I don’t know, Indy has so many pizza places and some people think that must mean we have lots of great ones, but I'm not sure. Honestly, I am not in love with Bazbeaux the way so many people are (I mean, according to its website, it has won the people’s choice for best pizza in Indianapolis Monthly every year since 1986) but all in all it was not bad. I am amazed however, at how well all of the pizza joints seem to do, so I guess everyone has their different taste, and their own favorite, and they all seem to do just fine.
Anyway, although pizza isn’t usually my idea of a night out, for some reason I was in the mood to go back to Bazbeaux. I think it was because I was in the mood for some sort of veggie type pizza and I knew Bazbeaux would have lots of options. When we walked in, I was happy not to fight a huge crowd—sometimes the waits have been pretty bad. We were also greeted right away and taken care of by a very attentive and friendly server.
As we perused the menu, and ordered some wine and some cheesy garlic bread, I was drawn to the “garden” pizza that is one of the specialty pizzas on the menu. Basically, it had all the veggies I have ever liked in various veggie pizzas (although never all on one pizza)-- spinach, olives, red onions, ricotta and artichoke hearts; one I had never seen on a pizza, but love every other way, avocado; and one that I hate on pizza, green peppers. So I ordered a small one without green peppers and munched on the bread. Hubby ordered the Napoli with fresh garlic, capers, basil and anchovies, which also sounded quite good.
I have to say, I think this is some of the best garlic bread around. Honestly, I could do without the cheese (it comes that way too) but hubby wanted the cheese. I picked a lot of it off because the bread and the truly garlic-y butter was great on its own. Hubby also loved it.
Unfortunately, when our pizza was delivered, mine had green peppers. All over it. Now, sometimes you can just pick things off and sometimes you can’t. This was one of the times when you just could not. They were under the cheese and on every square inch. And I really hate them. So, I had to send it back. The server was very accommodating and apologetic and put a rush on a new one. But it sort of sucks when your dining companion has their food and you don’t. And it takes awhile to make a pizza. So I had a piece of hubby’s which was not bad—needed to cut the anchovies up a bit and spread them around, but it was a unique, if not a bit strong, flavor combination. I do like the very thin crust they use—and you can choose between white and whole wheat.
When my pizza came, I guess what I realized is that the “garden” just had too much stuff on it. It was piled so high it sort of overwhelmed the crust. Hubby said it was my fault for ordering it, but if it’s one of the pizzas offered on the menu, it should be good right? Anyway, next time (which may be awhile), I would probably just make my own with a few ingredients—maybe just 2 or 3 of the ones on mine and see how that goes. I did like the ricotta on the pizza—added a nice additional dimension to the cheese aspect. And the server took my pizza off the bill because of the screw up, so I guess I can’t really complain about the price anyway. But really, I did appreciate that they just automatically did that—so many times when a restaurant makes a mistake they don’t do it (unless you ask) and in the name of good customer service, they should.
I know people love this place (and hubby was raving about his), but I guess I am not there yet. We’ll see.
Bazbeaux Pizza
811 East Westfield Blvd
Indy 46220
317-255-5711
www.bazbeaux.com
Anyway, although pizza isn’t usually my idea of a night out, for some reason I was in the mood to go back to Bazbeaux. I think it was because I was in the mood for some sort of veggie type pizza and I knew Bazbeaux would have lots of options. When we walked in, I was happy not to fight a huge crowd—sometimes the waits have been pretty bad. We were also greeted right away and taken care of by a very attentive and friendly server.
As we perused the menu, and ordered some wine and some cheesy garlic bread, I was drawn to the “garden” pizza that is one of the specialty pizzas on the menu. Basically, it had all the veggies I have ever liked in various veggie pizzas (although never all on one pizza)-- spinach, olives, red onions, ricotta and artichoke hearts; one I had never seen on a pizza, but love every other way, avocado; and one that I hate on pizza, green peppers. So I ordered a small one without green peppers and munched on the bread. Hubby ordered the Napoli with fresh garlic, capers, basil and anchovies, which also sounded quite good.
I have to say, I think this is some of the best garlic bread around. Honestly, I could do without the cheese (it comes that way too) but hubby wanted the cheese. I picked a lot of it off because the bread and the truly garlic-y butter was great on its own. Hubby also loved it.
Unfortunately, when our pizza was delivered, mine had green peppers. All over it. Now, sometimes you can just pick things off and sometimes you can’t. This was one of the times when you just could not. They were under the cheese and on every square inch. And I really hate them. So, I had to send it back. The server was very accommodating and apologetic and put a rush on a new one. But it sort of sucks when your dining companion has their food and you don’t. And it takes awhile to make a pizza. So I had a piece of hubby’s which was not bad—needed to cut the anchovies up a bit and spread them around, but it was a unique, if not a bit strong, flavor combination. I do like the very thin crust they use—and you can choose between white and whole wheat.
