FULL Disclosure

Whitey Winchester dishes on the Flagstaff pizza scene

Full Disclosure: Ol’ Whitey had to lay off the pizza or risk expanding his waistline as big as a barn. All that said, every once in a while I indulge the urge, and then bar the door, Katie. Hard to stop shoveling it in after that first slice. Just sayin’ .

Douggie Shindagger’s self-made brick oven overlooking Rio de Flag scratched my itch for a time. Course that’s an invite only deal and stoking the backyard fires ain’t an option these days due to the dry season No worries given the myriad other pizzas available inside the city limits.

We do not lack for pizza pies here in the San Franciscos. All manner of crusty, cheesy conglomerations come carefully concocted fer yer consumption. Just prior to penning this piece, I learned of a couple more sources of the manna in question, so I won’t claim the following as exhaustive and all inclusive. I’ve done my due diligence, and that’s that.

First of all, let’s dispense with the usual suspects. Pizza Hut, Dominoes and Little Caesar’s are well represented – no surprise in a college town. While their standard fare will certainly keep yer body and soul together in a pinch, there are better options to be had when a craving grabs you in the gut.

Fratelli and NiMarcos boast three locations each, so there ain’t no good reason I can think of to go generic. Either of these local chains will fill the bill quite nicely, and convenience-wise, it prolly comes down to whether you reside on the east side, west side, Sunnyside, downtown or off Fort Valley Road. After that, ya pays yer money and chooses yer toppings.

Closest take-out to my own humble abode is New Jersey Pizza on Cedar. It serves up its grub with an East Coast flair. It had a help wanted sign on the door, and I would seriously consider chopping vegetables there but for my already overfull dance card.

When wandering in the historic downtown south of the tracks, Alpine Pizza on Leroux will deliver the goods to your table or box ‘em up to go. On the north side, Lumberjack Pizza will do the same with aplomb. Further west, Your Pie tops their dough in front of your very eyes All these pizzerias make me plum dizzy just figuring out where to go, and we ain’t done yet by a long shot.

If’n ya gots young’n’s, maybe try Peter Piper Pizza on Milton The video arcade will keep the kids occupied while the grownups chow down. My grandson left me and the missus in relative peace for most of our meal; though, the electronic babysitters did cost us a few bucks.

Next, we have the classic Big Apple versus Windy City Celebrity Death Match: thin crust, New York type or deep dish, Chicago style. Comes down to personal preference or the mood you’re in at the time. Grimaldi’s between REI and Whole Paycheck touts their “coal-fired brick oven” baking the NYC variant, and a pair of Oregano’s – one east side, one west side – provide a local source of deep dish. Yankees, Cubs or White Sox, you be the judge.

(If yer a true fanatic about the latter and willing to wait, Lou Malnati’s will ship an archetypal Chicago pizza direct to your home to bake in the kitchen oven.)

Moving up the food chain, hoity cuisine-wise, Fat Olives on old Route 66 offers pizzas made in a wood fired oven, a la Naples Italy. The result is a thin, crispy crust covered in gourmet goodness. However, when all is said and done, I gotta give the gold medal to Pizzicletta, another Neopolitan wood-fired oven lashup They sell gelato too, so save some room for dessert. Ol’ Whitey usually takes his out-of-town guests there for dinner so as to make the best possible impression on relatives and V.I.P visitors. Your mileage may vary

Many of the above offer beer as a dine-in beverage, the natural accompaniment to a slice of pepperoni as far as I’m concerned. Some menus feature other Italian food and/or chicken wings if that’s what floats yer boat.

High brow or low brow, ordering pizza comes in mighty handy when yer short on time or the fridge is empty Save the leftover slices for the lunch box, or eat ‘em cold with a cup of Joe as the cornerstone of an everyman’s breakfast. And it’s a no brainer for dorm bound college students or rowdy frat parties. One thing fer sure: you can’t swing a dead cat in Flagstaff without hitting a pizzaria. ‘Nuff said.

The

Aself-guided tour of the leading Flagstaffarea artists work spaces.

Saturday,August 26 and 27, 2023

10 AM to 5PM

C

RONNIE BOWMAN BAND • SISTER SADIE

DARIN & BROOKE ALDRIDGE

CALIFORNIA BLUEGRASS REUNION

SAM GRISMAN PROJECT • JACOB JOLLIFF BAND

FULL CORD • EAST NASH GRASS

TRAY WELLINGTON BAND • DAMN TALL BUILDINGS

BLUE CANYON BOYS

• LONESOME ACE STRINGBAND

The CROSS-EYED POSSUM • MARK MIRACLE & FRIENDS

And More!

GET TICKETS: PICKININTHEPINES.ORG camping

• jamming

• band contest

• kid’s activities

• educational workshops

Pepsi Amphitheater at Ft. Tuthill County Park