On their website, Joseph explains:

“We took the age old concept of a wood fired oven on a trailer and modernized it for today’s use. In addition to manufacturing a practical line-up of mobile pizza ovens and we created the tools you need to be set up for success.

After a fiery debate, our 100+ customers across North America agreed upon a collective mission. It is the intention of the Fire Within mobile pizza caterers to save the world from common, cardboard-box-pizza one wood-fired pizza at a time. Taste testers welcome.”

For the record: Pizza Therapy, and Legends of Pizza, whole heratedly supports the mission of The Fire Within.

I was lucky enough to snag an interview with Joseph. I totally raked him over the coals and asked him the tough questions!

He was always gracious and very forthcoming.

Albert: It seems to me that your company has lots of different hats…

Please tell me what exactly is “Fire Within”?

Joseph: Simply, Fire Within offers a turnkey mobile wood fired oven business. In addition to manufacturing almost a dozen custom mobile wood fired oven designs we offer entrepreneurs the necessary tools to succeed and welcome them into a community where they can thrive. For those that need a business plan we’ve written a comprehensive 200 page business manual called Rolling In The Dough that has over 6 years of professional advice on running your own business.  For those that would like hands on training and a business intensive our hands on Getting Started workshops are designed for the first timer as well as the accomplished chef. We started our own mobile pizza oven business over 6 years ago which we still do some select catering events and concerts here in Boulder.

Albert: Do you remember your first pizza? How did you get interested in making pizza?

Joseph: I actually do remember my first pizza. My parents have this photo of me in my high chair eating a slice of pizza from Denino’s with a bottle of beer on my table.

As a young kid I remember looking over the counter at pizzaeria’s and I would stare at the guys making pizza. I was so curious about the dough I couldn’t quite figure out what the texture was of dough – was it wet? soft? fragile?….

Albert: Where are you from Joseph? Where did you grow up?

Joseph: I was born in Brooklyn hours after my parents had pizza at Spumoni Gardens. (True story) They raised us in Staten Island.

Albert: Can you share some early memories of pizza?

Joseph: There are so many. One was a constant occurrence as a teenager. I would scrounged up change from everywhere across the house to get a slice of pizza at the pizzeria in front of the bus stop. Another funny one was eating an entire pie with my best friend on the curb in front of Gino’s pizzeria on Staten Island. We somehow thought it was going to be an impossible task to eat an entire 18’’ pie. After we both had 4 slices we both thought we would be stuffed. We weren’t. We ordered 2 more slices, each.

Albert: Can you explain some of your influences for your pizza?

Joseph: My influences may not be your ordinary influences as other people in the pizza community. Art, a great painting as Color and not too many flavors all at once. The sauce should be as pure as possible.

Albert: What is the most important the crust or the toppings?

Joseph: Ouch, tough question. A good pizza can not have a lacking crust. Toppings you can take off.

Albert: What is your favorite pizza? Why?

Joseph: This is a strange answer.

Peter Reinhart says, there are 2 kinds of pizza. The one that you share with a friend and then there is the one that has carefully selected ingredients. The first kind is my favorite pizza. Interestingly enough my favorite pizza changes every few years. For the past 2 years it’s been a white pizza with kalamata olives, rosemary, with parmigiana and either ricotta cheese or another kind of cheese.

Albert: What is the best pizza in Colorado?

Joseph: Tough call, I have a few friends who own pizzeria’s. In Boulder, Pizzeria Basta and Pizzeria da Lupo. In Denver, Dave Bravdica and Tom Garnick at Brava Pizzeria Della Strada.

Albert: The U.S???

Joseph: The Sicilian slice at Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn is hands down the best Sicilian you will ever eat. No disrespect to those that like to make it, but it’s futile. They figured it out. I don’t make a Sicilian pie out of respect. They achieved perfection. There is one one Sicilian pie. Everything else falls somewhere between Chicago pizza and Focaccia.

