PDX Doughboy

I have visited 25 Portland area pizzerias and counting. I have rated them all. After all these visits, detailed reviews, and exceptional pizza, there is one that stands out from the pack. Apizza Scholls is clearly the best pizza in Portland. There is no question in my mind. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the founder, Brian Spangler, for an exclusive interview. I was a big fan of Brian's work before this conversation, but now he's entered "legend" status in my opinion. In this article I will pull back the curtain to reveal history of Portland's best pizzeria and its founder, influences that shaped Brian's pizza style, secrets to his success, and much more. It was truly a privilege to interview Brian and attempt to absorb some of his knowledge. The guy is a walking baker's bible. Br...

Detroit Style Pizza Recipe

I received a lot of feedback on Instagram about teaching you how to make Detroit Style pizza (DSP). Ordering pizza from your local pizzeria is a better option right now - it is an important time to support them. That said, many of you are stuck at home bored, and I hope this post offers you a reprieve and a chance to learn something new. This post is a step by step guide to making awesome DSP, including the tools and techniques needed to make great pizza at home. Sourdough Starter: This is a naturally leavened (aka sourdough starter) dough recipe, meaning you don't need any commercial yeast. If you haven't built a starter, I will teach you how to make your very own. Day 1: mix 150 grams (g) flour (wheat flour is best) with 150g water (~90 degrees F) until it is one consistency. Leave uncovered for 1-2 hours, then cover and maintain at room temperature (~70 F or higher). I use a Cambro 1 Quart with Lid for mixing and storing my starter. If you don't have this or ...

Dove Vivi - Visit #2

Our second stop on this 2017 pizza journey was Dove Vivi. We chose Dove Vivi because it is considered by many to easily be in the top 26 pizza places in Portland, and we had been hearing so about their crust. According to their website ( dovevivipizza.com ) their cornmeal crust is a recipe in its third generation beginning with Mike Freeman at Zelo in Los Angeles. Mike learned the cornmeal crust recipe from Patricia Unterman in the mid 1980's at Vicolo in San Fransisco. Current Dove Vivi owners, Gavin and Delane Blackstock, worked with Mike Freeman at Zelo in LA, and soaked up all the pizza making knowledge they could. In 2005 they made the trip north to Portland to open their own shop and carry on this unique crust recipe. Pepperoni Classico & Quattro Fromaggio Dove Vivi translated into English is "where you live" or "where you are from". After visiting Dove Vivi, I can see myself living there! Well,...

Lovely's Fifty-Fifty - Visit #10

Portland isn't New York, Chicago, New Haven, or Detroit. These cities have their own pizza culture and unique styles they are known for. Despite the Rose City's pizza scene blossoming in recent years, there is arguably no "Portland Pizza Style". If Portland will be known for a pizza style, unique to this great food city, my money is on Lovely's 50/50 blazing the trail. Lovely's pies are weird (Keep Portland Weird) and use hyperlocal ingredients. It's this combination of unconventional ingredients (think flowers etc on your pizza) and how close to home they are procured that makes their pies feel the most Portland of any place we have tried to date. Lovely's pizza is also as beautiful to look at, as it is to good to eat. Follow Sarah Minnick (Lovely's co-owner) on Instagram for an insider look into what I am talking about. Margherita ...

Camas Country Mill

Wouldn't it be great to grow grain, mill it into flour, turn it into dough, and bake...all in the same location? It is possible at Camas Country Mill in Junction City, Oregon, and it is pretty freaking cool! I recently had the opportunity to visit the farm, learn more about their operation and product, and bake bread. Camas Country Mill is owned by Tom and Sue Hunton. The Hunton family has farmed their land since 1952, and they have 2,700+ acres today. A lot has changed over the years on the farm. Today they grow ~40 varieties of grasses, grains, and cover crop seed. Starting in 2011, they began to add whole grain grist milled flours, which hadn't been produced for over 80 years in the Willamette Valley. The many flours at Camas Country Mill Grist milling is an old world form of creating flour from grain. Grist...

