Little Joe's Again

For well over a year, my niece and I have been questing around Knoxville for pizza joints to give them a try. I have been really amazed at how many pizza places exist in this town. (Our goal was to visit places which were pizza primary restaurants, not places which served pizza along with burgers and other main entreé types.)

K1 graduated from university this past December and is taking a job in a far away place. The location is far enough away to make these endeavors no longer regular. Since we were getting close to her departure time, I asked her for one last quest. I told her we could visit someplace new (our list still has venues yet not visited), or she could pick a place we have been before. Of all the places we've tried, she chose Little Joe's.

We first found Little Joe's almost a year ago. (Post here: https://knox-pizza-quest.blogspot.com/2017/02/little-joes-pizza.html) The memory of this place was the bread sticks. This time, I ordered sauce, and I really should have ordered extra. I recommend two orders of sauce for one basket of sticks for maximum enjoyment.

On our previous visit, we had ordered our own pizzas. This time, we ordered a single large pizza. The crust was outstanding, as usual. We kept it simple with pepperoni and extra cheese. I added bacon on my half. We threw down again. The to-go box had only a few pieces left by the time we called it quits.

I wish we had started this quest earlier than the fall of 2016. It has been such a fun time to find pizza places with Kiersten. I did tell her that she's going to need to find more pizza places wherever she visits for her job and report back. Who knows? Maybe I'll find my way out to where she is when she discovers the best-evar! And I hope to maybe try a few more on our list when she comes back for a visit.

Love you, kiddo!

Rosati's

It's been a while since we have ventured on a quest. K1 is finishing up school and has been very busy to complete all her assignments.

Well, those assignments are done! The quest continues!

I had several people suggest Rosati's to me. (I keep wanting to call it "Rosita's.") This is a Chicago style pizza spot located among the shops off Papermill right down from Five Guys. They have been around for about a year.

We decided that although we like a good thin crust pizza, we had to try a deep because it is the native style of the Rosati's. The only logical conclusion was to get one of each!


Immediately after we ordered, I realized we had not ordered the standard breadsticks for proper sampling. We were hungry and decided we'd be fine.

And we were! The deep dish pizza had pepperoni and bacon (of course), and our thin crust was chicken and garlic. We started on the deep dish first. Although only ten inches, it was everything you imagine a Chicago pizza to be. The crust was tasty and the sauce plus cheese hit the spot. We both ended up going back to the deep dish for seconds it was so good.

Remember the forgotten breadsticks? The thin crust completely made up for their absence. Crust perfect, cheese stringy, garlic savory...we really were fine.

It took a little time to get the pizzas after ordering, but the wait was worth it. In fact, given the choice of Stephano's and Rosati's for Chicago style, I would have to choose Rosati's.

For a cold almost-winter's night, this pizza warmed us up inside!

mellow mushroom

who doesn't like the mellow mushroom? their pies have been a staple in knoxville for a long time.

the niece and i trekked down through rush hour thunderstorms braving the horrible drivers in this city to eat some delicious pizza. and though it is not new to us, it had been a while since either of us had visited mellow mushroom. (k1 recalls her eighteenth birthday party as the last time for her. i think it was the same for me.)

let's talk food. we started with their garlic and parmesan pretzels. these incredibly tasting appetizers come with what seemed like freshly made tomato sauce on the side. ours were piping hot and fresh from the oven. the pretzels were very doughy, much like a well-made breadstick. we both were big fans immediately.

k1 ordered her baseline pepperoni pizza, and i chose the house special. the crust is much like a new york style crust: not too thin, not too thick. and although i had a generous helping of cheese on mine, k1's was loaded with cheese. (in case you don't understand, that's a good thing.)

we both could only pack in two slices this evening on our pizzas. that, of course, means extended enjoyment in the next day or so. the pretzels were a good size and that helped fill us both up. i could have made a meal out of the pretzels alone.

shortly after the delivery of our pizzas, the manager came by and introduced himself and checked to make sure all was good. we let him know it was and hyped the pretzels a bit.

fighting the traffic was worth all that we experienced at the mellow mushroom. they have two locations: one on cumberland avenue and the other out west off campbell station road. try the pretzels!

Stefanos

Despite spending the majority of my time within a one-mile radius around the UT campus, I had never previously made my way to Stefanos Pizza. Now that the Cumberland Avenue construction project is more or less complete, venturing to eat out on "The Strip" seemed like a good idea.