Thin crust pizza is either Joe and Pat’s in Staten Island (they won best pizza in NYC) or Denino’s. It’s the subtleties in NY pizzerias. The napkins, the grenade chilli flake dispensers. Whether it’s the table cloths or the tables that make you feel like your back in Junior High. Some say it’s all about the water. Ok. Sure. Whatever makes sense to people.  If it’s not from NY it’s Neo-american pizza. I stand with the rest of the NY loyalists who speak the truth 

Respect needs to be given to Crust, Tony G’s in SF, Tony Calzone at Rebbecca’s, Jay Jerrier of Cane Rosso in Dallas, Chris Bianco in AZ, Matt Tierney at Pele’s in FL. For each of their own credit they have done our craft good.

Albert: Favorite pizzaioli?

Joseph: Honestly and I may have touched on this here or in other places and I truly don’t mind sticking my neck out on this…. it’s about the passion, it’s about the love of wanting to make someone happy, it’s all the simplicity that comes along with pizza. how easy it is to eat, how easy it is to make. my favorite pizzaioli is the one that never stops learning, holds no secrets, welcomes everyone over to the table to eat and makes pizza regardless if they got paid or not.

The joy of cooking with wood.

Albert: What are your best tips for making pizza?

Joseph: Depending on your comfort level, years making pizza —For starters, focus on Color, Pizza is simple. leave space to where you can see the crust through the sauce. less is more. most of the time it;s one main ingredient takes the center stage, then it has one or 2 back up singers and then a little bit of flair with some spices.

Albert: What type of flour do you use?

Joseph: Gusto’s

Albert: Do you feel using great flour is critical for great pizza?

Joseph: Absolutely, but you can have a great flour but still make a lousy pizza.

Albert: It seems that The fire With-in has created a type of pizza community.
How do you stay in touch?

Joseph: The people I’ve been lucky to meet and speak with over the years are truly special. They are following their passion, leaving career’s, mortgaging their house, building their own pizza empires.

I was sharing this story with my father the other day – the day after GM laid off 5,000 workers an ex-employee called me and said “ I just lost my job and I’m looking for something new to do. I want to do something I love, something that is for me.” I’ve heard so many stories just like that. To hear people share their dreams of owning their own business or wanting to make a difference in people’s lives through food is very special, it’s changed my life to witness this time and time again. I’m humbled.

Albert: You have a unique pizza philosophy?

Joseph: Pizza presence and meaning is bigger than I fail to realize sometimes.

The product:

I had a student once who was so bent on making authentic Neapolitan pizza. He stressed he wanted to learn the authentic tradition and that it was the best way to make pizza. What he had a difficult time understanding was that he was very far removed from what pizza meant to him. Being genuine comes from within, not from a recipe book. People can tell when you care. The only way you can screw up a pizza is thinking that you know everything there is to know about pizza.

The people:

Pizza promotes conversation. Pizza is an art form to be appreciated. Pizza is comfort food. The only way to ruin a nice meal is to think that you know what good pizza is and the person you are eating it with doesn’t

The experience of eating pizza:

Eating a slice of pizza is unlike eating anything else. Being able to grab a slice of pizza at a deck oven pizzeria fold it in half, walk with it while eating it or sit down and eat it at a small table. It’s a meal, it’s a snack. You don’t just time having a slice around meal time. It’s comfort food. People have a slice as part of their routine in life or they go to a sit down pizzeria every Friday night or call in an order to be picked up.

Wood fired pizza:

Wood fired pizza is it’s own unique pizza experience. It’s like having a third party join you for the meal, in this case it’s the fire. Even though it’s not sitting down with you at the table we are acutely aware that this food was made with fire. It has an impact on the meal, on the conversation.

I’m fortunate enough to be part of something very special with these mobile ovens. Mobile wood fired oven caterers are promoting them and making these 2 pizza experiences available and accessible.

Making Pizza as a profession or a hobby can be very satisfying.

For us pizza fanatics stepping back and looking at how much we get from pizza can be quite a shock.I’m not sure how VPN fits into my philosophy. It has a place in pizza culture but it’s not near my top of ways I relate to pizza.

Albert: Tell me more about the pizza school and how one can enroll….

