Pizza in Stafford

[db]

me & ms. db love pizza, there's no two ways about it.. the missus especially - if she goes a week without some kind of pizza-based foodstuff, she starts to get the shakes and goes a deathly white colour!

this weekend, we've been tempted by some Perfect Pizza offers (BOGOF, 40% off, that sort of thing) but are worried about straying from our usual Domino's/Pizza Hut path of righteousness.. now, i remember the days when Perfect Pizza (neé Gino's Pizza) was your only choice in Stafford, but since Domino's came along i have never been back.. my memories of it are, however, very good..

what's it like these days? does it compare to Domino's or Pizza Hut? obviously, if you're one of these weirdos who doesn't like Domino's/Pizza Hut and would rather stay at home with your Dr. Oetker, trying to convince yourself that it really is better, then it's safe to assume our tastes are different.. still, all opinions welcome!

i tried TGF Pizza (or whatever it's called) a while ago, after someone i know wouldn't shut up raving about them, and it was shit.. we had 3 different pizzas, but couldn't tell which was which because they all looked (and pretty much tasted) the same.. it wasn't bad, but certainly wasn't good and not a patch on the "proper" pizza places..

Romance do good pizza, but they're basically a slightly more upmarket Al Karim, so whilst i do like them i don't consider them a proper alternative to a dedicated pizza joint such as The Big Two..

for me, here are the pros/cons:

Domino's
Pros
- Garlic & Herb dip - this shiz is like crack, yo!
- Texas BBQ and The Sizzler - 2 pizzas that just can't be matched elsewhere
- Always tidy deals to be found (i'm currently rinsing a 50% off voucher that lasts 'til next year)
- They deliver

Cons
- Can occasionally be undercooked and taste a bit "synthetic"
- Side orders (chicken, wedges, etc.) are a bit crap and processed

Pizza Hut
Pros
- Stuffed crust option
- Super Supreme - Smashing pizza, especially now Domino's have dropped the Full House
- Side orders are lovely - crispy wedges, proper chicken, etc.

Cons
- They don't ruddy deliver!
- No Garlic & Herb dip

let's have your opinions of the various pizza options here in stafford! as i say, i'm particularly interested in Perfect Pizza, and how it stacks up against the two main competitors..

 

[Wormella]

Romance wins hands down =)

 

[db]

Romance wins hands down =)

i do like Romance, but as i say their pizzas are basically one step up from your basic Al Karim style pizza.. not a bad thing, and they're certainly cheaper, but for my money i prefer something from a "proper" pizza place like Domino's or Pizza Hut.. and seeing as Perfect Pizza would like to include themselves in this bracket, i'm interested to hear how they compare..

i'm surprised they're still doing business after all these years tbh, because they are no cheaper than Domino's and Pizza Hut, so they must have a very loyal customer base or something!

 

[Trumpet]

I also tend to use Romance when I fancy a bit of cheese on toast.
I reckon they've got a reasonably quality product for a 'chain' joint, I normally avoid chain fast food like the plague.

 

[db]

I also tend to use Romance when I fancy a bit of cheese on toast.
I reckon they've got a reasonably quality product for a 'chain' joint, I normally avoid chain fast food like the plague.

surely Romance aren't a chain though? and if you're lumbering any outlet such as Romance as a "chain", what are the alternatives? or do you mean you just avoid fast food in general?

come on, where are all you pizza lovers? i know you're out there lol..

 

[tek-monkey]

Not really a fan of dominos here TBH. Now when Pizza Plus was around (now TGF), that place was the shit! The steak pizza was absolutely amazing, though looked like a rugby ball for some reason. Never thought bernaise sauce would go on a pizza, bit it did.

 

[shoes]

lol romance pizzas are not a step up from al karim, they're bloody lovely! Have you tried the calzone from there also DB, i reckon you'd drool over it. Order a side though as on its own its not particularly filling, although damned tasty.

I'm with you otherwise on the big two, TGF pizzas are cheap (cheaper than al karims!!) and taste as such. Jalepino stuffed crust is nice though.

Texas BBQ / Meteor half 'n' half for me please

As for pizza hut... I think I might go there tonight for a take out; not been in a while and dare i say its superior to dominos. If only they'd deliver grrrr... its not like they would have a massive catchment area, you go more than three miles in any direction and you're out of town anyway!

 

[db]

As for pizza hut... I think I might go there tonight for a take out; not been in a while and dare i say its superior to dominos. If only they'd deliver grrrr... its not like they would have a massive catchment area, you go more than three miles in any direction and you're out of town anyway!

stuffed crust, half bbq (swap the tomatoes for sweetcorn, natch) and half super supreme - you won't regret it! easily worth the brief jaunt out of town imo.. plus you can pick up a KFC while you wait


edit: actually, that's bollocks - you could have your pizza hut ordered and eaten in the time it would take to just get served in kfc lol.. another thing i like about pizza hut: they've recently started offering complimentary drinks while you wait to pick up your order! it's not as if you even have to wait long anyway, so it was a nice touch, i thought

 

[My Name is URL]

Not strictly what you are looking for, but if anyone is ever in London looking for pizza with a difference.... this place comes highly recommended:

http://www.fireandstone.com/coventgarden/restaurant/index.asp

 

[tek-monkey]

New York // £9.45

Crispy oven-roasted smoked bacon, mozzarella, Fire & Stone's tomato sauce, garlic & rosemary roast potatoes, caramelized onion jam, topped with sour cream & smoked paprika.

