0 0 9 0 18B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend N 8ziBe - Thursday, April 15, 2004 THE MICHIGAN DAILY PIZZA CHALLENGE Daily staff picks best pizza in Ann Arbor The Michigan Daily - Wekendlau g Random provides entertainment, laugi' By Sravya Ch umsnflaN and Nlamh Slevin Daily Weekend Editors Lying in wait in the student ghetto, anticipating the arrival of each unsus- pecting delivery man was the most lethal pizza inspection team known to Ann Arbor. Nearly 30 Daily staff members gathered on a balmy Friday night, ready to pounce on every slice of pizza. Careful notes, graphic illustrations and watchful eyes, amalgamated to create -'The Michigan Daily Pizza Challenge. The rules were simple: Every pizza place in Ann Arbor that delivers would be rated on speed, price, courtesy of per- sonnel, greasiness and overall taste. Within the taste categories included in- depth analysis of the sauce, cheese, crust, toppings and the size of the slice. We exempted the main chains such as Pizza Hut, Little Caesar's and Domino's Pizza. Lastly, to maintain consistency, we ordered half cheese and did not include specialty items such as deep dish pizzas. The Order The first round of orders began at 10:40 p.m. with calls to Hello Faz Pizza, Anthony's Gourmet Pizza, DJ's Pizza, Mancino's, Marco's Pizza and Pizza Bob's. Unfortunately for Pizza Bob's, its driver was in a car accident earlier in the evening and could not deliver pizza, thus disqualifying the establishment. The Daily checked on the status of the driver the next day and was reassured that he was doing well. Mancino's was also dis- qualified since the restaurant on Jackson Road closes at 10 p.m. Since pizza places must deal with the some drunk and , , confused callers, (P)JS 'WaS) the Daily pretended mediocre. to be of that ilk. "Hello? I would not even a. like to order some jalape5os." With a creauvely i heavy Indian accent, a craving for jalapenos and a phone that often lost reception, Daily staffers placed a call to Mr. Pizza at 11:15 p.m. Determined to maintain the phone call, the order-taker asked us to use a separate phone or to call from a dif- 'ferent location and finally resorted to receiving the order by shouting into the phone. This patience was notably absent from Leonardo's Pizza. When a Daily staffer pretended to be an Italian man, the people at the pizza parlor formerly known as Da Vinci's were less than receptive. They noted with annoyance that they were not Italian and actually did not even deliver the order, which they promised us would only take an hour. The last round of phone calls was to the four mainstays in Ann Arbor: Bell's 'Pizza, Cottage Inn Pizza, New York Pizza Depot and Pizza House. Though no one could understand what the people at Bell's Pizza were saying, the exchange with Cottage Inn Pizza was one of the worst. After placing us on hold for two minutes, the people taking the order were curt and rude, cutting us off often. The people at Pizza House deserve the award for most patient for putting up with the Daily's drunk call at 11:20 p.m. Instead of simply placing an order, Daily staffers decided to extend the conversa- tion to a 10-minute dialogue about lack- ing pants, wanting marinara sauce and needing complete silence. The Delivery It was a shock that after the above- mentioned abuse that any of the pizza parlors delivered. In fact, all but Leonardo's Pizza came through with our orders. The fastest delivery person was in fact DJ's Pizza; however, they were also the worst because he deliv- ered to the wrong house. Luckily, the neighbors knew of the situation next door and directed him our way. Since most neighbors would not be so kind, one should be careful while ordering delivery from DJ's. Marco's Pizza was a close second in speed and was the only pizza delivered in a truck with the name of the venue emblazoned on it. The shadiest of drivers was definitely the one from Hello Faz Pizza. He drove on the street in a car completely relying on spare tires, and parked in front of the neighbor's home for a few minutes. While no one could look into the tinted windows to see exactly what he was doing, he took a great deal of time