So, so very good.
As I always try to put a disclaimer on my pizza reviews: Being from Chicago, I'm open about being a bit of a pizza snob. Chicago pizza is what I was born and raised on but I appreciate good pizza anywhere. Within my world travels, I've had some great pizza and it's not always from Chicago. Unfortunately, Cincinnati has little to offer in terms of good pizza.
But then I came across Trophy Pizza. Truly a diamond in the rough. A needle in a Queen City sized haystack. A giant among.......alright, that's enough. Trophy's got the goods!
Frequently visiting New York, one of my "go-to" stops is to always make my way to a pizza place and get a Grandma Slice of pizza. And since I'm being honest, it's never just one slice.
If you're not familiar with the Grandma Slice, or Grandma Pizza, it's simple by design. Light airy dough, sauce, mozzarella cheese and garlic. Lots of garlic. Of course you have some seasoning mixed in there but that's the basic framework for it. Not being able to find it in Cincinnati, I've dialed in the recipe to be able to make it at home and it's not as simple as the ingredients make it seem. So I respect anyone that can make it good.
Trophy has got it down, by about 98%, simply based on the numerous versions that I've ingested. They've got everything right but I do have one minor observation. It has to do with the crust. Yes, their crust hits the light and airy aspect of it. The one thing it's lacking is the buttery, almost caramelized, crust. When you bake a Grandma Pizza you're almost frying it. The art of the Grandma crust is you're almost frying it in a square pan, with raised sides, with tons of olive oil. The dough is literally swimming in it. It almost seems too much, but like I said, it's almost like you're frying it. Trophy was missing that one aspect of it as I found their crust to be light, airy yet a little on the dry side. But that isn't stopping me from getting it again, and again, and yet again. It is truly fantastic. The closest I can get to a Grandma Pizza here in Cincy and they use delicious ingredients throughout.
I also tried a slice of the Margherita Pizza. Outstanding. Now, me personally, I can never have enough basil on just about anything. There is something about that sweet tasting aromatic little leaf that sets me of. Love it. But again, Trophy absolutely destroys your mouth with flavor by doing it right. Premium ingredients and so very obvious that this group really has a passion for bringing killer pies to Cincinnati.
Would I go back? Trophy Pizza is 35+ minutes from me, depending on traffic. In a heartbeat, with very little thought and zero hesitation - yes, I go back as often as possible. If you're born and raised here in Cincy, Trophy is a great introduction to what is out there. What pizza CAN be! So instead of visiting that buddy you're known all your life, or getting papa to bring one to the house, venture out to a REAL New York pizza place and get the goods. From dining in, I can tell that the locals in their area know what's up and that secret needs to get out. Go get it! read more