The Florida Dine and Dash: New York: Your pizza has competition

Sometimes, when completing your quest for the ultimate cuisine experiences in the state of Florida, you must do some crazy things. Me, being a total anti-higher educational establishment critic, has decided to run into Gator Country and try one of their more popular restaurants. Satchel’s Pizza is a result of many years of pizza-making experience from the owner and transformed a little speck of land outside the Gator Circle into a very successful commodity. Their specialty is pizza (obviously) and also their calzones, which they claim is very addicting. Located in the quieter area of Gainesville, Florida, I was joined by my brother and my cousin, my filming staff and heavy pizza enthusiasts.

Background check on pizza: pizza is heaven, almost anytime. However, in tough times, all the pizza chains have been scaling back on the size and quality of their pies, resulting in many pizza fans having to search elsewhere for really good pizza. With New York City still having the best pizzas I’ve ever had (New Yorkers, appreciate your food), I am still searching for that one regular mind-blowing pizza that can match the heavenly goodness I experienced last August. Ricky T’s seafood pizza (in Treasure Island) was the best of the best in the state of Florida, because their mixture of alfredo with mozzarella cheese and pounds of seafood was damn amazing. But now, there is a new competitor.

Satchel’s Pizza is a nifty little joint, with a few vans that turned into tables and a crazy gift shop right next door. The building isn’t that big, and is quite hidden within the wilderness that is the outskirts of Gainesville. The staff was extremely friendly, they could not ask for a better staff. We ordered a calzone that contains pepperoni, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. And then, the tour-de-force was ordered—the deep dish pizza with extra cheese, pepperoni, spicy sausage, and double bacon (Golden Rule of Bacon is tested once again). Let me just say though, the wait was quite extensive. After a two hour drive, we had to wait an extra 20-25 minutes for our food to arrive. We maintained entertained by crafting ridiculous conversations about how the NFL hates the SEC, Tebow will never have a chance to shine, and how skate core would be the next awesome trend of metal music. The people sitting behind us clearly noticed our…um…good behavior (That was not loud or rowdy at all........)..........

Pointless banter aside, we waited, and waited. Finally, it all arrived at the same time. The calzone was attacked first. This was definitely the best calzone I’ve ever had, even though it was way up there in the calzone price range (over 11 bucks). It was extremely cheesy, very rich, and the pepperoni despite not being crispy enhanced the flavor without overpowering it. It was not too greasy, so you didn’t feel like you were going to die of an immense heart attack after the meal. Even the outer crust was perfectly seasoned and buttered for extra goodness.

The deep dish pizza is where it’s at. A great pizza must do this: not require for you to use a fork and knife (with the toppings fall over), and also have a great crust. There is never any effort to make good crust, which is why I can’t enjoy thin-crust pizzas like most people do. This deep dish pizza accomplished both by providing an excellent blend of crust and toppings. There wasn’t too much sauce (which would actually upset the New Yorkers and Chicagoians)(Yes, that previous word was not a word), but it was still rich. However, it’s all about the flavorful crust and the toppings. The pizza was heavy in flavor, very thick, and just like the best of pizzas, can fill you up after a couple slices. The toppings were all well-cooked, and well-embedded in the pizza, with very little of it falling off the pie.

I was full with a quarter of a calzone and two slices of pizza, and you are talking to the man who can eat over a pound of cooked cheeseburger and fries in one sitting (See: Le Tub). My brother and my cousin both mentioned that this was probably the best Florida pizza they’ve ever had. In my opinion, the pizza was excellent, well-worth the drive. That being said, if I were to order the deep dish again, I would try to cut back on the toppings and focus strictly on the extra cheese and bacon. And also, the price is also a bit up there at 26 bucks. Now, compare this to the $18 seafood pizza from Ricky T’s, which clearly uses much more expensive ingredients----lobster, crab, shrimp. So, for the best value for your buck, if you love seafood as well as pizza, then Ricky T’s remains the best of Florida. Otherwise, if you aren’t a seafood person, then I will gladly place Satchel’s Pizza as the peak pizza place of the state of Florida. Yes, it is that good.

Bottom Line: The prior experience of the owner clearly paid off, as he provides a great place with wonderful pizza, great service, and an overall satisfactory experience. Located in a quiet area that is away from the usual hustle and bustle of the college atmosphere, it’s a nice place to enter, relax, as you anticipate food clearly made with plenty of love and care. The price is definitely up there (and only cash) and the wait might be a turn-off for those on-the-go folks, but it’s worth the price tag and the waiting associated with it. And trust me, when a person drives two hours for pizza and says it was worth a $26 price tag that is definitely saying something heavy.