Lucy in the Sky With Pizza

 Sgt. Pepperoni's Pizza

26601 Aliso Creek Road, Suite D

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

Whether you know it or not, we are living through OC's pizza renaissance right now. People used to lament that no excellent pizzas were available in Orange County. That has changed with the additions of some of my favorite spots to get a slice. Gibroni's, Terra Mia, Folk's, Truly Pizza, Tony's Little Italy, and Brooklyn City, to name a few off the top of my head. 

I feel I had let Sgt. Pepperoni's slip by me. They have been in business since the mid-70s, and I had never visited until they recently reached out to me via Instagram and invited us to see what they were all about. Their original location on Bristol in Newport is still operating, but now they have added two other locations in Irvine and Aliso Viejo to spread their pizza vibes to a broader audience of OC pizza fanatics. 

Sgt. Pepperoni's was started by childhood friends nearly fifty years ago. Like many pizza places, they are very involved in the communities they serve. Supporting youth sports teams, donating and participating in community events, and raising funds for local charities. Their passion project is Julian's Lego Corner fundraiser every September. They urge their customers to donate Lego sets to the children of Choc Hospital, and they also donate a portion of the sales of the pizza of the month to this worthy cause. This proves once again just how generous the restaurant industry is with not only nurturing us through food but also making others' lives better. 

We arrived at the Aliso Viejo location of Sgt. Pepperoni's at 6pm on a recent Sunday. We were met with a bustling restaurant. I was immediately drawn to the glass pizza case near the register. It featured a dozen varieties of pizza by the slice and their famous pinwheels, pizza dough, which is filled with toppings and sliced to resemble the child's toy of the same name. I could barely stop myself from drooling on the glass as we headed to the register to order. 

The menu here is, of course, pizza, pizza-focused. By my count, they offer 14 custom pizza options and build-your-own, gluten-free, and vegan pizzas. They also provide the unique option of having your favorite two specialty pizzas on each half of your pizza, which is great for the indecisive, which we were. Apps, sandwiches, salads, family meals, and desserts round out the rest of the menu. We quickly grabbed a table and waited for our food. 

I've been trying to eat more salads as of late, and Katie was inspired by my produce-eating habits, so she opted to get one of her own as well. She selected the House Salad ($12.50) to start off with. This salad featured mixed greens with tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, cucumbers, pepperoncini, and croutons with ranch dressing. This was a good-sized salad that could have easily fed two people. She felt 

I went with my old reliable when it comes to salads, the Caesar ($12.50). This was about as straightforward of a version of a Caesar as you could make. Chopped romaine, shredded parmesan cheese, and croutons were all there was to this salad. It was still good, especially with the freshness of the romaine and the delicious Caesar dressing. They could have added more parmesan to this, though.   

If Garlic Knots ($8.50) are on the menu, Katie must try them when eating out. This pizza dough is rolled into a ball, coated with garlic and butter, and then baked. I liked these but was partial to the bigger ones, as they were a little more doughy on the inside. The garlic and butter really came through, but I would have liked some of their excellent ranch dressing for dipping these. I'll ask for that next time we get these. 

As I mentioned before, Sgt. Pepperoni's allows you to have two supreme pizzas on each half of your pizza. Perfect for us, who like different things on our pizza. On our 18-inch Pizza ($34.50), we got half with the works and the other half with all the meats. The works included pepperoni, meatballs, sausage, bell pepper, onions, olives, mushrooms, and garlic. This was Katie's side, as I'm averse to olives of any kind. I had a piece that was not covered in olives, which was good. I liked that the crust was manageable and held up structurally when lifted. The onions and garlic added a nice flavor boost as well. Katie was happy with her pick. 

I was happy with my meat side as well. Bacon, pepperoni, sausage, and meatballs covered much of the surface area. Every bite I took included some meat, which is only sometimes the case for other pizza places. The pepperoni crisped up around the edges, and the sausage was nicely spiced. I was also surprised that this was less greasy than expected due to the meat quality they use here. Next time, I'd spend the extra $1.50 and opt for extra cheese to help balance the toppings-to-cheese ratio. My additional two pieces heated up nicely for lunch the next day, 

It's no wonder that Sgt. Pepperoni's has been in business for close to 50 years. They offer some solid pizzas, perfect for youth sports teams, whether winning or losing, celebrating birthdays or any other occasion, and even a night in just watching movies and making memories at home. There's no time that pizza is not a good choice for any meal, especially nowadays, when pizza is having its moment in the sun. 

