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Eden Pizza, Saint Paul, MN



Personal Pepperoni at Eden Pizza, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Tucked away in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood of Saint Paul, west of Snelling and north of University is a little gem of a pizzeria, Eden Pizza. Having lived in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area my whole life and living in Saint Paul for many of those years I had only found out about Eden Pizza until recently.

They’re on the corner of Aldine Street and Lafond Avenue, surrounded by homes and inside it’s split in two: kitchen on the left and seating on the right. There’s three tables and a selection of old board games and neighborhood newspapers. Although there was only one person taking orders and making pizzas and I was the only customer sitting in, Phish jamming over the speakers kept the place upbeat.

Although they are only open for lunch on Fridays, I ordered their “lunch special” on a Saturday: an 8-inch personal pizza with two toppings and a soda for $6.50. I chose pepperoni and Dr. Pepper. I noted that their ingredients and specialty pizza list is extensive — a lot to explore later.

In about ten minutes I received a beautiful pepperoni pizza, sharply cut into 6 triangle slices. My eyes were drawn to the crust, which was rolled in a way I haven’t quite seen before on pizza (the see photo). Biting in, the cheese tasted very fresh and stringy. Pepperoni was meaty and there was just a nice, small layer of sauce for base. The crust was crispy at the edges albeit a bit on the floury side. Overall a very satisfying and tasty pizza. Not too greasy either, especially compared to their more trafficked neighbors a few blocks away, Checkerboard Pizza.

With their friendly service, great pizza, extensive menu and home delivery, Eden Pizza is a real treat in this neighborhood. I’ll be back soon — it would be convenient before a show at the Turf Club, a St. Paul Saints game or an event at Hamline University.

Eden Pizza
629 Aldine St
Saint Paul, MN 55104
651-646-7616

Posted 06 June 2009 § Pizza § Saint Paul ‡ Comments (9) ° Tagged:

The Most Well-Written Nigerian Scam Email I’ve Seen

As many readers of this site know, I’m the producer at the Heavy Table. As we describe ourselves, “the Heavy Table is a Twin Cities-based magazine passionately telling the stories of food and drink — from roots to table — in the Upper Midwest.” We tend to lean towards covering the local and sustainable while generally avoiding the large chains and national corporations. We have a couple links where people can submit tips for us. Here’s one we received today:

From: kris b [alekalumnus@yahoo.com]
Subject: MACA Attacks White House Kitchen Garden
Date: April 29, 2009 10:29:30 CDT

Dear Heavy Table,

I was one of the people delighted to hear that a kitchen garden was being dug at the White House which would supply a small amount of food for certain functions. Michelle Obama, who is credited with the idea of the installing the garden space, was recently criticized for doing so by the Mid-America Croplife Association. Reference the article as it appears on the BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8023087.stm

Relevant portion:

More recently she was criticised by a US farming group for her decision to grow organic vegetables.

The Mid-America CropLife Association (MACA) wrote to the First Lady to encourage her to support their technological methods of farming.

“If Americans were still required to farm to support their family’s basic food and fibre needs, would the US have been leaders in the advancement of science, communication, education, medicine, transportation and the arts?” the group said.

Mid-America Croplife Assoc. (maca.org) is based in St Louis, but these local organizations are affiliated with it:

Minnesota Crop Production Retailers
7500 Flying Cloud Drive, Ste. 900
Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Wisconsin Agribusiness Council
P.O. Box 46100
Madison, WI 53744-6100

MN Agri-Growth Council
408 Saint Peter St. #20
St. Paul, MN 55102-1130

Wisconsin Crop Production Association
2317 International Ln. Ste. 102
Madison, WI 53704-3154

My chief concern is that their assertions are false, and they appear to be attacking not only local sustainable/organic growers and methods, but every gardener for not using maca “technological methods” and apparently pulling America back to the 18th century.

Thought you might be interested, thank you for your time,

Kris

Mr KRIS Burmes
Director Insterswitch Unit
Zenith Bank of Nigeria
+234 8038 989 123
by the Instruction The President
of Federal Repubic of Nigeria

Even though the phone number has been reported being involved in fraud and using a Yahoo! account with a Nigerian bank signature sets off every red flag, the body of the email is a completely legitimate tip and is not unlike many we receive. The story referenced from the BBC is also from within the last 24-36 hours — it isn’t stale news. There was some time and effort done to give us a local angle very specific to our audience. It’s exactly something we may have considered putting a blurb up about.