We host our getting started with your own mobile wood fired oven business 6 times a year. In 2012 we will be adding a few other workshops to our offering, specifically advanced wood fired oven cooking. Peter Reinhart will join us next year for a 3 day workshop. He taught an advanced cooking class for us last year and it was a huge success. We have taught over 200 people how to start their own mobile pizza business. After just the first day the group comes together like a family. A small community is born. People see how similar we all are, we all like fire, we all love pizza, we all are independent souls, we are all searching for something new. I teach people to make their business an extension of themselves. I don’t think enough people were given permission or shown the way on how to do that.

Albert: Where is The Fire Within headed?

Joseph:: We have a number of great projects in the works. Some will be cut from our business plan but I think we’ll have a few really cool things to offer artisan chefs and entrepreneurs in 2012. We are really excited to talk more about it shortly.

Albert: Please add anything else you like.

Joseph: I once spoke with Jim Leahy from Sullivan Street Bakery in NYC. I was really impressed by his continuous pursuit to perfect his craft. He’s mastered great dough recipes and he still had the fire to learn more to still be humbled by the knowledge still yet to be learned. Someone so accomplished yet still looking at things from a beginners mind. Artisanship is a pursuit, not an accomplishment. The respectable bakers and chefs are the ones that encourage and make something feel obtainable. I think this type of genuine humility in chefs/teachers is rare.

Thanks so much Joseph. We wish you continued success.

Contact:

The Fire Within
PO Box 1563, Boulder, Colorado 80306

Pizza on Earth, Good Will to All!
Albert Grande

 The line is always out the door and it is out the door for a reason."

 Santarpio’s

"They've had a lot of time to perfect their pizza. Well over 100 years of pizza making and it shows because the pizza here is exceptional. I don't think you could find anyone who would disagree with that statement."

Angelina's

 "This one is a little bit of a surprise. Definitely less known. Will become more popular in the coming years. Located in Braintree, Massachussets It is a thin crust pizza. The pizzas are enormous. not written about as much but definitely really really good!"

Here is the interview:
 

"Spacca Napoli Pizzeria was inspired by the authentic aroma, taste, and craft of pizza found on the streets and in the pizzerias in Naples. In fact, the food, wine and service at Spacca Napoli are all designed to reflect southern Italy's proud traditions and gracious hospitality."

The pizza at Spacca Napoli is outstanding. Steeped in the true Neapolitan style of creating pizza, it is one of best pizzerias in Chicago.

Here is their pizza menu:

 

Marinara
Oregano, Garlic, Basil

Margherita
Fior di Latte Mozzarella, Basil

Funghi
Fior di Latte Mozzarella, Basil, Mushrooms

Salsiccia
Fior di Latte Mozzarella, Basil, ltalian Sausage

Funghi e Salsiccia
Fior di Latte Mozzarella, Basil, Mushrooms, Italian Sausage

Bufalina
Basil, Mozzarella di Bufala, Olive Oil

Diavola
Mozzarella di Bufala, Spicy Salami, Red Pepper Flakes, Basil

You can watch an interview I did with Jonathan. He decribes his pizza  inspiration and pizza passion:

 

 
 
Marinho’s Pizzeria – Millis, MA
984 Main Street, Millis, MA 02054
 
Marinho’s Pizzeria, situated conveniently on Main Street in Millis, MA is the unsung hero of suburban pizza joints. The pizza is thin, it is large, and it is more than satisfying.  The owner is often there making each pizza himself, although his staff is more than capable of keeping the pizzas coming!  His shop is worthy of a downtown real estate plot based on how consistently delicious it is.  If you’re feeling hungry, feeding a soccer team, or plan on huddling up in your house for three days during a blizzard, go for jumbo size.  No regrets.
 