to get out of the car. Tim, the delivery man from Cottage Inn was our favorite for his politeness and grin. Regardless of the behavior of Daily staffers, Tim noted, "I don't judge anyone." Michael from New York Pizza Depot pulled up playing loud metal music Very and even drove ille- Fraiky gally down the '" wrong way on a little one-way street. ,, Lastly, the delivery newocre- man from Pizza - C. Price Jones House - the most abused by those on the porch - main- tained his depressed expression throughout ridiculous comments. The Taste Staffers eagerly filled their cups with their preferred beverages as the first delivery man pulled alongside the curb. As the first pie made its way to the counter, hungry party-goers rushed the kitchen in the hopes of snatching a piece. Slices were served to blind testers first before the vulture-like guests descended. Though people were anxious to grab some food after nearly a half an hour of waiting, Marco's Pizza received mixed reviews. On a scale from one to 10, the overall task weighed in at only a five. Lack of sauce, bland crust and fairly tasteless cheese were some of the most common complaints. Jess Piskor remarked that the pizza could have benefited from "more tomato action." His companion on the blind taste test, senior food critic Anthea Stolz, com- Ah, the Random Student Interview. Though it began as a creative new addition to the magazine, it became an instant success with students. In response to the high demand for more of the beauty that is the Random, Weekend presents the best snippets of this year's interviews. By Rebecca Ramsey Interview with Jeff 10/2/03 TMD: Have you ever been told that you look like a celebrity? R: Um, my aunt once told me I look like Ricky Martin a little. TMD: I'm sure she was lying. Do you like to wear tight pants and shake your bon bon? R: I only dance when I'm alone. By Scott Serilla Interview with Kimberly 10/16/03 TMD: If a fat 72-year-old pit bull of a man charges you at full speed, what do you do? R: Give him a cookie. TMD: What? What if you are cookieless? R: I don't know. I always have a cookie. TMD: That's a very Boy Scout-y answer. R: I was a Girl Scout. TMD: What was your favorite merit badge? R: The one we got for going and visiting nuns. TMD: There's a hanging-with-nuns merit badge? The Nunnery merit badge? R:-I don't know if we got a badge, but it was exciting. They got us presents. TMD: So much for the vow of poverty. By Sean Dailey Interview with Katie 11/13/03 TMD: OK, here's a tougher one. With the intense jingoism in the wake of 9/11 and our recent endeavor into Iraq, do you think the United States is in danger of becoming too big of a hegemon? R: What do you mean by hegemon? TMD: I don't understand it either. Let's keep going. Puppies or kittens? By Forest Casey Interview with Darcy 1/8/04 TMD: Did you see the new "Lord of the Rings" movie? R: Of course, I was there opening night. TMD: I thought it looked like one of those trashy Fabio novels, especial- ly at that part at the end where they're sailing away and hugging each other, you know? R: I thought it was romantic. TMD: Do you think when they pulled Saddam Hussein out of his hole that he looked more like Nick Nolte, Fidel Castro, the Unabomber or Santa Claus? R: I would have to go with the Unabomber. TMD: Oh, come on. He looked like Santa Claus. Like when the troops found him, he was like, "Ho, Ho, Ho - let's see if you have been good boys and girls." And the troops are all like, "Nice try, Saddam." R: He had also been starved so he didn't really have the bowl full of jelly. By Joel Hoard Interview with Ben 1/29/04 TMD: Do you think NASA lets President Bush drive the Mars rovers? R: If he wanted to, I'm sure they'd let him drive it. TMD: What do you think the legal limit is for driving the Mars rover? R: For George Bush, I'd say 0.2. TMD: Did you watch the State of the Union address? R: I did. TMD: Did you see that Tom Brady was there? Do you think he played catch with President Bush afterward? R: Seeing that it was snowing out- side and there were major terrorist attacks, they probably played catch at the White House - in the Oval Office. By Scott Serilla Interview