The last time we visited this place, a “pizzeria” it was not. Then known as Speedy Pizza, the restaurant was a literal hole in the wall, with little separating it from what we think a pizza place might look like in the Third World. There were so few good things about Speedy Pizza that we went as far as to say:

Canadians (honest to God, Canadians) would not find this pizza anywhere near appetizing and may God have mercy on the souls of those keeping this scourge of the earth in business.

Ouch. But that was then. Since then, the restaurant has been rechristened “Speedy’s Pizzeria.” Along with the name change (albeit slight) comes new management and a much needed overhaul of just about everything, from the staff to the food, to the waiting-room-in-the-kitchen motif. The new owner has even offered up a free small cheese pie to the countless patrons that Speedy Pizza and its horrid review scared away. We took him up on it.

Establishment. Speedy’s Pizzeria has walls and a counter and floors that aren’t covered in glue from ripped up linoleum; already a pretty monumental upgrade. Also falling into the upgrade column is the repurposing of Speedy Pizza’s hardly-working, gas-fired monstrosity of an oven as box/delivery bag storage while what we initially referred to as “a non-working oven” (and what was actually a Domino’s-style conveyor oven) has been resurrected into use. They’ve decked the place out with framed prints, a flat screen TV, even some tables and a restroom. Swanky.

While the place probably won’t seat more than 2-3 parties, it’s comparatively comfortable and has much less of the seedy, backroom vibe that put us off so effectively last year. Service was also pretty personable and energetic. Speedy’s menu includes salads, appetizers (both standard American ones like wings and fries, as well as Mexican antojitos like arepas and salchipapas), wraps, subs, calzones, and of course, a selection of traditional and specialty pizzas.

Pizza. In order to stay true to our original Pizza Tour benchmark, we ordered the very same pizza that prompted our damning original review: a large pie, half plain cheese, half sausage.

And there it is. A departure from our last visit, the pizza’s sauce and cheese were no longer of questionable quality and origin: the sauce was bright and tangy, while the cheese had a nice snap despite being a bit oily and gummy by the time we got it home (Speedy Pizza, for reference, topped their pies with some sort of candle wax). The crust had an alright flavor as well, but the conveyor oven does the pie’s texture no favors at all. The pizza lacked the crispness that all good pies absolutely need; it was bready and floppy and more reminiscent of a pita than a pizza. It was baked rather than cooked. The texture brought this pie to a screeching halt.

You might gather from the photo that we weren’t super impressed with the sausage either (you might pick up on that gigantic, doughy blister, too). It was in short supply and it tasted like a canned breakfast sausage rather than the Italian sausage it was billed as. Some things never change. All things considered, though, we were able to finish this pie, which is something we wouldn’t dream of doing with an old Speedy Pizza.

Bottom line. Speedy’s Pizzeria is not Speedy Pizza by any means; it’s clean, friendly, and slightly more speedy with a product that was something that we can’t pin Most Improvement Needed on anymore (that’s now Michelina’s).

Establishment: 13/30
Pizza: 14/30
Hits the Spot: 4.0/10 
Large cheese: $12.99

Located on West Ave., Outpost Pizza is one of the lesser known pizzerias in town. Touting a "father and son place, putting Stamford on the map for great tasting pizza," Outpost is admirably audacious with a menu full of claims that the Stamford Pizza Tour was made to test.

Establishment. There's not a whole lot to say about Outpost's establishment, as they're primarily takeout only with but one table and a few chairs in a relative hole in the wall next to a liquor store on the South End. That said, Outpost pizza was far more inviting than we expected considering its lackluster location and comparative obscurity around town with a bright, clean establishment, its walls blanketed with photos of loyal customers. The service was what one would expect from a takeout only, counter service operation: quick and marginally personable, keeping you there no longer than you want to be. Outpost's menu is surprisingly diverse, including appetizers, salads, pastas, traditional Italian and Greek favorites, hot and cold sandwiches, the creatively badged "Wrap Pack," and pizza, backed by a brazen guarantee.

Pizza. Outpost's pizza is rather unsurprisingly very, very good (or else they'd be bled dry from buying other pizzas from around town for their dissatisfied customers). The crust is very thin and airy with a very unique flavor, cooked to crispy perfection without being too crusty or brittle. Outpost advertises their exclusive use of Grande cheese (the Wisconsin-based purveyor of the finest Italian cheeses money can buy) and it's evident, as the cheese had a unique, fresh taste that wasn't greasy or salty, and an amazingly gooey texture. We can't say the same about the sauce, however, as it was in short supply and from what we could gather, was painfully mediocre despite its alleged Brooklyn origins. The pie's temperature was adversely affected by the 12 minute long journey from Outpost to Pizza Tour HQ, but it held up well considering the circumstances. Our usual topping of choice, sausage, was very good and complementary to a very good pizza overall.

