While eating at Podski on our first day in Bend, we saw another table pull out a delicious looking…read moreDetroit-style pizza from a box. We, having moved less than a year ago from Detroit, are always glad to see the style really spread through the US. Asking the couple where they got the pizza from, they pointed us to the next block where Abe Capanna's food cart is located. Of course, at that point, we had already ordered enough food to eat, so we relegated this place to the next day.
Pouring rain, flooded roads, and power outages awaited our second day in Bend and the thought of Detroit style pizza was the only thing giving us respite. We arrived later in the evening than we liked due to the torrential downpour and were quoted a 30 minute wait. It ended up taking 31, so they seem to be pretty good at estimating (and that's also a pretty appropriate wait time for a quality Detroit-style pizza in the first place)!
Taken from another of my reviews: there are several characteristics that define Detroit-style. Firstly, a focaccia dough-like crust, airy and chewy on the interior and with a crispness on the bottom and sides that's somewhat greasy but not overladen*. There must be flavorful Wisconsin brick cheese, buttery and tangy, melted on top and spread until it spills over the sides of the crust, creating a crisp caramelized cheese ring surrounding the pie. The pepperoni must be underneath the cheese**, and the flavorful tomato sauce, typically a large spoonful in two or three wide lines, is spread on top of the cheese. The crust must remain crisp without becoming soggy with moisture and there must not be too many toppings to prevent the crust from compressing and ruining the texture.
*Note 1: The fat/grease is very important, both to allow the crust to crisp up and to act as a hydrophobic layer to prevent sogginess.
**Note 2: This is the one trait I dislike about traditional Detroit-style, since it makes the pepperoni limp and soaked with grease. Any place that moves the pepperoni to the top is okay in my book.
8-Square Cheese Pizza w/ Pepperoni ($30) - As a mostly traditionalist, I always have to start with the classic pepperoni pizza. The pizza Abe Capanna's puts out is kind of strange in terms of shape. The dough doesn't quite stretch to the corners so the edges are rounded, but since they use a rectangular pan, some of the cheese crust, wonderfully salty and crisp, makes it to the corners. The pizza as a whole isn't quite rectangular and is instead more oblong
The dough is fried very nicely to a consistent dark golden brown color, giving a great crisp texture with every bite and allowing enough grease to soak into the crust to prevent any watery moisture buildup. I think the dough is a little bit on the denser side vs airy, but it's nicely chewy and has well developed air pockets.
The toppings start with a thick layer of cheese. I believe they use low moisture mozzarella, giving the pizza a mild taste with a very subtle tanginess and no fresh milkiness. A lot of places use brick cheese/mozzarella blends or just plain mozz nowadays, especially since it's more difficult to source the cheese the further a restaurant is away from Wisconsin. I'm actually okay with that for the most part. There's certainly not as much flavor in the cheese, but places have to make do with the ingredients they can obtain.
The pepperoni is placed on top of the cheese and is baked until cupping upwards and crisped up. Tomato sauce is ladled on top, not entirely in a line, but rather dolloped on each slice. The sauce isn't a super fresh one, so its main characteristic is saltiness rather than any flavorful tomato acidity to help cut through some of the grease. the sauce is by far the weakest part of the pizza*. Between the cheese, pepperoni, and sauce, the pie is pretty well balanced with there being an appropriate amount of toppings to not overload the crust.
While there are some weaknesses, I thought this was an excellent pizza, although not necessarily the most traditional Detroit-style. (4.5/5)
Okay, so a couple of the reviews give Abe Capanna's a low rating because the reviewers complain that they don't serve a legitimate Detroit-style pizza. I tend to agree, given the major departures in shape and the cheese being used. Still, I think this is a delicious pizza, whether it's actually Detroit-style or not. Let's just call it a Bend-style interpretation of Detroit-style, if that makes everyone happier!
*We had a couple of slices leftover and eating it the next day, the sauce actually becomes much more flavorful. Very interesting! If only it had tasted like that the first day!
Note: Abe Capanna's charges a 3% credit card fee
