The streets will run red with blood and sauce - two Pittsburgh pizza upstarts ignite pizza rivalry

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For a long time Pittsburgh has suffered from stale pizza competition. Well, lack of competition, really. There’s the “Mineo’s vs Aiello’s” battle, which has become too convenient for the common Pittsburgher. If there was actually competition between the two we would see pizza innovation! New recipes, new technology. Instead, it’s the equivalent of two old folks sitting on opposite porches groaning at each other. 

But lately, there’s been a slight shift in the pizza scene. If the wind is blowing from the Strip District in just the right way, you can smell the innovation of Pizza Boat. To quote myself, “I predict big things coming from [Pizza Boat] in the future.”

For the past few weeks they’ve killed it next to Bar Marco. Cranking out some of the best pizza Pittsburgh has ever seen. Fresh, smart, and just perfect. It introduced a level of pizza that blows the standards out of the water.

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But there’s a  competitor in town that is willing to answer the call for pizza competitors: Bread + Salt.

I don’t know too much about Bread + Salt. I know they competed in the first pizza dojo. And I know they love trash talking. Exhibit A, B, and C:

The Return to Pizza Dojo will open old wounds, stuff them with fresh basil, and cauterize the wound shut with some hot mozzarella. In the wake of the Pizza Dojo  will be sauce, dough, cheese, and a few bruised pizzaiolos.  And you need to be there to witness it on Friday, July 25th, at Bar Marco.

But this is the price of progress. This is what it takes to spur the Pittsburgh pizza landscape that’s willing to crown a pizza place other than Mineo’s as “the best pizza.” This is the beginning of a long pizza journey, young grasshopper. 

Backwards Pizza? A Return to the Pizza Dojo? What Could It Mean?

Today I saw a retweet from the folks at Pizza Boat from the Bread and Salt Twitter account.

That graffiti is mysterious to say the least. Is this the first we’re seeing of a Joker-caliber villain who’s running a secret pizza cartel here in Pittsburgh?

The image looks like a royal pizza cutter. A scepter that is used to both rule over royal subjects and cut a royal pizza. Perhaps a throw back to Queen Margherita, the namesake of the classic margherita pizza. 

Just when I thought I was beginning to grasp the concept, I received these replies:

There’s some Zodiac Pizza Mystery stuff happening here. But we’ll get to the bottom of this, and the pizza dojo, one way or another.

Much like the Midwest, the traditional pizza you find in downtown Chicago is wide, flat, and boring.

This pizza is from Pizano’s. There’s a few in the Chicago area. Their claim to fame is that they were “featured on Oprah.” In what capacity I do not know.

Was their shop in the background during a remote segment? Did Jim Carey, willing to do anything for a laugh to reignite his career, bring a Pisano’s pizza onto the set? We may never know.

But I do know that this pizza would have a hard time sticking out on the east coast. There was a cardboard characteristic to the crust, and the cheese simply sat there. It was charmless and was the closest thing to a corpse I have ever eaten.

I ended up leaving three quarters of the pizza in my hotel refrigerator. I’m sure whoever cleaned the room was insulted that this pizza was left as a tip.

Perhaps their deep dish pizza is where they put all their effort. Why bother to impress an obvious tourist with a flat pizza who will only compare it to the superior easy coast slice? It’s a lose-lose.

Pisano’s may have a stellar deepdish and I simply chose poorly. Perhaps someone out there can testify that Pisano’s is worth visiting? Oprah, I’m looking at you.

Pizza Boat Interview - Transporting Perfect Pizza Around Pittsburgh Neighborhoods

I love pizza. And I especially love pizza that’s within striking distance of my home. If I can walk a few blocks and return with a piping hot pie that I can eat in the safety of my pizza-proof home, I’m yours. 

Pizza Boat dropped anchor down the street from me a few weeks ago and I had to pay a visit. Back in February someone asked me if I had eaten from the deck of the Pittsburgh Pizza Boat.  I finally did, and it was as equally exciting as discovering a trove of buried treasure. 

I interviewed Jeff Ryan, who’s a co-founder of Pizza Boat. He was doing a lot of the cooking and I’m thankful he took a few minutes to talk to me about what makes the Pizza Boat special. Caution: This video is full of amazing pizza and top-tier craftsmanship.

I loved the Pizza Boat and I predict big things coming from them in the future. I’m particularly fond of their nomad lifestyle. You never know where they’ll pop up, but if you see them you can bet it’s a place you want to be.

You can keep up with them on Twitter and they seem to have a calendar on their website. Get out your binoculars. compass and map. Your mission is to track down pizzaboatpgh today.