with Courtney 3/4/04 TMD: What celebrities look most like your parents? t U Although all the pizza places put forth an admirable effort, NYPD emerged as Ann Arbor's champion. y mended Marco's for at least limiting the puddles of grease on the pizza despite its other shortcomings. Less than 10 minutes later, pizza No. 2 arrived, and staffers once again crowded the kitchen for a chance at another piece. Before the Anthony's driver had time to pull away, our pizza experts were digging into their second slice. Most staffers could not even muster the words to describe the poor quality of this pie; their grimaces of dis- gust were enough to judge. Needless to say, Anthony's received the worst rating of all the pizzas tested. DJ's pizza fared slightly better, rank- ing right around the average range. C. Price Jones, another Daily pizza connoisseur, explained, "(DJ's was) very mediocre. Frankly, it was mediocre in its mediocrity -not even a little cre- atively mediocre." Others agreed, saying the sauce was too sweet for their tastes, and the cheese was slightly rubbery. However, they did admit the toppings were not as objec- tionable as the rest. The next pie, a Hello Faz specialty, received many of the same complaints. Daily Arts writer Hussain Rahim felt the toppings were "fresh and yummy," but the crust could have been softer. Mr. Pizza also lost the ratings war, coming in at a generous five. Staffers were unimpressed with the quality of the toppings, but granted, they were jalapefios. Yet, the toppings were not the most offensive part; it was the rest of the ingredients that seemed subpar. "It was like I had a cold tennis shoe in my mouth," said Kylene Kiang, refer- ring to the taste and texture of both the cheese and crust. Taste testers were torn in their ratings of Ann Arbor classic, Pizza House. While some ranked its pie as high as a nine, others gave it only a four. Some praised Pizza House for its non-greasy texture and adequate amount of cheese. However, others were not appreciative of the excess of toppings; large chunks of Italian sausage strewn over every inch of cheese overwhelmed many tasters. After the drinks had been flowing for more than two hours, Bell's Pizza arrived as the seventh competitor of the evening. Ripping into what should have been a mixture of tomato goodness and dairy delight, staffers debated its quality with what one might call fightin' words. Some argued that the burnt cheese and dry crust were undoubtedly its downfall, but others, such as Kiang, reveled in its unique flavor. "The burnt cheese (provided) crispity, crunchity goodness," she said. Cottage Inn, the eighth contestant, earned a second place position thanks to its balanced blend of dough and sauce and the refreshing courtesy of its person- nel. Kiang raved, "Tim (the driver) is the kind of guy you want to introduce to your parents" Despite its pros, staffers were unsure whether to accept the incredible amount of grease pools as a positive or negative attribute. Rounding out the evening and snag- ging the title as Best Ann Arbor Pizza, the New York Pizza Depot pie averaged a strong eight in staffers' opinions. Jones noted the thinness of its crust, saying it was "like butter." Piskor offered the ultimate compli- ment, claiming the pie could have come straight from Sicily. "(It was) a separate taste sensation wholly differ- ent from the rest." As staffers left the party, bellies satis- fied and heads swelling, the feeling was clear that NYPD was the champion of Ann Arbor's diverse pizza scene. and the winners are... Best Businesses Best Art Supplies: Ulrich's & Michigan Book and Supply Best Athletic Shoe Store: Bivouac Best Bank/Credit Union: U of M Credit Union & TCF Bank Best Bicycle Sales: Two Wheel Tango Best Books: Borders & Shaman Drum Bookshop Best Bowling Alley: Colonial Lanes Best Cab Service: Blue Cab Company Best Camera/Photo Shop: Ritz Camera Best Camping Gear Shop: Bivouac Best Car Dealer: Saturn of Ann Arbor & Varsity Ford, Inc. Best Cellular Service Provider: Sprint Best Compact Discs: Borders & Wazoo Records Best Computer Store: Computer Showcase & Best Buy Best Copy Store: Dollar Bill Copying & Kinko's Best