The Most Epic SJPdP Pizza Experience!

[DavidR]

So I was going to enjoy dinner in one of the SJPdP restaurants - but all the ones I saw seems to be lacking pilgrims and also seemed to be full of upper middle class French tourists - so I was feeling out of place.

And then I walked past this bizarre instant fresh hot pizza machine and decided to give it a go..... I WAS BLOWN AWAY!!!!

I ordered the Quattro Formage, paid with credit card, the machine spat out the pizza within 10 mins (caution - the box was super hot, be very careful)

It didn't look like much, but the taste was insane! I have never, ever, ever had a better Quattro Formage in 40 years of hard core dedication to cheese. There was way more cheese than base, it was messy to eat but literally every flavour of cheese was rich and abundant and perfect!

My body is soooo happy right now, ab I felt compelled to share

So if you love a great cheese pizza, I suggest you give it a go. Best €11 you'll ever spend! should be able to find it on Google maps (name is in the photo below), but you'll also likely pass it as you're walking around

 

[JabbaPapa]

Pastry looks seriously undercooked, though there's sometimes an advantage in that - - BUT the French version of Four Cheeses given the nature of French cheeses does have its advantages over the original Italian recipe ; though Italians would likely find the mix too unrefined and unsubtle.

 

[henrythedog]

Supermarket frozen pizza plus exceptional quantity of cheese, microwaved. Clearly that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Bradypus]

Supermarket frozen pizza plus exceptional quantity of cheese, microwaved. Clearly that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

My mother worked in a chip shop in central Scotland in the 1980s. They had pizza on the menu. Taken straight from the freezer and then deep fried - without batter. Just as vile as you might be imagining

 

[C clearly]

Supermarket frozen pizza

It doesn't bear any resemblance to any supermarket frozen pizza I've ever seen, and the top looks oven-cooked, not microwaved. I think it looks surprisingly delicious!

 

[Kanga]

We tried an instant pizza machine on our last trip, because it was the only food around. Money in the slot, choose topping, wait and watch as dough gets machine pummeled into shape, toppings added, metal arms push it onto rotating hot plate oven, finished and out it comes. It was great! Not microwaved, I think it’s a combination of a very hot bottomed plate and convection heat on top.
Not agreeing the best pizza ever, but definitely an acceptable alternative to no dinner!

 

[Vacajoe]

These exist infrequently “in the wild” on various camino routes and also in tourist areas of France. Trust me, when you are hungry, it’s delicious!

 

[Paul Wilson]

My mother worked in a chip shop in central Scotland in the 1980s. They had pizza on the menu. Taken straight from the freezer and then deep fried - without batter. Just as vile as you might be imagining

You take that back I still enjoy the odd deep fried pizza from time to time

 

[henrythedog]

It doesn't bear any resemblance to any supermarket frozen pizza I've ever seen, and the top looks oven-cooked, not microwaved. I think it looks surprisingly delicious!

I entirely agree that it looks delicious and, if there were one in the vicinity I’d no doubt be a regular and rather larger customer. There may be some grill-like device in the machine but when I’ve bought one (in France a couple of years ago) the product was dispensed fully packaged in a time which precludes oven-baked. Also these cabinets are certainly not reloaded daily, and I’ve never seen a machine which can reliably strip plastic-wrap off a floppy pizza .. so there’s a freezer or chiller in there.

I love food, and I’ll travel and pay to get good food. My local village has a 3* and a 2* and a couple of pubs which would be recognised if they could be bothered; but there are evenings when I would happily kill for a kebab, of unknown provenance and equally indeterminate protein-content and for which the only appropriate apéritif is a gallon or two (1-2 x 5 litres +/-) of ale.

Back to the beginning: there’s a microwave in that cabinet.