Angelina’s Pizzeria – Braintree, MA
Braintree is not far from Boston.  Because of this, residents may feel inclined to hop in their cars or board the beloved ‘T’ to head into town for dinner.  Although a night out in the big city is fun every once and again, NOTHING beats a cozy night at home with a glass (or two) of vino and the PERFECT PIZZA.  I cannot stress enough that Angelina’s Pizzeria on Elm Street in Braintree delivers (in terms of the pizza itself and also by car)!
You can expect a thin crust pie with fresh ingredients and, most importantly, a delectable crust.  As any good pizza lover knows, the crust is the most important and I can say with confidence that Angelina’s has figured out their crust.  Its thin, its light, its airy, and it soaks up the sauce, cheese and flavors better than any surrounding pizza restaurant or shop. Don’t wait! Run over to Angelina’s today!
 
Angelina's Pizzeria
419 Elm Street
Braintree, MA 02184
Tel: 781-843-7827
Reviews compiled by: - Boston’s Ms. Pizza (THE APPRENTICE, to THE Albert Grande)
 

• Metal Pizza cutter in the form of the famous NCC-1701 Enterprise ship from Star Trek the original series
• Laser Etched Stainless steel blade with solid zinc-alloy chromium plated body
• Blade diameter: 4 inches
• Total length including blade: 8.5 inches

Super Peel is the simplest and surest way to pick up, transfer or reposition all your dough with ultimate ease and precision, with nothing ever sticking or ending up misshapen, torn, cracked, flopped, or dropped. Not Ever!

"Super Peel can move:

Location: St Paul, MN (Downtown)
Address: 211 Seventh St W St Paul, MN
55102  (651) 222-3476

Hours:
Sun-Thu 11am-9pm,
Fri-Sat 11am-10pm
Links: Google Map

Atmosphere: Cossetta’s is a cafe-style restaurant, with two main serving areas that work their way toward the middle: The Pizza/Dessert counter on the far right and the Sandwiches/Salads/Hot Entree counter to the far left near the Italian Market. Order what you would like at designated counter (some items such as the lasagna, mostacolli and pizza are premade, but other items such as salads, sandwiches, veal parmesgiana, etc are made to order), then pay for everything at one of the two cashiers in the middle. Beverages are purchased at the cashier.

Cossetta’s is a two-story restaurant, with a majority of the seating on the upper level.  Since the middle of the restaurant is open the full two stories to accommodate the stairway, many of the tables in the upper level wrap around a railing overlooking the action below.  There is also a dining room upstairs in the back that has several tables extremely close together.  When it gets crowded it can be hard to maneuver in and out.

Not pictured is the Cossetta Market, which sells imported food products from Italy, as well as fresh deli items (salads, sausage, sauce,etc).

Menu: Cossettas has a selection of made-to-order garden salads, such as the famous Cossetta Salad, Italian Garden Salad, or Italian Gorgonzola. There are also a handful of pasta salads like the Antipasto Salad or the Tortellini with Prosciutto and Gorgonzola.

Cossettas also has several sandwiches.  The Hero (choice of meat) and the Italian Hero are served cold with choice of fixings, while the following are all served hot: Cossetta Sandwich, Hot Peppers and Sausage, Veal Parmegiana, and Italian Meatball.

Entrees include Mostacolli with Ricotta, Chicken Marsala, Sausage and Peppers, Lasagna, Veal Parmesan, and Chicken Cacciatore.  Every month there is also a Featured Special; February’s special is Manicotti Panna Marzano.

Pizza can be bought by the slice or you can order a whole pizza.  There are always hot, fresh slices of Cheese, Pepperoni, and Sausage, as well as a Daily Special.  One 16″ is divided into six slices.

Desserts include Spumoni, Gelato, Cannoli and Tiramisu.

*All beverages are canned or bottled.

Price guide: Salads $ 4-8  Sandwiches $ 7-8 Entrees $5-11 Pizza by Slice $3.50-4
What I ordered: I shared this gigantic piece of pizza with my companion.  The slice was so big it hardly fit on the standard cardboard plate it came on!  The pizza at Cossetta’s is New York Style, with a chewy, hand-tossed crust and just the right amount of sauce.  The mozzarella that they use is fresh and plentiful, and there were also plenty of slices of pepperoni which made it kind of greasy.  Cossetta’s pizza is my favorite local pizza thus far.