After extensive searching online with few results matching any pattern of the email, Heavy Table’s Editor, James Norton and I have been scratching our heads on where this came from and who did this little bit of research. My best theory thus far: they’re using a service like Mechanical Turk where one can farm out tons of individual tasks to thousands of people at once. First, compile a list of contact email addresses associated with websites by asking workers to go to a particular website and then find a contact email address. A task like that would cost about 1¢ per website. Using that list, get people to write pieces geared for those specific online publishers. For example, the question to the worker could be phrased: “Visit this website, find a current news story and write how they may be interested in that news.” I’d imagine that task would be worth around 5¢ to 10¢ but most of the results would probably not be great. Even for the good ones, I’d wager that most people that publish a website online are also familiar with emails claiming to be from Nigerian banks. Either way, I’m fairly impressed.

If you have any other ideas on how this happened, please drop a comment.

Posted 29 April 2009 § Media, Blogging and Technology ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: ,

Campus Pizza & Pasta, Minneapolis, MN



Pizza at Campus Pizza, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

I remember visiting Campus Pizza & Pasta a few times a number of years ago with cramped seating, cute gingham table cloths, a campy interior all under a large maroon and gold awning. The pizza was good but at the time I didn’t pay much attention.

Earlier this year, Campus Pizza moved across the street to a much larger and more modern space. The campiness is gone but they’ve kept the classic gingham, expanded to a full bar and most importantly — they kept the pizza the same.

My cousin and I stopped down for a pepperoni pie. They were playing through Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” and I was reminded that it was April 20. Perhaps that explained the longer-than-expected wait and why our pizza came out a bit strangely shaped. To me this was a good sign: I joked with myself that they were too focused on making good pizza instead of perfect circles. After my first bite, I knew I was right: this pizza hits square on the mark of what’s great about midwestern-style pizza.

This pizza had a tasty cracker-like crust with crispy pepperoni along with a tasty mix of cheeses. It was a bit wet with grease, but not as much as you’d find on midwestern-style pizza standards like Sammy’s or Carbone’s. I loved the tangy sauce that was just enough for flavor and apparently the same recipe Campus Pizza has used since 1959. It’s party cut into squares and as far as midwestern style goes, this is strongly recommended. My cousin opined that this is the best pizza in Stadium Village. I won’t argue.

Campus Pizza & Pasta
825 Washington Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-378-2417

Posted 21 April 2009 § Pizza ‡ Comments (3) ° Tagged:

Stratta at the Wynn, Las Vegas, NV



Pizza at Stratta, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

I can’t help it: I see wood-fired pizza on the menu and I have to stop. Stratta, at the Wynn Las Vegas caught my eye and I sat up the bar.

Knowing what I wanted right away, I ordered the $14 Margherita and a glass of Row Eleven Pinot Noir. Within only a few minutes my pizza arrived and the bartender apologized to the people next to me whom were still waiting for their food from before I arrived. I can’t complain there.

But sometimes you know a pizza is not going to be great before you even taste it. The basil looked like it went through a machine, the cheese looked heavy and the crust looked paper-thin. It was cut in quarters, which was most inconvenient considering how flimsy and floppy the crust was. Trying to fold a slice in hand caused grease to drip down and biting into it periodically squirted bits of sauce on my hand. This surprised me as I barely tasted the sauce. With the cheese-to-rest-of-pizza ratio I figured the chef might be from Wisconsin. I’ve had better bar pizza for half the price.

After I was done with half of it I asked for the rest to be boxed. Might come in handy if I get inebriated later in the night, I thought.

The highlights at Stratta were the wine and the wonderful conversation with the two women next to me from Toronto. We talked at length from foreign mobile roaming tariffs, Research in Motion, Barack Obama, U.S. politics, Canadian accents and my stay ended with a strong and insightful recommendation that I travel to Halifax for a romantic holiday. I forgot about my pizza at this point, which was probably for the best.

Stratta at the Wynn Las Vegas
3131 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-770-3463

Posted 02 April 2009 § Pizza ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: ,

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Las Vegas, NV



Pizza at Grimaldi’s in Las Vegas, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Great pizza is Las Vegas is surprisingly lacking. With the boom of pizzerias in Los Angeles and great places such as Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix — while noting all the big-name chefs and restauranteurs that make their home in Las Vegas — it’s a surprise that Las Vegas is not a magnet for a place comparable in standards set by Una Pizza Napoletana or Pizzeria Bianco.