 

[henrythedog]

My mother worked in a chip shop in central Scotland in the 1980s. They had pizza on the menu. Taken straight from the freezer and then deep fried - without batter. Just as vile as you might be imagining

I’d draw the line at the deep-fried pizza; but have you tried the battered deep-fried Mars Bar? It’s a once in a lifetime experience; not least because two could quite probably kill you, but I have a grudging admiration for whoever was so inebriated that they came up with the concept and then lived long enough to record it.

 

[henrythedog]

We tried an instant pizza machine on our last trip, because it was the only food around. Money in the slot, choose topping, wait and watch as dough gets machine pummeled into shape, toppings added, metal arms push it onto rotating hot plate oven, finished and out it comes. It was great! Not microwaved, I think it’s a combination of a very hot bottomed plate and convection heat on top.
Not agreeing the best pizza ever, but definitely an acceptable alternative to no dinner!

There must be two or more variants of these machines. My only experience is one where there was categorically no fresh dough in the vicinity. I’d love to see one in action.

 

[Bradypus]

I’d draw the line at the deep-fried pizza; but have you tried the battered deep-fried Mars Bar?

I haven't tried one myself but I have been in places where they were served. I value my tongue and palate too much to risk scalding them with deep fried sugar. Insanely high temperatures in those things!

 

[Kanga]

There must be one or more variants of these machines. My only experience is one where there was categorically no fresh dough in the vicinity. I’d love to see one in action.

There are a few YouTube videos with automatic pizza machines that produce fresh dough. Here's one. There are some that mix the dough from start, but apparently it does not taste like proper pizza dough.
The one we used the dough was pre-made, but dispensed in a lump and then pummelled, and then spun into shape.

I'm thinking we might see these spread along the Camino in due course. Not in the countryside I hope!

 

[henrythedog]

There are a few YouTube videos with automatic pizza machines that produce fresh dough. Here's one. There are some that mix the dough from start, but apparently it does not taste like proper pizza dough.
The one we used the dough was pre-made, but dispensed in a lump and then pummelled, and then spun into shape.

I'm thinking we might see these spread along the Camino in due course. Not in the countryside I hope!

I stand corrected, amazed and further convinced that not every technological development is really a step forward.

However; were it not for the firm hand of Mrs Henrythedog one of those machines together with a bed, sink and toilet could probably have sufficed for most of my adult life.

Whilst it’s bedtime here I’m still mentally working on a concept of a standard-sized shipping container which only needs connecting up at one end for pizza components and water and at the other for the necessary consequences.

The relevance of this to any camino topic is diminishing by the second. Were the esteemed moderators to deliver the coup d’grace, we could all breathe a sigh of relief.

 

[C clearly]

Were the esteemed moderators to deliver the coup d’grace, we could all breathe a sigh of relief.

But they would first need to extricate themselves from the thread. (By the way, perhaps your sturdy walking sticks could be useful in the construction or destruction of that shipping container.)

 

[henrythedog]

But they would first need to extricate themselves from the thread. (By the way, perhaps your sturdy walking sticks could be useful in the construction or destruction of that shipping container.)

And, so - to bed.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

My most interesting chippie experience while in Britain was deep fried Haggis and chips with curry sauce. It was such an odd combination that I couldn't resist.

A very intriguing combination but not something that I have ever wanted to replicate.

Almost up to the standard of some of the different combinations on offer in Thailand as street/market food.

 

[DavidR]

Pastry looks seriously undercooked, though there's sometimes an advantage in that - - BUT the French version of Four Cheeses given the nature of French cheeses does have its advantages over the original Italian recipe ; though Italians would likely find the mix too unrefined and unsubtle.

Actually somehow the base was cooked properly, and it was even baked and not microwaved Don't know how, but it was quite a surprise.

And yeah.... zero subtlety, just very loud flavour

 

[DavidR]

De

I entirely agree that it looks delicious and, if there were one in the vicinity I’d no doubt be a regular and rather larger customer. There may be some grill-like device in the machine but when I’ve bought one (in France a couple of years ago) the product was dispensed fully packaged in a time which precludes oven-baked. Also these cabinets are certainly not reloaded daily, and I’ve never seen a machine which can reliably strip plastic-wrap off a floppy pizza .. so there’s a freezer or chiller in there.