My companion and I also each got the veal parmegiana entree, which comes with mostacolli and garlic toast.  I ordered mine with the sauce on the side to maintain the crispiness of the veal for as long as possible.  The veal is sliced about 1/4″, making it tender yet crispy on the outside.  The portion size was on the small side but worth every penny.  The mostacolli was tossed lightly with ricotta and comes loaded with red sauce ( I added the sauce myself from the side they gave me and saved the rest for my veal).  The mostacolli was firm and delicious with the sauce.  The garlic toast was huge! It had a fair amount of garlic butter and was slightly salty but packed with flavor.  It was also just the right amount of crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside- I especially loved it dipped in sauce.

Service: My visit was late on a Saturday afternoon, just 3 hours or so before a Wild Hockey game.  We were fortunate enough to get to Cossetta’s before it started to get packed, which meant a prime spot in the Cossetta’s Parking Lot (for customers only, no event parking!) and reasonable food lines.  Within a half hour or so after we arrived, it really started to fill up in the restaurant and the lines were getting long.  As far as the actual service itself, the cafe-style servers were friendly and accommodating. I have eaten at Cossetta’s countless times and everything is consistently good.
Overall Impression: Delicious Italian food served reasonably fast and at affordable prices.  Great place to have a giant slice of NY Style pizza (my favorite in fact Can be very busy on weekend evenings and prior to events at the Xcel Energy Center.  Free parking in own lot.

Address: 421 East 7th Street  St Paul, MN 55101 651-227-1437
Hours: Mon-Sat 11a-11p  Sun 11a-10:30p
Links:  Google Map

 *Red's Savoy Pizza in Coon Rapids, Hugo, St Paul, and Uptown are all Delivery/Take-out Only

Atmosphere: Red's Savoy Inn is the original Savoy location, found just on the edge of downtown St Paul at the corner of 7th St. and Lafayette.  There are two entrances into Savoy's on the west side of the building, one near the parking lot in back and one one the side near the front.   The restaurant is divided into two sides, with the Bar Area being what you see when you first enter.  The bar stretches the length of the room, which has tables and booths as well.

The main dining room is adjacent to the bar area with an open walkway in between.  Also between the two rooms is a giant aquarium with live tropical fish.  It is quite dim inside Savoy, there are no windows and the only lighting comes from the soft yellow glass orbs overhead. 

ea

 Menu:  Appetizers at Savoy Inn include Buffalo Wings, Deep Fried Cheese Ravioli, Mozzarella Sticks, Jalapeño Poppers, French Fries, Onions Wings, Garlic Cheese Bread.

Sandwich options are the Meatball Dip and Hot dago with Cheese.

Pizzas come in two sizes, 10" or 14", Hand Tossed Thin Crust. Topping options include Sausage, Pepperoni, Hamburger, Mushrooms, Onion, Green Pepper, Green Olive, Black Olive, Sauerkraut, Pickles, Canadian Bacon, Banana Peppers, Jalapeños, Pineapple, Bacon, Shrimp and Anchovies.

Price guide: Appetizers $5-7  10" Cheese Pizza $8.45  Toppings $1-2/ea 14" Cheese $11.40  Toppings $1.50/2 ea (premium toppings more)
What We ordered: My companions and I started with an order of mozzarella sticks.  They were just as mozzi-sticks should be, crispy golden brown on the outside and hot melted mozzarella inside.  It came with a side of sauce.

Our group ordered a variety of pizzas.   The pizza has a very thin crust at the base of each creation, then covered with spicy pizza sauce, toppings and mozzarella cheese.  This was a 10" Pepperoni, Mushroom and Shrimp.  I have really come to enjoy shrimp on pizza over the past couple of years and this was the first time I had tried it at Savoy.  The shrimps were very little and there were plenty of them covering the pizza.   The not-too-thick-not-too-thin pepperoni had great flavor while not being too greasy.  We ordered our pizzas "well-done" so the cheese on all the edge pieces was browned and crispy.

