Not one but two Portland pizza spots -- Apizza Scholls and Ken's Artisan -- have made this list of the top 25 in the country. We'll have to make a point of testing them both out, as they are in some super company.
We had the pleasure of living around the corner from Pepe's in New Haven for a few months 33 years ago. There was another joint called Sally's up the street. Both were great, but Pepe's was legendary. As we recall, the decor was quite rugged, and the only artist on the jukebox was Frank Sinatra. But oh, the pie.
Don't forget Flying Pie. The savior from Pizza hell after a long hiatus from the best of Chicago in the 50's and 60's. Home Run Inn, near Comiskey Park, numero uno, defined Chicago style crust, and the homiest atmosphere ever to be found in a pizza joint. I moved here in 1963, and suffered long and hard from pizza withdrawal, (and the loss of WFMT).
Portland now has a respectable lineup of pizza places. Even Edgefield is very good, although it definitely depends on who's in the kitchen that day.
Allclassical is also a pretty good replacement for WFMT.
Do folks not know how these "rankings" work? Hint: it does not involve somebody going to each place, eating the pizza, and carefully ranking and rating it. Second hint: it's done by arrangement.
Seriously, folks: It's disguised, paid advertising. Investigate. No, those participating will not say "yeah, it's rigged".
Also read the article. These places serve those new frou frou pizzas that have a cracker thin crust, burnt to a crisp, and that taste like cheese & tomatoes on a burnt ritz cracker. Ok you may like it but give me an old CHicago style pizza everytime.
Take it from a NY Italian-American (who is not into New Haven style), the best in this city is Al Forno Ferruzza on Alberta. But skip their very good pizza and go for their killer calzone with homemade ricotta.
I haven't tried either of the places on Alberta, but Nostrono's is better than either Ken's or Apizza Scholls. My preferred style is Neapolitan, but all three of these claim to make that style.
The top-25 list was right about some places: 2Amy's is the best in DC and Bianco's is the best in Arizona. At one time, I would have said best in the entire country, but I think it went downhill slightly when its owner was forced out of the kitchen by asthma.
Funny this topic should come up here -- I just happened to catch a show the other day on the Travel Channel all about the Pepe's vs. Sally's rivalry. I'm sure it will air again, probably multiple times, so check the listings if you're interested.
Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio 2011
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
The Occasional Book
Hope Larson - A Wrinkle in Time, the Graphic Novel
Rudyard Kipling - Kim
Peter Ames Carlin - Bruce
Fran Cannon Slayton - When the Whistle Blows
Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 29
At this date last year: 66
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (16)
And Nostrana can't be far down the list.
Posted by Allan L. | February 26, 2011 3:31 PM
Scholls on Hawthorne is excellent. Get there early. Pizzeria Uno Chicago still tops he list. Anywhere Sinatra is playing has got to be great.
Posted by Skipper Bob | February 26, 2011 3:31 PM
Pyro Pizza, in the Hawthorne cart pod, is as good as Kens and at about 1/4 the price.
Posted by PJB | February 26, 2011 4:52 PM
What's wrong with Frank?
And aren't you from New Jersey, Jack?
I grew up in the Chicago area, and have yet to find anything on par with the pies of my youth. I'll check these out.
Posted by roy | February 26, 2011 5:05 PM
in the Hawthorne cart pod
How sad.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 26, 2011 5:23 PM
Don't forget Flying Pie. The savior from Pizza hell after a long hiatus from the best of Chicago in the 50's and 60's. Home Run Inn, near Comiskey Park, numero uno, defined Chicago style crust, and the homiest atmosphere ever to be found in a pizza joint. I moved here in 1963, and suffered long and hard from pizza withdrawal, (and the loss of WFMT).
Portland now has a respectable lineup of pizza places. Even Edgefield is very good, although it definitely depends on who's in the kitchen that day.
Allclassical is also a pretty good replacement for WFMT.
Sigh!
Posted by Lawrence | February 26, 2011 6:07 PM
Do folks not know how these "rankings" work? Hint: it does not involve somebody going to each place, eating the pizza, and carefully ranking and rating it. Second hint: it's done by arrangement.
Seriously, folks: It's disguised, paid advertising. Investigate. No, those participating will not say "yeah, it's rigged".
Posted by the other white meat | February 26, 2011 6:43 PM
Pepes, Sallys, The Spot - mmmmm. White clam and garlic pie . . . . takes me way back.
Posted by Doug | February 26, 2011 6:59 PM
Also read the article. These places serve those new frou frou pizzas that have a cracker thin crust, burnt to a crisp, and that taste like cheese & tomatoes on a burnt ritz cracker. Ok you may like it but give me an old CHicago style pizza everytime.
Posted by Anon Also | February 26, 2011 7:20 PM
Seriously, folks: It's disguised, paid advertising.
No, it's not.
Posted by PJB | February 26, 2011 7:29 PM
The Pepe family didn't pay these people.
You got a problem wit dat?
Posted by Jack Bog | February 26, 2011 7:44 PM
Take it from a native of New Haven, CT: the best pizza in Portland, OR is Bella Faccia on Alberta.
Posted by Brendan | February 26, 2011 8:04 PM
Take it from a NY Italian-American (who is not into New Haven style), the best in this city is Al Forno Ferruzza on Alberta. But skip their very good pizza and go for their killer calzone with homemade ricotta.
Posted by LucsAdvo | February 27, 2011 8:41 AM
Ah...Pepe's...garlic and anchovies with extra garlic AND! anchovies!
From the gods!
Posted by Portland Native on the road | February 27, 2011 3:13 PM
I haven't tried either of the places on Alberta, but Nostrono's is better than either Ken's or Apizza Scholls. My preferred style is Neapolitan, but all three of these claim to make that style.
The top-25 list was right about some places: 2Amy's is the best in DC and Bianco's is the best in Arizona. At one time, I would have said best in the entire country, but I think it went downhill slightly when its owner was forced out of the kitchen by asthma.
Posted by antiplanner | February 27, 2011 9:38 PM
Funny this topic should come up here -- I just happened to catch a show the other day on the Travel Channel all about the Pepe's vs. Sally's rivalry. I'm sure it will air again, probably multiple times, so check the listings if you're interested.
Posted by semi-cynic | February 28, 2011 11:17 AM