Ken's Artisan Pizza: A "Must-Visit" Stop In Portland, Oregon

Over the summer, my girlfriend and I headed out west for a roadtrip of epic proportions. During the course of 12 days we drove more than 1,600 miles -- from Portland, Oregon down to Los Angeles, California. Although this was not a "pizza trip" it won't surprise you that pizza worked its way into a few meals. Over the next four weeks, I'll be reviewing four of spot we dined at, starting off with my favorite: Ken's Artisan Pizza (304 Southeast 28th Avenue) in Portland.

This was my second trip to Portland and the only spot I visited back in 2009 was Give Pizza A Chance. This website was in it's infancy back then and although I'd heard good things about other pizza places in Portland at the time, none of them had earned a "must visit" status on my itinerary. Fast forward to 2011; much has changed. Over the past two years, Ken's Artisan Pizza and another spot -- Apizza Scholls -- have garnered national media attention and thus, were highly anticipated stops on this visit to Portland.

Moments after landing at Portland International Airport, my girlfriend and I set out for Ken's where we encountered a 45 minute wait around 8PM on a Sunday evening. Oddly, there were tables outside, where you could order drinks while you waited. But they weren't serving pizza at these tables which would have undoubtedly shortened our wait.

Ken's is located in Southeast Portland which has an interesting layout. Although there are a couple of main drags with restaurants and shops, many establishments are located in pockets amongst what is generally a residential area. Hence why Portland is a great biking city. Only a handful of people live within a short walk of Ken's, but anyone within a five mile radius can bike there in 30 minutes or less.

By the entrance of Ken's is the main dinning room and oven. Head towards the back of the restaurant and you'll pass the bar -- with approximately a dozen seats -- and find yourself amongst about six additional tables. That's where we were seated. Ken's has a rustic feel to it -- not so different than Paulie Gee's -- but what really distinguishes the spot are the floor to ceiling widows which make you feel as if you're eating outside.

There were about a dozen pies on the menu and they rotate so frequently that Ken's only posts a "Sample Menu" on its website. When trying a new pizza place I almost always order a Margherita. The best way to judge a place is by having a taste of their most basic pie. Plus, it provides me with a good basis for comparing it with other places. But... I was on vacation and feeling adventurous. So instead of ordering a Margherita pie, we spiced things up (literally) with an Arrabiata pie (tomato sauce with Calabrian chiles, mozzarella, and basil). We also ordered a Spring Onion pie (mozzarella, Grana Padano, spring onions, and fresh herbs).

Both were delicious, but the Spring Onion pie was out of this world. Maybe I was just excited for the start of our trip, but it was amongst the best things I ate over the course of our 12 day vacation (and trust me, we ate a lot of good food). The onions were roasted to perfection prior to being cooked in the oven. They combined with the mozzarella and herbs to provide an unbelievable flavor for a pie with so few ingredients. I'm not sure how often this pie appears on the menu. But if you see it... get it.

The Arrabitata was also great -- think your basic pie with a kick. I love spices and this pie stepped up to the plate. It wasn't so spicy that your mouth was on fire, but it was the level of spiciness that most palates would feel good about. My only regret is not having enough of an appetite (or a large enough party) to try more pies including the Margherita.

Despite the fact that Apizza Scholls has received a bit more national media attention than Ken's, I had a much better experience at Ken's. The pies were as good as I'd hoped, the space is comfortable, and the service was excellent. I can't think of a better way to kick off a trip to Portland. If you find yourself in Portland, Ken's is a "must-visit" stop.

Baltimore's Joe Squared: Great Space, Average Pizza

This summer, I was driving from New York to Maryland and decided to stop in Baltimore for some pizza on the way. Although I grew up 45 minutes south of Baltimore in Potomac, Maryland -- I've limited my regional pizza reviews to the Washington, DC area until now (see: Guiseppi's Pizza, RedRocks, Ledo Pizza, Pizza Paradiso, Pizzeria Orso, and We, The Pizza). Needless to say, this site was due for a Baltimore review.

After doing some research (Pizzablogger, by the way, is the Baltimore pizza expert around these interwebs), I decided to hit up Pizza John's (technically in Essex, Maryland). It had gotten very favorable reviews and it's only accessible with a car. Perfect.

When I arrived at Pizza John's, however, there was a note on the door that they'd be closed the entire week following the July 4th holiday. I had to think on my feet and came up with a backup plan -- I'd drive to downtown Baltimore and hit up Iggie's which I've read a lot about. Believe it or not, when I arrived at Iggie's, I found out that they were also closed for the week. Go figure.

