Ideas for Pizzas Without Pizza Sauce

It all began with an experiment in my kitchen back when I was in high school. I was tired of regular pizzas with your typical marinara or tomato sauce spread on it. My father and I figured we would try something a little different.

Thus, our buffalo chicken pizza was born. The first few times we made this concoction we replaced the sauce with a hearty helping of Frank's Red Hot. Let me just say that my mouth was begging for mercy before I finished my first slice.

Over the years I've customized the recipe to my liking. Since it was buffalo chicken pizza, I tried to relate it to my love for chicken wings. I'm the type of guy that loves a decent buffalo wing. Not exactly spicy hot, but that strong vinegar taste of buffalo sauce. To me, that's what made the wing.

I experimented with a few buffalo sauces on my pizzas and discovered that the best tasting was the medium flavor by Quaker Steak and Lube. Remember, Quaker Steak sauces can be purchased in most local Giant Eagles around the Pittsburgh area.

Another Quaker Steak sauce I enjoyed was Arizona Ranch. Not long ago I decided to buy a bottle of this sauce to try on my pizzas. Yet another success. The sauce even added a little extra spice that wasn't there with the medium flavor.

Here's how I put these two pizza behemoths together:

• Pre-heat your oven to whatever temperature you please, based upon your crust preferences. I typically go with 400 degrees.
• Apply the sauce to the crust.
• Cut up chicken and place on crust to your liking. I usually get myself a bag of breaded chicken tenders, but any type of chicken works.
• Apply cheese. I put the cheese on last. Something I got from Mineo's Pizza House.

Recommended Beer Pairings: When I eat pizza, I've never gone wrong with any type of lager. Mainly a pilsner.

The Beer Snob's Top-Five Wing Specials

Throughout the course of time, one food item has gone hand-in-hand with a man's beer: a saucy plate of chicken wings. Everyone has a particular place where they indulge in a wing special on a weekly basis. Being on the side of the fence that believes eating a decent wing is better than most recreational activities, I've participated in my fair share of wing nights.

Thus, here is a quick list of the top wing specials that I've come across. Note: this obviously isn't a compilation of the best wing specials around as I can't make it to every one around Pittsburgh. That being said, I'm always open for a new wing trip.

1. The Library's AYCE Wing Nights: In a previous post I wrote of a trip to The Library on the South Side. As time has gone on, I've had more and more of this place's chicken wings. Not only are these wings the best I've ever tried, the deal is even better. The Library has AYCE (all you can eat) on both Monday and Tuesdays, all day. It costs a measly eight bills out of your wallet. These wings are on steroids, thickly breaded and are drenched in a pool of sauce. Make sure you get there around 9 p.m. to partake in the draft special.

2. Sunny Jim's Tavern: I go to Sunny Jim's just off of the Camp Horne Road exit on Interstate-279 North whenever I have a craving for the perfect hot wing. I must warn you though. These hot wings aren't for the faint of heart. If you don't like spicy foods that leave you wiping snot from your nose and tears from your eyes, move down the list. The next day isn't that fun either. On Mondays you can head to Sunny Jim's, buy a drink and get the option to get a pound of wings for $2.99.

3. North Country Brewing: Nearby where I attend college, this local microbrewery has a wing special on Wednesday nights. For $6.99 you get a pound of whole wings. What makes this wing night special is the fact that North Country makes every sauce in-house and sometimes comes up with a brand new one. The last time I attended this special I had the choice of Spicy Thai Peanut sauce. Get the picture?

The black dots appeared to be olives.

4 Mulligan's Sports Bar and Grill: Every Tuesday you can stop at Mulligan's in West Mifflin and get as many whole wings as you wish for just 50 cents a piece (the website still says 40 cents). Mulligan's tends to follow in the footsteps as the previous special and develops a few of their own sauces such as the creative Black n' Gold sauce which seems to be a concoction of honey mustard and black olives. The only downside is the lack of craft beers on tap.

5. Quaker Steak and Lube: No wing list would be complete without Quaker's AYCE night on Tuesdays. For most of us this was our first wing night we attended consistently in our high school years. Quaker has more flavors to choose from than anyone with choices like Arizona Ranch and Louisiana Lickers. The downside is the price. One trip ends up costing around $18. If you get a chance to try this at the original restaurant in Sharon, do it. It's set up buffet style and includes other amenities such as pretzels, nachos and funnel cakes.