This was the first Chicago-style pizza I had eaten in quite a while so I was looking forward to the deep dish. The restaurant was not crowded and our pizza was delivered quickly. Similar to most deep dish pizza, it was extremely filling and I could barely finish a slice with some breadsticks. The pizza was delicious! I refrigerated my leftovers and they held up well for another meal.

Overall, the pizza and breadsticks were exceptionally tasty. I would recommend going during a low volume time to avoid parking difficulties. It may be a restaurant best enjoyed when school is not in session and the campus area is calm.

1000 Degrees Pizza

we are back to pizza questing! this last friday was at 1000 degrees neapolitan pizza. (i'm not sure what makes it neapolitan; i never saw vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate anywhere!)

the idea behind this is that the oven is 1000°F. it cooks the pizza in a very short time. in fact, it's the quickest i've gotten a pizza from time into oven to table. it was super fast.

but here's the problem: the time it took to get through the line and have our pizzas made totally lost all the time we saved during the cook time. i don't know if they were short staffed or if the kids working were not experienced yet or because they kept shifting positions, it felt like they were not as organized as they could have been. and this was a friday night. don't know how it is these days, but weekends were always considered to be the busier days, so be ready. they seemed to be behind on some dough, and a few ingredients needed to be restocked on the line too.

that being said, the pizza was good. i liked the crust, sauce, cheese, toppings. i was so hungry (from the long wait) that i totally killed my 14 inch regular crust. k1 ate most of hers. she had a piece to take home and wanted to get box but wasn't sure how long it would take to get the box. i forgot to order bread sticks this time, but i am not sure how long it would take to get them.

it really seemed similar to many of the assemble-your-own pizza places which have popped up. i would say that if they could nail down their serious lag issues, they would be a rival to the blazes and pie fives (oops, sorry, pie five) in this town.

big ed's

i know it's not knoxville, but big ed's pizza is a well-known standard for pizza around here. this place was established in oak ridge in 1970 and has been serving pizza to happy people since.

i was in college when i first visited big ed's. big ed was still alive back then and i caught a glimpse of him standing at his usual bar spot that evening. even though he has passed, his pizza still lives on. and a pizza quest wouldn't be complete without a trip to this historic spot.

the style seems new york, although the logo on the window of the store says it's "true italian style." the crust is of the hand tossed variety, providing a thinner foundation. the sauce and toppings are consistently delicious. i have included the link to big ed's website at the bottom of this post. you should read the "who is big ed" section which talks about the history and what ingredients are made and used. it is interesting.

both k1 and i were quite hungry, so we decided on a couple of 12 inch pies each. k1 ordered her usual pepperoni only. i ordered pepperoni, bacon, and onion. (they now put benton's bacon on their pizzas!)

being as hungry as i was, i threw down on my pizza. i couldn't get enough of the flavors of tomato sauce and cheese and toppings! k1 was able to take some of her pizza home for later enjoyment. that might have been a smarter move. now, she can have the experience of big ed's extended more than just one evening.

being the classic as it is, i felt we needed big ed's t-shirts to show our pizza solidarity.

uncle maddio's pizza joint

k1 and i hit uncle maddio's pizza joint on friday evening. i didn't realize this place was here until i had done a quick google search for pizza places within my location while driving down cedar bluff.

uncle maddio's is located in the northshore publix shopping center. they advertise that they are locally owned. and if you notice in the picture that it's not a pizza place but a "pizza joint." i like that. a pizza joint!

the format is like blaze or pie five. we told them we wanted personal pizzas and which toppings, and they built it on the line in front of us and slid it into the oven. (theirs is not wood fired.)

we both ordered our standards: all meat for me, cheese and pepperoni for k1. we both liked our selections. for us the most memorable item was the bread sticks. they look like normal bread sticks in the photo, but they are thinner. we detected garlic and minced onions atop the sticks, and that made them very yummy. i think k1 spent more time nibbling on the sticks. i couldn't blame her. they were addictive!

it was easy to get to this place, the atmosphere was casual, and the service was speedy! we had not been sitting for very long and got our pizzas. the crust was new york style. the toppings were quite tasty as well.

if i had to do over, i would have doubled down on the bread sticks order...and still gotten a personal pizza. note for next time.

little joe's pizza

this place has been around since 1974, but i never heard about it until we started this quest. and i don't know how it could have been missed!