Another pizza was a 10" Pepperoni, Banana Pepper and Onion.  Great combo of toppings! The banana peppers spiced it up a notch and the onion added a touch of sweetness, perfectly complimented by the zesty pepperoni.  The crust is very thin and crispy, but not at all chewy.  Overall the Savoy pizzas were a success and a few of my companions even declared Savoy pizza to be their favorite or "the best".

We also had a 14" Special Pizza with Sausage, Pepperoni, Mushroom, Onion, Green Pepper and Green Olive.  This pizza was loaded with ingredients and cheese.

One of my companions also ordered a side of Rigatoni with sauce.  I thought the portion size was just right for a side order.

Service:  It wasn't very busy on the late Wednesday evening of my visit, so we had no problem getting a parking place in the small lot in the back of Savoy's and easily found a table inside the restaurant.  Our server was nice but took her time checking on us even though there were very few other customers.  Food was prepared in a reasonable amount of time.
Overall Impression: Savoy pizza is one of the better thin-crust pizzerias around St Paul, especially if you like a spicier sauce and pizza loaded with toppings and cheese.  The prices are comparable to many other local pizzerias but you get a hefty amount of toppings for the money.

This review was originally published on Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

 

Homemade pepperoni sausage pizza

 

jerk chicken and pepper pizza

 

homemade bruscetta white pizza

 

bBQ ribs and cilantro pizza

Jeff’s words on the pizza, “It’s pretty east (relatively speaking) – buy Betty Crocker crust and make it to instructions. Heat a cast iron pan with olive oil in it and then place crust into pan and pan into oven to cook around 10 minutes.

Then just add. Toppings. For the ribs pizza I put a layer of Sweet Baby Rays as a base, then put cilantro all around it… then cut up ribs I had cooked the night before and placed on the pizza. Top with Cheese and BAM, BBQ Rib pizza!
Of all things, the cilantro is key.”

MMMM, and now i am hungry for pizza!

Restaurant Features: Catering, Counter-Service, Delivery, Kids Menu, On-Site Parking (at many locations)

Locations: Arden Hills, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Rogers, Roseville, Savage, St Paul, Woodbury
Addresses: (Click here for Maps of Davanni's Locations)

Arden Hills: 3673 Lexington Ave N Arden Hills, MN 55126 651-481-7100

Bloomington:
8605 Lyndale Ave S  Bloomington, MN 55420  952-888-6232

Brooklyn Center: 
5937 Summit Dr  Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 763-566-8220

Burnsville: 14639 CR 11  Burnsville, MN 55337  952-431-1500

Coon Rapids: 3430 129th Ave NW Coon Rapids, MN 55448 763-712-1000

Eagan: 
1960 Cliff Lake Rd Eagan, MN 55123  651-688-6111

Eden
Prairie: 8061 Flying Cloud Dr Eden Prairie, MN 55344   952-941-4444

Edina: 5124 Gus Young Ln Edina, MN 55436 952-920-9090

Golden Valley: 
663 Winnetka Ave N  Golden Valley, Mn 55427 763-398-0303

Minneapolis: 1242 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55403  612-338-0000

Minnetonka: 15200 Highway 7 Minnetonka, MN 55345 952-938-4243

Plymouth: 
3015 Harbor Ln N  Plymouth, MN 55447 763-550-0003

Richfield:
2312 W 66th St Richfield, MN 55423    612-866-3324

Rogers: 
14165 James Road Rogers, Mn 55374 763-428-2990

Roseville, 1905 W Perimeter Dr Roseville, MN 55113 651-636-3411

Savage: 14125 Highway 13 Savage, MN 55378 952-440-1200

St Paul: 
310 White Bear AveSt. Paul, MN 55106 651-738-6992

St Paul: 
41 Cleveland Ave S St. Paul, MN 55105 651-690-4848

Uptown Mpls: 1414 W Lake St Minneapolis, MN 55408 612-822-3111

Woodbury: 1905 Donegal Dr Woodbury, MN 55125 651-739-1010

Links: Davanni's Website 

Atmosphere: The East St Paul Davanni's location is just off I-94 and White Bear Ave.  Like all other Davanni's location, customers order at a counter and then wait for their name to be called when order is ready.