The bottom line. Outpost is takeout only and off the beaten path for most, but their pizza is certainly worth the drive, as it definitely comes through on its guarantee of being one of the better pies in town despite not living up to its impossibly lofty claims.

Establishment: 14/30
Pizza: 23/30
Hits the Spot: 8.5/10
Large Cheese: $10.75

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Best of West Side/South End

Located in Stamford's Bull's Head shopping center, Liz Sue Bagels is known primarily for its long line of loyal customers and delectable bagel selection. This unorthodox stop on the Pizza Tour was the result of many emails suggesting their inclusion and Liz Sue's window decal advertising "PIZZA" to the masses.

Establishment. This is a bagel shop. Plain and simple. We don't know that they're bending over backwards to conform to the pizzeria model that we use to judge these places, nor do we really expect them to. There are a few little tables inside and outside what can only be loosely described as a dining room, as it actually serves to house the part of Liz Sue's line that doesn't spill outside and wrap around the building. Being as screamingly popular as they are, the counter service is as personable and lightning quick as is fitting of a local bagelry. Their menu consists primarily of bagels (surprise!) and various flavored cream cheeses, breakfast sandwiches, and puzzlingly enough: pizza.

Pizza. Liz Sue's pizza is only sold by-the-slice and is cut from an unprecedentedly massive 24" pie. It's made in batches and kept in a pastry refrigerator until it's ordered, at which point its reheated in their massive bagel oven, wrapped in tin foil, and packed to go. While highly unconventional (and in blatant violation of our "once it goes cold, it stays cold" maxim), there's no denying that this pizza is downright filling if nothing else. The crust is the centerpiece of this entire pie; founded on Liz Sue's delicious bagel dough, it was chewy and uniquely dense, thus giving our jaws quite the workout and going together rather well with cream cheese. Their sauce tastes canned (and probably is, all things considered) and their cheese is nothing special. Being premade, Liz Sue's pizza is also devoid of toppings, so we were naturally unable to rate them. Overall, this pizza was unique, filling, and good for a quick lunch, but nothing spectacular in terms of flavor.

The bottom line. Liz Sue sells bagels, but if you're in the mood for a comically huge slice of a unique bagel pizza hybrid for $2.50, this is the only place to go.

Establishment: 14/30
Pizza: 17/30
Hits the Spot: 6.5/10
Large Cheese: $2.50 (slice)

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Bageliest Pizza

Located on Stillwater Ave., Lucy's Pizza Parlor's harsh exterior may cause you to rethink your dining choice for the evening. You might be right, as Lucy's is a pizza parlor in name only and you will surely be taking out and eating at home. Regardless, Lucy's offers a unique product and specialty pies you're unlikely to come across at many other pizzerias.

Establishment. Lucy's Pizza Parlor clearly does not cater to the eat-in customer. Equipped with a Plexiglas shield and locked door between the counter and the waiting area, this pizza parlor seems to be very well prepared for anything short of a Gestapo-style ransacking. Needless to say, Lucy's is anything but warm and welcoming. Nonetheless, what we could gather about the service as our pizza was being slipped through a conveniently sized slot in the shield was more than favorable. In fact, Lucy's also has a very diverse menu, complete with the first (and presumably, only) Indian Spicy pizza we've seen on The Tour and shouldn't be judged by its cover so quickly.

Pizza. Lucy's pizza was one of the best looking pies we've seen. It's golden crust, perfectly browned cheese, and artful distribution of hot peppers made for a masterpiece of a pizza. That said, it was a bizarre but delightfully unique one to say the least. The crust had an odd, airy consistency (not unlike that of a sponge) yet remained crispy while the rather tasty cheese was served very crisp, forming a strange cheese shell that tended to cling to adjacent slices and tear them asunder. The sauce was also moderately flavorful. However, the texture was widely derided as its breadlike consistency was nothing like that of any respectable pizza any of us have ever tasted and negatively affected the overall product. It was weird. Strangely, everything came together to make a halfway decent pie that defied our better judgment.

The bottom line. Lucy's Pizza Parlor will make you feel as if you've taken your life into your own hands, but Lucy's pizza is decent albeit highly unconventional.

Establishment: 9/30
Pizza: 17/30
Hits the Spot: 7/10
Large Cheese: $11.25

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Most Bulletproof

North Stamford loves Michelina's Pizza for one reason: Michelina's Pizza delivers to North Stamford. Convenience is the only possible reason that anyone can enjoy the 16" garbage circles masquerading around as 18" pizzas from this loathsome hole. You would be best advised to disown any friend of yours that recommends Michelina's Pizza (unless they're mercifully recommending a non-pizza item) or at least offer to drive them to Speedy's.

Establishment. Driving up to Michelina's on a cold winter night, one might mistake it for a Roman bathhouse because the windows will be fogged up and unspeakable things will be happening inside. Michelina's looks more like a stock room than a pizzeria as it has no dining room to speak of and is designed strictly for take-out. The staff is very well-mannered via phone, Michelina's offers many reasonably priced ($5) non-pizza lunch specials, and the interior is as clean as stainless steel can be, but that's about it. Normally, this would be fine because its not unheard of to get extraordinarily good food from a proverbial hole in the wall. Unfortunately, this is not that hole in the wall.