Next up: Joe Squared (133 West North Avenue). I called ahead to make sure they were open. It's just a five minute drive from Iggie's, so any Baltimore pizza adventure could easily include both. The best part about Joe Squared isn't the pizza, but the space itself. Technically it's a bar, but they have a patio out front -- surrounded by plants -- and a performance space inside. It's the kind of local, neighborhood joint you'd expect to find in Baltimore. It's not dingy, but the first thing you see when you walk in are flyers and posters promoting upcoming shows. It's rare in New York to see a hybrid pizza space -- that is, a location know for serving great pizza but also for something else (i.e. putting on art shows, hosting live bands).

After taking in the space, things went downhill. It's not that the pizza was bad. It was tasty... edible... unique... but it tasted like matzah pizza. Really good matzah pizza. But I couldn't get over the matzah-like crust. It was a different kind of bar pie than I'd ever seen before.

As I was dining alone, I opted for the Flag Pizza -- it's split in thirds with a variety of sauces:

1) Red sauce with mozzarella, provolone, romano, parmigiano and asiago
2) White sauce with mozzarella, cheddar and ricotta
3) Pesto sauce with fresh mozzarella

In other words -- three pies for the price of one! Although the pies here aren't cheap. The flag pizza could be ordered in four sizes at the following price points: $15 / $17 / $20 / $23. I ordered the $17 pie which you can see below. It was so thin, I was still hungry after devouring it.

I really like the idea of combining three pies into one. The section with the red sauce was actually my favorite. The white sauce suffered from poor quality ricotta and cheddar cheeses (not a great combo to start with), and the pesto section was bland. Maybe it could have used a topping like mushrooms.

I rarely comment on how menus are laid out, but Joe Squared has it right. On one page are suggested pies -- meat pies on the left and veggy pies on the right. I can't believe more NYC restaurants don't do this. I frequently dine with vegetarians and this makes it easy for them. It eliminates half the pies without them having to take out their iPhones to Google whether pancetta is a meat or cheese.

There are ten meat pies and nine veggie pies on the menu at Joe Sqaured. It's worth noting that you can create your own pies too. There is a page dedicated to building your pie -- one topping at a time -- and it's also laid out well. Start out with a cheese, add some meat, then some veggies, some seafood, and even some pasta (okay, maybe that's too much).

When it's all said and done, Joe Squared is a great place to sit outside and have a beer. Heck, if you want, nibble on some pizza. It won't change your life. But it's also a lot better than you can probably do elsewhere. Catch some live music. Chat it up with folks at the bar. Watch a Ravens or Orioles game. This place is what Baltimore is all about. I wish there was a place like this in New York City -- serving traditional New York slices. The closest thing we have here is Crocodile Lounge. Go figure.

Tips From Me On PizzaTV.com

Earlier this year, I was featured on PizzaTV.com. Thanks to Liz and the folks at PMQ Magazine for putting this together.

You can check out the videos below in which I discuss how pizzeria owners can reach their customers by blogging and increase traffic to their pizzeria websites.

 

Tacconelli's: Philly Staple Doesn't Live Up To Hype

A few years ago, my sister e-mailed me the link to a website of a pizza place she'd come across called Tacconelli's in Philadelphia. It reminded her of Di Fara and upon reading about the restaurant online, I thought the same thing. The website notes the following:

Please keep in mind we are a one-man, one-oven operation. Waiting time may vary. Please be assured each pie is made fresh and to order. 

The pizzeria has been around for nearly 100 years and there are even instructions on how to order. It's recommended that patrons call ahead and reserve their dough. Once all the dough on a given day is reserved, you're (as some might say) S.O.L. My girlfriend and I decided to spend a weekend in Philadelphia this summer and organized a group of friends to check out Tacconelli's on a Saturday evening. We called the day before and ordered dough for five pies (there were eight people in our party). All of the other people with us had been to Tacconelli's before and had great things to say about the pizza there.

The first indication that you're not eating at a pizza place in New York City is the space. It's not utilized well at all. I'd characterize most NYC pizza places as having tables set up as close to one another as possible (think Grimaldi's). Not the case at Tacconelli's. Even their kitchen was spacious!