For more information about Sgt. Pepperoni's, head to their website by clicking here: https://sgtpepps.com/ 

** We were provided this meal for free in exchange for an honest review of their service/food. No other compensation was received. 

An Upswing in Good Pizza in South OC

aPizza Doho

34255 Pacific Coast Highway

Dana Point, CA 92629

If there's one thing I've learned in all my years of writing this blog, it's that people are passionate about pizza. Except for barbecue, pizza gets the second most responses when I write about it. Most people write to tell me that they don't agree with me or I don't know what I'm even talking about. I'll add fuel to the fire in this review by saying that the best pizza in OC can be found south of Irvine. Yes, there are some good spots north of Irvine, but South OC has recently had an influx of great pizza places open up. I was hoping that aPizza Doho would continue this trend. 

aPizza Doho took over the old Parallel Pizza spot open for business from 2018 to 2021 and was one of the numerous restaurants that did not survive the pandemic. The space sat vacant for close to a year, and like the former tenant, they are going for an East Coast-style pizza with an emphasis specifically on the pizza from Connecticut. Unlike its predecessor, aPizza Doho does not offer a clam pizza, but maybe that's for the best, even though I enjoyed it.  

The owner of this restaurant is Marcos Costas, a first-time restaurant owner but definitely not a stranger to the restaurant industry. He's been employed at Salt Creek Grill, Glasspar, French 75, Andrea Restaurant, Savanah Steak and Chop House, and others. Marcos is joined by cousins Anthony and Christopher Christian, who are co-owners and also have restaurant experience. While we were here, Marcos was very involved in the dining room operations, running food, introducing himself to each table, and ensuring things went smoothly. 

The aPizza Doho menu is what you'd expect from a pizza place. There are six appetizers, salads, three sandwiches, and what has brought most people here: pizza. Their pizzas are 15 inches, so they can easily feed two people or three if they are lighter eaters than Katie and me. They have a 10-inch personal pizza offered only for lunch that also comes with a salad. There are 10 featured pizzas, but they also have a build-your-own option. Pizzas will set you back anywhere from $19 to $28. We were famished, so we quickly ordered from our server and waited for our food to arrive. 

Our salads were out within five minutes. I went with my usual Caesar Salad ($15) selection. This version used a black kale and romaine mix topped with grated grana padano cheese and garlic bread crumbs. Maybe the menu did not mention the dressing because they used it sparingly. They could have used a heavier hand when applying some dressing. The lettuce was fresh, and I liked the inclusion of the bread crumbs, which added a nice bit of texture to this salad. 

Much better was Katie's choice, the Simple Salad ($12). This came with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, gorgonzola, and an excellent spiced ranch dressing. Katie was generous enough to give me a bite of this, and after that bite, I wished she had wanted to trade salads. This was full of flavor. The gorgonzola and the pine nuts were excellent additions, but the dressing was the show's star. The salad was dressed perfectly, with just the right amount of ranch dressing covering each piece of lettuce. Very well done. 

Their appetizer offerings included meatballs, arancini, hummus, calamari, and these Zucchini Chips ($9). We picked these because we both got salads and wanted something on the light side to accompany our upcoming pizza. These are basically zucchini sliced thin and fried like a potato chip. They had a little crunch but were not seasoned enough with the promised sea salt. They might have been better with a creamy dipping sauce or their excellent ranch dressing.  

When I'm the one picking pizza, I usually gravitate towards the one with the most meat on it. Our server had suggested this Mia Mushroom Pizza ($25 plus $3 for adding sausage), and since I tasked Katie with choosing the pizza we would have this evening, she went with our server's recommendation. This pizza uses a rich garlic cream as its base and then builds on it with mushrooms, mozzarella, truffle oil,  pecorino romano, and plenty of arugula. I liked the crust well enough. It was crisp and light, with no soggy parts. For me, I'm all about the toppings. I enjoyed the way that the cheese, sausage, and mushrooms interacted. They were not trying to upstage each other, but rather, they were sharing the spotlight. I could have used more garlic cream, sausage, and cheese, but it was still a solid effort.  

