Michigan's Best Pizza: After sampling pizzas at 33 restaurants around the state of Michigan, we have selected our Top 10.
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MARQUETTE, MI -- Now, that was an epic adventure!
We traveled 2,500 miles, and we sampled 130 pizzas in 33 of the best pizza establishments as voted on by the readers of MLive.com.
Once the readers picked the top nominees and finalists, we hit the road for 9 consecutive days to sample Michigan's best pizzas.
With so many different styles -- from Chicago-style to Detroit-style, as well as thin crust, Neapolitan, deep dish and pan pizza -- we faced some difficulty in picking one style over the other.
More Michigan's Best Pizza
At 10 a.m. today, we will have 7 pizzas not to miss and the *best of the rest*
At noon, we will publish a photo gallery of every pizza we ate on the search.
Thursday: How we did it. Fritz Klug will give a behind the scenes look at how the search happened.
This weekend, we will look more closely at pizza places in Northern Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, Detroit and Grand Rapids.
We ultimately looked at creativity, adherence to style, quality of ingredients/crust, sauce, cheese and overall taste.
That's how we came up with our rankings.
Joining me was MLive multimedia journalist Fritz Klug, who has some experience on these searches. He tagged along on Michigan's Best Burger and Michigan's Best Brewery.
The wait is over, Here is my top 10 list: Michigan's Best Pizza 2013.
1. Mani Osteria & Bar
Michigan's Best Pizza: Mani Osteria's Cippolini pizza is topped with mozzarella, roasted arugula, bacon and balsamic.Melanie Maxwell | MLive / Ann Arbor News
The founders of Mani wanted to have both a family-style Italian restaurant and high-style dining, and they hit the mark. "I hope we are re-energizing the Italian-American cuisine. It's something I grew up with," said chef Brendan McCall. "We want this to be approachable, like an Italian American diner restaurant.....this should be a family restaurant. That's the end goal." The staff was extremely knowledgeable and provided great service, answering questions on pizzas and the ingredients. A lot has been written about their wood-fire stoves, but the star of the menu is Executive Chef McCall, who pushes the boundaries of typical flavors. Take the Cippolini pizza -- our choice for Michigan's Best Pizza 2013 -- with mozzarella, roasted arugula, bacon and balsamic, for example, as well as the savory Sausage & Peppers with smoked scamorza, pepperonata and chile pesto. After a few bites, we wanted to keep eating more. The sauce also shines, and features San Marzano tomatoes that are strained and blended with spices to give it a rich and zesty bite. The cheeses are rich and buttery and the ingredients are locally sourced.
RELATED: Mani Osteria brings imaginative ingredients and authentic approach to pizza
Must have pizza: The Cippolini, a perfect combination of quality ingredients, moderate sauce, cheese, and a crispy crust with burnt marks that clearly distinguish the wood-fired oven. We also loved the Polpette, house-made meatballs scattered over fresh ricotta, mint and pickled chiles. It has a kick.
How it's made: Pizzas are made with Antimo Caputo 00 Pizza Flour. They came up with the recipe 48 hours before they opened their doors in 2011. Dough is not an afterthought: It’s an integral part of the pizza, as much as the sauce or toppings. The pizza is cooked in a Mugnaini pizza oven, which is more of a Tuscan oven with a higher dome. The pizza is cooked between 3.5 and 4 minutes at a temperature between 750 and 800 degrees. They use mostly oak, as well as hickory and cherry.
Address: 341 E Liberty St, Ann Arbor, MI
Phone: (734) 769-6700
Website
Menu
2. Buddy's Restaurant & PizzeriaThe Detroiter at Buddy's in Detroit has cheese, pepperoni, tomato
basil sauce, topped with shaved parmesan cheese and Buddy’s Sicilian spice blend.Tanya Moutzalias | MLive Detroit
The Detroit mainstay has been serving up its Detroit-style pizza since 1936. When we walked into the original Conant Street location, we immediately knew we were in a winner -- awards adorn and cover the walls, passed out over the years by multiple magazines and news organizations as the "Best Pizza." Near the bar is a huge "Made in Detroit" sign. When you see it, you know you're in some place special. "The Detroiter" pizza is a perfect example of Motor City pride. The pizza is cooked in a steel pan, giving the edges a burnt, crispy quality. The square pizza is renowned across the country. Every week they ship the half cooked pies across the U.S. The day we were there, a stack of 12 pizzas heading out to Colorado.
