I wish I could access the SF Chronicle's (or maybe the Examiners?) archives.

About five or six years ago, when I was pulling a copydesk shift for my paper's food section, I read a wire review of the best frozen pizzas available in nationalwide grocery stores.

Believe it or not, Safeway Select came on top or second from the top. I was a bit surprised, but when I later compared SS side-by-side with DiGiorno and Freschetta (the two I would even stoop to buying in desperation), I had to admit it was really tastier.

Agreed that the Trader Joe's is pretty darn good. Still, nothing beats a pie straight from a wood- or coal-fired brick oven.

Although I've sworn off frozen pizza, I gotta say, I have fond memories of being 10 and eating Joe Corbi's.. That stuff stays good in the freezer forever..

I also can't believe no one has mentioned Mama's Pizza? Mama who?

MAMA CELESETE....

it's been a long time since I've had one of those...

Frozen pizza rises to the occasion
San Francisco Chronicle, 06/11/03
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...&sn=003&sc=366

Most frozen pizzas get the cold shoulder
San Francisco Chronicle, 09/18/02
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...&sn=006&sc=474

Safeway Select's Pizza Rises to the Top
San Francisco Chronicle, 01/26/00
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...&sn=008&sc=575

I also choose Safeway Select over others in the refrigerated case when I have nothing to eat for dinner and am exhausted from a long day, which happens about 3 times a year. They recently came out with thin crust pizzas which I prefer over the thicker. The crust comes out crispier, much more like a cracker with hot toppings.

Not as bad as I had guessed. Thank you very much. And welcome to FT, Frank the Frowner.

Freschetta self rising is great but remember to remove the cardboard plate from the bottom before you bake it.

i like the freshetta four cheese pizza and then add my own toppings.

As an aside, I won one of these pizza cooker things at a company Xmas party and believe it or not works pretty darn good




http://www.epinions.com/content_193053298308

Agree 100%. Their refrigerated product is truly awful; why they continue to carry it is beyond me. Their frozen crusts beat all of the other frozen pizzas I have had for authenticity, and rival some of my local pizza places (in SF, that isn't saying much!).

I also like the DiGiorno garlic bread pizza for its gooey-garlicky-cheesy-thick qualities.

Just went to our new Trader Joe's yesterday, but did not try a pizza. It's usually something we grab at the last minute when we don't feel like cooking.

Still like Freschetta okay. The one Amy's we've tried a couple times is realy great, it's the 3 cheese with cornmeal crust at the top of the pizza page http://www.amys.com/products/categor...rod_category=3

BTW pizza and lo-cal don't really mix unless you can eat relatively small amounts of pizza ;) Amy's isn't meant to be lo-cal, just all natural and vegetarian. Anytime you put a lot of cheese on something it ain't gonna be lo-cal. :D

I love Home Run Inn frozen pizza. Don't know how widely they distribute outside of Chicago area though. The crust is unusual, very dense and buttery. But I think the quality of the cheese is terrific. Honestly, I prefer it to most low-end pizza delivery places

Any french bread pizza works for me.

Here's my secret.

Microwave it first and make sure it's perfectly thaw.. usually to the point of steaming on the surface

Then, throw it in a toaster oven or regular oven (i normally use my toaster oven) and wait till the cheese is brown. It will be nice and crunchy throughout.

Even the bad ones taste good to me.. cover it up with enough red peppers and garlic...

The Trader Giotto (Trader Joe)Pizza with pesto and fresh tomatoes is pretty good. Nice, thin crust, very little cheese, pesto and sliced tomatoes tastes quite fresh. I normally have on in the freezer on hand.

store listings:

http://www.homeruninn.com/frozen/grocery/

CPK has come out with a new line of thin crust pizza-tried the sicilian and the margharitta-both were very good but a little pricey.
I love the Tarte d' Alsace from Trader Joes and probably have it a nd a TJ's salad once every two weeks or so for dinner.

No one's mentioned American Flatbread. It's a company with two bakeries in Vermont and one in California, so they're available nationwide though not everywhere. They sell at Whole Foods and other health/natural food stores. Thin-crust (vegetarian only) pizzas, astonishingly delicious for frozen.

http://www.americanflatbread.com

I'm glad someone mentioned Home Run Inn pizza, and surprised no one mentioned it sooner. Is it not available outside the Chicago area?

Nowadays you can also get frozen deep-dish Malnati's pizza to cook at home, from Malnati's stores and also at Sunset grocery stores.

On the thinner side, I like Connie's too, which I think is a Jewel store brand.

