the foodie and the dog

Let’s talk pizza. As much as I like to cozy up into a booth or sit outside with Betty so she can enjoy going out, I also love making pies at home. Either way, she always scores the pizza bones. Scooch in with Betty and me as we talk pizza.

If you look at my Instagram feed, you’ll see a bunch of pizza pics. Pizza truly fits into a food group all of its own. Comfort food at its best.

There are a few pizza joints around Providence that I’ve tried that would fit the title “Lord of the pies,” such as Pizza J on Westminster Street, serving brick-oven style pies. It’s a fun place to hang out inside, and there’s dog-friendly seating outside; the Big Cheese in Cranston, a cozy old-school Italian restaurant on Reservoir Avenue; the very popular and award-winning Casertas on Federal Hill with very basic toppings; or the eclectic Antonio’s pizza by the slice take-out location on Thayer Street at Brown University or the full dining room off of Hope Street/East Avenue. You can choose from a creative mix of toppings on each slice. There’s a tortellini topping, although my favorite the caprese, and I love their thin crust, so that their toppings get all the attention.

I recently discovered the very small, family-owned Basil’s on Cranston Street in Cranston (see featured image) just about two miles down the street from where I live. I’ve driven by Basil’s for years, and just last year I decided to try it. Sometimes those very small places serve up big surprises. They have a cute little patio adorned with container gardens—pots brimming with a beautiful assortment of overflowing plants. I bet the matriarch must have quite a garden at her home.

And if you find yourself on Block Island, a short ferry ride south of the Rhode Island mainland, you’ll find Aldo’s on Weldon’s Way that runs parallel to Water Street. They make a whopper of a good pizza, and there’s a huge dog-friendly patio.

My favorite restaurant on the island, Poor People’s Pub, a popular restaurant on Ocean Avenue, makes a killer pizza. They have dog-friendly outdoor seating either under their porch or at the adjacent covered picnic tables. They make their own dough that is so dessert-like good that Betty doesn’t get many pizza bones. They serve a lobster pizza. Can you imagine chunks of lobster meat on a pizza? Dreams do come true.

Poor People’s Pub pizza with some of my favorite toppings.

Poor People’s Pub lobster pizza.

Each place has its own style of crust and cooking methods, and that’s what makes sliding into a booth something to look forward to because you just know what to expect from each. Of course, this is a very short list of places, but to be sure, I’ll discover more and share as time goes on.

However, the coziest place of all is at home relaxing on the couch by the tv. Usually I’ll buy pre-made pizza dough, and I’ve tried several from local grocery stores. Finding a good dough is a search-worthy ordeal, and I’ve tried about five different varieties. I don’t roll it out too thin, as I like it thick and a little chewy. I bake it for a few minutes in the oven with olive oil drizzled on top before I put the toppings on. I’ve yet to make my own dough, although many times I’ll make my own pasta, pizza dough is a different animal requiring yeast.

For toppings, I have my favorites such as a simple pile of onions, peppers, and pepperoni or I if I want to upscale it, there’s the mix of caramelized onions, roasted peppers, ricotta, fresh basil, sausage, pepperoni, and always the extra cheese.

Tortillas halved and folded into a muffin tray.

Bake for a few minutes until slightly crispy, then add pizza sauce.

Load with toppings (brown the meat, onions, and peppers). Bake until bubbly.

I love making muffin pan pizzas with tortillas or pastry. They’re fun to make and eat. Fold a half-moon cut tortilla, stuff into the tray, and bake for a few minutes until slightly crisp. Spoon in the pizza sauce. I either use pizza sauce or pasta marinara, and then pile on the toppings. I brown the sausage, onions, and peppers and stuff into the cups on top of the sauce. Then top with cheeses, pepperoni, and basil. For a flakier crust, I use pastry dough sold in the freezer section. Just thaw, roll out with some added flour, cut, and fold into the muffin tray using the same method for tortillas. Preheat the oven to 350, slide the tray in, and wait until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are golden brown. When I’m lazy, I’ll take a flat tortilla and pile on the toppings, then bake until the tortilla is crisp and the cheese is bubbling.

I like the idea of putting leftovers on pizza as well. A couple of years ago, I put Thanksgiving leftovers on two big pizzas made with Whole Foods’ dough. The pizzas were topped with bits of turkey and spoonfuls of stuffing, baked sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and piled high with cheese. They scored big.

Either way you slice it, pizza is the best go-to solution to satisfy any hunger. There’s nothing like hanging out with your posse, pulling a cheesy slice from the tray, and shoving it into your piehole.