RELATED: Buddy's stays true to its Detroit roots, expands offerings
Must have pizza: The Detroiter, made with Wisconsin Brick, all-natural cheese, pepperoni, tomato, basil sauce, topped with shaved Parmesan cheese and Buddy's Sicilian spice blend.
How it's made: The dough is made daily with all local ingredients. The sauce is also made daily, starts from a can, but cooks add "special ingredients" for seasoning. Cooks sign a document that they will not reveal the recipe . The cheese is "the biggest known secret in the world:" a Wisconsin brick cheese. They get the cheese in 42-pound blocks and slice the buttery down. Buddy's originated the Detroit-style pizza with stone ovens.
Address: 17125 Conant St, Detroit, MI
Phone: 313-892-9001
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Menu
3. Ambassador RestaurantThe Tostada pizza at the Ambassador in Houghton has spiced ground beef baked on a crust covered with white Colby cheese. Lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar cheese and hot sauce are added after bakingFritz Klug | MLive
Not much has changed over the years at the Ambassador, and that's a good thing. The Houghton restaurant has a great history and story. The murals from the early 20th century tell the story of a group of gnomes who brew beer, gamble, and get sent to jail. The restaurant has so much character, and we learned about the history from Jodi Rossi, a third generation owner, as well as kitchen manager Bruce McClean, who has worked at the restaurant for 37 years. He told us the story about The Ambassador's most famous -- and a clear-cut favorite on this trip -- the Tostada Pizza, which everyone raves about. While other taco-style pizzas use a heavy taco sauce, this one uses the same red sauce and cheese as other pizzas. Their meat has a little kick in it from cayenne pepper. There are no nacho chips spread atop the pizza, rather the garnish is fresh lettuce and tomato, lightly sprinkled cheddar cheese and taco sauce made with ketchup. Plus, it looks beautiful, and a great pizza needs to look good.
RELATED: The Ambassador in Houghton offers tostada pizza with red sauce
Must have pizza: The Tostada Pizza, as we said, is near perfect!
How it's made: The dough is made the day before it is used. It includes flour, salt and sugar, which more or less feeds the yeast. They also use a little bit of dry milk and cake yeast. For the sauce, they start with a tomato paste from Stanislaus and add water, salt, oregano, cayenne pepper and parmesan cheese. They cook the pizzas at 475 to 500 degrees on a gas-fired oven for 12 to 14 minutes, depending on the ingredients.
Address: 126 Shelden Ave, Houghton, MI
Phone: (906) 482-5054
Website
Menu
4. Harmony Brewing Company
A Crispy Pig pizza is served to at Harmony Brewing Company in Grand Rapids. The pizza includes pepperoni, ham, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil.Andrew Kuhn | MLive.com
I give owners -- Jackson Van Dyke, Heather Van Dyke-Titus and Barry Van Dyke -- a lot of credit for getting the most use out every inch of space for their brewery operation, and their signature wood-fired pizzas. Not only are they making great beer, but Harmony is the perfect place for dinner. They make Neapolitan-style pizzas, which means it's baked at 700 degrees for around 90 seconds. It's a thin crust pizza, and it's very true to the style. Harmony had some of the best vegetarian combinations of the search, especially if you consider the Good Earth pizza, which was topped with spinach, mushrooms, caramelized onions, Jarlsberg cheese, balsamic, and fresh basil. Grand Rapids Press reporter Todd Chance raved about the Crispy Pig and he was right on: it was the one of the best pizzas I've ever had.
RELATED: Harmony Brewing delivers local flavor on Gonzo's search
Must have pizza: Crispy Pig, with pepperoni, ham, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil.
How it's made: The dough is made with flour imported from Italy and other natural ingredients. The Neapolitan style means whoever is working the wood-fired oven needs to be on their game; on the day we were there, kitchen manager Roberta “Bobbi” Earl was working her magic behind the fire.
