Pizza in Prague

I am on the search for the best pizza in Prague. It ain't easy, folks. Pizza in the Czech Republic is flat, flimsy, sometimes soggy, sometimes lacking cheese, always with interesting topping options. For instance, in the cheese category you usually find mozzarella but not always. Eidam (edam) is also very common and not a bad choice; it's one of the most common Czech cheeses and has a mild flavor (although a bit more smokey than mozz.) and melts nicely. But you can also find hermeline, a blue cheese. I haven't tried that one yet. Meat-wise, Czechs like to use salami, not pepperoni, so the flavor is different. I don't care for it. I like salami and eat it regularly but not on my pizza. Ham is often laid all over the top of the pizza and it's not hard to have more ham than crust. Other common meats, chicken and even tuna, salmon, and shrimp. Vegetables are pretty normal – mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach (frozen) – except for CORN. At sometime in the past, the Czechs discovered corn. Now, I like corn. And I'm very glad that I can get it here. However, I do not want it on my veggie pizza or in a garden salad, which are two likely places to find it. As its own side dish, sorry, but you won't see it there. That is pretty much left to any way in which you can cook at potato, rice, maybe beans or salads. So, therefore, when it comes to toppings, I tend to either stick with mushroom or a simple cheese or margarita. Sometimes I give the ham a shot and I usually forget that I don't want the salami until I've had it a few times upon returning to the Czech Republic. What I'm trying to figure out is whether or not Czechs actually like their pizza like this or just don't know any better. There really isn't a real need for a more American or Italian style pizza because those places that rely on tourists don't rely on repeat business and we all know that most tourists will eat what looks familiar, even if it's bad.

Now, in college I spent three years working at a pizza place, throwing more pies than I could count. I ate pizza almost every day back then. Now, I still eat it a few times a week, from gourmet to frozen. So, since coming to Prague, I have been on the lookout for good pizza. The search is continuous. The upside is that pizza here is cheap. Most full pies, around 10-inch in size, cost from about $5-8; I've never seen one above $10. If I did, I'd imagine that it would be damn good. You can get slices on the go all over the city for about $1.50-$2. Here's what I've found.

Pizzerie Santini (Jeremenkova 920/7, Podolí): the only restaurant near my flat. Pretty good. What I like is that they have a wood-fired oven, or some way to make the crust crisp. Plus, they use enough cheese.

Pizza stand at Kotva: because it's only take-away, and mostly by the slice, this has a good, thick, firm crust. I haven't been there in a while, but it's just a few minutes from my "work place" so I imagine that I'll be hitting it more often. I believe this is a branch of Pizza Grosso (as described as the best pizza in Prague on one of my favorite food blogs, Czech Please...the actual description of pizza in Prague is much better than mine and right on!)

Little Caesar's (in Tesco): I know! Pizza!Pizza! Okay, it's not the best, or "right" as my friend Chris says, but again, good crust. Since I only go for the slice, I only get the one that has been sitting there a bit. I can only imagine how good it would be if it was fresh! Sigh…

Pizzeria Grosseto (Náměstí Miru): when I lived in this neighborhood a few years ago, I went here a few times. It's always busy. I remember that I the only thing I didn't like was that I felt that I was taking up a table being there just on my own. They have a lovely little garden in the summer. I guess I need to go back for a better review.

Chicago's Famous Pizza: I had such high hopes for this place. Alas, the crust was bland, too much ham, cheese was limited. Not very impressive and not worth a second visit. Although, the atmosphere of the place was cool.

I've been told that Pizzerie Kmotra is the best by my friend Laura. Their website shows a wood-fired oven, so I have high hopes. I've of course been to others, but these have been the best or those with the biggest reaction to me. Expect more to come…