I loved the experience of driving around Detroit. I rarely just drive around randomly exploring only half-thought-out ideas of what we might do there; what we’d go see.  I didn’t look too deeply into making many concrete plans. I decided we’d leave it to whim and weather, but I had some ideas in mind.

One thing I knew we’d do for sure was get Buddy’s Pizza. I’d read about it on Endless Distances and knew I wanted to try it. Buddy’s did not disappoint. The crust and saucy bake was delicious. My daughter and I loved it. We went in search of Buddy’s after we’d visited downtown Rochester’s Big, Bright Light Show.  Tucking into a local pizza place that was PACKED was the perfect cap to the evening. We were hungry!

When I’d been reading about Detroit-style pizza, I read this description on Detroit Style Pizza’s website:

Instantly recognizable by its square shape and thick crust, Detroit Style Pizza got its start in the mid 1940’s thanks to soldiers returning home after WWII.  Rather than using traditional round pans, in true Motor City fashion, the originators baked their pizza in square, blue steel automotive parts pans that allowed the outer edges of cheese to caramelize, forming a delicious golden brown cheese barrier around the perimeter of the pie.

I wasn’t sure whether this was the story behind all Detroit-style pizza or not, but we weren’t in the vicinity of Detroit Style Pizza. We’d go to Buddy’s instead.

It did not disappoint. The place was packed and the aroma in the restaurant was a warm, square slice of heaven. We finally got a table and soon were served with these beauties:

So. Freaking. Good. Especially after a cold day outside in Detroit.

Once we returned home, we talked about how good that pizza was and that we liked the deep-dish crust. It was crustier and crisper than Chicago-style. And then, on the radio here in Cincinnati, I heard the words, “Detroit style pizza,” and for a moment, thought I must still be getting a signal from a station we really liked listening to there. But no — it was a radio ad for Jet’s Pizza, which I’ve heard is good, but that I’d never tried. So I decided to remedy that. Fresh from Detroit, I wanted to see how it compared to the pizza we had there.

It was 4-squares of Detroit deliciousness right here in Ohio!

I love trying local specialties and never can resist a good pizza! Now I can taste a little bit of Detroit right in my own backyard.

What kind of pizza is your favorite?