Address: 1551 Lake Dr SE, Grand Rapids, MI
Phone: (616) 233-0063
Website
Menu
5. T.Dub's
The Harbormaster pizza at T. Dub's, 565 S. Main in Frankenmuth features red sauce, chicken, homemade BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, smoked bacon and a three cheese blend. Jeff Schrier | Mlive.com
I've been to Frankenmuth countless times over the year, and have gone past T.Dubs several times. Never did I imagine it would have so many satisfying and innovative specialty pizzas. It was one of the few places that brought out several pies and every one was outstanding. We had a hard time not eating all of them. Everything they use is top shelf. The dough is interesting: it's made by a friend in Maine who ships the dough to Michigan several times a week. They call it "East Coast pizza," not thick like Chicago style or thin like a New York style.
RELATED: Creativity and a great selection of pizzas greet Gonzo at T.Dub's of Frankenmuth
Must have pizza: I loved the Harbormaster - a pizza topped with a "secret sauce," sliced chicken in BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, smoked bacon and a three-cheese blend. My traveling buddy, MLive's Fritz Klug voted for the Royale with Cheese - a pizza with hamburger, bacon, pickles, onions, American and mozzarella cheeses. Topped with red sauce with ketchup and mustard. Lettuce on the side
How it's made: The sauce is made from a “old country,” recipe: which includes tomato sauce, a little bit of garlic, basil and Parmesan cheese. The pizzas are cooked in a gas rail oven at 500 degrees for 6:50 seconds. They use Grande mozzarella cheese.
Address: 565 S. Main, Frankenmuth, MI
Phone: (989) 652-3809
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Menu
6. Fricano's-Grand Haven
Fricano's "Everything But": sausage, pepperoni, mushroom and green peppers.Fritz Klug | MLive
Never have I been to such an unconventional and yet historic pizzeria in my life. Everything about it embodies the origins of pizza making in Michigan. But it's still relevant: Pure Michigan named it the best pizza in the state a few years ago. The restaurant has been in a converted house since 1949. Tradition reigns at Fricano's. Manager Linda Slater said it was her grandmother who developed the first and only recipe. They same goes for the dough and cheeses. And they only have five toppings: sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, green peppers and anchovies. You don't mess with success, which was a common theme among many of the places we visited. While their thin-crust is mouthwatering good, you have to love the oddities of the place, such as the large carpet scissors used to cut the pizzas as they come flying out of the kitchen. As the story goes, they started using the scissors because pizza cutters were not readily available.
RELATED: Fricano's Pizza Tavern impresses with thin-crust pizza, traditional style
Must have pizza: Everything But: sausage, pepperoni, mushroom and green peppers. Unless you're Fritz, who liked the anchovies.
How it's made: They use a "secret recipe" for the dough that includes flour. They make the sauce with another secret recipe, which starts with a tomato paste base. They then use a combination of cheeses on the pizza, known as "first cheese" and "second cheese." The pizzas are then cooked between 5 and 7 minutes on a gas Bakers Pride oven at 700 degrees.
Address: 1400 Fulton St., Grand Haven, MI
Phone: (616) 842-8640
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Menu
7. Bernie O's Pizza
A detail photo of "The Twist" at Bernie O's Pizza in North Muskegon. The pizza has "a secret yellow sauce" covered with the restaurant's own cheese blend, breaded chicken chunks and bacon strips. After baking, it is topped with fresh pineapple, tomato, yellow and jalapeño peppers and homemade ranch.
In the immortal words of Chuck Berry, "Come on baby, let's do the twist." Or at Bernie O's, let's eat the Twist. Even in the Lakeshore community of North Muskegon, Bernie O's is a best kept secret, being overshadowed by Fricano's and other popular pizzerias. But once you're in, you're hooked. They are not afraid to experiment and take risks. Owners Addam and Heather Oliver even bring out test pizzas for customers to try. But everything on their menu is ready for prime time. Go for the $8.45 lunch buffet; it's a great time to try a little bit of everything. On the day we were there, we fell in love with the Fusion pizza (sweet chile and BBQ sauce) as we were walking out the door.
RELATED: Bernie O's 'The Twist' one of Gonzo's favorite pizzas on the trip so far
Must have pizza: The Twist "a secret yellow sauce" covered with the restaurant's own cheese blend, breaded chicken chunks and bacon strips. After baking, it is topped with fresh pineapple, tomato, yellow and jalapeño peppers and homemade ranch.