Since we had a lighter appetizer and the pizza was more delicate than others, we had room for dessert. We had two choices: tiramisu or Banana Walnut Crumble ($8). You can see which we went with. This comprises sliced bananas in a banana pasty cream alternated with a walnut crumble in a small mason jar topped with whipped cream. It was okay, but it did not knock our socks off. It was not overly sweet, but I did like the unusual choice of the walnut crumble, which I assumed was the reason for the muted sweetness. 

aPizza Doho is another good pizza option for the people of South OC. Based on this visit, they sit just outside my top five pizza spots in South OC (Truly Pizza, Gibroni's, Brooklyn City Pizza, Terra Mia Pizza, and Lunitas Pizza are my current top 5). I look forward to a return visit to try more of their custom pizzas and to have that simple salad again. We experienced excellent service on this visit, as our server was warm and cordial but not too intrusive. A delicate balance to achieve. I found the prices here reasonable for a sit-down pizza place, primarily when one pizza will feed two, so you're paying only $13 per person. A steal in this economy. I hope 2024 will continue the trend of great pizza places opening up in South Orange County. 

Out of five phone books (because this restaurant is an homage to Connecticut pizza and the first phone directory was published in that state in 1878), five being best to zero being worst. aPizza Doho gets 3 phone books.  

For more information about aPizza Doho, check out their website by clicking here: https://apizzadoho.com/

A Pizza Spot to Good to Be True?

 Truly Pizza

24402 Del Prado Ave. 

Dana Point, CA 92629

I will give you a little behind-the-scenes peek at the food blogging/Instagram world. The more followers a person has, the greater the chance they are being paid to visit or promote the restaurant they are showcasing. This leads many top food influencers to over-inflate what they may think of a restaurant. The tell-tell sign of this is when they say something is the "best of my life" or "this is perfect."  I hear these phrases constantly while scrolling through Instagram, and these phrases lose their value after so many instances. 

My policy for my blog and social media posts is to always honestly convey what I think of a restaurant. Even though I have a very modest following on social media, I get invited to some restaurants for a free meal, but I only give them a rating once I return and pay for a meal. I want my brand to be more of a reference point for all of you instead of a commercial for whatever restaurant invites us in for dinner. That's why 946 of my 1088 posts on this blog do have a rating attached to them. 

I bring this up because, yes, we got invited to Truly Pizza in Dana Point for their media event before they opened. What follows will feel like I'm gushing about this restaurant, and I am. Since our initial visit, I have been pleading with anyone I encounter that they must try this place, and I've gotten three Truly Pizza gift cards for people. So, yes, I will shower affection on Truly Pizza, but it's not because we got a free meal. It's because it's excellent. 

Truly Pizza opened in June and was an instant hit. They had wait times of over 2 hours for walk-ins on weekends and peak meal times. Their reservations were booked solid, and they had to suspend online reservations briefly. They are back now, and as I'm writing this four months after their opening date, online reservations have become more accessible, which is great for pizza lovers in Dana Point and the surrounding area. 

It's not really surprising that people have flocked to this restaurant. The team behind this spot has an excellent pedigree. John Arena collaborated with longtime friend and hospitality industry veteran Donna Baldwin and her developer partner Steve Muller to co-found Truly Pizza. John is a third-generation pizza maker who brought New York-style pizza to the people of Las Vegas with great acclaim. Rounding out the team and helming the kitchen at Truly Pizza is Chris Decker, a renowned pizza champion and a new resident of Dana Point. 

They have created a menu that will not overwhelm you with too many choices, but most people will find something to satisfy their cravings. There are four starters and a quintet of salads to start your meal. Two sandwiches are available for the two people out there who are not fans of pizza. Speaking of pizza, there are two types to choose from at Truly. They have their round 12-inch American artesian, which they describe as crispy and airy. There's also a square pizza reminiscent of Detroit-style pizza but with a much lighter touch. Prices for pizzas range between $17 to $30 and can easily feed three people with no leftovers to be taken home. Let's look at the food that got me hot and bothered since I had it a few months ago. 

I know I promised food, but I wanted to give you a glimpse into the atmosphere that Truly Pizza has created. We were seated upstairs with a beautiful view of the surrounding Lantern District of Dana Point. The faux lemon lattice above us provided a garden feel to the setting. Downstairs, the dominant feature is the glass-enclosed kitchen, which gives an excellent view of the hardworking kitchen staff creating pizzas and other menu items. Now, I promise, here's a look at the food.  

