Rob's Recommendations: Pizza

Bacon & Pepperoni Pizza from Demetrio's

I was subbing at school today and the students and I got into a discussion on the best pizza around. Everyone agreed that Pine City Pizza Pub has some top-notch pizza, but it tends to be a little more expensive. The other excellent local alternative is Casey's which typically has very good pizza at a reasonable price. There's also a Pizza Hut in town, but personally I haven't been impressed with their pizza for the last several years. I wish there was a Little Caesar's nearby as their deep dish pizza is quite good as is their Crazy Bread.

A little further out one student recommended Proctor Pizza & Sub Shop up near Duluth, so I'm adding that to my list of places to try. 

Donatelli Brothers in White Bear Lake has a wonderful pizza called the "heart-stopper" with pretty much every meat. Guy Fieri featured it on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but I used to go there frequently in seminary when I was working nearby at what was then Lakewood Evangelical Free Church. Donatelli's also has a great concoction called the "super-suicide" which includes all the different sodas (a "suicide") plus flavoring syrups (cherry, lemon-lime, chocolate...) I'm not sure of the exact recipe, but it's really good and every sip is different. 

Giordano's is excellent for Chicago-style deep dish, and there is one in Richfield, Minnesota, so you don't have to travel as far to enjoy it!

The best all-time pizza I've ever had is at Demetrio's Pizza House in Bradenton, Florida. We used to go there weekly after church on Sundays when I was growing up. My favorite is their pizza with bacon and pepperoni (pictured here). I've never had another pizza that has a crust similar to Demetrio's and their sauce is a perfect blend to complement to toppings.

If you are anywhere near Bradenton - or even if you're not - it's worth a trip to Demetrio's for their pizza. (The rest of their food is excellent, as well.) Note that it is the original Demetrio's in Bradenton on Cortez Road, as I believe there are others with similar names. Looking forward to heading down for a visit at the end of March and we usually end up at Demetrio's a few times!