FOOD TRENDS Four O.C. spots for Detroit-style pizza

FOOD TRENDS

DETROIT PIZZAS: MOTORING!

Square pies with crafted crusts put the pedal to the metal. by Benjamin Epstein

Baker Derek Bracho of FOCACCIA BOI offers garlic-rosemary-dough pizza from his house in Anaheim. Bracho opens timed pick-up slots Monday morning and sells out the entire week of fluffy, charred-cheese-crust pies in about 20 minutes. The colorful Peplooza special presents Calabrian chiles, pepperoni, pickled jalapeños, pickled banana peppers, and optional honey and Calabrian chile oil. We’re also gaga for the Gonzo: a blend of Asiago, Gorgonzola, and mozzarella cheeses topped with fig jam and balsamic glaze. ANAHEIM,

@FOCACCIABOI ON INSTAGRAM, LINKTR.EE/FOCACCIABOI Made in industrial steel pans and an inch-plus high, the square-foot pizzas at STEEL PAN PIZZA are a finetuned balance of substance and refinement, their caramelized crust crispy at the edges—and every slice a corner slice so you get more of it—and airy on the inside. Mini pepperonis stud the Cuppy ’Rony, a deceptively simple star of the show. The white-sauce Truffle Mushroom pizza is generous with roasted trumpet, oyster, and shimeji mushrooms, truffle oil, Pecorino cheese,

and parsley. RODEO 39 PUBLIC MARKET, 12885 BEACH BLVD., STANTON, 714-379-6935 “Detroit pizza by a Detroit native” is how Tony Gioutsos and his wife, Lindsey, bill their pop-up at JD’s Kitchen and Bar. The name GIBRONI’S combines their last name with the Italian pejorative jabroni. This is comfort Detroit pizza, its heart coming from satisfying heft and its soul coming from crunchy mozzarellaMuenster crust. Iterations include the Baba with quadruple cheese; the Caprice Classic with fig, prosciutto, and blue cheese; and specials such as July’s Colonel Barry Sanders with Nashville hot chicken.

215 S. EL CAMINO REAL, SAN CLEMENTE, 949-460-3572 Got kids? Want “CaliDetroit” pizza at home? Consider BOSS.PIZZA + WINGS, takeout arm of the John’s Incredible Pizza chain. Inside John’s, the main course is arcade games, bowling, bumper cars, and laser tag; the colors alone could launch your child into hyperspace. We opt for curbside and order The Works with pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and olives; we get a big fat pizza rife with cheese but light on the works. “Cali” refers to toppings such as pepperflecked BOSS.Bacon.

8601 ON THE MALL, BUENA PARK, 714-643-8700