Slices of Sicily

Pizza is a particularly personal thing. It’s something we’ve eaten all our lives, tried in varying degrees of fancy and frozen, from Tombstone and Domino’s to Chicago stuffed and everything in between.

So it might seem risky – or, heaven forbid, passé – for a foodie like me to devote this column to the pizza highlights I see in Grand Rapids. Like I said, it’s personal and it’s something everyone eats! But it comes down to this. What is it about that pizza that makes it so good? Is it the crust? The sauce? The toppings?

There’s definitely a trend toward clever in toppings. I am intrigued by the announcement of Coal Mine Pizza in Boca Raton, Florida topping their pies with fresh white truffles (yes, of the mushroom variety) from Italy for $150. Gourmet pizza is on the prowl. Next time I’m in Florida I’m trying it. (Though I called to ask and right now one can only order the one with black truffles, for only $60.)

I could go on for days about pizza. But because my time and tummy are limited, I present some favorite local pizza joints and gave a brief musing on why I enjoy them. [Note: I begin each entry by listing the basic ingredients – crust, sauce, and toppings – in order of what I believe makes that particular pie worth mention.]

Toppings, crust, sauce
I’ve been a Big O’s Pizza fan since their days on Bridge Street and I think they’ve gotten even more inventive with toppings. Consider they’re licensed to sell beer, wine, and liquor and it’s a great place to go for lunch or dinner. Although I love the Dead Head Vegetarian and the Cuban pizzas, I was encouraged to try the newest menu item, named after one of their pizza cooks, Brandon.

Brando’s Special proved to be especially tasty. The menu describes it this way: “Thin crust; diced toppings of sausage, ham, green olives, bacon, onion, mushroom, green pepper, pepperonici.” When they say diced, they mean diced! Small pieces of each but plentiful. This number is then topped with whole pepperoni, pieces of jalapeno for a tiny bit of spice, and then goat cheese chunks. The base of this pie is thin crust which, in this case, turned out perfectly cracker crisp with this slight, slight hint of soft inside. It’s lighter than your average supreme pizza even with all those toppings! Its got body and flavor – and with Magic Hat #9 beer – a perfect dinner.

Crust, sauce, toppings
I have vivid memories of food as a child and I continue to enjoy foods as I did when I was a wee one. My parents tell the true story that at around 2 years old I was eating anchovies on my pizza. The waitresses were calling each other over saying, “That little girl is downing anchovies! Can you believe it?” At that time, Fricano’s Pizza was only in Grand Haven. So it was always a family and friends pilgrimage to attain this delight. Ranking up there with ice cream, Fricano’s (with or without anchovies) is my ultimate craving of all time.

No, it’s not ‘gourmet’. It’s pizza that’s greasy-but-not-too-greasy-but-almost, thin and crispy-but-not-too-thin or crispy, salty-but-not-too-salty. Doug Fricano, grandson of Gus Fricano who opened the doors in 1949, only offers pepperoni, mushroom, green pepper, sausage and anchovies as toppings on the traditional Fricano’s pizza. Its secret ingredient is the “bird seed” topping. I’m pretty sure it is oregano and a few other light Italian spices that give it an extra bit of Italian flavor. Doug says to order the pie fully loaded (only $9.50) and you’ll feel like you’re back in Sicily. Fricano’s is worth the trip to any of their five locations, the one I hightail it to the most is Alpine just before 7 Mile Road.

Sauce, crust, toppings
As long as we’re talking about the real Sicilians, Agostino LaFranca (of the Vitale lineage) along with his wife, Carol, operate two pizzerias, one in Allegan (Vitales Pizza of Allegan) and one right in the heart of Grand Rapids’ Burton Heights neighborhood.

Agostino’s Little Sicily Pizza (2020 Eastern Avenue SE just south of Burton) is all about homemade. The joy of pizza is obvious especially through their sauce. Homemade in small batches using a variation on the Vitale family recipe, from the finest ingredients, it’s very identifiable as his. The toppings are plentiful as is the cheese. I don’t know what their cheese mix is but it’s always the perfect blend of flavor and stretch (you know, the gooey quotient). If you’re in for a treat, call them and ask for my family’s custom favorite, the “Mama Jan” pizza. Generously topped with fresh tomatoes, minced garlic, and fresh basil along with your choice of pepperoni or homemade sausage, this pizza is tradition with us.

Sauce, crust, toppings
If I had to pick another pizza that I loved growing up – and tried again this week with the same results – it would be Andrea’s Pizza on Boston on the outskirts of East Grand Rapids. Andrea’s always had that perfect crust (I recommend the traditional, not the thin crust) but it’s really all about the sauce. Sweet with a little texture. My mouth is watering!

I know I’ve barely skimmed the top of fresh, local pizza joints, so take it upon yourself to support local and try some corner pizza place. Then e-mail me with your great unique pizza finds around town!

Photos:

"Brando's Special" at Big O's

Interior of Big O's (2) in Center City

Agostino's in Burton Heights

Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Right Reserved