The Great Pizza Quest

My family used to order from Tony's Pizza almost every Friday. They were the nearest pizza place to our home and they just so happened to be locally owned. While now there are about three other shops in the close vicinity, with others coming and going, Tony's has remained humbly yet boldly positioned at its corner. The other day, my family decided we'd order a pizza from Tony's for good ol' times - and see if it's as good as our sense of nostalgia dictated.

One thing is for certain: the pizza tastes the exact same as I remember it - and that's definitely a good thing.

The pie comes with a ball of dough in the center, likely to soak up any pooling grease, and as per the old days, my sister called that little bun as her own treat. We ordered two classics: pepperoni and mushroom, and ham and pineapple. Both came with a crisp-baked layer of golden-brown cheese your teeth sliced into, yet each piece drooped once picked up - not because it was soggy but simply because the crust was thin, soft and doughy. That crust had a modest presence, stepping aside with a mild bread flavour in favour of the toppings, not clamouring for any of the limelight. The sauce was delicious; it had a mild kick and was superbly seasoned to give it a wonderful flavour that was noticeable with every bite - it wasn't overwhelming despite there being much of it, but I feel it was one of the highlights. The pepperoni - of which there was lots - was mediocre in quality, but had a bold taste; the mushrooms went pretty well unnoticed aside from their texture and their grey colour poking out from under the cheese. The pineapple chunks were soft and perhaps a bit soggy, but they gave a flavourful burst that accompanied the strong savour of the ham. Both the pepperoni and ham slices were not even close to crispy, but were on the thicker side of thin, were in fact large slices and were quite generously given.

Our trip down memory lane was well worth the journey. Tony's is an old school style of pie that has a powerful aroma and a well-orchestrated arsenal of flavours that makes your mouth water. While some of its characteristics fall short of ideal, they ultimately work for and not against its uniqueness. Tony's Pizza's pizza still gives you a mouthful of perfectly blended ideal pizza taste. It's worth returning to for more than nostagiac curiosity.