Date: 10-13-13
Location: Wixom & Loon Lake Road
Wixom?
God, I love pizza. But not just any pizza. Sadly, the Little Kaisers, Papa Porta-Johns, and DomiNo-way-in-hells of the metro-Detroit area have all but neutered our collective memories of what really good pizza means. Yeah, there are exceptions like The Alibi over in Troy or Louie's down in Hazel Park, but I can remember a time when non-descript party stores used to sell wonderful, cheesy, thick and manna-like slices on nearly every corner. And like me, they were cheap too!
A long defunct party store named Mr. B's over near Stoney Creek was my first true love back in the 70's. They made some absolutely amazing slices, and if you took the time to actually order an entire pie, the box weighed in at about 10 pounds, and the steam pretty much had it disintegrated before you got it to the car. And when you opened what was left of that box, usually in the parking lot, you were treated to an orgasmic sensory onslaught of smeared together colors, tastes and aromas. I'm getting a chubby just thinking about it. But alas, all first loves must come to an end. I don't know what happened to the eponymous Mr. B., but I would definitely like to shake his hand or donate to a cloning initiative.
In the early 80's, Vico's Party store in Troy was my next 'Za d'amour. Same kinda' deal as Mr. B's, but the edges of their crust were slightly more caramelized and the sauce was a tad more rustic. And although we didn't even know what rustic sauce meant back in the 80's, we liked it. As a bonus, they not only delivered, but they delivered beer too. As minors with deep phone voices and absentee parents, we took advantage of that quite regularly. Hmm, small wonder they went out of business.
From about that point on, the promise of the excellent party store slice had faded to nothing more than a glint in my mozzarella enhanced thighs, and I was pretty sure I would never again find a place to compete with the rose colored taste buds of my youth. Oh, thankfully, how wrong I was.
On an otherwise eventless Tuesday last month, in a gas station/party store plopped down unceremoniously next to a trailer park in Commerce Township (or Wixom) (or what the hell's the difference?) I was once again reunited with the pizza gods, and I have to tell you, thine name is Saroki.
I was completely caught off guard by the discovery. Because I suppose that I have self loathing tendencies, I sauntered over to the heat lamp display case perfectly prepared to be disappointed in what I might find there. It's pretty much a sick habit of mine. I immediately noticed some thin, round slices which did not look impressive enough to risk, as my heart has been broken before. And the fact that they were rounds was just all wrong. A real party store slice, I've always held, should have four corners. But then something caught my eye on the top shelf: another slice of round. Granted, wrong shape for a purist, but there was something oh so compelling about it.
"Is this a Chicago Stuffed slice I see before me," I asked my inner bard?
My eyes were not deceiving me. I was certain. I threw caution to the wind and excitedly ordered two of the "stuffed" slices from the first paper hat I could establish eye contact with. He quickly corrected me, calling it "Detroit Style." Yeah, whatever, I thought. Just shut up and give me my slices.
This post is getting way too long, so I'll cut to the chase. Those two slices of pizza were, hands down, some of the best slices I have ever eaten anywhere, let alone from under a convenience store heat lamp. Regardless of the proprietor's geography tourettes, they were definitely Chicago Style stuffed slices on par with Pizzapapalis downtown or Giordano's in the Windy City itself. They were loaded with meat too: pepperoni, ham, sausage, you name it. Imagine, a $3 slice just humbly waiting in a gas station with the power to not only electrify your taste buds but restore your beliefs in humanity, history and Jesus Christ himself.
Okay, maybe I exaggerate a little. As I mentioned, I really like good pizza. But still, I recommend you check it out.
m. karvinen
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