I moved to Albuquerque about a year ago, and quickly found out about a chain in New Mexico called Dion's:
The story apparently goes, Dion's started out as a Greek restaurant but the suppliers who were contracted for the ingredients messed up and couldn't get enough supplies in time for opening. All they had was a bunch of flour, and tomatoes. As a result, they decided they would only sell pizza for the first few weeks. It became so successful, and people liked the pizza so much, that they dropped the Greek food and just turned into a pizza place.
Since then, they've expanded to 20 different locations, and driving around you always see them busy, sometimes with a line of cars snaking out of the parking lot for the drive-up pick-up window. Whenever my coworkers get pizza for events at work, they always go with Dion's. Everyone here seems to think Dion's is the shit.
Let me dissuade you of that notion: Dion's is scrub tier pizza just like all other New York style pizzas. New York style pizza as a whole is overrated and basic. It is the least interesting type of pizza, and nearly every other form builds off of it. It is for this reason and this reason alone I can imagine New Yorkers and other East Coast types are so sensitive about their style of pizza, and demand people view it as the best type of pizza. And let me tell you: it isn't.
That aside, good pizza is good pizza, even if it's the lowest tier of pizza. And Dion's is okay for what it is, but nothing special. It's very average NY-esque pizza made in a more accessible format. It's the half-step between true-thin-crust-floppy-NY-born-and-bred-pizza and your average somewhat bread-y "hand tossed" American pizza, with the same type of toppings you'd find anywhere else (with the exception of true New Mexican Hatch Green Chile, which is a must-have pizza topping but common at even fast food pizza places here). It's cheap-style pizza but at local pizza place prices. It's both incredibly unoriginal yet acceptable, it's Kirkland Signature pizza if Costco charged twice as much as they do for it.
So this is me, officially putting all of you Dion's lovers on blast: your favorite ain't shit. Stop by a Pizza 9 to see what you're missing.
Since then, they've expanded to 20 different locations, and driving around you always see them busy, sometimes with a line of cars snaking out of the parking lot for the drive-up pick-up window. Whenever my coworkers get pizza for events at work, they always go with Dion's. Everyone here seems to think Dion's is the shit.
Let me dissuade you of that notion: Dion's is scrub tier pizza just like all other New York style pizzas. New York style pizza as a whole is overrated and basic. It is the least interesting type of pizza, and nearly every other form builds off of it. It is for this reason and this reason alone I can imagine New Yorkers and other East Coast types are so sensitive about their style of pizza, and demand people view it as the best type of pizza. And let me tell you: it isn't.
That aside, good pizza is good pizza, even if it's the lowest tier of pizza. And Dion's is okay for what it is, but nothing special. It's very average NY-esque pizza made in a more accessible format. It's the half-step between true-thin-crust-floppy-NY-born-and-bred-pizza and your average somewhat bread-y "hand tossed" American pizza, with the same type of toppings you'd find anywhere else (with the exception of true New Mexican Hatch Green Chile, which is a must-have pizza topping but common at even fast food pizza places here). It's cheap-style pizza but at local pizza place prices. It's both incredibly unoriginal yet acceptable, it's Kirkland Signature pizza if Costco charged twice as much as they do for it.
So this is me, officially putting all of you Dion's lovers on blast: your favorite ain't shit. Stop by a Pizza 9 to see what you're missing.