While we are on the topic of pizza. Is it just me or are the prices getting a little out of control. The other day I ordered a "family" pizza from my local pizzeria in Sydney, it cost me AU$27. Which is around US$20. It was super thin and just seems to me that it has become exceedingly expensive for glorified cheese on toast. I do try and steer clear of frozen pizza though. There's a place in Salerno Italy where I have family that has the best pizza in the world IMHO, and only 7 euros for a pizza.

anybody seen the 'F' Word commercial
 

cant recall the brand now (market execs take note!) - but I love the ad where the 'beep' out the word 'frozen' as though it were four letter - and then state, 'frozen' doens't have to be a bad word...
LOL!

I agree nothing beats a fresh hot pizza but for those drunken late nights when the pizza shops are shut and you can not face a kebab I have found weight watchers make a reasonable ham and pineapple frozen pizza.

Absolutely agree! Pizza rolls rock :D

CPK Thai Chicken.

Costco carries the Palermo Primo Thin Margherita pizza 4 for $11. They are fantastic. When Mrs. Swede throws it in the oven, she even adds more crushed garlic and basil on top of the pizza.

I'll also occasionally buy Red Baron single-serving pizzas to eat for lunch at work.

Both of those are a when-the-wife-and-child-are-out-of-town dinner for me. :) ^

I've found that Mystic brand frozen pizza isn't bad, so long as you cook it well. I put a little bit of salami on top as well.

I have a friend that swears by Tree Tavern, but I'm not that impressed with it.

Based on my personal preference of thin/crunchy, Calif. Pizza Kitchen is the best I've found. 2nd would be Tombstone.

Like most, I qualify this by noting that frozen pizza isn't pizza (or at least is a variant style that's FAR different from any other... after all, NYC and Chicago are almost incomparably different as well).

That said, I've found most of the fancier/oven-rising crust ones to be absolutely not to my taste - bordering on inedible - and the cheaper, more basic "crisp crust" ones relatively palatable for whatever they are. I'm also a relative purist when it comes to toppings, being from NYC originally and of the pizza-by-the-slice-is-best school :)

Even among the frozen pizzas I like, there's a big difference between the "heavier crust" ones and the "puff crust ones" and I'll rate them separately:

Heavier crust:
- Tombstone is best with pepperoni, as their "extra cheese" is kinda bland but their pepperoni are tastier than the ones on Tony's.
- Tony's is the best plain cheese, with tastier cheese and a lighter and more predictable cooking crust than tombstone.

Red Baron is a barely acceptable alternative to either of the above.

Lighter crust:
- Gino's Crisp and Tasty /or/
- Totino's Party Pizza are both acceptable, and have the advantage that one makes a decent meal for one on its own (whereas any of the heavier crust ones are easily enough for two) They also often fit into the toaster oven.

Celeste brand is allegedly microwaveable, and nasty when microwaved. It's a barely acceptable alternative to the above two when cooked in the oven, however.

new frozen pizza at Costco?
 

When I was at Costco yesterday I noticed a new "Kirkland Signature" frozen pizza. It looked like it was veggie with sundried tomato and big chunks of what I think was fresh (well, frozen now, I suppose...) mozzarella and I think basil. I didn't buy them but was curious whether anyone has tried them?

The COSTCO frozen pizzas are OK for us in an area where it is absolutely impossible to buy a decent freshly made pizza. Clear?

Exactly. The best.

Mama Celeste Pizza for me - yummy!

For those of you visiting Buenos Aires and renting an apartment, the frozen pizzas made by Sibarita are actually quite good... ^

Another vote here for the Trader Joe's frozen pizzas imported from Italy. They are great, especially if you like NY Style pizzas.

We swore by DiGiornio's for a long time, but switched to the $5.00 (fresh - bake it at home) Millena's pizza at Safeway on Friday's. But Safeway has dropped that promotion and apparently the Millena's brand, and only has their store brand available, and not at $5.00 on Friday's.
So it's back to keeping a pizza in the freezer for "emergencies."

I could also add those French Bread Pizzas to the list. There is one particular brand that stands out the most for me but darn it can't remember the name.

Bless you, Sir!

Nothing wrong with a good ol' Tony's pizza once in awhile

I have found the Schwan's frozen pizzas to be excellent. I just picked some up today. They have a deal where you get 3 of them for 9.99.

I was told they make Tony's pizza too. The company that makes the Schwan's pizza.

For something as dirt cheap as these can sometimes be, Tony's isn't half bad.

^

Another cheapie that's pretty good is the four cheese Cub Foods store brand. Can't get 'em here any more since Cub left our market.

My understanding is that Schwan's, Red Baron, and Tony's pizzas are all the same.

On a side note, I haven't seen a Schwan's truck in forever...

with all due respect, that's an oximoron...