Austin Pizza Adventuring Adventures Into Home Slice
Another day, another pizza adventure
Karin is something of a big deal in the pizza blogosphere these days. She has a guest blogging gig on Slice, the undisputed go-to pizza blog.
Her latest foray is an attempt with her friend Ian to try every non-chain pizza place in Austin and review it on Austin Pizza Adventuring. When I first saw the blog, I invited the reclusive writers to Home Slice to try the best pizza in town, unaware that previous YotP guest Karin was behind it.
So they came. I was very curious about their rules and how strict they were. Who picks the toppings (they alternate, but it’s always a special combo of the house)? How often (once a week)? Which place is the best (House Pizzeria on Airport Blvd, so far).
They’re very big on bread and bread products, so they always get garlic bread or its equivalent if they can. The found Home Slice’s garlic knots a little too chewy, but that’s fine, it’s not EXACTLY like they’re calling my grandkids ugly or anything.
We ordered a half eggplant parmesean pizza, and half meatballs, pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives. Ian reviewed the former, Karin the latter.
The waitress asked if we wanted romano sprinkled on the eggplant parm side, and Ian affirmed that he did, if that was what the house recommended. A few minutes later we saw a guy at a different table dousing his pizza in grated parmesean before he tried it. Ian said that a great pizza should stand on its own, and that guy was obviously not living by his code. I pointed out that it’s not much different to have the staff sprinkle romano before Ian tried it. That stopped him for a hot second, and I could see the hamsters in his head spinning his wheels before he reasoned that he was offered the romano, which is not on the tables, by the waitress as a part of the pie. Quasi-touche.
Despite the gravity of their endeavor, Karin and Ian don’t take themselves or their project too seriously, they’re just out to have some great pizza and become the local pizza experts. They seemed pleased with Home Slice’s overall performance, but I don’t think it blew their socks off. Nonetheless it was nice to be in the presence of such pizza aficionados.
Ian’s 25th birthday was right around the corner, and the plans sounded pretty epic. Skydiving, chicken fried steak, tattoos, perhaps some drinking, etc. I don’t know how it turned out, but there’s been posts since then, so I guess he lived through it.
Cost: $25.00 (I guess)
Total this year: $748
