Lunch review: Vincent's Pizza Park

Regulars have their own name for it: "You want a 'Vinnie Pie?'"

If I cared, I'd call it Carb-ageddon. Instead, I call it "filling."

I've been known to drive almost anywhere on the merest rumor of incredible pizza, and the reputation of the Vinnie Pie precedes it.

Vincent's Pizza Park is a large roadhouse-looking pizza palace along busy Ardmore Boulevard. It's nothing fancy, just a big two-room bar with a pizza kitchen, plenty of tables and lots of beer ad mirrors. Tagging along with a pair of longtime Vinnie Pie veterans, it's remarked that Vincent's isn't as crowded as it was seven years ago. But the local economy hasn't been good for this part of town, and the Godzilla of pizzas doesn't come cheap.

Legend has it that owner Vincent Chianese has pounded out pizzas for about 50 years, and his gruff, crusty demeanor is as renowned as his, well, gruff, crusty pies. You could insolently ask for extra cigarette ash on your pizza, and he'll give it to you. He's not here all the time anymore, though, and wasn't when we got there.

First of all, there's Small ($8), Medium ($10) and Large ($12). But keep in mind, these are three-dimensional pizzas, with very thick, heavy crust -- the Small probably equals the mass of a medium at most any other pizza place. And the Medium is just past the upper limit of what two very hungry people can eat in a sitting.

Toppings vary in price -- I had a Medium pizza with Canadian Bacon ($4) and Pineapple ($3.50), just because I could. It's thinly sliced ham in all but name, and the collective juices of the bacon and fruit, combined with the cheese, make for a rather soupy, greasy mess below the pizza. Not to fear, though; Vinnie Pie's hefty crusty exterior makes it stout enough to withstand any moisture. In fact, it's surprising how dry yet chewy the crust stays on the inside.

Two companions got their Medium pie with cheese (of course) and Onions ($2.50), Green Peppers ($2.50) and Black Olives ($2.50), which were shoveled on like coal. They didn't make nearly as much progress tearing into it as my side of the table did, but were impressed with the flavor and resilience of the crust when placed under such stress.

I was given this piece of advice by a longtime Vinnie Pie aficionado: Never ask for "extra" anything. They take it as an insult and might give you a foot-high mound of greasy pepperoni or something. Whatever it is that you want, they'll give you enough of it to start with. Additional Information:

Details

Vincent's Pizza Park

Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Address: 998 Ardmore Blvd., Forest Hills

Phone: (412) 271-9181