Pizzeria Bianco Review

[Jackie Tran]

Very nicely written RJelli.  Chris is such a gentleman.   I got to speak with Chris twice.  My first trip there, they were close so I didn't get to try the pizza, but I did get to talk to Chris, which made the trip totally worth it for me.  He really deserves all the press and success.  Does he make the best pizza in America?  Well that's personal preference, but I agree, definitely a must go for the pizza obsessive.

[SquirrelFlight]

Come to Houston when it is 99F/99% humidity and tell me that when you're trying to get out of the heat in the shade...   

Yes, I've experienced that, too.  July research project in Oklahoma City.  When I turned on the weather in the morning, I had to double check to make sure I knew which was the temp, and which was the humidity.  I stand by my statement. 

[Steve]

Especially when there are several places with pizza nearly as good (if not just as good), that you can get right in to eat. 

Need names please! I plan to eat a lot of pizza that week! 

[weemis]

Chris does a wonderful job with his pizzas...He is a humble person who gives his best effort everyday...I am glad to hear about the extended hours, as I waited 3 1/2 hours to be seated, but it was worth the wait...Sort of like going to Yankee Stadium, you have to appreciate the history, even if you are not a Yankee Fan...Chris is undoubtedly one of the best pizzaiolas in the US, and what a pleasure to say that I have eaten there and had the fortune to speak with him on the phone...I like the viewpoint of, if it is 80% there, I am OK with that, the other 20% is personal preference...Remember, Chris makes his own mozz, has his personally designed flour from Giusto, understands the changing dough process to obtain the best crust in his daily environment, packages his designed tomatoes from California (visits the fields), supports his purveyors in Arizona, and when necessary, goes to the national supplier who produces the best product to put on his pizza...He is also very much a part of his WFO (like a brother) and understands it completely...It doesn't get much better than that...Do not miss the opportunity to experience Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix... 

RJelli 

I don't mean to put the guy down. He's a professional at the top of the top. Ultimate respect to the man's  achievements. But just because he makes his own mozzarella or gets special flour or any other detail he so finely tunes doesn't immediately make it the best. It's the mystique behind his intimate involvement in all the process that lends to his legendary status. It's very respectable, and well worth emulation, but doesn't make the pizza delicious on that fact alone. That is definitely left to the remaining 20% personal preference.

[DanOnRoute66]

Haha sadly I will be moving myself in. I know it's stupid, but I have work lined up there. I lived in florida for a couple years so I know about sweating.

And Chau, ya Biancos does some interesting stuff. If I remember correctly he even grows his arugula out back too doesn't he? He likes to have his stuff sourced closer to home then traditional.

Unless it's during the monsoon when you move here, you WON'T notice the perspiration loss because the relative humidity may be so low that iittle, if any, sweat will form. I only bring this up because many people when they first get here neglect drinking water (thinking, "Well, I'm not sweating") and end up with heat exhaustion, heat stroke or worse. So I'll second the comment above about drinking plenty of water.

[SquirrelFlight]

Need names please! I plan to eat a lot of pizza that week!  

Off the top of my head, I can think of Centurion (between 2nd Ave and 3rd Ave on Roosevelt).  The owner of the place is a friend of a friend. He doesn't specialize in pizza, and has a tendency to undercook the crust, but other than that, is really pretty good.  In Tempe, there is Classic Italian Pizza (Just east of Rural Rd on Baseline Dr).  They've been pretty good when I've been there, but judging by comments on the online reviews (and the experience of one of my coworkers), the quality can be fairly hit-or-miss.

There are several Graimaldi's in the Valley.  The one I'm most familiar with is in Chandler (56th St and Ray Rd... I think...).  When I took my wife there a few weeks back, she was very impressed by it, and said she'd rather eat there again than try Bianco again.

Going down a notch, there is a BJ's (chain restaurant/brewpub that makes decent deep dish pizzas) in the Chandler Fashion mall.  In Tempe is the Four Peaks brewpub, which makes good (not outstanding) pizza.

I'm mostly an East Valley guy, which explains the number of places in my list that are in Tempe or Chandler.  Maybe we have some *actual* Phoenecians that can recommend some places at the other end of the Valley/downtown?

[EDIT]
Forgot to mention - for those following the thread on the American Style discussion board - there is a Mellow Mushroom in downtown Tempe.

[David Deas]

Not suggesting that Bianco does this, but I believe I read in Peter Reinhart's book, "American Pie", he suggested boiling pepperoni for a few minutes to lessen the grease on the finished pie. You might wanna try that and see if it is what you're looking for.

Or just top the pizza with the greasy stuff towards the tail end of the bake, or at the completion of the bake.  Pretty standard.

I had Bianco this past December on a pizza road trip and was not at all as impressed as the masses seem to be. It wasn't at all bad, but the hype built up around said establishment was not lived up to.

Meh.

Or you're just used to Dominos.  Or any of the multitudes of chain (or chain like) pizza establishments that hide fundamentally bad pizza beneath a mountain of meat, cheese and other assorted toppings.  

If you grab some random red neck from deep Alabama and take him out to UPN he won't understand the hype either.  I'm always cautious of these types of reviewers.  Based on what little you've posted here, its just not clear to me you ever had a *chance* to understand the hype to begin with.

[SquirrelFlight]

So Steve, when exactly is your trip out this way?

[Steve]

So Steve, when exactly is your trip out this way?

Next week 

[Steve]

Sitting at the bar at Bianco... My pizza just arrived! Yum!

[randyjohnsonhve]

Enjoy...It doesn't get any better...The passion, the product, the humbleness...

RJelli

[Steve]

Pizza was delicious! Will post pictures when I get back home.