Pizza. This is the unspeakable thing happening inside. Michelina's pizza is beyond abysmal. The crust feels, looks, and (one would imagine) tastes like wet cardboard. Cold, wet cardboard. The military should be doing research on the cheese because when it cools and congeals approximately an eighth of a second after coming out of the oven, it has the texture and bullet-stopping properties of Kevlar. Incidentally, the sauce has a unique ability to provide a tasteless medium on which the cheese may float indefinitely, independent from the crust. Only the provision of a binder clip could save Michelina's pizza from extreme ingredient slippage. Fortunately, ingredient slip was most welcome being as the sausage tasted like it had been soaking in a chlorinated pool before going onto that wretched pizza and into the oven.

The bottom line. Michelina's should not offer pizza. Seriously, every single thing on their menu that isn't pizza has got to be better than this pizza.

Establishment: 12/30
Pizza: 10/30
Hits the Spot: 2/10
Large Cheese: $11.95

Located on Summer Street, Ridgeway Pizza has been a takeout staple for families and businesses alike for years. Ridgeway holds a special place in our hearts as well, having delivered to us many times at Westhill High School back when we had the run of the place in 2004, which is no small feat considering how well the gestapo had that building buttoned up back then.

Establishment. Ridgeway doesn't exactly have a low lit dining room with free bread and checkered tablecloths. In fact, it scores pretty low against our establishment criteria (except for the parking, which is plentiful and fabulously located, and the oven, which is 11 feet tall, awesome, and spins). Rather than harp on too many of the irrelevant negatives, lets get to what keeps Stamford's pizza-adoring public coming back for more.

Pizza. Ridgeway Pizza is delicious. If you're a fan of thin crust pizza, you'll be estatic with Ridgeway's pie. The crust is thin but full of flavor, the cheese is wonderful, but the sauce is just good to very good. Because it's so thin, those with overly discriminating tastes might need a few more slices than the average bear, but is that really a bad thing? It is if you like hot pizza, as Ridgeway really has that surface area to volume ratio thing going against it and cools faster than pets.com's popularity. Right out of the oven, Ridgeway's pizza is a force to be reckoned with. Right out of the box, it loses something and becomes merely very, very good.

The bottom line. Thin crust diehards, look no further, for Ridgeway is king and you are its lowly peasant. But seriously, it's pretty good.

Establishment: 15/30
Pizza: 23/30
Hits the Spot: 8/10
Large Cheese: $10.75

AWARDS WON:

2009 – Best Delivery Pizza

2009 – Tournament Finalist (4th place)

This wonderful little nugget is strictly a take-out only establishment. That is the last good thing we'll say about Speedy Pizza. This reviewer fully intends on writing a review as courteous as Speedy's pizza was edible. Canadians (honest to God, Canadians) would not find this pizza anywhere near appetizing and may God have mercy on the souls of those keeping this scourge of the earth in business.

Establishment. As a strictly take-out pizzeria, Speedy's has no real establishment to speak of. We essentially walked into the kitchen from the front door with little to no barrier separating us from the black hole of flavor that their surprisingly working oven (perched atop what would seem to be a non-working oven) would prove to be. They had an interesting menu to say the least, littered with nonsensical food offerings such as hot dog pockets and chicken rolls. And as if that wasn't enough, we waited a solid 20 minutes (phoning 10 minutes ahead of time and waiting in folding chairs on site for another 10) for the "pizza" to make it into the box.

Pizza. Speedy's pizza would not even be passable as a Red Baron pizza found in your local grocer's freezer section. It goes without saying that the crust, cheese, and sauce were of questionable quality at best while the breakfast sausage topping masquerading around as "Italian sausage" did nothing but infuriate our palates further. The texture was like that of a wet tortilla, curling under itself despite 20 minutes of cooking. If the cheese had slipped off the pie, taking sauce and toppings with it as with so many substandard pizzas of yore, we would have relished the opportunity to let it fall to the ground. Unfortunately for us, it did not. And by now you're probably asking...gee how did they finish? Well...we threw out the last two slices.

The bottom line. Speedy Pizza is neither speedy nor is it pizza, please find something less painful to do with your $11.99. Like stapling eleven dollars to your face and removing them with a spatula from the 99 cent store.

Establishment: 9.5/30
Pizza: 9/30
Hits the Spot: 1/10
Large Cheese: $11.99

UPDATE: It seems as if Speedy Pizza as we know it has undergone a massive overhaul so as to make considerable improvements to the establishment and pizza, so don’t expect to experience the horrors we endured when we first visited. While we haven’t had a chance to revisit the pizzeria we deemed to need the most improvement, in due time we will.

“AWARDS” WON:

2009 – Most Improvement Needed