When my pizza came, I guess what I realized is that the “garden” just had too much stuff on it. It was piled so high it sort of overwhelmed the crust. Hubby said it was my fault for ordering it, but if it’s one of the pizzas offered on the menu, it should be good right? Anyway, next time (which may be awhile), I would probably just make my own with a few ingredients—maybe just 2 or 3 of the ones on mine and see how that goes. I did like the ricotta on the pizza—added a nice additional dimension to the cheese aspect. And the server took my pizza off the bill because of the screw up, so I guess I can’t really complain about the price anyway. But really, I did appreciate that they just automatically did that—so many times when a restaurant makes a mistake they don’t do it (unless you ask) and in the name of good customer service, they should.
I know people love this place (and hubby was raving about his), but I guess I am not there yet. We’ll see.
Bazbeaux Pizza
811 East Westfield Blvd
Indy 46220
317-255-5711
www.bazbeaux.com
I wasn't impressed with the Garden either. Warm avocados are gross to me, and it was generally an overloaded pizza.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my top Bazbeaux pizzas are the B.O.T., Basilica, and Quattro Fromagio, yum. Also, I love their housemade salad dressings.
I strongly agree with you here. Baz is missing the mark lately. Customer service is really bad in Carmel. However, I really like their Creamy Basil Dressing/Spinach Salad. The take away here is that I order a salad at a pizza place, something is just wrong with that....
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have never understood why people love this place. We're also not fans of the crusts at Bazbeaux.
ReplyDeleteTheir simple pizzas are bland and their loaded pizzas are more like casseroles than pizza.
I've lived in Italy, NY, NJ, and San Francisco. I've had some good pizzas in my day. Bazbeaux couldn't survive in any of those places.
-Disgruntled Foodie
Every one here is being way too critical. The staff downtown and in BR may have too many piercings and purple hair, but service has always been fine. I get a spinach/mushroom pizza that I love.
ReplyDeleteI know my opinion doesn't count because I am a life long Hoosier. But, I have visited SF, NY, NJ and Italy. Pizza is different everywhere. It is one of the things that makes life good.
In my opinion pizza is a very subjective item. Some people like thin crust, some like thick, some like deep dish others hand tossed. Whenever this topic comes up, I have never seen a group of people agree. Personally I think Bazeaux uses high quality ingredients and puts out a good product. The first time I went there the pizza I had was fine but not great --then on my most recent visit I tried a new one and thought it was really good.
ReplyDeleteHubby
Could care less about piercings and tats. Have a few myself. Have no complaints about the service at any of the Baz's but the food is still mediocre.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you were raised in Indy, it is the number 1 city for chain restaurants in this nation. If you allow your city to become that then there's a chance you have no idea what real food tastes like.
-Blue State Man
I have to agree I have been to Bazbeaux's many times and have been less and less happy with the place.
ReplyDeleteAgain Indy is one of the worst towns for food and restaurants.... and I am from here. I keep holding out that somewhere some time a gem might show up.... But until then I will keep making my own great food at home....
Re: your comments about the Garden being a big pile of toppings, I have some thoughts. This is a common pizza phenomenon. Check this out: it's about psychology, size, and the crumbling of quality as the method of recreating the same pizza recipe gets passed down and reconstructed thousands of times a week by people increasingly distanced from the original creator.
ReplyDeleteSee, if you ordered this pizza in a large I bet this wouldn't be an issue. I've seen it time and time again. Small sizes of many-topping pizzas do not get the proper, commensurately-less amount of toppings. The right amount of one topping on a many-topping pizza just seems like too little in the pizza-maker's hand, by itself. I promise you that when the Garden was designed it was not meant to be the pile that it often is. and when you're an absentee owner who doesn't pay the management that IS there what they deserve, quality is bound to suffer.
My opinion is Bazbeaux does very little that is very good. Creamy Basil is one, and the Chilope, created by an employee who never got credit or a dime, is another, and the ambiance is the last.
Indy's most overrated restaurant.
Bazbeaux's is one of the better pizza places in Indianapolis, but I really miss the Neopolitan style pizza that I used to get in Minneapolis, MN. My favorite pizza place in the Twin Cities was Pizza Nea. None of the wood-oven pizza's I've tried here even come close to their fantastic crust. Their toppings were also the best. Does anyone know of a Neopolitan pizza place in Indy?
ReplyDeleteI think Bazbeaux is best in town. We go with1/2 Quattro Frommagio, 1/2 Garden. Love the crackly crust. Often get the large antipasto salad with creamy cucumber dressing.
ReplyDelete