On 308 Perrin St. in Ypsilanti, MI, sits the New York Pizza Depot. Located just minutes from the Eastern Michigan University campus, this pizza place sits right in the heart of the Ypsilanti college community. The owner, a friendly man named Alex, started in the place in 2008 after 27 years in the restaurant business. Starting from Greektown in Detroit in 1983, to supervising a Mediterranean Cuisine restaurant, he set his roots in this location.
Knowing how long the shop had been there, and given my frequent jaunts into this area of Ypsilanti, I was surprised that I had never heard of the shop. However, one of my former colleagues from Domino's Pizza began working there as a driver, telling me that I had to check it out. So, one night when I had to pick up a CD from him, I decided to check it out.
Immediately when I walked in, I found the room was spacious, with a generous amount of seating for the area. With a variety of booth, window bar and single table seating arrangements, any type of group is able to enjoy eating comfortably. The dining area is clean and open, with the pop cooler adequately stocked for any customer. They also offer fountain drinks in case you feel that a 20oz or 2 liter isn't enough for you.
 | |
| Alex, Eric, and Rich from New York Pizza Depot |
The staff is courteous and friendly, and once you speak with them for only a few minutes, they're some of the friendliest people you will meet. The drivers know what it takes to get a pizza to you with quality, hot and fresh right to your door. The cooks know how to run their kitchen with efficiency, knowledge and care for the food they're preparing. Every employee there knows that what the food they are selling is superior, and after tasting it, I agree wholeheartedly.
 | |
| Cook Oliver making my order: 1 Baked Ziti Pizza, 1 Pesto Chicken Pizza, 1 Cinnamon Bread |
Every single one of their ingredients is fresh in store, nothing coming from a can. One of the things that really impressed me was their chicken wings. After having worked at a pizza chain for a year, and looking at other restaurants, none of them actually breaded their wings in store. All of their wings came in pre-breaded, pre-cooked, and were just warmed up in an oven. In their second make line held a tub of raw chicken wings. These things were absolutely monstrous. Compared to the tiny wings I have seen at many other restaurants, these things were huge with plenty of meat on the bones. Along with the raw wings game their own special breading, to which I wouldn't have been able to get the recipe from Alex if I had tried with our own government's torture techniques.
It was here I learned how they also prepped their dough, vegetables, meats, cheeses and sauces. Their pizza, marinara and Alfredo sauces are all made from scratch, leading to a true homemade flavor that i particularly enjoyed. Their cheese is a three cheese blend that is more expensive than the cheese that most chains use, shredded in store every morning. Their dough is also made there every morning, with the vegetables prepped for their salads and pizzas as needed. Nothing is cut and used until it is necessary, that way the toppings for pizzas, salads, pastas, and sandwiches stay as fresh as possible. Their meats are also prepared fresh, cut, grilled and marinaded as necessary.
 |
| Second make line for salads and chicken |
After all of the touring was finished, my order was finally complete. Before I tell you what I ordered, let me explain one thing that is important to this. I have always hated mushrooms. For the last 23 years, I have absolutely despised the taste and texture of mushrooms. However, after tasting their mushroom medley, I was blown away. Now, learning this information, I ordered 3 items to get a taste of their menu, along with the one I had tasted the night before. These three items were:
Cinnamon Bread. Now, working at Domino's, I have had plenty of Cinnastix in my time. And because of this, I decided I wanted to see how they were different at this store.
Baked Ziti pizza. I chose this pizza because Baked Ziti is one of my favorite Italian dishes. My mother first made it when I was about ten years old, and it has become one of my favorites ever since. Learning that this was actually put onto a pizza made me curious to see how the two dishes were combined.
And lastly, I told Alex 'Surprise Me'. So, he ordered for me the Pesto Chicken pizza. With pesto sauce, chicken, mushrooms, and their blend of cheeses, this pizza was going against my usual tastes, and gave me an excellent chance to diversify what I ate.
The night before, I ordered their Italian salad without olives. Although a salad is a standard fare, this salad definitely set itself apart in the fact that it was actually fresh. As I learned the next night during the tour, the lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers were cut right after I ordered. The Italian dressing was very creamy and smooth, giving the salad a flavor that wasn't overpowering and complimented very well. At the same time, you could taste the freshness of everything in it, and the salad was mouthwatering and delicious.
Next, the cinnamon bread. Their universal bread size was 5x10, half of one of their small pizzas, but the bread was very light and fluffy. Provided with it was a squeeze-tube of icing that allowed the diner to use it to their leisure. After decorating the top a bit, the icing wasn't overpowering like with most dipping cups, but complimented the cinnamon flavor. I set that down only to move on to the main course, definitely loving the cinnamon bread.
Then I moved to the Baked Ziti pizza. After years of eating these two dishes on their own, the combination was splendid. The pasta on the pizza was soft, but didn't disintegrate in your mouth, allowing you to chew and taste the pasta and ricotta cheeses. The pizza was absolutely superb, and if their menu wasn't so large, I would be ordering that a lot.
Lastly, I had the Pesto Chicken pizza. This pizza I will admit, I was the most afraid of. Even after trying their mushrooms, I still had a stigma about them. However, after trying this pizza, I am thoroughly a fan. As I told Alex before I left, "That pizza made me enjoy mushrooms for the first time." I stand by that statement now when I write this review as much as I did when I said it. The Pesto Chicken pizza was excellent, another favorite of mine from this pizza parlor.
Now, after detailing the food, the prices. Yes, the prices are high, and Alex will admit to that. However, after seeing and tasting what I did, I understand why. This product is leaps and bounds superior to many places, and is the best pizza I have tasted in Michigan. The cooks, Oliver and Abe know how to create all 78+ items on the menu with ease, and Alex stands behind what he said earlier, "That he would rather have a customer happy with a superior product". I certainly left happy once I walked out of those doors.
Review:
5/5 Stars
Also, as of this review, New York Pizza Depot will be the receiving the Project Wavelight Standard of Excellence award. This award is given to a product or business who's owner or creator goes above and beyond for their customers and fan base.
No comments:
Post a Comment