With its distinctive brick shape, thick, fluffy base, crispy crust and stunning cheesy edges – aka the “frico” or the caramelized cheese crown – Detroit-style pizza is distinctive in look and flavor. Since its invention sometime in the 1940s, it’s become one of the most popular pizza styles around. 

In 1946, Buddy’s Rendezvous, a bar owned by Gus Guerra, was struggling to make money. Gus decided to add new items to his menu and just happened to have a few unused blue steel industrial utility trays, which he thought would make a good Sicilian-style pizza. The trays helped the dough keep its soft and airy crust while also allowing the exterior to be soaked through with oil. Who exactly came up with the dough recipe is under debate (maybe Guerra’s wife, Anna, or an “old Sicilian dude named Dominic”) but what’s fact is that its roots are, indeed, Sicilian. 

On top of the dough, Gus often included pepperoni, followed by a generous portion of brick cheese from Wisconsin all the way to the edges of the pan, followed by more toppings, and the final touch: streaks of red sauce, honoring the history of the automotive roots of the Motor City. 

Soft on the inside and crunchy on the surface, in our version, we use mozzarella, cheddar and lots of pepperoni for a hit of salt and spice. Comforting, filling and highly addictive, this nod to the original Detroit-style pie is hard to beat.