Roast tatties on a pizza?!?!?!?!

 

[shoes]

Wonder how much a delivery from covent garden is lol

Menu looks the business though - next time I'm down that way I might have to partake.

As for your suggestion DB - thanks, I shall give it a go. Toms can stay in place of corn though, I love toms and hate corn! What are the sizes like, how filling are they? I can never be arsed with sides, but obviously i'm not going to manage a family pizza on my own (or am I? I have managed a large dominos to myself a few times although thats down to the munchies as opposed to actual hunger lol).

Also in response to the OP, perfect pizza is nice. Not perfect by any means, dominos and pizza hut are superior IMO. Delivery times of perfect pizza are superb though, I remember once checking my phone to see what i rang them because I didn't believe there was enough time to cook it, 23 minutes from call to delivery is impressive. Probably a sign they're not busy though and when you have dominos vouchers they just don't compare in value either.

 

[shoes]

New York // £9.45

Crispy oven-roasted smoked bacon, mozzarella, Fire & Stone's tomato sauce, garlic & rosemary roast potatoes, caramelized onion jam, topped with sour cream & smoked paprika.

Roast tatties on a pizza?!?!?!?!

£9.45 for a pizza in covent garden!?!

I once paid almost that for a bacon sammich and a cup of coffee (albeit a bottomless cup) in a cafe in elephant and castle, i'm amazed you can get a meal for that much!! Sounds to me like you may need to book a little in advance for that place - always a good sign!

 

[db]

New York // £9.45

Crispy oven-roasted smoked bacon, mozzarella, Fire & Stone's tomato sauce, garlic & rosemary roast potatoes, caramelized onion jam, topped with sour cream & smoked paprika.

Roast tatties on a pizza?!?!?!?!

i think i've just soiled myself

What are the sizes like, how filling are they? I can never be arsed with sides, but obviously i'm not going to manage a family pizza on my own (or am I? I have managed a large dominos to myself a few times although thats down to the munchies as opposed to actual hunger lol).

if you're getting stuffed crust, they only come in large.. me & ms. db can rarely finish one between us, but we usually have a couple of sides as well..

 

[My Name is URL]

£9.45 for a pizza in covent garden!?!

Yes its not bad value, can also get 2 pizzas for £10 with voucher from:

http://www.vouchercodes.co.uk/restaurant-vouchers.html

Loads of other vouchers on there including Pizza Express, Dominos and Pizza Slut

Sounds to me like you may need to book a little in advance for that place - always a good sign!

Yes very busy place. We loved it.

 

[tek-monkey]

What are the sizes like, how filling are they? I can never be arsed with sides, but obviously i'm not going to manage a family pizza on my own (or am I? I have managed a large dominos to myself a few times although thats down to the munchies as opposed to actual hunger lol).

Pussy, I finished a large dominos with chicken kickers last week without breaking a sweat. Although to be fair I hardly touched the portion of wedges.

 

[shoes]

Fat bastard

 

[basil]

Show me the man or woman who invented the all-day-breakfast pizza, i'd like to shake his or her hand....

 

[Trumpet]

I also tend to use Romance when I fancy a bit of cheese on toast.
I reckon they've got a reasonably quality product for a 'chain' joint, I normally avoid chain fast food like the plague.

surely Romance aren't a chain though? and if you're lumbering any outlet such as Romance as a "chain", what are the alternatives? or do you mean you just avoid fast food in general?

come on, where are all you pizza lovers? i know you're out there lol..

I always thought they were a one off but apparently have branches in Nottingham & Derby. Two others doesn't really give them chain status I suppose so I'll take back my comment regarding being a chain joint.
One of my favourite Italians San Carlo in Brum have three other outlets and the quality of food and service is superb.
Regarding fast food in general I avoid all the main ones McD's, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, Pizzaland etc and only resort to fast food if the M/way has been really bad and I get home too late to cook anything and occasionaly at week-ends if I'm actually in Stafford.

 

[db]

Show me the man or woman who invented the all-day-breakfast pizza, i'd like to shake his or her hand....

i'm pretty sure Al Karim have done an "all day breakfast" pizza for years, complete with fried egg in the middle lol.. dunno if they still do it, but i defo remember seeing one on the menu back in the day.. that being said, assuming their menu is halal, i doubt there's any pork on it.. or black pudding, for that matter..

i'm looking forward to my Perfect Pizza on saturday.. reckon we're gonna have:

Sheer Perfection - pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, sweetcorn, ham, spicy pork

Smoky BBQ - BBQ chicken, smoky sausage, red onions, sweetcorn, BBQ sauce



i'll be sure to give a full report here afterwards, natch..

 

[shoes]

i'm pretty sure Al Karim have done an "all day breakfast" pizza for years, complete with fried egg in the middle lol.. dunno if they still do it, but i defo remember seeing one on the menu back in the day.. that being said, assuming their menu is halal, i doubt there's any pork on it.. or black pudding, for that matter..

Wonder what the 'ham' and pineapple, meat feast etc. have one them? I presume some sort of pork replacement. Actually I don't really wanna think about it lol