How it's made: The dough is a secret recipe. They make it every day, and use a conveyor oven that cooks at 400-450 degrees and cooks a pizza in 6 minutes, 30 seconds to 7 minutes. They then cut all their pizzas in squares.
Address: 321 Center St, North Muskegon, MI
Phone: (231) 744-4900
Website
Menu
8. D'Angelo's Pizza
The Voodoo Chicken pizza at D'Angelo's Pizza in Bay City. The pizza has sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, spinach, fresh garlic, fresh mushrooms and grilled fajita chicken.Yfat Yossifor | Mlive.com
It was our second visit to D'Angelo's; we were there for Michigan's Best Burger earlier this year. And it's exactly as intimate as I remember with seating for only a handful of people. We had a great time. I love the chef/owner David Baranowski and his swagger. He wasn't crazy about making a pepperoni pizza, which we asked all the pizzerias to provide as a base. But he did, and it was enjoyable. He wanted to show off his signature pizza -- the Voodoo Chicken, with grilled fajita chicken and other vegetables. In fact, I told Bay City reporter Yfat Yossifor that "I love, love, love, love the Voodoo Chicken."
RELATED: D'Angelo's Pizza is last stop in Bay County in MLive's search for Michigan's Best Pizza
Must have pizza: Voodoo Chicken with sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, spinach, fresh garlic, fresh mushrooms and grilled fajita chicken.
How it's made: The dough is made out of high gluten flower, water, oil and yeast. The sauce begins with a Prima Gusto base and is tweaked with D'Angelo's own spice mix. The pizzas are topped with a Grande, 3 percent mozzarella cheese. The pizzas are then cooked at 500 degrees.
Address: 1305 Columbus Ave, Bay City, MI
Phone: (989) 894-7117
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9. Klavon's Pizzeria and Pub
A stuffed pizza is served at Klavon's Pizzeria and PubJ. Scott Park | MLive / Jackson Citizen Patriot
My mouth waters just thinking about the deep dish pizzas that are a staple at Klavon's. When I was there earlier this year to sample other dishes, I have been craving their pizza. I was not disappointed on my return. Owner Justin Klavon presented several pizzas, which showed off the restaurant's “zesty but not too spicy” sauce, as manager Andrea LaFever described it.
RELATED: Klavon's Pizzeria and Pub's mighty Chicago-style stuffed pie impresses during Michigan's Best Pizza tour
Must have pizza: Chicago-style Deluxe with pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, green peppers and ham.
How it's made: The dough is made daily with high-gluten flour and a blend of seasoning. The sauce has a secret blend of spices. Pizzas are cooked in a 470-degree, two-tier conveyor oven, for eight-and-a-half minutes for a standard pizza, but 14 minutes for a stuffed pizza.
Address: 6010 Clinton Road, Jackson, MI
Phone: (517) 784-7000
Website
10. DeLuca's Restaurant and Pizzeria
The baked potato pizza at DeLuca's in Lansing. The pizza has potato, bacon, broccoli, and onions.Fritz Klug | MLive
A Lansing institution ran by three brothers, John, Tom and Chuck DeLuca. They do everything well, from their pizzas to pasta. Each dish we saw leaving the kitchen looked delicious. They've used the same recipe for their pizza for the past 53 years and had one of the most unique ovens that we saw: A Fish brand rotating oven.
RELATED: DeLuca's variety -- including a baked potato pizza -- is a big hit with the MLive Lansing crew
Must have pizza: Potato Pizza, which includes potato, bacon, broccoli, and onions. All the ingredients combine perfectly to make it a one-of-a-kind experience.
How it's made: For their dough they mix flower with yeast, water, salt, sugar, soybean and olive oil. The sauce is also a secret recipe, they take a base and add their own mixture of spices. The pizzas are topped with a Wisconsin cheese and shed the cheese themselves. They cook the pizzas in a revolving oven between 500 and 600 for 20 to 25 minutes and 30 minutes for a deep dish.
Address: 2006 West Willow Street, Lansing, MI
Phone: (517) 487-6087
Website
Menu
John Gonzalez is a statewide entertainment writer for MLive. Email him at gonzo@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.