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Photo by Nicole Rupersburg |
Detroiters just don't know how lucky they are when it comes to pizza. Everyone knows of the New York vs. Chicago style pizza debate, but really neither can compete with Detroit-style deep dish. Those squares of thick, crispy, crunchy, grease-soaked heaven are something New Yorkers and Chicagoans can't even hope to understand. And Buddy's Pizzeria started it all.
This year Buddy's is celebrating their 65th anniversary at their original Detroit location at McNichols and Conant, where back in 1946 then-owner Gus Guerrera and employee Connie Piccinato developed the deep dish pizza we know today with a recipe that has changed very little over the years. Guerrera sold the place to Jimmy Bonacorsi and Jimmy Valenti, who renamed it "Buddy's" simply because that was where all their buddies who worked in the nearby Chrysler plant would meet. In 1970, Bill Jacobs bought the place and his son Robert now runs it. (Guerrera went on to open Cloverleaf Pizza in Eastpointe, which also claims to be "Detroit's original deep dish" - tomayto, tomahto.)
Robert insists that the original recipe has only been tweaked over time, making changes like using a higher-quality, more consistent cheese, increased topping selections, new sauces, various crusts such as nine-grain and gluten-free, and adding a variety of other menu options like sandwiches and pastas. But the classic traditional is exactly that - it's the pizza that made Buddy's famous, the one that has been called one of the "25 Best Pizzas You'll Ever Eat" by GQ Magazine food critic Alan Richman.
"We’re very involved in the community," says Robert. "I’m an artsy person." Robert is on the Board of Directors at the Detroit Institute of Arts. He has overseen Buddy's involvement with fundraising events such as the 35th annual "Slice of Life" event held every April benefiting the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. Robert says that these four new pizzas are "honoring our partnerships with the community." The DIA, Parade Company, Henry Ford Museum and Detroit Zoo will all have their own pizzas as part of the "Motor City Pizza Collection," with $1 from each pizza purchased going to benefit the namesake organization.
The new pizzas are:
The DIA
Original Buddy’s Crust
Motor City Cheese Blend (Fontinella, Asiago, Brick blend)
Spinach and Artichoke Blend
Capers
Roasted Tomatoes
Parmesan
Served with fresh lemon wedge
The Henry Ford
Original Buddy’s Crust
Motor City Cheese Blend (Fontinella, Asiago, Brick blend)
Red Onion
Seasoned Ground Beef
Smoked Bacon
Bleu Cheese
Tomato Basil Sauce
Parmesan
The Parade Company
Original Buddy’s Crust
Motor City Cheese Blend (Fontinella, Asiago, Brick blend)
Fresh Carrots
Sliced Grape Tomatoes
Tomato Basil Sauce
Parmesan
The Detroit Zoo
Original Buddy’s Crust
Motor City Cheese Blend (Fontinella, Asiago, Brick blend)
Fresh Basil
Pine Nuts
Tomato Basil Sauce
Parmesan
The new pizzas were rolled out on June 23, 2011, which is now known as "Buddy's Pizza Day" in Detroit, a title made official at the original location by Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh.
Buddy's is a Detroit staple. As Robert notes, "Buddy’s is a very iconic Detroit pizza. It’s our 65th year and it really represents a lot of the city's history. People have loved us this long and we’re still around; it's really a testimony as to why we’re still here."
"Here" is a corner of Detroit dabbling on the outskirts of Hamtramck in a neighborhood that has seen FAR better days. But when other businesses fled and relocated as their old neighborhoods crumbled, Buddy's stayed put. "We can’t move it," Robert says. "We’ve opened up other units. We can’t pick up the building. ... This is a unique place that has a lot of history to it; why would we change the place?"
Plus, where else can you find an outdoor bocce court in the city? Exactly.
“Detroit-style” deep dish pizza isn’t just a cute name like “French fries” or “Philly cheese steak.” It is so-named because it started in Detroit, here, at Buddy’s Pizzeria. And with nine locations throughout Southeastern Michigan, Buddy's remains very much a local icon.
And now for part two of the good news that was announced on Buddy's Pizza Day last week. (Or, if you caught this piece, you knew about it a little sooner than you were supposed to. Uhhhhh ... oops.) Buddy's is also now incorporating another Detroit icon into their brand: Kid Rock. At the original Detroit location you can order Kid Rock's Badass Detroiter Pizza, with Kid Rock's own American Badass Beer used in the crust. The pizza is made with cheese and pepperoni, tomato basil sauce, shaved parmesan and Buddy’s spice blend. It is only available at the Detroit location, and only on Fridays and Saturdays.
June 23 may have been deemed "Buddy's Pizza Day," but really ... isn't every day Buddy's Pizza Day? Or, at least, shouldn't it be?
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