We started things off at Truly with two salads and a starter. Katie selected the Salumi Chopped Salad ($22) to begin with. This salad uses little gem lettuce and Calabrian chili vinaigrette as a dressing. The dressing had a tinge of spice to it, which played well with the rest of the ingredients of this salad. The high-quality soppressata and sliced salami were plentiful and joined in the bowl with red onion, fresh mozzarella cubes, shaved fennel, beans, and olives. Katie called this a meal in itself and would not hesitate to get this salad again. I had the popular Dana Point Wedge ($18). This version of a wedge starts with iceberg lettuce portioned into six stacks of easy-to-manage lettuce and then is complemented with candied pecans, dates, shaved egg, chives, red onion, smoked bacon, cracked black pepper, Point Reyes blue cheese, and finished off with their unbelievably good herby ranch. Yes, the produce was fresh, and the inclusion of the pecans and dates made this their own, but their incredible ranch dressing really set this apart. It stole the show here and ruined me for the bottled stuff I use because I'm too lazy to make my own. This wedge is a must-get. 

We added the Garlic Pull Apart Bread ($12) as a last-minute addition to our order. It's baked in a cast iron skillet and is topped with garlic, butter, and a sprinkling of Romano cheese. I could have used more garlic on this, but I always favor plenty of extra garlic. The rolls were nicely done, with a crunchy outer shell and pillowy soft bread underneath. These were made even better when we asked for some ranch to dip them in. 

Pizza Time! I've never really been into supreme pizzas, preferring to go for pizzas with the most meats and leave the vegetables for someone else. Our server and Katie talked me into getting this beautifully presented Suprema Pizza ($30). This square pizza came with roasted mushrooms and peppers, cup and char pepperoni, sausage, garlic confit, and a spicy giardiniera resting on a whole milk mozzarella and a red sauce underneath it all. I'm not a crust guy at all. I almost always leave the crust alone, but the crust here at Truly Pizza is light and airy, and I found myself eating all of it. The toppings are of the highest quality and yield no grease whatsoever. I love the cup pepperoni, as it has a great crunch to it. I thought the giardiniera would overpower here, but it went well with the other toppings. Katie and I could have finished this pizza, but I wanted a few pieces for the next day to see how it would hold up. The next day, it was just as good, even heated up in the microwave. I have my eye on their Crispy Pepperoni or their La Foresta pizza, featuring sausage, mushroom, and ricotta, for my follow-up visits. 

A sweet treat to end your meal at Truly is a great idea, as I watched table after table trying their house-made Soft Serve Ice Cream ($8). They rotate their flavors, but they had the classic chocolate and vanilla when we were here. You can choose one topping, picking between olive oil and sea salt, sprinkles, grape nuts, chocolate sauce, Oreo crumbles, or pistachios. I had the vanilla chocolate swirl with olive oil and sea salt. The contrast between the sweet and salty was a nice balance. Katie got straight chocolate with grape nuts because it reminded her of her childhood. I liked the added texture that the grape nuts brought.  

Hopefully, this blog post will entice you to try Truly Pizza. People are really partial to the kinds of pizza they like, whether it's New York, Detroit, Chicago, or any other type of pizza that is popular at any given moment. I would characterize this pizza as Californian, with its fresh and high-quality toppings, light crust, and unique topping combinations. I definitely got the sense that they pay attention to every detail here and want to showcase their pizzas and other items' greatness. It shows in the pride that they emit when complimented about their restaurant. I will be back soon to do a proper review when we pay for our meal, but honestly, I can't imagine not being impressed with Truly Pizza on my next visit. 

For more information about Truly Pizza, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.trulypizza.com/

A Slice of NYC in LA

 Prince Street Pizza

827 East 3rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90013

Some of NYC's most famous restaurants and foods have ventured out west in the past few months. LA is now home to several locations of the ever-popular Shake Shack, Grimaldi's Pizza, Magnolia Bakery is hawking its baked goods and famous banana pudding to us left-coasters, and Levain Bakery, which sells the best cookie on the planet, just opened on the day I am writing this review. We were going to be in LA for a White Coat Ceremony, so we tried another Big Apple export, Prince Street Pizza. 

My Instagram feed has shown me plenty of slices of pizza recently. Most are from other parts of the country, but one has consistently been featured, and upon closer inspection, I found out that Prince Street Pizza had opened in LA. In fact, four locations are currently operating in LA: Venice, West Hollywood, West LA, and the one we were visiting in Downtown LA. That makes four places to get a slice in LA and only one in NYC. It's more than likely due to the urban sprawl of LA. 

