Slightly OT - Giordano's

Love Giordanos, had some really good pizza in NYC/Queens...thin. Very good, too. Like them all, love a few...

Worked at two pizza joints, Valentinos in Cedar Rapids in high school. And Godfathers HWY1 location jrsr year at Iowa. Yup, I can make a ton of dough, make 10 gallons of spag sauce or shred several pounds of cheese. I am fully trained on using a Hobart and my taco pizza kicks ass. (I use a 15” cast iron pan and put enough cheese up to the edge for a Detroit style burnt cheese on the crust edge.)

On football Saturdays Godfathers was a freakin madhouse. Those ugly, damp fall days brought the families and fans in by the droves. #3 conveyor belt oven would be brought into play, three delivery drivers w a backup...I wish I could remember how many pizzas went out the door but it must've been a few hundred.

I always brought home ‘mistake’ pizzas at night or leftover slices when I’d work the lunch shift. Not the best pizza by any stretch, but I usually got a few free beers from my roommates when I got home with two large pizzas.
 
DenverHawk94 said:
Love Giordanos, had some really good pizza in NYC/Queens...thin. Very good, too. Like them all, love a few...

Worked at two pizza joints, Valentinos in Cedar Rapids in high school. And Godfathers HWY1 location jrsr year at Iowa. Yup, I can make a ton of dough, make 10 gallons of spag sauce or shred several pounds of cheese. I am fully trained on using a Hobart and my taco pizza kicks ass. (I use a 15” cast iron pan and put enough cheese up to the edge for a Detroit style burnt cheese on the crust edge.)

On football Saturdays Godfathers was a freakin madhouse. Those ugly, damp fall days brought the families and fans in by the droves. #3 conveyor belt oven would be brought into play, three delivery drivers w a backup...I wish I could remember how many pizzas went out the door but it must've been a few hundred.

I always brought home ‘mistake’ pizzas at night or leftover slices when I’d work the lunch shift. Not the best pizza by any stretch, but I usually got a few free beers from my roommates when I got home with two large pizzas.
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I liked the pasta at Valentino's. Took the kids to the one that was in Mason City all the time.
 
hawkeyebob62 said:
I have a problem with taco pizza. I'm either in the mood for tacos, or for pizza. And the last two times I had taco pizza--admittedly, years ago--the lettuce was greasy and gross.
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Yeah greasy lettuce shouldn't happen, it may have sat around too long before being eaten. When I get taco pizza for carry out I have them put the toppings on the side. When ordering carry out and they say it will take 40 minutes but it only takes 30 then that 10 minutes, plus whatever time it takes you to make it home, can make a taco pizza gross.
 
DenverHawk94 said:
Love Giordanos, had some really good pizza in NYC/Queens...thin. Very good, too. Like them all, love a few...

Worked at two pizza joints, Valentinos in Cedar Rapids in high school. And Godfathers HWY1 location jrsr year at Iowa. Yup, I can make a ton of dough, make 10 gallons of spag sauce or shred several pounds of cheese. I am fully trained on using a Hobart and my taco pizza kicks ass. (I use a 15” cast iron pan and put enough cheese up to the edge for a Detroit style burnt cheese on the crust edge.)

On football Saturdays Godfathers was a freakin madhouse. Those ugly, damp fall days brought the families and fans in by the droves. #3 conveyor belt oven would be brought into play, three delivery drivers w a backup...I wish I could remember how many pizzas went out the door but it must've been a few hundred.

I always brought home ‘mistake’ pizzas at night or leftover slices when I’d work the lunch shift. Not the best pizza by any stretch, but I usually got a few free beers from my roommates when I got home with two large pizzas.
Click to expand...

I worked at Pizza Hut in high school so I have similar skills. I figured out their pan dough recipe and I'd like to think I make a damn good taco pizza as well. But using a cast iron pan sounds interesting along with the cheese idea.