That said, there is an extension of Brooklyn’s Grimaldi’s that’s in Vegas but it is no where near where any tourist would find it. Far from the Strip and many miles south of the airport in a strip mall called Richmar Plaza is one of the locations of Grimaldi’s Pizzeria. As I had only been to the Brooklyn location, walking in was a mild shock. Grimaldi’s Pizzeria has very high ceilings, it’s extremely clean, there’s a huge TV (showing a basketball game when I visited), and a full bar with outdoor seating that extends into the parking lot. It’s a nice suburban-looking restaurant with a few things that are passed on from the Brooklyn original: gingham tablecloths, a coal fired oven (that looks like its been there for decades) and supposedly, the same pizza. Old photos of the Brooklyn Bridge and landmarks from New York juxtaposed with fake MTA subway signage reminded me how different this place left compared to the original.

Handed the menu, I was asked, “have you been here before?”

“Well, I’ve been to the Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn.”

“Well, it is exactly the same here.”

We’ll see, I figured. Without even looking at the menu I asked for a Margherita-style pizza and I glanced at the wine list and picked out the Sebastiani Pinot Noir.

The wine was great. The pizza didn’t take long to arrive and looked like a replica of the original Grimaldi’s. Looking underneath, the char was certainly less than I’d expect but still in style. In my first bite I was reminded of the mozzarella at Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn with its distinctive taste and texture. It was very chewy and quite stringy. The cheese is “homemade” and well replicated here. The tomatoes were fresh and tasty but most of my pleasure was in the crust: thin and crispy yet very chewy. Quite tasty and almost addictive. I haven’t had pizza quite like this since, well, the last time I was in New York.

Residents around this southern area of Las Vegas have a serious treat — it is too bad they haven’t opened a location on Las Vegas Boulevard. Someone at some point will inevitably create a pizzeria of this caliber on the Strip… right? Perhaps I’m asking for something too authentic for Vegas’ standards. For now, pizza hunters traveling to Vegas will find the taxi fare to this location worth the price.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria
9595 S Eastern Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89123
702-657-9400

Posted 01 April 2009 § Pizza ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: , ,

Art Shanty Projects 2009



Norae Bang Shanty, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

After really enjoying the Art Shanty Projects in 2008, Ann and I ventured out to Medicine Lake to see the Art Shanty Projects now that the weather has been more tolerable for wandering around on a lake.

We mailed a few post cards from the post office on ice, sang karaoke, helped knit, danced a bit, went in a sauna and got confused by the USS Walter Mondale. It’s a fun diversion and a good excuse to get out in the cold. If you haven’t been, go. They’re out there through Valentine’s Day.

The adventure is best told through photos: [photo set, slideshow] …and video.

Posted 01 February 2009 § Art, Music and Film ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , ,

Deep Dish at Randy’s Premier Pizza



Deep Dish at Randy’s Premier Pizza, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

After seeing Randy Hueffmeier’s dazzling performance throwing pizzas on Flak Radio’s “Live From the Ritz”, coworkers Ian, Nick and I decided to stop by Randy’s Premier Pizza later in the week to try out his deep dish. It came recommended and I called in advance to make sure Randy would be around when we showed up.

I’m really enjoy Randy’s Premier Pizza’s hand tossed and doing a proper deep dish pizza is sometimes a completely different skill set. We started off with some focaccia bread which honestly was a bit fluffy and over-seasoned for my tastes. It also isn’t much like focaccia you might be used to. It’s not bad though, and we ate all of it.

We followed that up with a small order of Italian pizza fries, which were thick, super cheesy and tasted irresistible. The three of us, after each having one, decided to hold off for a bit to save room for the pizza but we all kept breaking down to have another piece. It was an ongoing joke about how we simply could not resist these pizza fries because they were indeed so darn good. Before our pizza arrived there were only two pieces left.

Our deep dish was topped generously with chunky tomato sauce, crispy and fluffy crust, a lot of cheese but not overbearing and filled with pepperoni. Cooking a deep dish pizza is an art and Randy’s deep dish was fully done without any cooler spots or anything overdone. After two slices (and our appetizers) we were stuffed and took a few slices home.

Honestly, Randy’s deep dish is a hidden gem on their menu — it is better than many places that specialize in deep dish pizza.

Randy’s Premier Pizza
6030 50th St N
Oakdale, MN 55128
651-777-1400

Posted 01 February 2009 § Pizza ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:

Ronnally’s Pizza, Woodbury, MN



Pepperoni Pizza at Ronnally’s, Woodbury, MN, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Just off of Interstate 494 and Valley Creek Road in Woodbury rests Ronnally’s in a small strip mall. Inside is dimly lit with dark tables, booths along one side and a big gum ball machine.

