Classification: Traditional
Location: Minneapolis Northeast
Have you ever visited friends for an evening of pizza and games or movies? I'm always interested in Host's Choice pizza because they're usually going to select somewhere they have an established relationship, either the local "go-to" or a premium place a few miles farther up the road if they're dining to impress. I always enjoy these pizza nights because it allows me to witness normally dispassionate consumers promote and defend the honor of their pizza. I always find the arguments extremely convincing, and I leave the evening satisfied that I've been introduced to a great new option that I was unaware of before the evening. Host's Choice is always exciting, as it its close cousin, Recommended Pizza..
Swen and I agreed to meet up at Parkway in spring of 2016 partly because of its convenient location, but also based on a recommendation. Recommended Pizza always tells a story, and that's one of my favorite things about Parkway; it's someone's favorite pizza in the whole world, just like children are to their proud and doting parents. I think we should all plaster bumper stickers on our RAV-4s that say "I'm proud of my Chef at Luigi's Pizzeria" In this instance, it revealed that the person offering the recommendation was very much like me in one specific way: not super-adventurous with cuisine, but also passionate enough to be stirred by the basics.
As you can see, Parkway ranks in the upper half. It's a pretty traditional thin crust pie with adequate ingredients that nicely displayed, and in a fairly typical Mom & Pop atmosphere. I am usually hesitant to compare pizza to figure skating, but let's just say that Parkway checks all the compulsory element boxes, but doesn't have those extra sparkly sequins or effervescent personality to dazzle the crowd. Very good, but not magical. (8 of 10 stars)