Prince Street Pizza opened for business in 2012 in the Nolita section of Manhattan. They are most known for their Sicilian-style pizza slices, which are closely related to Detroit-style pizza, served as squares, but the Sicilian style has a lighter, more airy crust that is more bread-like. PSP also offers Neopolitan pizza, the polar opposite of their Sicilian. It has a very thin crust baked in a round pan and cut into triangular slices, which is what people expect when eating pizza. 

Both pizza styles are available by the slice, but most people opt for the Sicilian-style slices. We arrived at the Arts District just before 5pm on a Saturday. We found some parking about a block away and entered PSP. Ordering is done from behind the glass case housing the pizzas available. After selecting the slices you want, the pizza is whisked into the awaiting oven to be finished off while you pay at the register and then wait for your slices. The whole process took less than five minutes. We then found some seating at the communal tables in front of the restaurant and settled in to eat our bounty. 

Yes, we were more than likely going to be having food after the White Coat ceremony we were in LA for, but we had no idea when we would be back up this way, and we felt a duty to you to try as many types of PSP pizza as we could. We went with the Meat Lovers ($6.50), Spicy Spring ($6.50), Four Cheese ($6.25), and the Mercer Margherita ($6.25). 

The slices featured a crispy, spongy crust that melded nicely with the pizza toppings and cheese. Predictably, my favorite of this quartet was the Meat Lovers, which came with spicy pepperoni cups, sausage, marinara sauce, mozzarella, and romano cheeses, with a touch of garlic. Our slice also appeared to have a sprinkle of crumbled bacon, which is not listed as an option on their menu. The pepperoni cups crisped up nicely, providing a crunch, while the sauce and cheese were delightful. A killer slice that had me going back for more to take home. 

My second favorite was the spicy spring, with pepperoni, a fra diavolo sauce, and mozzarella. The sauce had a little kick, but it was not over-the-top spicy. The heat hung out on the back end of each bite but did not overwhelm me. The end crust was good, but with four slices to finish, I discarded it as I ate more. The four-cheese slice was good, but it should be renamed three cheese because they count fresh mozzarella and shredded mozzarella as two of the cheeses, which joins whipped ricotta and pecorino romano to make up this slice. This is an excellent option for people who prefer something other than meat on their pizza. The Margherita pizza was Katie's choice, and I found it okay, but it lacked the flavor punch of the other three. Katie liked it way more than I did, so maybe it's just that I'm not that into Margherita pizza. 

I am into Prince Street Pizza, though. Their pizza was less greasy and heavy than I was expecting. It still had a good flavor profile and satisfied us through the white coat ceremony we were going to next. It's easy to see why they are so popular, and I'd like to try their round pizza the next time we are up this way. The $6 price point was not awful, and the guys behind the counter were all pretty cool. It's another success story for an NYC restaurant moving to LA. 

Out of five duels (because also on Prince Street in NYC is the former site of the estate of Aaron Burr, who had a famous duel with Alexander Hamilton), five being best to zero being worst, Prince Street Pizza gets 3.5 duels. 

For more information about Prince Street Pizza, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.princestreetpizza.com/

Pizza. That's all Folks!

 Folks Pizzeria

2937 Bristol Street A102

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

My friend Ed was back in town for the evening, and he's always eager to get together. Who can blame him? Katie and I are pretty awesome. I have known Ed since kindergarten, which was long ago. He's my longest-lasting friend, was a groomsman at my wedding, and I'm incredibly proud of his life's success. I'd, of course, never tell him that, so I thought I'd write it here since he's way too important to be bothered with my humble restaurant blog. Whenever he's back in OC, I try to find a fantastic place to eat. This time we met up at Folks Pizzeria in Costa Mesa. 

Folks is located in The Camp, across the street from the Lab Anti-Mall, and just down the road from South Coast Plaza. They took over the space that Old Vine Kitchen and Bar vacated when they moved next door for bigger digs. Folks Pizzeria has been open for over three years and has grown a loyal following. Unfortunately, they often have an hour or longer wait times on most nights and sometimes more on weekends. You can make reservations in advance through their website, the phone, or on their Yelp page. Make note that they are not open for lunch, only from 4 to 9pm daily.  

Run by Chloe Tran and Chef Joey Booterbaugh, they describe Folks as an artisanal restaurant that celebrates California's natural bounty of local ingredients. The menu they have curated is seasonal and built to share with the others at your dining party. Chef Joey left the fine dining scene in LA, with a brief detour to San Fransisco, to open this spot and has won praise from OC Register restaurant critic Brad Johnson, who named this spot as one of the best 75 restaurants in OC this year. My anticipation was building. 