The menu consists of four base pies: tomato pies (no cheese), regular pies (a little cheese), white pies (salt, pepper, cheese, and garlic), and margherita pies (fresh mozzarella and basil). You then can choose any of the eleven toppings they offer to add to your pie.

As our reservation was for 9:00PM -- the last party to be seated -- the woman working there was eager to take our order. She told us that we needed to place our order quickly because the oven was cooling down. Although the pressure was on, we were able to agree on five pies: Mushroom & Onion, Sausage, Spinach & Tomato, Tomato & Basil, and Margherita.

It should be noted that the pizza is thin-crust -- not quite as thin as a bar pie (at, say, Star Tavern), but thinner than a pie at Grimaldi's. A pizza serves about two people. Some of the pies were decent, but none were mind-blowing. Part of the experience is eating at a place that has been in the Tacconelli family for five generations -- since Giovanni Tacconelli immigrated from Italy in 1916. It's a historic spot. So is the Liberty Bell. But neither Tacconelli's nor the Liberty Bell will change your life.

The worst pie of the five was the Mushroom & Onion pie. As you might be able to see below, the toppings were barely cooked and the crust was more cracker-like than I enjoy. The Sausage pie was standard and the pieces of sausage surprisingly stayed on the slice when held at a 90 degree, vertical angle. The Spinach & Tomato pie and the Tomato & Basil pie were the best of the bunch. The tomatoes are notably different that the marinara sauce used on the first two pies, and it gave each bite a nice kick. The Margherita pie was standard and contained very little fresh mozzarella and fresh basil as noted on the menu. In fact, every pie that Tacconelli's produced was sauce-based.

There are no prices on the menu, but our total bill for five pies came out to about $100 with tax and tip. The place is BYOB -- as are many restaurants in Philly -- which helps on the wallet. Overall though, I wasn't particularly impressed. I think Federici's in Freehold, New Jersey serves similar and possibly better pies. And Star Tavern blows a spot like Tacconelli's away. The fact that I was there at what might be considered a bad time -- near closing -- could have had an impact on the pizza. But everyone else seemed to be enjoying their meal just fine.

Which brings me to another conclusion. Perhaps when it comes to pizza and Philadelphia, local folks just have different expectations than people from New York. And in addition, people from Philadelphia are known to be particularly proud of local establishments and organizations that are rooted in city -- whether it's the Phillies and Eagles or Pat's and Geno's.

Taccconelli's is no exception. Next time I'm in Philly, however, I'll be sticking the cheesesteaks.

Pizza Party Video (Rebecca Black Parody)

If you thought Rebecca Black's Friday video was awful -- I mean, awesome -- then perhaps you'll get a kick out of this video that landed in my Inbox recently.

Party... party... it's a pizza party!

New Park Pizza: A Howard Beach Institution

Some pizza places are made to look like they've been around for decades. Others actually have been.

New Park Pizza (156-71 Cross Bay Boulevard) opened in Howard Beach, Queens in 1956. Although I can't imagine the pizza has changed much over the years -- a lot of other things have. For starters, regular and square slices are $2.50, a price point that certainly has inched up with the price of a subway fare over the years. The place even has a Facebook presence -- a tool that many old pizza establishments have yet to unitize. The original signage appears to be intact, but as you can tell from the photos below, New Park Pizza has undergone other renovations (as subtle as they may appear -- it's probably a good thing!).

(above photo via New Park Pizza Facebook Page)

The place is most easily accessible by car and is open daily from 10:00AM-midnight. In what I would consider to be New York's weakest pizza borough... New Park Pizza stands out. The menu is simple. They have regular or square slices (I ordered one of each) and calzones. There are 10 toppings you can add to your pie order. None are exotic.

This was my second trip to New Park Pizza and I was once again quite satisfied with my meal. While the sauce stands out on the regular slice, it's the cheese that gives the square slice its flavor. The regular slice is crispy, while the square slice has a chewy, bread-like texture. They're so different from one another that you need to try both.

New Park Pizza has been crowded both times I've been there (you can tell right away by how many cars are in its parking lot), yet there is never a line. The menu is so simple, that whatever you want is always ready to go. After 55 years, you'd hope they'd have the system down.

I wish there were more places that existed today like New Park Pizza. But it's difficult for a business to be so successful for so many years. From generation to generation, through booms and recessions, New Park Pizza has been firing up its brick oven. There's no reason to believe they won't be celebrating 100 years of being in business a few decades down the road.

Hopefully you'll have the chance to check them out before then.