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Ingredient Freshness- a good pizza must use fresh ingredients. You can obviously tell if the bacon is old, not real, or if something is dried out. Jalapeno's that are fresh have an immediate kick to them when eaten. The sauce must taste fresh as well.
Price- the price of the pie must not break the bank or take an arm and a leg either. The price of a decently sized Chicago deep dish should be no more than $25, and a flat crusted pizza should cost no more than $15. A good price is always a bonus.
Crust Texture- this element is fairly important. The crust has to taste good, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Some crust is chewey, others are crunchy, and some may be hard, or some may be delectable. A good crust should not be terribly hard, but "fall at the crumb" good. A very small application of butter or garlic is a bonus (I dislike garlic).
Zest- I want a kick, and I'm not talking about just toppings. The sauce makes the pizza, end of discussion. The sauce must have a zest to it, or at least a unique pull that makes me want to think of "your" pizza when I mull my options over for pickup or delivery. If the sauce is bland, you won't get far.
Consistency- A lack of consistency is one of the biggest reasons pizza can be a turnoff to some people. Too much or too little cheese not only makes the pizza look bad, but there is too much of one thing to eat. A fine balance must be acquired between toppings, crust, sauce and cheese, and it really isn't hard to please me with good consistency- I know it when I taste it.
The classes, or "grades" of pizza are as follows: S, A, B, C, and F. Self explanatory. If the pizza is B or below, it had better be at a good price. Remember, this is my opinion- some people will vehemently disagree with my choices, and that is fine.
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Grade: "S"
Best feature: a tie between freshness, crust texture, and zest.
Worst feature: there's a worst feature?
Brief: a class S pizza that excels in every category, and maintains its S grade from last year. A must try. There deep dish sauce has a mysterious lure... combining secret recipe with fresh ingredients...
Grade: "S"
Best feature: zest and ingredient freshness.
Worst feature: there's a worst feature?
Brief: A class S pizza that excels in every category, and maintains an S grade from last year. A must try. Rosati's also features a signature taste.
Grade: "B"
Best feature: consistency
Worst feature: lack of zest
Brief: An "ok" deep dish that lacks power or zest compared to other Class S and A pizzas.
Grade: "B-"
Best feature: Price
Worst feature: lack of zest
Brief: A fairly good pizza at a good price. Not the best compared to other higher ranking pizza's, but not bad, either.
*inquiring*
Brief: a brand I am not fond of, but for the sake of inquiry, will taste test again in the near future.
*B-*
Worst feature: telling their customer's "no"
Brief: a company that tells there customer's "no" to customizing artisan pizza's, even when customers say they will pay for the added ingredients. DA decent pizza that has much improved over the years and has a hint of zest, but does not top other pizzas.
Grade: "B"
Best feature: crust
Worst feature: price
Brief: A grade A pizza that is knocked down a notch thanks to a hefty price tag at a four star restaurant.
Grade: "A"
Best feature: crust
Worst feature: price/lack of zest
Brief: A good, excellent deep dish that is a must try if you see a Giordano's. Excellent crust and traditional taste, but it lacks a special kick.
Grade: "F"
Best feature: nothing
Worst feature: everything
Brief: A pizza that fails in consistency, has no zest, the sauce tastes bad, and the pizza isn't worth the cheap price tag. Crust is also horrible.
Grade: "B"
Best feature: crust and consistency
Worst feature: freshness and price
Brief: Red Baron is a favorite among many people, and it's a pretty good pizza, but there have been some health concerns regarding its fat content and sodium. Not bad, but not the best, either.
Grade: "A"
Best feature: A zesty kick in the bawls!
Worst feature: just improve a little of everything
Brief: Buddyz is an excellent pizza that gives you a kick in the mouth. They essentially scored flat through all of the categories, so all they need to do is improve a little of everything, which is difficult to do. If I had to pick one, crust texture. A fine pizza to eat locally within 30mins driving distance.
Grade: "A"
Best feature: One of the best tastes for the dollar
Worst feature: crust improvement needed
Brief: An excellent local pizza that had proper consistency, tasty ingredients, and a very cheap eat for three to four people. Their 18-20" pizza wasn't over $25 if I recall. Crust is good, but could use softening. Sauce isn't a kick of zest, but has a unique zesty signature that isn't an overload. Comparable to Buddyz and a restaurant featured last year called "Fiore's".
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