Stop 014: Jimano's Pizza (Englewood)

Jimano's Pizza

Location:  2950 S. Broadway  Englewood, CO 
Don't judge a pizza by its photograph.  This pie looks much better than it tastes.  Not that it tastes bad, but it looks voluptuous, but after the first slice the honeymoon is over.  It went for a 5 to a 3 in 2 slices.  I did some research and discovered that Jimano's is an 11 shop chain based out of Illinois.  They specialize in Chicago-style deep dish, so that's what I ordered.  The crust was bland, but not a total disappointment.  They showed some generosity with the cheese distribution, but the sauce was sporadic across the pie, and I think it has lost a little in translation by the time this recipe arrived in Colorado.  I must admit I was a bit disgruntled about the $3 delivery charge and the fact that the chubby teen who brought my pizza, sensing I was disoriented,  systematically galloped to his car with a $9.75 tip. By the time I had a chance to understand that I tipped him the price of the pizza his Jetta was rolling away from my house.  I thought about throwing a snowball at him, but I decided that he will most likely get his ass kicked someday when he is old enough to go to bars, and that is good enough for me.

Stop 013: Bennie Blanco's (Capital Hill)

Bennie Blanco's

Location:  616 E. 13th Ave.  Denver, CO  80203 

Well, so far this is the best drinking slice in town.  Let me refute the negatives that people attach to BB that has nothing to do with their product.  Many people complain about the service, but how bad can anybody fuck up a pizza by the slice transaction unless you let them.  If you don't like the service here, that's fine because your entire experience should  be less than 2 minutes long.  If the guy is being a "dick" don't engage him in conversation, and when you get your slice, just walk away and eat it.  There is no need for exceptional service in a pizza slice shop with no dining area.  Parking is tough, so  grab a slice if you are in the area, don't make it a destination.  I'm sure the residents of Capital Hill could care less if you are having trouble parking a Subaru in their neighborhood to grab a slice of pizza, because BB is designed for foot traffic.  Now let's talk about the pizza...  a single slice of Bennie Blanco's is literally  the size of an infant, and for the meager price of $2.50, what's not to like.   If you manage to make it through the mainland without being filled, the puffy yet crisp crust will  expand in your stomach to leave less room for  future slices.  My only gripe is the sauce is just lightly painted onto the dough which is absorbed by the cheese to bind into a compound element.  Two slices will do the trick for most consumers, but I respect anyone who wants to go 3 or 4.  One of my favorite things about Bennie Blanco's, is that it leaves the eater with a pleasant hint of garlic for reflection.

Author's note:  I returned to Bennie Blanco's within a week of my first experience

Stop 012: Slices (South East)

Slices

Location: 7155 E. Hampden Ave.  Denver, C0 80224

The first thing that hit me about the locally owned and operated Slices was how damn friendly the staff was.  When they told me to have a nice day and comeback sometime I really took it to heart and believe they would really like to see me again at some point in my life.  There are 2 things that make Slices kick some ass and take some names.  1.  Pizza slice drive thru, they are my very first pizza by the slice drive thru experience, and for their location it is a practical pizza survival tactic.  2.  Frozen by the slice, they offer frozen slices for $1.25 each!  That is a fantastic idea, and they blow their supermarket competition away.  The manager explained the win/win scenario to me like this.  Well, we sell it by the slice, but we don't want to sell our customers pizza that has been sitting around all day waiting to jump in the oven because after a certain amount of time the quality of the slice is compromised, so.... To prevent throwing away potential income, and in order to prevent customers from getting a lousey slice, the pizza is flash frozen and stored in a freezer until purchased for the economical price of $1.25 per slice.  Despite the amazing frozen slice price, their pizza is tasty and well worth purchasing at full price.  They have a constant special running which is 2 slices and a beverage for $5.55.  The pizza is thin, and a tad greasy.  The crust was crispy and had some flavor.  It was painted with a sauce that manages to hold its own taste despite the cheese and toppings.  My personal favorite topping combo was the mushroom and spinach which I consumed like a pig at a red light.  It was funny because I hate eating while I drive, and somehow I had an empty Slices box before I got home.  Later that night I fired up a couple of frozen slices, and they were just as good.  Frozen pizza heavyweights like Red Baron might as well get used to a longer stay then expected at the grocery store, because Slices is the new king of my freezer!

* Slices can be warmed up at 400 degrees for 3-4 minutes

Stop 011: Anthony's (LoDo)

Anthony's Pizza & Pasta

Location:  1780 16th St.  Denver, CO 80202

First off, Anthony's slice will be hot and it will be of a decent length and width.  The problem with Anthony's  lies in the 3rd dimension.  There is only a slight difference in the thickness of a picture of a slice of Anthony's pizza and an actual slice of Anthony's pizza!  The first descriptive term that comes to mind for this pizza is "flimsy".  To attempt a slice from Anthony's, the fold method is essential for any success in consumption. Even with using the proper method of consumption, I still dripped grease on my chin and winter jacket.  That in mind, a slice from Anthony's is not too shabby.  The sauce is passable and the crust has a good crunch, with enough flavor to hide the flour.    I will continue to patronize Anthony's, it's just nice to know what to expect; a slice that will sway back and forth in a light breeze, decent flavor, and hot greaseness. 

