It was the cheese.I have been going to Mario the Bakers in North Miami for at least 25 years. I have had hundreds of good pizzas with my friend Little Bobby. There was no atmosphere, but always a quick moving line. No line now. Years ago it was great watching Noah defy gravity, tossing the dough way up and even more fun when he heaved the cooked pizza, looping it in the air and catching it on the paddle. Those were the good old pizza days.
The last few times at Mario's I have been getting soggy pizza. The dough is crispy around the edges but the cheese is so oily it seeps into the dough and it ruins the heart of the slice. It becomes limp and bends down. I want a firm slice that can hold itself up. It might seem like I am writing about something else, but I am REALLY talking about pizza. I take food seriously. Anyway, I am giving up on Mario's pizza. The waitress said many of the customers have been complaining since they switched from sliced mozzarella to shredded. The pizza doesn't even look right anymore, it is orange and glassy instead of marbleized red and white. The drive is a little longer to get to Big Louie's or I can always go to Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza.
I feel sad, like when I watched the "Last Waltz". It is the end of an era, a milestone in my life - another door shut. Mario and I have been together a long time, through the cash only years. I feel like I am leaving a friend. Sorry Mario, it was the cheese that done you in.
18 comments:
Marios hasn't been good since the nephew/manager left to open his own place in Pembroke Pines.
I used to go there all the time until I moved away about 8 yrs ago. I'm sorry it's gone so downhill. It was a land mark with great food.
your cheesapointment at marios is a metaphor for the whole pie of north miami. I moved my studio from 129st four years ago and the only reason to go there is an oil change.
try the pizza at The Big Cheese :)
I have had a 35.00 burnt Anthony's pizza in Pinecrest... took it home to eat too... another mistake, it's soggy crust would not even allow you to grab a slice. I pulled the cheese off and ate that. My family would not even get near it.
ouch swampthing - but I know of what you speak, as a trapped current resident and homeowner in North Miami - I am still incredulous that a this city, with it's very convenient access to the beach, movies, shopping - well EVERYTHING, how is it possible that it is in such a shambles? back to Mario's - alas it's true - it's not the best darn pizza anymore and that really pisses me off because I like supporting "old time" establishments and I love pizza but I too have stopped getting pizza from them. Guess it's time to re-try Steve's, which I also used to frequent and then stopped after noticing a change(?) in the sauce flavor and it seemed much sweeter - ick.
Try the Marios downtown on Flagler just east of the County courthouse. Had a slice there today and it wasn't great, but wasn't bad either. A pie at Anthony's "Coal-fired" isn't worth half of what you pay for it and the service sucks. What is "coal-fired" anyway? DiNapoli on US-1 in Pinecrest (south of Anthony's) is my favorite local place for pizza (takeout), but it's nothing to write home about. It's hard to find great pizza in Miami, but it's easy to find lots of bad ones.
Don't go to the Mario the Baker at Red and Bird. After waiting over an hour for a pizza, I got it home only to find out that it was half cooked. We called to complain and the manager shouted all kinds of obscenities and then called back --we let it go to voice mail-- and left more obscenites. I will never go back.
Big Cheese is a lot of dough, lousy sauce, decent cheese and it is heavy. Fuggedaboutit. ACF is the way to go. Coal generates hotter oven temps and gives the pie a personality. Ok stugots?
Try Pizza Volante!
CASOLA'S !
NUFF SAID
Mario the Baker is a South Florida institution.Mario's has been my home away from home for almost 40 years. As a student of the nearby North Miami Jr and Sr Highs, it was my hooky getaway. And after a long school day or at the N. Miami library, Mario's was my place. My father loved the place when I turned him on to it. My first husband loves it with his new wife. And my second husband asked to go there before he passed away. My husband was in law enforcement and volunteered as a coach at PAL (Police Athletics League) for the children. Marios ALWAYS came through with hundreds of free pizzas for PAL. In other words, Mario The Baker is a community friend. We should treat the place as such so some of us with gripes at least should tell them to their face exactly what they think happened to the quality of the pizza, so perhaps they can become aware of it. Or is this article some sort of underhanded way of poisoning the patronage with intentions to steer business away from Mario'sWhy else would you have bothered to advertise competitors by naming them?
I told them a number of times you know I am not shy about telling people what I think, read my blog again because you don't seem to understand I made this decision with a heavy heart. The place is empty on a Sarurday night -- hell, could they be that stupid to not know something is up?
Yeah, sometimes even enterpreneurs can be that stupid.
Why else are they getting up in the morning to go put in hard hours at the place? Not to run the place to the ground.
Mario's never had the owner on site. They always had a relative managing it the past 10 years.. John did a better job but he had a falling out--someone made the cheese switch and it wasn't John.
I just went to Pizza Girls in West Palm Beach. The sauce had an acid taste, the crust was too thick -- we asked for thin. It wasn't bad pizza but it was far from great skip it and get the really good homemade ice cream next door.
LOVIN OVENS ....swear, just like I get in NYC.
The ORIGINAL Mario the Baker family sold the W DIxie Hwy North Miami store ten years ago.
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