The local pizza joint famous for its Marie LeVeaux, Shrimp a la Dean-O's and Cajun Executioner has a big time fan: Parade Magazine.
The local pizza joint famous for its Marie LeVeaux, Shrimp a la Dean-O's and Cajun Executioner has a big time fan: Parade Magazine.
The Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers across the U.S., calls Dean-O's a standout American classic. The magazine ranked it among its top five picks.
Like barbecue, pizza has multiple personalities. Some of the country's best pies (like the legendary white clam pizza at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, Conn.) barely resemble the basic tomato-and-cheese combo. At the Portland Pie Company in Portland, Maine, you can indulge in lobster pizza; at Big Lou's in San Antonio, you can try barbecued brisket as a topping. Those who grew up with thin-crust slices on the Atlantic City Boardwalk might not even recognize Chicago's deep-dish variety!
Of the countless pizza styles, a few stand out as American classics. Here are PARADE's top five:
1. Al Forno - Providence, R.I.
Where grilled pizza was invented, Al Forno is known for its super-savory, oil-brushed crusts.
2. Buddy's - Detroit
It's the home of Detroit's thick-crust square pizza; the pepperoni is layered on the bottom to keep it moist. Topping options include carrots, cauliflower, and pineapple (sliced or diced).
3. Coletta's - Memphis
Pies here come adorned with a bouquet of pulled pork in tangy barbecue sauce. Before you dig in, have a BBQ salad.
4. Dean-O's - Lafayette, La.
Do you like your pizza hot? Have the Cajun Executioner, crowned with pepperoni, hot sausage, spicy shrimp, and plenty of jalapeños. One pie, the Marie LeVeaux, is loaded with big sweet hunks of Gulf crabmeat.
5. DiCarlo's - Wheeling, W. Va
W. Va. The unique pies at DiCarlo's feature a tomato-glazed crust that is flash-baked with minimal cheese, then pulled from the oven and topped with shredded provolone and, if desired, pepperoni discs and peppers.
The attention to Dean-o's comes just as Lafayette prepares for a Thursday visit from Southern Living, which likely indicates the Hub City has won that magazine's Tastiest Town competition.
Dean-O's has two locations in Lafayette. The locally owned Bertrand Driver pizzeria recently opened Dean-o's South on Kaliste Saloom Road.
Read more from Parade here.