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Giuseppi's Pizza Plus, Pittsburgh-Style Pizza


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I had a decent cheesesteak at Coaches' in Rockville this past weekend.

...

Stunningly, the pizza was among the best NY-style pizzas I've had in the DC area.

Guiseppes is Rockville has the best NY pizza. I gre up in Brooklyn and Scott at Guiseppes does a great job.

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Guiseppes is Rockville has the best NY pizza. I gre up in Brooklyn and Scott at Guiseppes does a great job.
Actually, it's Pittsburgh pizza. Scott got his start working at the legendary Mineo's in Squirrel Hill.

That's where we used to go in high school after drinking beer at the tenth hole in Schenley Park.

Giuseppe's is one of the few things I miss about working in Rockville. (that, A&J, Joe's,Pho 75, ...).

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Actually, it's Pittsburgh pizza. Scott got his start working at the legendary Mineo's in Squirrel Hill.

That's where we used to go in high school after drinking beer at the tenth hole in Schenley Park.

Giuseppe's is one of the few things I miss about working in Rockville. (that, A&J, Joe's,Pho 75, ...).

Yeah, I like Giuseppe's too. It's a little different than NY-style, but they're close cousins!

Slightly thicker crust, amongst other minor differences. Personally, I find their pizza sauce a little too sweet.

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Did you grow up in brooklyn?

Philly, hence my penchant for downing too many cheesesteaks. Philly's pizza, however, is NY-style pizza, and my mom's family is from NY, so I know my pizza! Don't get me wrong, Giuseppi's is good, and we go there frequently, but I think Mamma's is closer to a true NY pie, and if my one example is typical, Coaches might be one inch closer still.

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Is it just me, or does Giuseppi's pizza lack salt in the crust? I'm always on the lookout for decent pie, and Giuseppi's looked like it would fit the bill, but something just tasted "off". I've come to think they don't put any salt in their dough. A shame. Still, pretty good pie despite the bland crust.

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Is it just me, or does Giuseppi's pizza lack salt in the crust? I'm always on the lookout for decent pie, and Giuseppi's looked like it would fit the bill, but something just tasted "off". I've come to think they don't put any salt in their dough. A shame. Still, pretty good pie despite the bland crust.

Its just you. Scott does a great and consistent job. I stay away from pizza but this is my teenage boys favorite.

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My boss swears that the Rockville location is superior to the Gaithersburg one, but I can't tell the difference. We brought in lunch yesterday from the Rockville location, and throughout the room came the same response: damn good pizza with the exception of the crust. I agree with the others--the crust has no flavor. I think I may prefer Vince and Dominick's behind Montgomery Mall although its pretty close.

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Does the location in the Kentlands have sit down dining?

Thanks!

Yes, order at the counter, pick a table and your name/number is called when your order is ready. There are large windows and several kid-friendly arcade game machines.

I went to the Kentlands location once this summer, after the posts above, and haven't found a great reason to return. OK pie with generous toppings and large subs.

Website: http://giuseppispizza.net/frames/frames.html

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I've only tried the Kentlands location. Salt in the crust is academic, as this is one of the few places where I leave the bones behind, because the rim tends to be incompletely baked-through, and doughy. The main crust is comparably thin to NY pizza, but very different in texture: it's airy and the bottom side is crispy. The toppings are nothing remarkable - the Italian sausage is uniform and deli-sliced thin - but they're decent enough. It's a good, honest "regular guy" pizza...which could be a great "regular guy" pizza if they could bake the rim (sorry, it's not fancy enough for me to refer to it as the cornicione) more reliably.

Vince & Dominick's has a whole lot more character, but I could see dropping in here just for a quick slice once in a while. I just hope they can survive once Coal*Fire opens up a couple hundred yards away.

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I agree with the poster who complained about the lack of salt in the dough. I like their pizza and eat it fairly regularly (not simply because I live close, really), but it's not the platonic ideal of pizza. One thing that can help reduce the problems with the crust is to ask for it extra well done. I always do and they usually do a pretty good job obliging. It makes for a better pizza. However, I'll admit, getting it well done results in a better job of burning the cheese, which I like, then getting the crust done to a less doughy consistency.

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What exactly is "Pittsburgh-style"? I grew up in da burgh and have never thought the Italian food there to be different then anywhere else. Yet, in Mrytle Beach there is a 'Pittsburgh-style" Italian restaurant, now Giuseppi's?

The only thing I can think of identifiable with Pittsburgh and food is putting french fries on a sandwich. And ketchup on everything.

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What exactly is "Pittsburgh-style"? I grew up in da burgh and have never thought the Italian food there to be different then anywhere else. Yet, in Mrytle Beach there is a 'Pittsburgh-style" Italian restaurant, now Giuseppi's?