I love food, and I’ll travel and pay to get good food. My local village has a 3* and a 2* and a couple of pubs which would be recognised if they could be bothered; but there are evenings when I would happily kill for a kebab, of unknown provenance and equally indeterminate protein-content and for which the only appropriate apéritif is a gallon or two (1-2 x 5 litres +/-) of ale.

Back to the beginning: there’s a microwave in that cabinet.

Definitely not microwaved! I don't know how, but it was crispy and the cheese had structure - it didn't abandon all its water like it does in a microwave. It came out in the pizza box, so no plastic wrap - and the pizza wasn't stuck to the box or filled with oil stains. So there is definitely some clever engineering going on!

 

[VNwalking]

I wish there were some yuk emojis to use for some of the posts on this thread. But that pizza looks amazingly delicious.
Out. Of. A. Machine! (If they can do this, why in the world is machine coffee so awful??)

 

[JabbaPapa]

There are at least two established Italian pizza recipes where the base is deliberately undercooked, and those are Pizza Alla Nutella, and Pizza Bianca.

From an Italian perspective, OP's pizza is basically a variant of the latter, plus masses of French cheeses on top. It could be called Pizza Bianca, e Tre Formaggi di Piú.

So I am surprised not in the slightest that he found it to be delicious.

 

[lt56ny]

And then I walked past this bizarre instant fresh hot pizza machine and decided to give it a go..... I WAS BLOWN AWAY!!!!

As a native New Yorker who believes (and rightly so) the best pizza is found only in Italy and the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Manhattan has been completely overrun with wealthy foreigners from other parts of the USA and the world. Staten Island, well it is Staten Island and if you don't live there, who goes there?Please fly to New York at your earliest convenience and do a taste taste.
P.S. I have had very good pizza in both France and Spain also but it ain't New York.
P.S.S. I tried to plug into Google Maps the name on the sign to no avail. I can't spell let alone speak Gaegon. I spelled it D'Aitatxi. Think that was wrong. I would love to try the Pizza when I finish my camino in December. Can't hurt to experiment.
Also speaking of bad pizza. As an American I think pizza like Papa John's or Dominos is inedible to say the least. But when I tried Telepizza one day on the camino on a Sunday where I could find nothing else open in the town, I took one bite, picked up my pizza and walked out and gave it to a homeless person across the street. Absolutely the worst pizza I had ever eaten hands down.

 

[Joe Walsh]

So I was going to enjoy dinner in one of the SJPdP restaurants - but all the ones I saw seems to be lacking pilgrims and also seemed to be full of upper middle class French tourists - so I was feeling out of place.

And then I walked past this bizarre instant fresh hot pizza machine and decided to give it a go..... I WAS BLOWN AWAY!!!!

I ordered the Quattro Formage, paid with credit card, the machine spat out the pizza within 10 mins (caution - the box was super hot, be very careful)

It didn't look like much, but the taste was insane! I have never, ever, ever had a better Quattro Formage in 40 years of hard core dedication to cheese. There was way more cheese than base, it was messy to eat but literally every flavour of cheese was rich and abundant and perfect!

My body is soooo happy right now, ab I felt compelled to share

So if you love a great cheese pizza, I suggest you give it a go. Best €11 you'll ever spend! should be able to find it on Google maps (name is in the photo below), but you'll also likely pass it as you're walking around


View attachment 134017View attachment 134018View attachment 134019

Is this machine across the street from Gite compostela?

 

[Virginia G.]

It doesn't bear any resemblance to any supermarket frozen pizza I've ever seen, and the top looks oven-cooked, not microwaved. I think it looks surprisingly delicious!

I want one right now!

 

[natcire]

I want one right now!

