PIZZA IN DETROIT

Even though I’ve lived in Michigan over 14 years, I still consider myself a transplant. I can expertly navigate our southeast Michigan roads and give my opinion about where to eat the best Coney. Though, one of my favorite foods still resides back on the east coast—pizza.

When I first moved here, my pizza choices were limited to chain locations serving conveyor belt cooked cardboard pizza or this unusual deep square pizza. Neither choices were a familiar pizza option or fit a craving for my traditional pizza. What I’m talking about is the New York style pizza which can also be called Neapolitan or brick oven pizza.

Fast forward a few years and my pizza craving arrived in Detroit. You know who I’m referring to—Supino Pizzeria next to The Eastern Market in Detroit. This is what I’ve been waiting for. Supino’s traditional New York thin crust foldable pizza is the taste and smell of pizzeria memories.  Determined to find similar pizza shops, I keep on looking. Come to find out, there are others. One has been cooking brick oven pizza for years but, would rather be known for their beer.

Motor City Brewing Works is the 2^nd oldest brewery in Michigan creating some of the best hand crafted beers around. No surprise to this beer aficionado but, not everyone is a fan of local, craft beers (I know, hard to imagine). They also have a lovely little menu of brick oven pizza. You can build your own shareable 10-inch pie or choose from some of their cool concoctions. I shared the Roasted Pear and Fig topped with very generous quantity of gorgonzola crumbles. And, yes, I had a beer because how can you not?

One of the newest locations for pizza is Pie-Sci in the Woodbridge neighborhood in Detroit. Really not new, I come to find out; they have been a Sunday pizza pop-up at Woodbridge Pub for over five years. Pie-Sci’s claim to fame is creative pizza topping combinations with catchy, creative titles. We tried the Mosta-Spicoli and the Fungus Amongus. The Mosta-Spicoli was like eating an Italian Sunday supper on pizza dough. Pretty terrific and might be my new favorite. The Fungus Amongus was full of mushrooms and cherry tomatoes that just popped with seasonal freshness.

I will forever be a thin crust, New York style pizza girl. Though, I know, everyone has their own personal favorite. Where is your favorite pizza joint in Detroit?

—Pam Aughe, R.D.