After bad ‘pizza score,’ a passion for the pie
It would be an understatement to say that I’m pretty opinionated about pizza. I know taste is subjective, but I have a palate for the pie. My credentials are legit. I visit family in New York every year, so I’ve tasted the best of the best. New York may be called the “Big Apple,” but it could easily be renamed the “Big Slice of Pizza.”
I vividly remember my Uncle David, from New York, poking fun at a pizza chain when I was a kid. He said the crust tasted like cardboard. At the time, it was my favorite pizza place. I was in elementary school and didn’t have a refined pizza palate yet. Also, we didn’t have any local pizza places near our home. In hindsight, his remark was right on.
So, this brings me to an interesting email I received. The subject caught my attention. The title read, “Virginia Beach ranks as the number 8-worst pizza city in America.”
That’s a bold statement. I wondered how the score was derived. This definitely wasn’t a scientific study. Instead, it ranked cities based on their pizza passion score. What’s a pizza passion score? I never heard of that, so I asked.
The answer: “Our ‘pizza passion’ score is a combination of Google search volume for 25 different pizza terms and it is weighted (30.7%). Some of the terms include pizza near me, pizza deliveries, pan pizza, meat pizza, and so on.”
The study said we have 5.2 pizza joints per 100,000 residents and a Yelp rating of 3.8 stars out of 5. Detroit actually came in as the best pizza city in America.
Again, this isn’t scientific or judged by pizza chefs, but it’s interesting.
Because I’m passionate about pizza and have it almost weekly, I’m going to give you my personal favorites.
I mostly get my pizza for takeout or delivery, so I am more well versed on places closer to my home in Virginia Beach. However, you will notice my favorite pizza is in Norfolk. I’m a foodie and very particular about my pizza choices. I look for consistency and quality ingredients. And my pizza selections are ranked in order.
Del Vecchios
My favorite type of pizza is New York style, but this is the one huge exception. This tops the list as my favorite local pizza place, and I don’t go often enough because it’s 30 minutes from my home. I can only vouch for the Chicago style stuffed pizza. That’s the only type
I’ve tried. It’s deep stuffed with cheese and topped with a crust and marinara. It’s a pizza slice of heaven and a big cheesy treat. Grab a whole pie the next time you’re near Old Dominion University. You will thank me. 1080 W. 47th St., Norfolk
Hearth Restaurant
This was the most elevated and flavorful pizza pie I’ve ever had the pleasure of chowing down on. I’ve only had “The Woodsman” pizza, a wood fired oven variety with roasted cremini mushrooms, truffle oil, spinach and Parmesan cream. This gourmet flavor was something you couldn’t replicate at home. I rarely order pizza from restaurants that have a regular menu and then a separate pizza section, but this pizza was the star of the menu. 605 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach
Bodacious Pizza and Grill
I’ve mostly had vegetable varieties, and the pizza is a winner because of its quality ingredients and good crust. It’s consistently good. On a side note, it’s my favorite place to get a calzone. 309 Aragona Blvd., Virginia Beach
Ynot Italian
I have a favorite slice of pizza that I occasionally treat myself to on the way home from errands. It’s the white spinach and tomato slice. I love white pizza, but sometimes it can be bland. This has a lot of flavor and garlic. Various locations in Hampton Roads.
Prosperity Kitchen and Pantry
I prefer thinner crusts, and Prosperity Kitchen and Pantry bakes a thicker crust. However, I’m including this bakery because it specialize in breads, so obviously the crust is good. They offer an array of creative toppings that change daily such as beet, artichoke, and bacon, pear and blue cheese. It takes three days to make the pizza dough. 532 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach
This list did not include a New York style cheese pizza. I’m still searching for a consistent pizza star in this category. I’m a passionate pizza connoisseur, and I’m still looking for the “one.” If you think you have my perfect pizza match, please send the name and address. I’d like to set a date to try a slice.