The Folks menu is straight and to the point. They offer four red-based pizzas and four white pizzas. The pizzas are 14 inches across and easily feed two to three people. Pizzas are priced from $21 to $26, and there are eight toppings that you can pick from to customize your perfect pizza. Rounding out the menu are two salad options and a quintet of shareable starters. So let's see if all the hype is real for Folks Pizzeria. 

I'm a sucker for Meatballs ($18 plus a $3 upcharge for the jersey ricotta) and like to try them almost everywhere we go. These golf ball-sized meatballs came three to an order, which was perfect since there were three of us. They were incredibly tender, and if I was guessing, I'd say they were made up of ground pork and a little ground beef. They were served in a delectable pork cheek gravy with some basil, parsley, and chives for seasoning. The ricotta added a nice creaminess to this starter and was worth the extra three bucks. The grilled sourdough that came with this was an excellent vehicle for dipping into the excess red sauce. 

We had plenty of bread from the meatball appetizer and the pizza that was coming up next, but Katie added to our carb count by ordering this Bread and Butter ($11). This was the same crusty sourdough bread that came with our meatballs. However, it was paired with labneh brown butter, which I believe was made with yogurt. I was not really a fan. It lacked the creaminess I expected, and the flavor seemed off to me. However, Katie and Ed liked it, with Katie even going one step further, calling it addicting, so maybe it's just not my thing. 

Behold the Matterhorn of cheese, or at least that's what came to mind when this Chopped Salad ($18) was sat on our table. Under all that, finely grated pecorino was some soppressata, sheep's milk feta, olives, pickled chilies, almonds, basil, greens, and a wonderful oregano vinaigrette tying everything together. I liked the different textures and flavor boosts that this salad brought. It's not going to replace my usual Caesar salad, but it was nice for a change of pace. 

Pizza time! We went with the Pepperoni and Fennel Sausage ($25 plus $4.50 for the sausage). You can assume that this is a high-quality pizza made with great ingredients from the lack of grease. The crust held firm under all the toppings, and the slight char on the outer crust was not too obtrusive. They don't use an overabundance of cheese on their pizzas, instead allowing the toppings to be featured front and center. With all of our starters and the salad, we had just enough pizza for the three of us. 

Folks Pizzeria has two desserts on their menu, a burnt cheesecake and this Chocolate Budino ($11). This was actually two desserts in one. You get the budino, served in a jar and salted caramel flavored with creme fraiche whipped cream perched on top, and then you have a brown butter chocolate chip cookie served on the side. They are a perfect duo. The cookie was incredible, and I should have gotten one or two to take home. The budino was also good, although it was lacking in the salt area. Nice and creamy, with a muted sweetness to it. 

Folks Pizzeria was as advertised. It definitely belongs on Brad Johnson's top 75 OC restaurant list. The pizza here is good and not pigeonholed into a type like most people tend to do with pizza. It's a pizza all its own. Not New York style, definitely not Chicago or Detroit either. Let's just say it's a high-quality pizza that doesn't try to do too much except showcase excellent ingredients and the craftsmanship of the kitchen here. Even the sides were all delicious. We look forward to returning visits to try more of their sides and pizzas. Our server was pretty shy but efficient. As busy as they were, the food came out much more quickly than I had anticipated. It gave us a little less time to catch up with Ed, but with pizza this good, we weren't going to be doing a lot of talking anyways. 

Out of five scarecrows (because the city of Costa Mesa was home to a scarecrow and pumpkin festival every autumn for a while), five being best to zero being worst, Folks Pizzeria gets 3.5 scarecrows. 

For more information about Folks Pizzeria, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.folkshospitality.com/ 

A Taste of the Motor City in San Clemente - CLOSED

 Gibroni's Pizza

215 South El Camino Real

San Clemente, CA 92672

When I was growing up, I was naive about pizza. I never knew there were regions where pizza differed from the ones I consumed with great vigor after soccer games, birthday parties, and rounds of miniature golf. After a trip to the East Coast in the mid-eighties (yes, I am that old), I realized that all pizzas were not created equally after eating a pizza in New York City. That pizza we ate on that sidewalk in Manhattan all those years ago helped me see that there was way more to pizza than what I'd been eating at Chuck E Cheese or Pizza Hut. 