Around since the 1970s, I’ve visited periodically over the years as it isn’t far from my office. Others have the same idea too: sometimes there’s office folk in business casual and golf polos with notepads. In the back I tend to remember seeing either a guy with a beard wearing a flannel shirt or maybe a couple mothers and their kids. You get the idea.

Signs hang near the cash register joking that prices may change due to customer attitude and there’s paid advertisements for local businesses on the paper placemats. For kicks, Ian, Nick and I asked what beer they had on tap and they have only one: Michelob Golden Draft Light. Heading back to work after lunch we opted to get sodas and water which came in extra-wide and tall red tumblers.

We got some cheese bread which came simply as very thick toasted slices with liberal portions of cheese on top. Our pepperoni pizza came soon after. Thin, crispy crust with a generous serving of sauce and an even more generous serving of cheese. This is midwestern style pizza at its finest — that is if you define “finest” as being the closest embodiment of its stereotypes. Midwestern style is generally known for the abundance of cheese, the square party cuts, the thin cracker-like crust and, well, more cheese on top of that. If that’s your thing, this is it.

Ronnally’s Pizza
1560 Woodlane Dr
Woodbury, MN 55125
651-739-3823

Posted 18 January 2009 § Pizza ‡ Comments (8) ° Tagged:

Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer



Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Over the holidays, Dave Loomer brought me a little gift from Illinois: Tom Seefurth’s Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer. For a pizza and beer lover such as myself, one might wonder if this is a match made in heaven or hell.

The bottle indicates that the beer is so good it “deserves a wine glass.” A bizarre standard: I generally think many great beers deserve a pint glass. As well, there’s glasses with stems that are designed for great beers but I’m not familiar with any beer in a wine glass. Okay, maybe this is part of the joke. This beer is a joke, right?

Well, according to their story they take themselves, well, somewhat half-way seriously, I think. Minus the pink hair. They sure seem to be proud of their product either way.

I put it into a large wine glass and the beer is a darker, cloudy amber color with the scent of what my fridge smells like if I keep pizza leftovers in it for a couple days. Tasting this beer is a continual conflict of flavors: is this pre-chewed major-chain pizza or a NASCAR beer? While either have their time and place (I admit to having a few slices of Little Caesars a couple months ago) I tried hard to allow the flavors to be together as one product. I don’t think I can do it again.

I will say is that it certainly is worth trying once.

Visit Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer to find a bottle for yourself. If you’re too far away, check out The Onion’s A.V. Club taste test Pizza Beer.

Posted 13 January 2009 § Food, Drink and Dining § Pizza ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged:

D’Amico & Sons, Grand Avenue, Saint Paul



Margherita Pizza at D’Amico & Sons, originally uploaded by Aaron Landry.

Although D’Amico & Sons is one of the fastest growing chains in the Twin Cities, I had never visited. In fact, I have barely been to any of the D’Amico and Partners properties. Ed Kohler and I decided to try D’Amico & Sons’ pizza for lunch at their Grand Avenue location in Saint Paul.

After ordering at the counter and taking our numbers, as much as I was drinking slowly I almost finished my Izze Pomegranate drink before the pizza arrived. It’s not to say the service was slow, but it wasn’t all that fast either.

I ordered a Margherita and to my surprise, there weren’t any tomatoes. I looked up at the menu to find out that I didn’t realize it said “tomato sauce.” For a place that prides itself with and is apparently known for its Italian traditions, this was strike one. The crust was crispy and overly fluffy around the edge. I couldn’t put my finger on if it was too sweet or if there was some other flavor I was picking up. Either way, the crust was disappointing. Strike two. The mozzarella cheese was strongly overpowered by the dumping of parmesan on top of the pizza. In fact, the parmesan overpowered the whole pizza except for the bites of basil which didn’t seem very fresh. I didn’t order parmesan on top of my pizza and even if I wanted it I wouldn’t want a liberal dumping of it.

Not only is it a wood-oven pizza that’s trying to mimic a Margherita pizza and failing, it’s not really good as a pizza standing on its own.

If you want pizza of this style, skip D’Amico & Sons and go three blocks east to Punch Pizza. In fact, I’ve had better pizza than this sitting at the bar at Axel’s Bonfire two blocks away.

As well, after noting some of the questionable employment practices of the D’Amico empire that was pointed out to me after I got home, I don’t have much of a reason to go back.

D’Amico & Sons
975 Grand Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55105
651-227-9933

Posted 13 January 2009 § Pizza ‡ Comments (4) ° Tagged: