The Official Food Thread

[Huntr]

We get these from Costco. Best frozen pizza by a mile

 

[GrangerIrish24]

That...looks like the same exact thing but in different packaging. Never had it and probably never will if it's anything like Tony's.


I used to live on Hot Pockets sadly in my 20s when I worked 3rd shift Tech Support. Not a lot of places that were open, and we weren't allowed to be away from the office long for lunch breaks in case shit hit the fan.
Original Hot Pockets > Modern Hot Pockets.
The Garlic Buttery Crust Pepperoni ones are shit imo. The Crispy Flakey Pepperoni (The ones in your pic) are closer to the original, but still not 100%.

These are the "good" ones (As far as Hot Pockets go):

Stay away from these, the crust is harder and kinda chewy, it has a weird texture, and tastes like ass (This coming from a man that loves garlic):

This just gave me ptsd. My mouth still has burn scars from these. Thankfully the uncooked center was always there to cool my mouth off like a pepperoni ice pack.

 

[MacIrish75]

The take & bake pizzas from Walmart are top tier--especially their artisan ones.

 

[calvegas04]

Mister O1 | Extraordinary Pizza

best pizza I've had in the US

A chain restaurant has the best pizza?

 

[calvegas04]

Also Costco pizza for $9.95 is up there with value/taste

 

[Irish2155]

That...looks like the same exact thing but in different packaging. Never had it and probably never will if it's anything like Tony's.


I used to live on Hot Pockets sadly in my 20s when I worked 3rd shift Tech Support. Not a lot of places that were open, and we weren't allowed to be away from the office long for lunch breaks in case shit hit the fan.
Original Hot Pockets > Modern Hot Pockets.
The Garlic Buttery Crust Pepperoni ones are shit imo. The Crispy Flakey Pepperoni (The ones in your pic) are closer to the original, but still not 100%.

These are the "good" ones (As far as Hot Pockets go):

Stay away from these, the crust is harder and kinda chewy, it has a weird texture, and tastes like ass (This coming from a man that loves garlic):

Totino’s is much better than Tony’s. Lived off those things in college. Cook it a few extra minutes to get the crispier crust.

 

[ulukinatme]

Feel like these need to be thrown into the ring for consideration...

Le yuck! "French" bread* is only good if it's a croissant.... Bread/crusts shouldn't be crunchy and hard imo, otherwise it's no different from old dried out garbage.

*Crepes may also be acceptable if cooked appropriately.

 

[ulukinatme]

This just gave me ptsd. My mouth still has burn scars from these. Thankfully the uncooked center was always there to cool my mouth off like a pepperoni ice pack.

There was a time tested scientific method to cooking and eating Hot Pockets. You'd take 2 and put one on each side of the plate, put them in for 2:30 or 3:30, depending on how cool you want the center. When they were done you had to cut or carefully bite the ends off to allow the heat to escape, then do NOT touch for like...2-3 minutes to allow cooling. Alternatively I think you could cut the pocket in half and start eating from the center sooner if you didn't want to wait the full 2-3 minutes. It was important to cut the ends off though, otherwise the heat remains trapped in the pocket! I've also seen people dip the ends in ranch for cooling, but that's not my thing.

 

[irishnd31]

I’ll Irsay anyone who doesn’t think that Stouffers French Bread pizzas should be a first ballot hall of fame pizza

 

[GrangerIrish24]

There was a time tested scientific method to cooking and eating Hot Pockets. You'd take 2 and put one on each side of the plate, put them in for 2:30 or 3:30, depending on how cool you want the center. When they were done you had to cut or carefully bite the ends off to allow the heat to escape, then do NOT touch for like...2-3 minutes to allow cooling. Alternatively I think you could cut the pocket in half and start eating from the center sooner if you didn't want to wait the full 2-3 minutes. It was important to cut the ends off though, otherwise the heat remains trapped in the pocket! I've also seen people dip the ends in ranch for cooling, but that's not my thing.

I was an obese child. This would have been too much work. Marinara lava for me.

 

[tko]

I’ll Irsay anyone who doesn’t think that Stouffers French Bread pizzas should be a first ballot hall of fame pizza

This board may need an Outsiders type rumble at Irsay once and for all.

 

[greyhammer90]

I beg to differ. The South has something wrong with a few major things.
1. Customer service.
2. The New York Style isn't NYC pizza, Chicago deep dish is off, and Godfathers pizza in the foreign owned gas station's are better then most every other option. idk If it's the ph in the water or lack of dough being correctly done with the humidity.
3. The North has every southern food chain conquered with tasty food in general. The only positive Is the BBQ and that's heartburn city, in most general areas.

If you or anyone in the Orlando, Winter Park area want the best I've tried so far down here. SoDough Square pizza
It's best in the restaurant, or in the car driving. Not so good reheated.

First of all, Orlando Florida isn't the South, so jot that down.

Second, I've had amazing pizza in the South, though I will agree you probably need to be near a metro area if you're looking for something truly excellent. Most northern staples are that way. Trying to find great pizza in a small southern town is difficult. You're also going to have a hard time finding bagels, because that's not really a thing there.

I'm not going go through every great pizza place I've been to in the south but Campania or Antico in North Atlanta are both recent discoveries for me. Wood fired neopolitan style. Excellent pizza.

Since we're starting a territorial food war, Dunkin sucks. Northerners who claim to have good taste but like cake donuts are telling on themselves.

 

[Irish#1]

If you mean it tastes like gas, either farts or gasoline, then yes, no lie.

Tony's Pizzas shouldn't even be considered pizza. It's frozen abomination. I'm not sure what the crust is made out of, but I don't think it was ever dough. The pizza sauce is nasty. I think their "cheese" is mostly oil. Their pepperonis aren't even consistent...they're made of chicken/pork/beef combinations!

Tell us how you really feel. Lol

 

[Irish#1]

This board may need an Outsiders type rumble at Irsay once and for all.

Is that like the Royal Rumble? Ulukinatme has some strong takes. He might be the Hulk Hogan of the event.

Do you guys realize the depths we’ve descended to now that we’re debating frozen pizza? Lol

 

[Irishdawg]

First of all, Orlando Florida isn't the South, so jot that down.

Second, I've had amazing pizza in the South, though I will agree you probably need to be near a metro area if you're looking for something truly excellent. Most northern staples are that way. Trying to find great pizza in a small southern town is difficult. You're also going to have a hard time finding bagels, because that's not really a thing there.

I'm not going go through every great pizza place I've been to in the south but Campania or Antico in North Atlanta are both recent discoveries for me. Wood fired neopolitan style. Excellent pizza.

Since we're starting a territorial food war, Dunkin sucks. Northerners who claim to have good taste but like cake donuts are telling on themselves.

Grey, when I lived in Atl. (Forsyth Co.) I liked Fellinis and my close to the house go to was Mellow Mushroom!!

 

[ulukinatme]

Is that like the Royal Rumble? Ulukinatme has some strong takes. He might be the Hulk Hogan of the event.

Do you guys realize the depths we’ve descended to now that we’re debating frozen pizza? Lol

I have thoughts on spaghetti sauces too! Prego > Ragu > Pastamania.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

I have thoughts on spaghetti sauces too! Prego > Ragu > Pastamania.

I went there before it closed. lol. We were there for some random vacation and stopped in because Savage and Jimmy Hart were scheduled for a meet and greet. Savage never showed so they sent in the obvious upgrade, Brutus the Barber Beefcake.

 

[Gladiator]

First of all, Orlando Florida isn't the South, so jot that down.

Second, I've had amazing pizza in the South, though I will agree you probably need to be near a metro area if you're looking for something truly excellent. Most northern staples are that way. Trying to find great pizza in a small southern town is difficult. You're also going to have a hard time finding bagels, because that's not really a thing there.

I'm not going go through every great pizza place I've been to in the south but Campania or Antico in North Atlanta are both recent discoveries for me. Wood fired neopolitan style. Excellent pizza.

Since we're starting a territorial food war, Dunkin sucks. Northerners who claim to have good taste but like cake donuts are telling on themselves.

I'm very confused with this statement. You made me call some friends down here to decipher the comment.
From what I've been told about Orlando, and the 2 hour radius around here Is. This Is almost as south as the south can be named.
Sure, It might be gender fluent In the some Orlando areas. That changes nothing geographically about the area.

The food down here sucks, and the steaks are all flank steaks to the taste buds.

 

[greyhammer90]

I'm very confused with this statement. You made me call some friends down here to decipher the comment.
From what I've been told about Orlando, and the 2 hour radius around here Is. This Is almost as south as the south can be named.
Sure, It might be gender fluent In the some Orlando areas. That changes nothing geographically about the area.

The food down here sucks, and the steaks are all flank steaks to the taste buds.

I was largely joking, but its a pretty common saying that "when you're in Florida, you have to go North to go South." Florida is it's own thing culturally. The only place less "Southern" than Orlando is Miami.

As for the steak, I'm genuinely befuddled. You think a normally prepared steak is different in different areas? It's butchered and frozen and sent from the same places, and generally prepared the same way everywhere. Most chain restaurants suck at it, but if you order a ribeye at a decent steakhouse and think it's flank then either you're crazy or the place is pulling the easiest to prove scam imaginable.

Off the top of my head, the below is the food that the South knows better: catfish, ribs, pulled pork, fried chicken (buttermilk, hot, with waffles, etc.), corn beef hash, crayfish, most fresh shellfish that isn't lobster, beercan chicken, potato salad, mac and cheese, hamburger steak, white sauce on smoked chicken, fresh watermelon, Vidalia onions, cornbread, corn muffins, hushpuppies, collard greens, shrimp and grits, etouffe, gumbo, low country boils, shecrab soup, jambalaya, red beans and rice, red rice, chicken and dumplings, pimento cheese, biscuits (and sausage gravy), tomato pie, fried green tomatoes, tomato sandwiches, bengiets, red velvet cake, banana pudding, key lime pie, fruit cobblers, chess pie.

 

[Huntr]

"The South" stops right before Ocala. Everything south of that is south Florida.

Also, there's a guy here that makes a shecrab soup that I might cut someone for. Leon's at Lake Ella.

 

[MacIrish75]

I was largely joking, but its a pretty common saying that "when you're in Florida, you have to go North to go South." Florida is it's own thing culturally. The only place less "Southern" than Orlando is Miami.

As for the steak, I'm genuinely befuddled. You think a normally prepared steak is different in different areas? It's butchered and frozen and sent from the same places, and generally prepared the same way everywhere. Most chain restaurants suck at it, but if you order a ribeye at a decent steakhouse and think it's flank then either you're crazy or the place is pulling the easiest to prove scam imaginable.

Off the top of my head, the below is the food that the South knows better: catfish, ribs, pulled pork, fried chicken (buttermilk, hot, with waffles, etc.), corn beef hash, crayfish, most fresh shellfish that isn't lobster, beercan chicken, potato salad, mac and cheese, hamburger steak, white sauce on smoked chicken, fresh watermelon, Vidalia onions, cornbread, corn muffins, hushpuppies, collard greens, shrimp and grits, etouffe, gumbo, low country boils, shecrab soup, jambalaya, red beans and rice, red rice, chicken and dumplings, pimento cheese, biscuits (and sausage gravy), tomato pie, fried green tomatoes, tomato sandwiches, bengiets, red velvet cake, banana pudding, key lime pie, fruit cobblers, chess pie.

Some of the best watermelon you could ever want is grown in Indiana.

 

[Irish#1]

I was largely joking, but its a pretty common saying that "when you're in Florida, you have to go North to go South." Florida is it's own thing culturally. The only place less "Southern" than Orlando is Miami.

As for the steak, I'm genuinely befuddled. You think a normally prepared steak is different in different areas? It's butchered and frozen and sent from the same places, and generally prepared the same way everywhere. Most chain restaurants suck at it, but if you order a ribeye at a decent steakhouse and think it's flank then either you're crazy or the place is pulling the easiest to prove scam imaginable.

Off the top of my head, the below is the food that the South knows better: catfish, ribs, pulled pork, fried chicken (buttermilk, hot, with waffles, etc.), corn beef hash, crayfish, most fresh shellfish that isn't lobster, beercan chicken, potato salad, mac and cheese, hamburger steak, white sauce on smoked chicken, fresh watermelon, Vidalia onions, cornbread, corn muffins, hushpuppies, collard greens, shrimp and grits, etouffe, gumbo, low country boils, shecrab soup, jambalaya, red beans and rice, red rice, chicken and dumplings, pimento cheese, biscuits (and sausage gravy), tomato pie, fried green tomatoes, tomato sandwiches, bengiets, red velvet cake, banana pudding, key lime pie, fruit cobblers, chess pie.

You forgot Dirty Rice.

 

[Irish#1]

Some of the best watermelon you could ever want is grown in Indiana.

As long as it isn't seedless.

 

[Irish du Nord]

So what you’re a Totino’s pizza guy instead?????

A snack for the sophisticated man

 

[Irish du Nord]

The take & bake pizzas from Walmart are top tier--especially their artisan ones.

But the hot dogs knock them out of the water

 

[Irish du Nord]

First of all, Orlando Florida isn't the South, so jot that down.

Second, I've had amazing pizza in the South, though I will agree you probably need to be near a metro area if you're looking for something truly excellent. Most northern staples are that way. Trying to find great pizza in a small southern town is difficult. You're also going to have a hard time finding bagels, because that's not really a thing there.

I'm not going go through every great pizza place I've been to in the south but Campania or Antico in North Atlanta are both recent discoveries for me. Wood fired neopolitan style. Excellent pizza.

Since we're starting a territorial food war, Dunkin sucks. Northerners who claim to have good taste but like cake donuts are telling on themselves.

The amazing southern pizza conversation has to start with Anticos in Atlanta

 

[Valpodoc85]

Godfathers pizza was great back in the 70's. No need to order extra cheese, because they piled it on. They had several locations in Indy then disappeared. Not sure if they are still around as regular restaurants any place else, but a few take out locations popped up in gas stations in Indy a few years ago.

Was the third largest pizza chain in the us during the 70's. Herman Cain became CEO in the 80's after a Pillsbury buy out and sold a bunch of the franchises to Pantera pizza.
I remember it fondly from HS/College. Enough cheese to bind you up for a week

 

[Valpodoc85]

Sidewall in Greenville....

 

[ulukinatme]

I went there before it closed. lol. We were there for some random vacation and stopped in because Savage and Jimmy Hart were scheduled for a meet and greet. Savage never showed so they sent in the obvious upgrade, Brutus the Barber Beefcake.

Makes sense, ol' Ed Leslie was attached to Hogan's hip for years, pretty sure he still is. My buddies and I had a long standing inside joke regarding Brutus. He had a match with Hogan in the late 80s where they teamed against Macho and Zeus in a steel cage. During the match Beefcake escaped the cage early, but effectively leaving Hogan by himself in a 2 on 1 disadvantage. So, whenever a friend left another friend high and dry it became known as "Beefcaking" your buddy. Years later my friend (Who owns a collectible shop down in Cinci) had Ed Leslie show up to do a signing at the store. They told him the story and he laughed his ass off, planned to use it himself in the future.

 

[IrishLion]

@dublinirish just joined the list.