i arrived early and got a booth. they immediately dropped off some bread sticks to my table and got my drink order. since i was hungry, i started the nibble on the sticks. they were outstanding! the bread sticks are complimentary but sauce is extra. i didn't need the sauce, though. they were delicious in their own right.

k1 sat down, and we placed our order. they did a great job of keeping our drinks fresh. our server would walk by and drop another cup of whatever was lowest on our table. never had to ask! excellent!

when the main event came, we proceeded to nom. the crust was a thin crust, which is their specialty. (i didn't see from the menu if you could even get a thicker crust.) but this crust was one of the best thin crusts i have had in this quest. others were good, no doubt. but little joe's had the cracker crunchy crust of which i am a big fan.

the small was a good size for a small. being as hungry as i was and because it was pizza, i ate almost all of mine. (i overdid it.) but it was just so darn good! i know k1 was loving hers as well. 

the location of little joe's is at the intersection of kingston pike and watt road, so it's a hike. i would say, though, for the crust and the service that the hike was well worth it. (clarification: we drove. we didn't walk that trip.)

ps: happy national pizza day!

Blaze Pizza

I had heard lots of good things about Blaze despite it being new to Knoxville so I was excited to check it out. It did not disappoint! The restaurant is similar in set-up to Pie Five. An assembly line of ingredients is available to build a personalized pizza from the bottom up.

I chose a pepperoni and garlic as my toppings and waited as they cooked my pizza in the wood-fired oven. The whole process was very quick and in no time I was digging in! I really liked the crispy crust. You can definitely taste the flavor from the wood-burning oven. As a whole, the pizza was extremely delicious.

I have now visited both locations in Knoxville- Cedar Bluff and Turkey Creek. Both are conveniently located, although the Turkey Creek restaurant had a more inviting interior.

Overall Blaze is a quick and easy way to get delicious personal pizzas on the go!

la rosa's pizza

our next quest took us to la rosa's on cedar bluff. i have eaten there before and have their pizza a few times (at the office). i am already a fan, but k1 needed to make her own decision.

k1 ordered the double pepperoni, a step up from her staple. she admired the thin crust on hers. the crusts are very good. she also liked the taste of the pepperonis. good flavor there. and she's sampled quite a few now to know what she likes.

normally, i would have gone with a meat loaded pizza, but i saw the sweet and spicy flatbread on a featured menu which included pepperonis and drizzled honey with a few other ingredients to help it live up to its name. very good stuff. i mulled over ordering a meaty side pizza too because the pictures in the menu drew me in. i decided i didn't need that much food but made the mental note to revisit for more of this stuff.

we both liked what we had. my opinion also bumps it to a favorite.

a fact of which i was unaware was that they deliver! i need to check their coverage area for the next time think about calling in a pie.

this place i conveniently located on cedar bluff near kingston pike across from the new colossal kroger. check it out!

empire pizza

k1 and i appropriately visited this place after watching rogue one before christmas. it was a cozy place with a very new york feel to the decor.

i went with something very meaty while k1 picked the standard pepperoni. we both liked the crust, which is typical new york style. i had plenty of meaty goodness on mine (as seen in the picture).

the place is located on kingston pike east of lovell road (on the right if you are headed east). we saw several people walk in for pizza take away.

both k1 and i recommend it if you are looking for a little bit of new york in west knoxville.

pie five

this place is new to me and to knoxville. i saw this while driving home one evening and added it to the list.

put simply: it's like a subway but with pizza. you can order a pre-fab item or have them top your pie with whichever ingredients you want.

it is all built right in front of you and immediately placed into an oven. cook time felt like six to seven minutes.

i ordered their version of the meat lovers with five meats: pepperoni, ham, bacon, italian sausage, and ground beef. k1 had pepperoni. we both added garlic. and we threw a side of bacon cheese bread onto our order.

the cheese sticks were a good idea! we found then to be extremely tasty as we nommed those puppies up in no time. totally recommend those!

the pizzas were also quite good. we both got thin crust. it reminded me of hard knox in both size of the pizzas and the type of crust, but i would rank hard knox above pie five. nevertheless, we both thoroughly enjoyed our dinner.

this is a good place to swing in for a lunch pizza or when headed somewhere and you don't have a lot of time to lose. you can eat leisurely, but it seems more geared for the on-the-go person. it would be great in turkey creek near the movies or down near campus.

we both liked it. i think we'd go back without reservation.