I was always bringing mistake pizza's home. I usually made a "mistake" right before close so it hadn't been sitting around all night.
 
hawkeyebob62 said:
I have a problem with taco pizza. I'm either in the mood for tacos, or for pizza. And the last two times I had taco pizza--admittedly, years ago--the lettuce was greasy and gross.
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Not quite as good as leftovers either. The taco chips end up getting stale or soggy......likely both.
 
trj said:
Not quite as good as leftovers either. The taco chips end up getting stale or soggy......likely both.
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Nope, can't do taco pizza leftovers unless the toppings are on the side. Even then I usually just chuck it, too much work.
 
ssckelley said:
I worked at Pizza Hut in high school so I have similar skills. I figured out their pan dough recipe and I'd like to think I make a damn good taco pizza as well. But using a cast iron pan sounds interesting along with the cheese idea.

I was always bringing mistake pizza's home. I usually made a "mistake" right before close so it hadn't been sitting around all night.
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I worked at Pizza Hut in high school as well. I worked there when they used bean dip instead of regular pizza sauce for their taco pizza.

I remember we would have food swaps with other restaurants we would give them pizzas and they would give us what everybody was in the mood for .

I came up with my own concoctions to take home. I would pile the toppings on and run it through the oven once and then half way the second time. You always knew when food cost were running higher than normal because the manager would crack down on all that(food swaps,employee meals,etc.).
 
DenverHawk94 said:
And Godfathers HWY1 location jrsr year at Iowa. Y
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What years? After Mazzio's closed in Iowa City my family would go there every Friday night to eat, when I got older I'd bring some friends along. That was always my favorite place for Pizza, once in awhile I'd go back and get a jumbo by myself for lunch after the buffet hours and take the leftovers home, always reheated so well!
 
trj said:
I worked at Pizza Hut in high school as well. I worked there when they used bean dip instead of regular pizza sauce for their taco pizza.

I remember we would have food swaps with other restaurants we would give them pizzas and they would give us what everybody was in the mood for .

I came up with my own concoctions to take home. I would pile the toppings on and run it through the oven once and then half way the second time. You always knew when food cost were running higher than normal because the manager would crack down on all that(food swaps,employee meals,etc.).
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They still use that bean dip for the taco, I get a $7.99 2-topping large for the kids every Friday from there (because it's cheap and they like it). Once in awhile if I don't feel like cooking I'll get one from there too. Obviously not good, but after several drinks on a Friday night I think any pizza tastes good.
 
What are ya'lls favorite toppings? My two are pepperoni and jalepeno, or canadian bacon, pineapple and jalepeno (I put jalepenos on almost everything)
 
hawkeyebob62 said:
I have a problem with taco pizza. I'm either in the mood for tacos, or for pizza. And the last two times I had taco pizza--admittedly, years ago--the lettuce was greasy and gross.
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Same. If I'm in the mood, I'd just eat damn tacos. Doesn't make sense.

It's such a crap shoot to find at least a decent one, that it is not really worth it, IMO. Yea, a place may make a good one but if another person in said same place makes a taco pizza a different day it might be bad. Too many variables with it.
 
ssckelley said:
I worked at Pizza Hut in high school so I have similar skills. I figured out their pan dough recipe and I'd like to think I make a damn good taco pizza as well. But using a cast iron pan sounds interesting along with the cheese idea.

I was always bringing mistake pizza's home. I usually made a "mistake" right before close so it hadn't been sitting around all night.
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I really don't understand the obsession with taco pizza.

My sis used to work at a Pizza Hut in the 1980's. She used to bring home a couple thin crust "mistake" pizzas all the time. Then one day it stopped. She said the management wouldn't let them take any home anymore. This was in CC (Chucktown), Iowa.
 
Ree4 said:
What years? After Mazzio's closed in Iowa City my family would go there every Friday night to eat, when I got older I'd bring some friends along. That was always my favorite place for Pizza, once in awhile I'd go back and get a jumbo by myself for lunch after the buffet hours and take the leftovers home, always reheated so well!
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It would have been, 87-89, Moved to AZ in late Summer 89 - excellent seasonal timing.

I saved a ton of money on typical food expenses working there. The free pitchers of beer after close was a nice benefit as well. And most managers had an eye for talent, so the girls that worked there were very easy on the peepers.
 
DenverHawk94 said:
It would have been, 87-89, Moved to AZ in late Summer 89 - excellent seasonal timing.

I saved a ton of money on typical food expenses working there. The free pitchers of beer after close was a nice benefit as well. And most managers had an eye for talent, so the girls that worked there were very easy on the peepers.
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Ah I think that was before we would have gone there, ours would have been in the 90s
 
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