--What is the absolute BEST pizza you recall eating?

[Braincase]

The other thread was too damned depressing to read.

For me, I've had myriad slices from The Scheme in Salina, Kansas. There is some good pizza out there, in Chicago, New York, Seattle, San Fran and the like, but for me, The Scheme is the best pizza in America.

What about you?

[rico]

Originally Posted by ptlyon

Loras - sweet bro

Former Duhawk?!?!

Sioux City...close to Lemars, right? You ever heard of any of the Hessinius brothers? They were on my wrestling team at Loras. All 4 of the Hessinius boys I wrestled with were total studs. Three of them were brothers from Lemars and the other 1 was a cousin from Spencer...One bro was a high school state champ, the rest were place-winners in HS.

Side story about the state champ (probably all of you will not give a shit about this, so feel free to just stop reading): The state champ was in my bracket at state wrestling as a 7th grader. Iowa youth state wrestling has 8 districts with the top 4 qualifying, making each bracket at state a 32-man bracket. Anyways, 7th grade was a very frustrating year for me. I was in the 100 lb. division and a lot of the 8th graders in my bracket had already begun or been through puberty at that point. I was still a boy without a hint of my testosterone being kicked in. This Hessinius guy from Lemars (who eventually won state) was one of the most intimidating looking 8th graders I have ever seen in my entire life (to this day). The resembled a 30 year old man to me at the time. I remember looking at a lot of the guys in my bracket and thinking to myself, "ok, there are some MEAN looking 8th graders in this bracket, but if I have to wrestle that huge, Sylvester Stallone-looking Hessinius guy, I think I may literally start crying when I step on the mat."

Hessinius ended up being upset in the semis by the guy who beat me in the finals at districts, and I was upset in the semis as well, by the guy who placed behind me (3rd) at districts and had never beaten me prior to that. Hessinius went on to finish 4th, I went on to lose the rest of my matches and finished 6th. I remember sitting next to him while waiting to step on the podium and he initiated conversation with my intimidated ass and was cool as hell, but his voice resembled Mr. T to me at the time.

So 7 years later, we are on the same wrestling team at Loras College. He was a 126 lber and I was a 174 pounder (still growing) who had to cut to get to 197 my last year wrestling there. Obviously, I had outgrown him quite a bit. However, EVERY time I ever interacted with the guy, he still appeared to me as the beastly man I perceived him as when I was a 7th grader. In terms of height, the dude was probably at my upper chest. He STILL seemed like he was taller than me though. It was weird.

[ptlyon]

Didn't go there but a good friends brother is the wrestling coach there - wondered if you wrestled. Have a pretty sweet Loras college wrestling hoodie that I'm real proud of.

Sweet!

And yes, le mars is 30 miles North from here, but don't know them.

[rico]

Originally Posted by ptlyon

Didn't go there but a good friends brother is the wrestling coach there - wondered if you wrestled. Have a pretty sweet Loras college wrestling hoodie that I'm real proud of.

Sweet!

And yes, le mars is 30 miles North from here, but don't know them.

Head Coach Steward, I assume? Ironically, he and my dad were in the same bracket at state in '78. Dewitt Central alum. I'm pretty sure I pissed him off in a mass facebook message that I sent to everyone when I was drunk. Claimed that one of my practice partners was talented enough to be a D1 champ...he was a D3 8th place finisher. He took it as, 1.) random and out of nowhere/strange and 2.) Are you implying I'm a bad coach since I was only able to get this 'D1 talent' an 8th place finish in D3?" He responded to the mass-message and basically called me an idiot.....and boy did I ever feel like one the next day. (shudder)

My 8th grade year I placed 4th at 110. The guy who won my bracket was from Sioux City Heelan. His name was Mike Winklepleck...it was his 3rd title. Awesome wrestler. Nice guy.

My brother who is 2 years younger than me always had a Patrick Allibone in his bracket who was pretty feisty. Pretty sure he was a Sioux City kid.

[ptlyon]

Yep, he be the one. A brother of a brother from another mother.

[rico]

Originally Posted by ptlyon

Yep, he be the one. A brother of a brother from another mother.

Cool cool. He's a good guy (your bro from another mo's bro).

[rico]

There is this place in Chi called The Italian. They had awesome pizza.

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by rico

Cool cool. He's a good guy (your bro from another mo's bro).

Yes he is

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by rico

When I went to college at Loras in Dubuque, IA, I delivered pizzas for this place called Falbo's. Falbo's started out in Madison, WI, and then opened shops in Coralville, IA and Iowa City, IA. One of the delivery drivers for the Iowa City Falbo's, was a student at the University of Iowa and a Dubuque homer. After he attained his degree (in Psychology) he moved back home and started his own Falbo's in Dubuque. I think the deal was that he had to give 10% of his profit to Mr. Falbo in Madison, WI for 5 years.

Falbo's is hands down, the best pizza I have ever tasted in my entire life. It opened my eyes to the point where I became a straight up pizza junkie. I've tried every pizza place in Iowa City. Nothing compared. My annual personal vacation for the past 6 years has been a 4 day trip to Chicago where I attend Lollapalooza. I make it a point to research the Chicago pizza "hot-spots" prior to making the trip and order pizza from a different pizza place I had previously researched, pretty much every day I am there. While I have discovered some AWESOME Chicago pizza over the years, NOTHING has been better than Falbo's. I got married in Vegas a few weeks ago and even researched the pizza "hot spots" there and tried them out. Good pizza, but not as good as Falbo's.

Ironically, like my boss at Falbo's in Dubuque, I was also a Psychology major/Social Work minor. After attaining my BA, I moved back home. While in the process of job-seeking, I inquired Mr. Falbo in Madison, WI if he would be interested in expanding his franchise to Burlington, IA. He was interested and I had the okay from him to go forward with it. However, I was offered a position from a mental health facility at the same time and decided to take that route instead. Getting things rolling in Burlington just seemed financially risky to me...and I would have been under the same contract as my boss in Dubuque for the first 5 years. I was apprehensive as to whether I could make things work or not. So I had the chance to do that, didn't take it, worked in the mental health field for 5 years and gained some great job-experience, but ultimately discovered I made a HUGE financial mistake when I declared Psychology as my major at a private school.

6 years after graduating, I am no longer employed at the mental health facility for I decided to enroll in the nursing program. I am currently a nursing student (UGH). The 5 year mark would have been over by now had I taken the Falbo's route and I can't help, but wonder if things would have worked out.

Falbo's pizza though. It's the best pizza I've ever had. If you are ever in; Madison, WI, Iowa City/Coralville/Dubuque, IA, I would HIGHLY recommend trying it out. You won't be disappointed. I can 100% guarantee that.

heh, I was born in Dubuque.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by rico

There is this place in Chi called The Italian.

Oh, the places you'll go...

[ChiefsFanatic]

The best pizza I have had was from Gino's East in Chicago.

But I really like the pizza from Grinders in Kansas City.

And surprisingly, The Alamo Drafthouse in Kansas City makes really great pizza. When The Alamo was still run by AMC the food sucked, but when The Alamo Drafthouse bought out AMC's half and took full ownership, they pretty much changed everything.

[tmh]

In perfect honesty the Kirkland brand you can buy fresh from costco is pretty damn tasty for 8 bucks.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by tmh

In perfect honesty the Kirkland brand you can buy fresh from costco is pretty damn tasty for 8 bucks.

Do you mean the frozen ones or the ones they cook in store? I know that they are the same pizza, but there's something about being cooked in a real pizza oven that makes things sooo good.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by loochy

Do you mean the frozen ones or the ones they cook in store? I know that they are the same pizza, but there's something about being cooked in a real pizza oven that makes things sooo good.

In Los Angeles, the pizza they offer in the outdoor restaurant is different than the Take & Bake pizza they offer inside the store. Actually, they're quite a bit different.

[Lonewolf Ed]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

Giordano's in Chicago.

I had it there and it must have been a perfect day for pizza making. Everything about it was awesome. I couldn't finish my 3rd slice of deep dish, but I tried!

[TheUte]

Gino's east sausage.

What's really cool is they will freeze it and ship it to you, which actually turn out really good. Not quite as being chi-town having one but pretty damn close.