 

Stop 010: Infinitus Pie (Auraria)

Infinitus Pie

Location:  Auraria Campus- 900 Auraria Pkwy, Unit 229  Denver, CO  80204

This has to be the most average pizza I have consumed since arriving in Denver.  Starting as a food truck, they now sling pies out of 3 stable locations with the hopes of turning into a franchise.  I think this idea proves that they are already to concerned with the financial side of the pizza business when they should still be concerned with putting more  energy into  improving this average pizza.  With that in mind, they definitely have the potential to be successful because if their goal is to be a national pizza chain, the quality of their product is not important as long as it is "passable", which it certainly is...  Infinitus Pie only offers 8" personal pizzas, which is perfect for lunch, and they have a decent selection of toppings, hence the name Infinitus Pie.  Now more about the pizza... it has a cornmeal dusted crust, which can be a nice change of pace, the problem lies within the mundane flavor the infinitus pie kicks toward the consumer.  This cute 6 slice pie got boring by slice #2.   I'll admit my first slice was agreeable, but after that, eating this pizza felt like being in a stale relationship.  It was easy enough to continue, but I asked myself why am I still doing this by the time I consumed my 4th slice.  It was easy enough to finish, but I will continue to look for better pizzas.

Stop 009: Enzo's End Pizzeria

Enzo's End

Location:  3424 E. Colfax Ave.  Denver, CO


Enzo's End is a true pizzeria with a simple dining area and basic pizza shop decor.  Eating at Enzo's End equates to listening to a classic Rolling Stones record, while dining in one of its trendy contemporary pizza shop competitors is comparable to listening to Kenny G. on Pandora.  Enzo's End makes some of the best thin crust style pizza in Denver.  I am confident that their pizza could travel down I-70E and battle any thin crust pie in the Midwest.

Enzo's wants its customers to understand 3 key points
1. The Sauce: They use a California vine ripe tomato sauce- no sugar added
(they use plenty of sauce, and it has just enough zest to make you wipe up any excess sauce that drips onto your plate with whatever remaining crust you have)
2.  The Crust:  Is homemade thin crust, with the richest hearth flavor
(no argument here, nice and crisp yet hearthy)
3.  Cheese/toppings:  They offer 33 premium toppings and the finest natural mozzarella
(the variety of toppings sampled all met the Denver Pizza Train's standards for quality, and I was guilty of pulling a little cheese off a neighboring slice which I only do if the cheese is worth a damn)

If you want an adult beverage with your pizza, you are in for a treat, unless you are a snob...  Enzo's has a secret passageway which leads into a charming little dive bar called the PS Lounge.  This dimly lit lounge features an intimate atmosphere, cheap drinks, decent jukebox, and is famous for giving out free roses to customers of the female species.

PS LOUNGE IS CASH ONLY!

ENZO'S END IS CLOSED ON TUESDAYS!

Stop 008: Patxi's

Patxi's "deep dished"

Location:  185 Steele St.  Denver, CO  80206

Hey Chicago natives, let's set one ting straight, I am not an "expert" on "getting deep dished"!   I also do not need certification to talk about a style of pizza that originates in the land of Lincoln, but I will offer you a slice of my deep dish background.   My first deep dish encounter was at a Pizzeria Uno connected to a mall outside of Cleveland, Ohio.  However, as I grew to be a man I had traveled to Chicago many times and tried some of your deep dish heavyweights like Giordano's, Lou Malnati's, and Gino's East...  therefore I understand what to expect from a Chicago-style deep dish.  With that said, I don't see deep dish getting much better in Denver than Patxi's.  It had a crisp yet flaky crust, and a  heavy base of quality cheese lying underneath a solid chunky tomato sauce.  I think the crust could have more butter or seasoning, but at the same time it does not need to steal the show from the hefty innards that define a Chicago style deep dish pizza.  Please don't complain about the time it takes to bake, that is what makes it deep dish.  (These pies are not sent down a conveyer belt every 8 minutes) The staff at Patxi's is not hiding anything from you, after ordering a deep dish pizza they will soundly inform you to expect a  40-45 minute bake time...  so try to hold an engaging conversation or ignore the person you are dining with and send someone else a 40 minute stream of meaningless text messages.

*  Patxi's allows dine in guests the opportunity to call in their order to decrease the wait time
*  Patxi's offers a vegan deep dish with vegan cheese