# Types of pizza **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [March 25, 2021, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716 "2021-03-25T19:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/21 "2021-03-26T03:24:53Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > I also note that the tomato pie I mention sounds a lot like your Party Pizza, just with a dusting of grated Parmesan. What we have around here doesn’t have a very thick crust. I’m no fan of these things, pizza without cheese doesn’t do it for me. Go to any party around here and someone will bring in a box of these things, sold mainly at bakeries. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/22 "2021-03-26T04:23:44Z")
Columbus, Ohio pizza - I do not believe this originated here, and it’s not technically called this. I’ve heard some call it Midwest tavern/bar/pub pizza or something similar. But if you live here around 90% of people seem to exclusively eat this. It was commercially popularized by Donatos and most of the local chains make very similar pizza. It is thin crispy, cracker-like crust, often with cornmeal on the bottom. The cheese (I think shredded mozz) and sauce cover the whole pizza, with no edge crust (it’s flat). It is round and cut into rectangles. Almost everyone here by default eats this cracker pizza with cupped pepperoni. If the pizza is not completely covered with pepperoni so that the cheese and sauce are not visible, people ask why the toppings are so skimpy. People are traumatized by pizza made with pizza dough and cut in slices. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/23 "2021-03-26T04:27:08Z")
The best frozen pizza I’ve ever had was called the Outsiders Pizza Company Quad City pizza, but apparently they discontinued it sometime the past year. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/24 "2021-03-26T07:57:37Z")
And then there’s ersatz pizza. You know: the kind you make at home without the proper ingredients or cooking methods. It’s usually a disappointing workaround, although I was getting decent results with ciabatta until that became unavailable here about a year ago. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/25 "2021-03-26T08:10:47Z")
School Cafeteria Pizza - A pizza that’s either rectangular or a perfect square. With “pizza sauce” (unknown if they meant tomato or marinara sauce), cheese that doesnt entirely cover the pizza (so plenty of red open spaces) and the pepperoni “dots” (the cubed pepperoni) Seen in many of middle/high school or college lunch rooms. Seems like the absolute cheapest/fastest you can make a pizza considering all the corners cut. Because of this it has an incredibly unique (and nostalgic) flavor, though it also comes swimming in grease so it’s not the most healthy variation. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/26 "2021-03-26T08:13:17Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > School Cafeteria Pizza - A pizza that’s either rectangular or a perfect square. With “pizza sauce” (unknown if they meant tomato or marinara sauce), cheese that doesnt entirely cover the pizza (so plenty of red open spaces) and the pepperoni “dots” (the cubed pepperoni) That ain’t even the half of it. When I was in 6th grade ‘pizza’ for lunch meant half a hamburger roll with a slice of American cheese melted over it and a dollop of something slightly more reminiscent of pizza sauce than ketchup on top. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/27 "2021-03-26T08:40:12Z")
There is a place in Sydney, [Monty’s](https://www.montyspizza.com.au/) that has, for years, been popular with many of the Indian’s at work. They are an Indian run business and have, apart from the normal pizzas, a list of Indian pizzas. Once in a while someone who lived out their way would bring in leftovers. I was going to be going over that way on the weekend and looked them up to get the address. It was quite a surprise to find that they have gone from one location to 5 during the pandemic. there is even one near me. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/28 "2021-03-26T08:43:40Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > a list of Indian pizzas. Can you describe some of these Indian pizzas? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/29 "2021-03-26T09:19:06Z")
A lot with paneer: Pudina paneer, Chili paneer, Afghani paneer, Tikka paneer and chicken dishes: Tandoori chicken, Butter chicken. Tandoori mushrooms. Basically still just pizza. Most use mozzarella, which should be an abomination but surprisingly isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/30 "2021-03-26T10:20:38Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > A restaurant (not explicitly Italian) where I grew up offers Pizza _Squisito_ . A crust that resembles hardtack, topped with tomato sauce, bacon, fried eggs, onions, parsley, and cheese. Needless to say, that’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten under the name of pizza. Everything except the hardtack part sounds great… ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/31 "2021-03-26T15:18:38Z")
How about calzone? All the ingredients of pizza in convenient turnover format: > **[Calzone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calzone)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > A calzone (UK: /kælˈtsoʊni, -neɪ/, US: /kælˈzoʊn, -zoʊneɪ, -ni/, Italian: \[kalˈtsoːne\]; "stocking" or "trouser") is an Italian oven-baked folded pizza, often described as a turnover, made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples in the 18th century. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in an oven and is stuffed with salami, ham or vegetables, mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan or pecorino cheese, as well as an egg. Different ... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/32 "2021-03-26T15:22:00Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > School Cafeteria Pizza - A pizza that’s either rectangular or a perfect square. With “pizza sauce” (unknown if they meant tomato or marinara sauce), cheese that doesnt entirely cover the pizza (so plenty of red open spaces) and the pepperoni “dots” (the cubed pepperoni) School lunch pizza has been mentioned, with fond, greasy remembrance, in a few threads here recently. 😃 [![](https://www.plainchicken.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/school-cafeteria-pizza-1-683x1024.jpg) ](https://www.plainchicken.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/school-cafeteria-pizza-1-683x1024.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/33 "2021-03-26T15:38:15Z")
From the Southwest Desert I give you the cheese crisp: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Arizona_Cheese_Crisp.jpg/1920px-Arizona_Cheese_Crisp.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Arizona_Cheese_Crisp.jpg/1920px-Arizona_Cheese_Crisp.jpg) Per [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_cheese_crisp): " An **Arizona cheese crisp** (simply **cheese crisp** in the region) is an open-faced, flour [tortilla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortilla) covered in shredded cheese. It is put on a metal pizza pan that has been brushed with butter or margarine and put under a broiler until it gets crisp. It is similar to a [quesadilla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quesadilla), but distinct in that a cheese crisp is not folded over, and that it is also baked until the tortilla becomes crisp." Very common in Tucson, a bit harder to find here in Phoenix. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/34 "2021-03-26T15:43:16Z")
New York style pizza. It’s the pizza you fold! (erm, but not a calzone) > **[New York-style pizza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York-style_pizza)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > New York–style pizza is pizza made with a characteristically large hand-tossed thin crust, often sold in wide slices to go. The crust is thick and crisp only along its edge, yet soft, thin, and pliable enough beneath its toppings to be folded in half to eat. Traditional toppings are simply tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. > This style evolved in the U.S. from the pizza that originated in New York City in the early 1900s, itself deriv... ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/35 "2021-03-26T15:45:29Z")
That’s our current favorite pizza to make from scratch. We even bought the pans; they were like $25 each and well worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/36 "2021-03-26T15:54:52Z")
I learned Sicilian pizza from my Nonna from Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto when I was growing up. She made it the true old-country style, which if presented to Americans nowadays, they’d probably reject, but I still think of it as the only real thing. Regional origins aside, I am thoroughly entranced by authentic Neapolitan **pizza margherita.** Fortunately, Pupatella is certified by the official Naples Pizza Authority and they’re nearby me. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/37 "2021-03-26T15:55:31Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > We even bought the pans; they were like $25 each and well worth it. Buddy’s Pizza started using steel pans from the auto industry because conventional baking pans didn’t work… 75 years later, some of those original pans are still in use! So you should get your money’s worth. [https://www.hudsonandpackard.com/history](https://www.hudsonandpackard.com/history) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/38 "2021-03-26T15:56:32Z")
I have to “stan” for margherita. When made to Neapolitan standards, there’s nothing better in the world. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/39 "2021-03-26T15:59:28Z")
I stopped going to Taco Bell when they discontinued the fabulous Mexican Pizza. It’s not really either of those things, but it was tasty. Basically a doubled-up tostada with beef and beans and topped with shredded cheese, tomatoes, and a vaguely-southwest-ish tomato sauce. [![](https://d3t1qz3s2moybi.cloudfront.net/d7845ef2-b28c-4447-b746-7496cd264d59.jpg) ](https://d3t1qz3s2moybi.cloudfront.net/d7845ef2-b28c-4447-b746-7496cd264d59.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716/40 "2021-03-26T16:08:52Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > (One can, though, argue that stuffed is a subset of deep dish, but there are restaurants, like Connies, that have both stuffed and deep dish as discrete categories on their menu. It depends on how you want to set up your taxonomy. And then there are pizzas that don’t quite fit, like Pequod’s which is more a pan pizza, but often is put in the deep dish category.) I would call those people philistines and fools. Pequod’s doesn’t differ from Deep Dish in any way that matters. Perhaps if you wanted to highlight the caramelized crust saying it’s got elements of Detroit-style (though a strong case can be made that ours came first) maybe that’s relevant, but the pizza equipment and construction for Pequod’s is no different than say Uno’s. It is of course, infinitely better though. In these threads I always feel like it’s important to remind the world that Chicago has **Three** (3) styles of people which are all distinct and equally vibrant, exciting and delicious. Deep Dish, Stuffed and Tavern-style aka Chicago Cracker-crust. For my money, the most famous, Deep-Dish, is unquestionably the weakest of the trio. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/types-of-pizza/938716.md?page=3)