Sergeant Pepperoni's

This post is coming in rather late (I blame midterms) but Sergeant Pepperoni's was probably my favorite pizza up to this point! Tucked away in a shopping center off Kingston Pike, I have apparently driven past it for years without ever noticing it.

We arrived right before the dinner rush and watched the place quickly fill up as we waited for our pizzas. The dining room is small yet comfortable. When the server brought out our pizza, she had a surprise. They had messed up a pizza so we got one for free! My pizza (pepperoni as always) was delicious. The crust was relatively thin and crispy, my favorite.

I finished off two pieces and ended up taking the rest home. It heated up well and I was thankfully able to enjoy some Sergeant Pepperoni for the rest of the week. I definitely will recommend their pizza to everyone!

harby's pizza

k1 and i headed to harby's pizza just off broadway this past tuesday.

it has been a while since i have traversed broadway much less during afternoon rush hour. driving in knoxville is already maddening most of the time. add in construction, and you seriously consider real estate in middle of nevada.

however, the place was cozy, filled with album covers on the walls from music of the sixties and seventies. this pizza joint has some style. (i haven't investigated the history, but i'm sure there is a story behind it.)

we both ended up with ten inch pizzas. the pizza was quite good. k1 even commented she liked a crispy pizza (i believe in reference to the crust). i ended up eating all of mine. no leftovers!

i definitely would recommend this place, but find a time when the traffic won't make you mad. then you can casually enjoy the place for what it is.

oh, all the prices included sales tax!

barley's taproom and pizzeria

one of my favorite places for pizza in knoxville is barley's. the whole locale is very rustic, old school. it fits a place where you'd have a new york style pizza.

since we ended up with too much pizza last time (is there really such a thing?), we decided one eighteen inch pepperoni and bacon pie would be adequate. and it was.

i couldn't stop eating the crust! you know how much i love bacon. but the crust was just very, very good. don't get me wrong. the toppings were just as tasty. but i was sad to start getting full because i couldn't munch on more of the crust.

these guys have both inside and outside seating. it was rather cold inside for both of us, and i considered requesting a table outside because it was pleasant, but the atmosphere was really worth the experience since k1 had not eaten here before.

i always enjoy eating at barley's!

Gavino's Pizzeria

Coming in at number 2 on Yelp's pizza list, Gavino's was a first for both of us. Once again battling the rush-hour traffic disaster (maybe we should change the time?), I skirted in right on time.

The staff were friendly and quick; I had soon ordered a Sicilian with pepperoni and Uncle Mock chose a Neapolitan Original Special. We decided to each order our own pizza instead of splitting one. We were hungry and I figured I could eat the leftovers tomorrow.

I was flabbergasted at the size of the pizzas the server brought out! This will feed me for a week! Sure enough, I was barely able to finish a little more than one slice. What I did eat convinced me that Gavino's has earned their good reputation. Mine was perfectly cheesy and greasy with a uniquely flavorful thick crust.

I would definitely return to Gavino's! (but only once I have finished the leftovers)

the hard knox experience

i had never eaten at hard knox pizza until yesterday, and now i am wondering why! they topped yelp's list of best pizza in knoxville (not that i yelp much).

k1 ordered a pepperoni and mozzarella while i picked the rocky balboa. the italian stallion had italian sauage (obviously), green and red peppers, and onions.

the crust was a good hand tossed, not to thick but a little more than thin. it was a good crust, and sauce...and cheese.

while k1 was still battling traffic to get to hard knox, they delivered my pie. i could smell it. it was good. and i was hungry!

i debated waiting but justified the need to test a slice while it was fresh. it was everything i thought it would be! all the flavors made me happy. and i did put the brakes on until k1 arrived.

the atmosphere was simple and relaxing. the music was all the stuff i grew up on when i was in high school, which made me happy. (i'm sure millennials would find it something to whine about, but i was singing along while i waited.)

totes recommends! top of yelp for realz!

oh, and i had worn my "you had me at let's order pizza" t-shirt that day!

finding good pizza

my niece and i decided we need to go a pizza quest around knoxville. since the notice that knoxville ranks third best city (in usa) for pizza, we should have plenty of options. turns out, there are about as many pizza places as there are mexican restaurants (well, maybe not that many).

this will be an awesome quest! we start today with hard knox pizza.

can't wait!

ps: http://www.notsville.com/2016/08/list-with-no-new-york-or-chicago-names-knoxville-third-best-city-for-pizza-lovers.html