I'd give it a try also. Have watched videos of the ones that started in Italy and now in US they are trying to crowdfund one.

 

[DavidR]

Is this machine across the street from Gite compostela?

It's at the downhill end of Rue de l'Église

 

[Joe Walsh]

Thank you, let there be pizza for all!

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Last Spring, walking in the wilds of Belgium on the Via Monastica, me and Vera (VNWalking) found ourselves foodless in the 'burbs on Easter weekend. And up ahead we spied a vending machine! We scuttled up, euro coins in hand, and found... the day's fresh bread! Fat loaves of white, whole wheat, and rye bread, each wrapped in waxed paper and fairly priced.
We'd have preferred a few other options, but hey! That's where the locals buy their bread each day, so who are we to cavil? We ate it. We liked it. Duly stuffed with carbohydrates, we soldiered onward, and lived to tell the tale.

 

[JabbaPapa]

There's another one of these machines in Lacarre, edge of the village by the main road towards SJPP.

 

[Former member 102963]

I’d draw the line at the deep-fried pizza; but have you tried the battered deep-fried Mars Bar? It’s a once in a lifetime experience; not least because two could quite probably kill you, but I have a grudging admiration for whoever was so inebriated that they came up with the concept and then lived long enough to record it.

My mind also went straight to the thought of a deep-fried Mars Bar and the fact that I have still get to have one! I need to change that asap! Is it just a Glasgow thing or are they available in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, etc!

 

[Former member 102963]

As a native New Yorker who believes (and rightly so) the best pizza is found only in Italy and the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Manhattan has been completely overrun with wealthy foreigners from other parts of the USA and the world. Staten Island, well it is Staten Island and if you don't live there, who goes there?Please fly to New York at your earliest convenience and do a taste taste.
P.S. I have had very good pizza in both France and Spain also but it ain't New York.
P.S.S. I tried to plug into Google Maps the name on the sign to no avail. I can't spell let alone speak Gaegon. I spelled it D'Aitatxi. Think that was wrong. I would love to try the Pizza when I finish my camino in December. Can't hurt to experiment.
Also speaking of bad pizza. As an American I think pizza like Papa John's or Dominos is inedible to say the least. But when I tried Telepizza one day on the camino on a Sunday where I could find nothing else open in the town, I took one bite, picked up my pizza and walked out and gave it to a homeless person across the street. Absolutely the worst pizza I had ever eaten hands down.

Always associate Pizza with Chicago and Naples. There is one in central Naples with queues constant round the block though as always there are plenty of hidden gems!

 

[JabbaPapa]

Best tray pizza I have ever had was in Pisa, pizza van right in front of the leaning tower, hands down and no doubt - - on my 2000 to Rome.

As to proper pizza, hmmmmm, all of my best ones have been in Mediterranean Europe, with particular mention to Bologna and various locations in Apulia.

 

[Joe Walsh]

Last Spring, walking in the wilds of Belgium on the Via Monastica, me and Vera (VNWalking) found ourselves foodless in the 'burbs on Easter weekend. And up ahead we spied a vending machine! We scuttled up, euro coins in hand, and found... the day's fresh bread! Fat loaves of white, whole wheat, and rye bread, each wrapped in waxed paper and fairly priced.
We'd have preferred a few other options, but hey! That's where the locals buy their bread each day, so who are we to cavil? We ate it. We liked it. Duly stuffed with carbohydrates, we soldiered onward, and lived to tell the tale.

What fun to find these presents.
While bicycling in a polder outside North Amsterdam, Annie and I found a cold fresh milk machine on the grassy shoulder.

 

[Joe Walsh]

Best tray pizza I have ever had was in Pisa, pizza van right in front of the leaning tower, hands down and no doubt - - on my 2000 to Rome.

As to proper pizza, hmmmmm, all of my best ones have been in Mediterranean Europe, with particular mention to Bologna and various locations in Apulia.

Making me hungry Jabba.
Street vendor outside restaurant in Pompei.