Happy Pi Day, y'all!
Pizzabout is underway with scores from Rendezvous and The Wedge
Whether you’re celebrating Pi Day or preparing for March Madness, today is your lucky day — Pizzabout has begun, and we got ratings to share.
Rob Crissinger and I concocted this pizza plan over New York- and Detroit-style pies from Rendezvous Pizza back in September. We’ve eaten at more than half a dozen pizza places since then, and now we’re ready to share our initial ratings from two of those stops.
Since we started at Rendezvous, it only made sense to include them in our first ratings package. We’ll also be sharing our thoughts about The Wedge Pizzeria.
So how are we rating the pizza? Since preferences are subjective, I chose Rob Crissinger, a man whose love for pizza wasn’t exclusive to one style and broad enough to appreciate a Red Baron or a trip to Cici’s buffet.
Cuz that ain’t me. Anyone who's followed me undertaking foodiciary duties over the years understands this. Only tacos get this leeway from me.
Together, over the course of a half dozen or so pies, Rob and I agreed upon how we would score the pizzas going forth. While the entire restaurant will be considered for the ratings, the emphasis is on the pizza. Here’s a chart to break it down:
The Pizzabout Scale is 0.00 to 10
Crust: 0.00 to 2
Cheese 0.00 to 2
Sauce 0.00 to 2
Toppings 0.00 to 2
Extra 0.00 to 2
We consider the crust the greatest challenge because practices run from scratch-made to bought frozen from Sysco with house recipes for dough made in bulk off-site in between. Any method can produce a quality pie, but brownie points for methodology are real.
For cheese, we’ll be looking first at the quality, then the quantity. More isn’t always better! We look at sauce and toppings exactly the same way. We also agreed to start with pepperoni at each place as a baseline. The “extra” we will consider is where the service, atmosphere and other menu items get lumped together.
Our individual scores will be posted along with a composite. Once we’ve compiled enough ratings, expect a leaderboard to emerge. Addresses, menu and hours are all hyperlinked, so with that in mind … LFG!
Rendezvous Pizza, two locations
Dave’s thoughts: Locally owned by multiple local partners, who also have Bricktown Brewery and Texlahoma Barbecue, there are currently three locations. Chef Klaudya Barcenas went to dough school in Chicago back in 2020 for Rendezvous to learn how to make every imaginable crust. A classically trained pastry chef already, Klaudya adapted quickly. That allows Rendezvous to offer three styles of pizza: New York, Detroit and tavern-cut Chicago thin crust (see above).
We tried the New York and Detroit style first, and Chicago-style tavern pies when they arrived on March 1. While I was a fan of both the New York and Detroit, the new Chicago thin-crust is such a game-changer it makes me a little mad at the other two. The sausage pie dusted with fennel-powder made my heart sing (and cry a little).
Had we been scoring Rendezvous on the Chicago alone, my rating would’ve been 9.35. Alas, I scored Rendezvous at 8.39.
That Rendezvous makes three styles factored into the full 2 extra points I gave them; however, the New York and Detroit scores were 8.44 and 7.38, respectively. The new, improved Pepperoni Rolls and smoked wings also boosted the rating.
Rob’s Thoughts: I love Rendezvous, it’s a tremendous anchor for Bricktown (the north side location is great too) and is consistently good with everything they do. The environment is fun and energetic, parking is easy, service is outstanding, and, with the addition of the Chicago-thin, this is the only place in Oklahoma where you can choose from three different pizza styles.
The pepperoni rolls are a delight, and the wings are a must, you have to try the peanut butter jelly sauce, so good, trust me on this one. All three pizza styles are legit here (shout out to Klaudya), but the Chicago-thin is now among my favorite pizzas in the state.
My only real issue now is how to order and not eat so much I’ll die. I’ll just need to bring friends instead of the solo visits so I can still get a little bit of everything. Who’s with me?!!
Rob’s score: 8.45
Dave’s score: 8.39
Composite: 8.42
The Wedge Pizzeria, three locations
Dave’s Thoughts: Hearts were broken when the original location on Western Avenue closed in December. Rob and I visited one of the two remaining locations in Deep Deuce to make sure all is well. It is. It is and it isn’t.
The Wedge set new standards when it opened in 2006, offering house-made Neapolitan pies unlike anything the 405 diningscape had serve. Eighteen years later, The Wedge has changed hands a couple of times, which has led to changes to the recipes.
For better or worse is hard to say, but what we did find was The Wedge still serves a quality pie. Yes, the crust has changed, but it’s difficult and irrelevant to compare it to the past. What they serve today is good.
We tried a Hot Pepperoni Duo and an Italian Stallion. Rob’s pepperoni-lust was palpable, but I really dug the Italian Stallion with all those fennel-friendly sausage crumbles and well-placed fresh mozzarella. Always been a fan of the Truffle Shuffle.
Mom’s meatballs also boosted the score. The quirky atmosphere was a plus as was the odd twist of irony of bearing witness to Rep. Charles McColl hosting a low-key pizza party. On the other hand, parking is practically nonexistent. The Midwest City location has no such problems, and a lot more dining space than downtown. But it’s in a strip mall instead of a cool, historic building. Give and take, reckon.
Circling back to the pizza, I found the toppings the highlight and everything else solid to above average for a final score of 7.72.
Rob’s Thoughts: I am very happy to report that The Wedge is still doing a really solid pizza. I’ve always been a fan of this place, although I haven’t gone as often as I would like in recent years. The environment is OK, and parking can be a little annoying, but I love being in Deep Deuce and the pizza is always worth the effort.
I was optimistic that I would like the Hot Pepperoni Duo just by the menu description, but the buffalo sauce was still a risk…a risk that paid off big time. I LOVE this pizza so much it elevated my overall score for The Wedge quite a bit. As I’m writing this, my mouth is literally watering and I’m considering heading that way, it is Pi Day after all.
Get that Hot Pepperoni Duo pizza friends and let me know what you think on Instagram (@rcrissinger)!
Rob’s Score: 8.45
Dave’s Score: 7.72
Composite: 8.09
We would love to hear feedback from everyone whether in the comments or direct emails. Rob and I both agree the new thin-crust tavern style pie from Rendezvous was the best thing we had in this scenario. So much so, we’ve got a $50 gift card from Rendezvous we’ll hold a drawing for next week.
To be eligible to win that $50 gift card become a paid subscriber today. Winner will be announced next Wednesday.
Well now I need pizza and some meatballs with a slightly spicy kick! Thanks, Dave and Rob.
Remember when it's Pi day , Pi is never ending. So enjoy