Pizzeria La Sorrentina - Visit #25

My first pizza-focused trip across the mighty Columbia river was to Pizzeria La Sorrentina. I have been reading, hearing, and getting questions from my Insta followers about Vancouver's pizza scene, so this year I decided to expand my territory. I must admit, the first time I read about La Sorrentina I was skeptical about the hype. I had a hard time believing world class Neapolitan style pizza was offered in Vancouver out of a food truck. It is a lesson in never judging a book by its cover. La Sorrentina has something very special going on in Vancouver, and if it is any indication of the quality of pizza in the area, I am glad I made this decision to forge north. Pizzeria La Sorrentina is located in the Hazel Dell neighborhood. Their set up reminds me a lot of Ash Wood Fired in that both are part of a small food cart pod that adjoins a brewe...

Via Chicago - Visit #20

Veggie doughboy here for the second post in a row. Our 20th visit brought us to Portland's version of pizza from the 'City of Broad Shoulders,' Via Chicago Pizza on NE Alberta. We couldn't have picked a better night to have Chicago Style deep dish if we tried. For a fall evening, it was cold and damp and this meal warmed our tummies right up. True deep dish pizza is a stark contrast to that of woodfired or pan pizza. I have visited Lou Malnati's in Chicago before and it is good! If you haven't had it before, it's very common for the toppings to be layers in between the cheese and dough, rather than on the very top. Via Chicago assembles there pizzas like this and the style really allows strong flavors, such as sausage, to permeate through the crust and up through the cheese as well. We ordered three pizzas; a four cheese, a pesto and artichoke and a veggie combo. Each pizza had it's nuances but admittedly, it was difficult to...

Apizza Scholls - Visit #23

A LOT has changed since our last post! My partner and I had a baby boy! He is super doughy and adorable too! Baby Doughboy is keeping me busy, but I did find time to sneak out to Apizza Scholls for our 23rd stop this year. I have been to Apizza Scholls dozens of times, have had the opportunity to talk pizza with owner/founder Brian Spangler, and frequently read reviews of their pizza online. Surprisingly this visit was very different for Veggie Doughboy. It was his first time here! This visit really tested our ability to stay objective, something that has been difficult as we try to keep our judging consistent through the year. On the one hand it would be easy to inflate our rating of Apizza Scholls because of all the positive reviews they receive and my positive past experiences. On the other hand, it is also a bit like going to see a movie that everyone has hyped up...sometimes y...

Double Mountain - Visit #8

Fortuitous scheduling landed us at Double Mountain Taproom on Woodstock Blvd on the same night as our Beer Club meeting. Veggie Doughboy and I are part of a group of friends (BCM) that visit a Portland brewery every 2 months. Our April visit happened to be at a place known for putting out good pies, so we added Double Mountain to our list of 26 "best pizza" candidates. As many of you probably know, Double Mountain is a brewery that started in Hood River, OR. Their tap house in HR is a favorite of mine when I am out in the Gorge. Double Mountain opened their Woodstock taproom in 2016, which is their first foray into Portland. I will be honest, I was skeptical to even include Double Mountain on the list. I mean, really? A brewery winning best pizza in Portland. Is that possible? Double Mountain is definitely well known for their beer, and their pizza tends to take a backseat when thinking about checking this place out. Margherita ...

Please Louise - Visit #24

My first stop in 2018, and first ever without Veggie Doughboy was to Please Louise. Please Louise is located in the ever changing Slabtown neighborhood, located between the Alphabet District and the Pearl District in NW Portland. This was a really smart location for Please Louise to choose to open. There aren't many options for great Za in this area of town. Scott Lawrence (Breakside Brewery owner), Brian Carrick, and Brian Lamback (former Wildwood, and Tasty and Alder chef) opened the doors to Please Louise in the Summer of 2016. Their goal wasn't to open a pizzeria in the traditional sense, rather a full service restaurant with a focus on pizza. They also didn't want to be an Italian restaurant, because they wanted freedom offer a variety of cuisines. I had a chance to visit with Brian Lamback, who was slinging pies the night of my visit. It was great to meet him and get an in-depth perspective of hi...

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