The only thing I can think of identifiable with Pittsburgh and food is putting french fries on a sandwich. And ketchup on everything.

I went to Pitt and always look quizzically at this title...I always took "Pittsburgh-Style" pizza to be bad and cheap (Antoons, the O) :angry: . The good pies in the city were of the wood fired variety (Fuel & Fuddle, Church Brew Works).

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I always referred to it as Pittsburgh-style because it doesn't quite fit any of the other styles typically referred to around the US. The owner, Scott, went to Allderdice HS and got his start working at Mineo's. IIRC he once told me that he still uses the Mineo's dough recipe.

I'm guessing that the "Pittsburgh-style" restaurant in Myrtle Beach is the Primanti Bros. outlet there.

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What exactly is "Pittsburgh-style"? I grew up in da burgh and have never thought the Italian food there to be different then anywhere else. Yet, in Mrytle Beach there is a 'Pittsburgh-style" Italian restaurant, now Giuseppi's?

The only thing I can think of identifiable with Pittsburgh and food is putting french fries on a sandwich. And ketchup on everything.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/185379 is an interesting thread that spans three and one half years.

"two hundred pizzas a year" are shipped by Federal Express...http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/s_588513.html

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Scott has told me that a Pittsburgh pie differs from a NY pie in that the crust is slightly thicker, and toppings are put under the cheese.

Hmmm, I've eaten in many a Pittsburgh/Sq. Hill pizzeria, and have yet to have my toppings hidden by cheese anywhere but Mineos. Not that there's anything wrong with dat!

That said, is it worth a Capitol Hill to Rockville trip for said pizza, reminiscent of my adolescence?

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God I miss Giuseppes. I was in on Wednesday, and practically begged Sue to open a location in Silver Spring. Unfortunately, there are no plans for that. :angry:

The pizza's pretty good, but the real draw for me is the chicken parmesan sub. OMG. My stomach just growled while I was typing that. Those subs got me through both of my pregnancies. And they have birch beer on the soda fountain.

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The owner, Scott, ... got his start working at Mineo's. IIRC he once told me that he still uses the Mineo's dough recipe.

Hmmm, I've eaten in many a Pittsburgh/Sq. Hill pizzeria, and have yet to have my toppings hidden by cheese anywhere but Mineos.

Just connecting the dots for you.

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Vince & Dominick's has a whole lot more character, but I could see dropping in here just for a quick slice once in a while. I just hope they can survive once Coal*Fire opens up a couple hundred yards away.

Apparently 'character' is now synonymous with 'mass', because the slice I had from Vince & Dominic's last weekend must have weighed about two pounds, and the crust was about 70% of the way there to qualifying as Sicilian.

Giuseppi's is reaffirmed as my favorite mid-MoCo slice, even if I still leave the plenty-yeasty-but-not-enough-salty crust behind. I also take back some of what I said about their Italian sausage (now that I've been eating it for a year) because it does have a nice fennel bite to it.

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God I miss Giuseppes. I was in on Wednesday, and practically begged Sue to open a location in Silver Spring. Unfortunately, there are no plans for that. sad.gif

The pizza's pretty good, but the real draw for me is the chicken parmesan sub. OMG. My stomach just growled while I was typing that. Those subs got me through both of my pregnancies. And they have birch beer on the soda fountain.

Moving to Bethesda put me back on the Giuseppe's side of the county. I've been three times now since June, and was extremely disappointed all three times. Pizza was underdone and doughy, the chicken parm sub now features overcooked chicken tenders, and the steak & cheese was insanely salty and had way too much mayo. Both subs were on squishy, underbaked rolls. Not even the birch beer made up for the bad food. I didn't see either of the owners on my three visits. It's off my list. :( It's like saying goodbye to a longtime friend.

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This is bad news. My boys, now 19 and 22, grew up on Guiseppe's. In fact Scott let us host a birthday party there at the original location where the kids cooked pizzas. I'll send my men over when they get back from school for a taste test, doesnt sound good.

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I came to this conclusion a few months ago but didn't post it - I guess I was trying to be nice. Scott, if you're out there, we could use a kick in the pants in Kentlands.

A few weeks ago we calculated that there are at least 10 places within a mile and 1/2 of Guiseppe's where you can buy pizza. But I'd still contend that Guiseppe's would be my choice each time if it was a little more consistent.

When I was last there, my slice wasn't really edible because of the cheese. I don't know if it was too much, or cooked wrong, or what...but I chewed it and chewed it, it never broke down. FInally it was like a ball of flavorless wax in my mouth that I had to spit out. And as mentioned above, the crust is sometimes not cooked all the way, or so it seems.

I was a semi-regular at the old Rockville location so I know how it CAN be, and it isn't like it is impossibly far from that. And they seem to be doing OK busy-wise, so maybe I'm just hoping for greatness for my own satisfaction. Dunno.

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