Danny B's Gourmet Pizza

For our initial review for this project we decided to try a new restaurant that most people haven't been to yet, and we were lucky enough to hear about Danny B's Gourmet Pizza. Located on NW 164th and Rockwell in Edmond, Danny B's is sandwiched in between a convenience store and a liquor shop. Primarily focused on carry out, they do have a delivery service and a couple tables.

As previously agreed upon, we ordered three pizzas: a cheese on hand tossed crust with the classic hearty sauce, a thick crust pepperoni with sweet garlic sauce, and the 'Randall,' a hand tossed thick cut Italian sausage and cream cheese pizza with the classic sauce.

The Randall is named after the co-owner, who was running the store when we visited. Randall was extremely helpful and his excitement about the 2-week-old store was obvious. It was easy to tell that in the two weeks of being open, Randall and his staff has been making constant refinements to their process and menu. Randall was charismatic, knowledgeable, and eager to share with us the story of Danny B's. Even before we had a chance to try the pizza, we were excited to see Danny B's do well.

Now, on to the pizzas.

The Way of The Pizza

As we search for the perfect pizza, we will examine multiple dimensions of the pizza experience. Primarily, of course, are the ingredients that make up the Golden Ratio, Crust:Sauce:Cheese:Toppings. First, the crust. We will focus on the Three T's: taste, texture, and tensile strength. Second comes sauce, where we will consider it's viscosity, taste - sweet versus savory, and additives. Next is the cheese. It will be judged on amount, it's ability to stay on the pizza or the "slide factor," and, once again, the critical factor of taste. Then, there is the toppings. With freshness, quality, distribution, and - yet again - taste being our primary focus.

While each of these factors is extremely important, there are instances where the pizza is better than the sum of it's parts - just like Captain Planet was better than five teenagers with magic rings. So how the separate parts combine will also be judged.

In these tough economic times, taste is easily sacrificed on the alter of economics. So we will consider the price of each pizza.

Additionally, when possible, the service and and story of each store will be examined.

In cases of delivery, we will judge it on how quickly the order was processed, how well the pizza traveled, and the creepiness of the delivery person.

When ordering pizzas, we will try three different kinds. First, the cheese pizza, as it is pizza in it's most basic form. This will act as our control. Second is pepperoni. It is by far the most popular topping in the US. Lastly, we ask what each place recommends as their quintessential pizza. This will give each restaurant a chance to establish a unique and individual identity. Upon poor reviews, we are more than happy to give a restaurant a second chance.

Grand Unified Pizza Theory

Where to begin? I guess in the crust, where the foundation of pizza is laid. I would say that the perfect crust would have to be chewy, with body (but not crunchy), and just like a recent college grad, needs to be able to support itself.

The sauce, ah, the sauce. The perfect one lies somewhere between ketchup and spaghetti sauce - too many times the simple flavor of the tomato can be overwhelmed by egregious herbage. It needs to be both sweet and savory. There are so many ways to do it wrong, and it's so hard to do right. An essential rule to remember: it's a sauce, not a salsa.

The cheese, the wrapping on this magnificent present for your mouth. Not just a glue to hold the toppings to crust, cheese is what separates a good pizza from a great pizza. Too little cheese and you're stuck with an over sauced bread stick, and with too much all the other elements are lost.

Next, the toppings. To continue a previously established metaphor, the toppings are the bow on the present. Toppings are widely considered to be the star of the pizza, but just like Jay Leno, a little goes a long way.

We believe that somewhere out there, there is a pizza that exhibits a golden ratio of Crust:Sauce:Cheese:Toppings. Our mission is to find that perfect pizza. Hopefully in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area. We'll be scouring national chains to mom-and-pop shops, food courts to gourmet restaurants, and the frozen food isles to take-and-bake shops. No pizza product shall escape our grasp. Our stomachs, like our wallets, will sacrifice much in this search, but we believe what we can achieve - finding the perfect pizza - is worth it.

Additionally, we will examine the world of pizza beyond the restaurants by carefully studying pizza products, recipes, tools, and trinkets. We we also look at pizza derivatives, such as pizza flavored gums, snacks, etc. Again, we believe this is for the greater good.

We hope that you will join us on this journey, nay, quest.

Sincerely-

Brian Ulysses Berlin

Ryan Ulysses McKeiver