There are several different seating areas, each with booths that can accommodate up to four people.  There are also a  couple of tables in the very back section of the dining room.  There are many windows throughout the restaurant, leaving it very well lit during the day.

Menu:  Appetizers include Potato Chips, Breadsticks and Garlic Cheese Bread.

Salads at Davanni's are the Garden Salad, Side Garden, Chicken Cobb, Italian Chef, Oriental Chicken, Southwestern Chicken, Spinach Chicken, Chicken Caesar, and Side Caesar.

Hoagie sandwiches are served on either white, whole grain, or ciabatta roll with lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo.   Options include Southwestern Chicken, Chicken Bacon Honey Mustard, Chicken Breast, Turkey/Bacon/Cheddar, Turkey, BLT w/ Cheddar, Club, Roast Beef, Pastrami, Ham, Salami, Tuna Melt, Veggie, and Three Cheese. Hot subs made with meat, marinara and cheese only include Chicken Parmigiano, Meatball, Sausage, and Pizza.

Davanni's Pizza can be ordered with a choice of three different crusts (thin, traditional and deep dish) and two sauces (red and white).  Sizes pizzas come in are Solo, Medium and Laqrge.  Toppings choices are Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Sliced Chicken Breast, Canadian Bacon, Hamburger, Red Onion, Green Pepper, Garlic, Mushrooms, Hot Peppers, Green Olive, Black Olive, Pineapple, Bacon, Gorgonzola Cheese, Anchovies, Roma Tomatoes, Cheddar Cheese, and Jalapeños.

Davanni's also has Penne Pasta (with chicken, meatballs or sausage), Lasagna and Stuffed Calzones.

Kids menu items include Hlaf Pasta, Solo Cheese Pizza, or Half Ham Hoagy.

Desserts include Brownies, Rice Crispy Treats, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Price guide: Hoagies $3.25-7  Salads $4-7   Pizzas $5-20  Calzones $5.50+

What We ordered: My companions and I ordered a variety of pizzas, including this large Chicago-style deep dish pizza with pepperoni and sausage.  Davanni's deep dish is a treat for those who like real Chicago-style pizza and has been my one of family's favorites for many years.  The buttery brown crust is at least 1" deep yet it is light.  The lightness of the crust is deceiving because the pizza is actually very filling.   The cheese and meats were baked directly on top of the crust with pizza sauce spread out on the very top to prevent the crust from getting soggy.  The large pizza had 10-12 wedges.

Our party also ordered a Large Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza.  The crust on the thin crust pizza was also pretty good, crispy but slightly chewy.  It was loaded with melted mozzarella and a fair amount of pepperoni (although I personally like more).

c and olive oil)

This is a solo deep dish pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and "pink" sauce.  Pink sauce simply means that it has both white sauce (garlic and olive oil) and red sauce.  If you like garlic, you would love either the white or the pink sauce.  This pizza was also very good, the mushrooms were fresh and there was a lot of pepperoni.  The light and buttery deep dish crust practically melts in your mouth.

One of my companions ordered a half pizza hoagy on whole grain with a special request for the sauce to be served on side.  This is a good sandwich but it doesn't have much substance, just a thin layer of pepperoni and a thin layer of melted cheese on one half of the bread.  You better order the whole sandwich if you're hungry!

Another companion ordered a pepperoni and veggie calzone to-go.  Safe to say that this thing was loaded with melted cheese, meat and veggies.

Service: You can call ahead for pick up or delicery, otherwise Davanni's offers standard counter-service.  There are typically 2-3 cashiers taking orders during the lunch and dinner rush but you can still expect to wait a few minutes before placing your order. It was fairly busy during my visit and it took about 30-40 minutes for our pizzas, which seems a reasonable amount of time for the deep dish pizzas to bake.
Overall Impression: Davanni's has excellent deep dish pizza and is conveniently located in several places around the Twin Cities.  Service is reasonably fast and menu prices aren't going to break the bank.

This review was originally published at Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

NATURALLY RISEN from michael evans on Vimeo.