As I grew older, traveled more, and became a more adventurous eater, I soon realized that whether a pizza was made in the style of New York, Neopolitan, Chicago, New Haven, or Sicilian, they all had their own merits. Luckily, as the restaurant scene has evolved in OC, these pizzas are readily available without needing a plane ticket. 

The latest craze in the pizza game is Detroit-style pizza. Pizza Hut has been promoting it on TV, and my Instagram feed has featured plenty of it when I'm scrolling. There are now two places that serve pizza from this Midwestern city in OC, along with others in LA. I could not take seeing the glowing reviews and drool-inducing pictures anymore, so I gathered up two friends, and we headed to Gibroni's Pizza in San Clemente. 

Gibroni's operates out of the kitchen at JD's Bar, in the heart of downtown San Clemente, alongside El Camino Real. Tony and Lindsay Gioutsis had run a food truck in Texas but decided to make a dash for the beautiful shores of the Pacific. When the pandemic hit, they began perfecting their Detroit-style pizza, which they deeply missed from their youth in Michigan. They now run this pizza spot, Tony, in his trademark Detroit Tigers cap, Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

But what exactly is Detroit-style pizza? It's pizza baked in a pan with sauce on top, cheese to the sides, and a buttery crust that is crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. Just like deep-dish pizza, making this kind of pizza takes a little time. They suggest you order on their website about 30 to 40 minutes before you want to eat longer during peak times on Fridays and Saturdays. We were going to be enjoying some beverages at JD's, so we just ordered online and waited for our pizzas to be ready. I was excited about my first Detroit-style pizza. Let's check it out. 

First up is the mushroom-centric Fun Guys Pizza ($16). This eight-by-ten-inch pizza comes with crimini mushrooms and is joined by sausage, white truffle oil, and porcini cream sauce. It is then finished with some parsley on top. Mushroom fans need to get this pizza stat, and even if you are not the biggest fan of shrooms, this flavor was very pleasing. It was hearty, and I loved how the crispy edges and soft dough in the middle contrasted. This could have had more sausage for my tastes, but it was an excellent start to my maiden voyage of having Detroit-style pizza. 

At Gibroni's, they feature a pizza of the month, and while we were there, we had this delicious Colonel Barry Sanders ($16). Hopefully, this one comes back soon. It's their take on the Nashville hot chicken craze at its peak right now. This one is topped with fried chicken pieces, pickled jalapenos, green onions, and their custom cheese blend. I detected a bit of heat and some sweetness in some bites, but I don't know where that came from. This pizza came with a side of their Cranch, which is what they call their house-made buttermilk ranch, which was excellent. For fans of buffalo wings, this would be your jam. 

This From the D Pizza ($16) is the most traditional pizza on the menu at Gibroni's. Double pepperoni, marinara, and parmesan made this pizza a winner. I loved the pepperoni they use here, which crisped up and formed little cups. The pizza was savory, with a touch of sweetness from the marinara. Because everything is layered on top of the pizza, it makes everything more prominent. 

We all split this Cheesy Bread ($11 with bacon added) as if we did not have enough carbs. The menu failed to mention that some sliced bell peppers and green onions would be included on top of this, which was not a big deal to me, but if you are not a fan, be advised. This was like their pizza but in breadstick form. It comes with either marinara or cranch, and we went with the ranch, which is always a good choice. 

Gibroni's lived up to the hype I had expected before my visit. You can now count me as a devotee of the Detroit-style pizza movement sweeping the country. This is more than a fad; this is some seriously great pizza. I loved the crispy edges and pillowy soft middle. This is a hefty pizza, much like a deep dish, which will make you full after only a few slices. The small pizzas will feed two adults, as two squares are enough for most people; even though I went through four during our visit, I was pretty stuffed for the rest of the day. Even though this was my first Detroit pizza, this is one of my top three pizza experiences in OC, joining Tony's Little Italy in Placentia and Terra Mia Pizza in Laguna Hills. I'm glad my tastes have evolved since I was a kid, and I loved all that mediocre pizza we got from Pizza Hut, Domino's, and others. 

Out of five Lakers (because Tony and Lindsay, the owners of Gibroni's, met at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, and their school mascot is Louie the Laker), five being best to zero being worst, Gibroni's Pizza gets 4 Lakers. 

For more information about Gibroni's Pizza, head to their website here: https://gibronispizza.com/