I’m originally from NY. I like Pizza, although I’m not Italian, there’s something in my internal organism that forces me to seek pizza on a regular basis (even if it’s not good pizza). Since Glendale has a more middle-eastern flare than an Italian one (face it, we’ve got very few Italian restaurants here and one of the better ones is called “Two Guys from Italy” but is actually run by two guys from Tehran…then there’s the Olive Garden, where they say “you’re family” but then they’ve got the nerve give you a bill at the end of the meal – what kinda way is that to treat family??…enough said). There are a few decent pizza places in nearby Eagle Rock, but none that deliver to my place in Glendale. What I’m getting at, in my roundabout way, is that “settling” for pizza has, unfortunately, become a way of life.

So…I’ve become accustomed to settling once a week. I’d been ordering pizza from Pizza Hut…until one day a few weeks ago something went wrong. Way wrong. My first indication of trouble was the 85 minute wait that came up on the on-line order screen, followed 20 minutes later by the rude phone call, and this is a precise quote: “yo…we gots no more dough, we can’t sell no more pizza. Your order is canceled.” Just like that. Left to wondering. Wondering who taught that guy English, wondering if that was any way to treat a regular customer, but more importantly, wondering where I was going to order a pizza. Priorities. Just like that.

And so, just like that, I’m looking for a new pizza place to order from. I had remembered seeing Hungry Howie’s so I figured I’d give ’em a call.

Nice enough people, I told them what happened, they offered a discount on the order, and told me I should try their “flavored dough.” Now, I’ve had many variations of pizza, but flavored dough was a new one on me. After reviewing the choices, I settled on onion dough. They also had some interesting toppings, like cheddar cheese. I ordered that too along with some pepperoni, pineapple, and mushrooms.

Much to my delight, the pizza arrived piping hot in about 20 minutes. Yep, faster than promised. And here’s the thing: it was actually good! Not just slightly good, but really good! The flavored dough is reminiscent of the taste of a good onion roll. Their cheese is good quality, and their sauce has some flavor to it (as it should, too many pizza places have either flavorless, or worse, sweet sauce…major yuck!). The cheddar adds a nice but mellow sharpness to the flavor, and while it’s DEFINITELY not Ray’s Original from NYC, it’s one of the best chain pizzas I’ve had (they apparently have over 500 stores). I’ll probably continue ordering from there…at least until someone tells me they “gots no more dough.” ;-)

Note: I’ve given them 5 stars in the context of nationwide pizza chains, not as a standalone pizza joint. PIzza is serious business, and this is strictly a convenient way to satisfy the urge.