's Pizza
929 Redondo Avenue
Long Beach, CA  90804
(562) 987-3297

The Inaugural Ball

In a city of a half million people and too many pizza options to count, how does one find the best?  There may be many answers to this question but ours is to try a new pizza restaurant every Saturday through the football season.  To begin one creates a list pulled from Yelp and starts from the top.  In your first interaction with said astablishment, state your lack of knowledge and request what they feel is their "Best".  Though this may seem risky to not have absolute control over the meat, vegtable, and cheeses that come in this plat form, this is the only way to get a true representation of their "Best" pizza.

Our first stop on this adventure took us to Canadian Pizza at 1241 E 4th street. 

Canadian Pizza: Loaded with toppings

So it's the 2nd quarter of the Oregon Duck-ASU Sun Devil game and Carrie's feeling pretty tense.  The Ducks are actually behind. So I decide to at least give her something to look forward to and get this whole pizza blog thing underway at the same time--two birds, one phone call. A quick look at the list that I compiled that morning and the choice is simple: Canadian Pizza on 4th.  On the phone I mention that we're doing a taste test and we need their best, their favorite pizza.  So the wonderful woman on the other end of the line suggests their "Supreme." It's pretty standard fare with pepperoni and peppers and all that stuff and--get this--pineapple! It's their number one. Now while Carrie doesn't mind pineapple, I'm not the biggest fan.  So while I'm thinking this one over, she mentions another "Supreme" that they create.  This one has a little more meat (like sausage) and jalapenos with optional anchovies. I decide on this one and take a risk on the anchovies. One thing that impresses me is that the large pie is only $15 with tax included (that also made for a nice $5 tip for the delivery driver).

About 40 minutes later-- as Oregon begins to pull ahead in the third quarter--the pizza arrives; we get cold beers and park it in front of the TV.  So the first thing? The crust.  Everybody always talks about the crust being the key, and I have to agree.  The crust was delicious.  A little crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, but not doughy. It's also pretty thin, so it doesn't overwhelm the flavors. I have to say that at first I could faintly taste the anchovy flavor--salty with a bit of fish taste--but the jalapeno and sausage combo were strong and vibrant. Carrie decided to pull off the the fish strips because they happen to not be her favorite.  But she readily agreed that the crust and the overall flavor was fantastic.  Jen, Carrie's sister-in-law, on the other hand was not a fan of the sharp flavors even when she pulled off the peppers and anchovies.

Oregon somehow pulled it out.   They lost their starting quarterback in the 3rd quarter and were already down an All-American running back, but they were too strong and too fast for ASU. A little like the pizza itself.  One thing that we both noticed was that while there must have been sauce on it, there was not distinct tomato flavor.  This is neither a + nor - in our book. But some folks really like their pies saucy. Rarrrr!

What about the left-over potential? Well, we know that a truly excellent pizza will taste great the next day when we have it for breakfast or lunch, hot or cold.  This one? The pizza was great, but the anchovies were way too strong.  I had to pull them off.  If I didn't the "fishiness" was overwhelming.

Final analysis: Excellent pizza and will definitely repeat sans anchovies.


The count:

• Service: 8
• Crust: 9
• Flavor: 8
• Value: 9
• Next Day: 7

Canadian Pizza
1241 East 4th Street
Long Beach, CA 90802

(562) 980-7605

http://www.canadianpizza.net/