Customer Service: Cafe Ambrosia Best Dry Cleaner: Armen's & Busy Bodies Best Florist: Chelsea Florist Best Furniture Store: Art Van Best Gift Store: Middle Earth- Best Grocery Store: Meijer Best Haircut Aveda Best Hardware Store: Stadium Hardware Best Health Club: Bally's Best Hotel: Bell Tower & Campus Inn Best Jewelry Store: Schlanderer Best Laundromat Busy Bodies Best Liquor: Village Corner Best Men's Clothing: Bivouac & Urban Outfitters Best Moving Company: Two Men and A Truck Best Musical Instrument Store: Herb David Guitar Studio Best New Local Business: Potbelly's Sandwiches Best Outdoor Apparel: Bivouac Best Packaging Store: Mailboxes, Etc. Best Place for a Piercing:7 Heaven & Pangea Best Place to Pamper Yourself- Aveda & Relax Station The -i Best Public Golf Course: Stonebridge Golf Club & University Gold Course Best Realtor: Ann Arbor Realty & Campus Management Best Place to See and be Seen: Mr. Greek's Best Shoe Store: Footprints & Mast Shoes Best Sporting Goods: Dunham's Best Store Display Window: Middle Earth Best Tanning Salon: Campus Tan Best Test Prep: Princeton Review Best Textbooks: Shaman Drum Bookshop & Ulrich's Best Thrift Clothing: Value World Best Travel Agency: STA Travel Best University Fan Apparel: Steve & Barry's Sportswear Best Used CDs: Wazoo Records Best Women's Clothing Store: Bivouac Best of Dating Best Date Movie: Love Actually Best Inexpensive Date: The Arb Best Pickup Bar: Scorekeepers Best Pickup Line: Don't I Know You From Somewhere? Best Place for a First Date: The Arb Best Place for a Rendezvous: The Arb Best Place to Break Up: The Diag Best Place to Meet a New Mate: Class Best Public Place for Sex: The Graduate Library Best Rejection Line: This is My Boyfriend Best Restaurant for a Date: Gratzi Best Unique Date Idea: The Arb & Sledding Best Entertainment Best Dance Spot: Necto Best Radio Station: 93.1 WDRQ Best Movie Theater: Michigan Theater Best Video Store: Campus Video Best Live Music Club: Blind Pig Best Concert in the Past Year Dave Matthew's Band Best Local Band: Oblivion Best Local Festival: Art Fair Best Restaurants Best All You Can Eat: Mongolian BBQ Best Bagels: Einstein Bros. Bagels Best Bar Drinks: Rick's Best BBQ: Mongolian BBQ Best Breakfast: Angelo's Best Brunch: Gandy Dancer Best Burgers: Blimpy Burger Best Burrito: Panchero's Best Cheap Beer: Scorekeepers Best Cheap Eats: Potbelly's Sandwiches Best Chinese Food: China Gate Best Chipatis: Pizza House Best Coffee: Amer's & Starbucks Best Cookies: Mrs. Fields Best Deli: Zingerman's Best Dessert: La Dolce Vita Best Dinner: Real Seafood Company Best Fries: Wendy's & Red Hot Lovers Best Greasy Spoon: Blimpy Burger Best Greek Food: Mr. Greek's Best Happy Hour: Rick's Best Hot Dogs: Red Hot Lovers Best Ice Cream/Yogurt: Stucchi's Best Indian Food: Raja Rani Best Italian Food: Palio Best Korean Food: University Cafe Best Late Night Munchies: Pizza House Best Lunch: Potbelly's Sandwiches Best Mexican: Tio's & Panchero's Best Microbrew: Arbor Brewing Co. Best Mid-Eastern Food: Jerusalem Garden Best New Restaurant: Potbelly's Sandwiches & Totoro Best Outdoor Eatery: Goodtime Charlie's Best Overall Bar: Rick's Best Overall Restaurant: Gratzi Best Pizza: NYPD Best Place for Folks to Treat Real Seafood Company Best Restaurant for Large Groups: Pizza House Best Restaurant Service: Gandy Dancer Best Romantic Restaurant: Gratzi & The Earle Best Salads: Pizza House Best Seafood: Real Seafood Company Best Sports Bar: Scorekeepers Best Steak: Chop House Best Subs: Jimmy John's Best Take Out: Pizza Bob's Best Vegetarian Food: Seva Best Wings: Mr. Spot's Best of the University Best Athlete (Female): Elise Ray Best Athlete (Male): Chris Perry Best Bathroom: League Best Blow- Best Camp Best Camp Best Comp Best Co-op Best Cours Best Dorm Best Frat tc Best Lectui Best Librar Best Place & Law Li Best Place Best Profes Best Reside Best Sorori Best Speak Best Sports Best Sports Best Studer Best Studei Best Thing Best of Best Apartr & Opper Best News Best Online Best Searct Best Univer Best Websi & aiesec Best of Best Apartr Best Daily C Best Excusi Best Excusi Best Fad: C Best News Best Place t Best Place t Best Place t Best Slang: 3 } }