Grimaldi's in Vegas

And so ... we're in Vegas. We're talking about the secret pizza in the Cosmopolitan and how were were a bit disappointed after everyone raved about it. And a friend says, "Well, the best pizza in Vegas is Grimaldi's."

Now, we are not strangers to Grimaldi's pizza ... but we are devoted to the original Grimaldi's, under the Brooklyn Bridge from back in the 80's. It was Patsy's then, Grimaldi's for a while and Juliana's now — it's a long story, best told with a glass of wine. Trust us when we tell you that we were regulars back when Patsy and his wife Carol made the best pizza you'll ever eat.

We've had good Grimaldi's in Hoboken (where it's Grimaldi's, but not the big chain Grimaldi's) and in Philly where Patsy's cousins opened a place called Pietro's. The big chain Grimaldi's is one we've never tried, so we thought it was about time.

When we walked in, we were amazed — the decor was thoughtful and an homage to the original Patsy's: red-checked table-cloths, cane-backed chairs, and a central prep area complete with marble counter and Carol's famous turntable for the orders.

Grimaldi's ... it's NOT the original Patsy Grimaldi pie

So we were excited. And disappointed. The crust was so-so, the sauce nondescript, and the mozzarella chewy. It was edible and a bit better than the secret pizza from the Cosmopolitan. But it was not a Patsy Grimaldi pizza ... a wannabe imitation :(

Secret Pizza at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas

So you probably don't go to Vegas for pizza, but when we heard about the best pizza being in a secret location inside the Cosmopolitan hotel, we couldn't resist. If you google secret pizza in vegas, the information pops up pretty readily — so it's not really that much of a secret. But yelpers and google reviewers all claimed it was really great pizza, so we figured it was worth a try.

And truthfully, when you're in the Cosmopolitan's multi-level food court, every restaurant is clearly marked except for the pizza place. So maybe it is a bit of a secret.

In search of secret pizza

Unfortunately, we found it. We tried the plain and the white pizza. Neither was remarkable in any way (although Gary and Stef disagreed on this to some extent). Other than the secretive nature of the location (down a long decorated hallway), there isn't a whole lot to extol about the pizza. The crust holds up to the floppiness test, but the flavor is fairly standard — a bit on the salty side. And, like everything else in Vegas, it is extremely overpriced.

Not-so-secret pizza

Jules Thin Crust

If you're ever in Montgomeryville, PA you'll want to treat yourself to Jules Thin Crust. This is not a chain -- just a delightful, tiny, family-owned business with outstanding pizza. They serve a few other things (soup, salad), but the pizza is not to be missed.

When you walk up to the counter at Jules, you'll notice they have many offerings with meat, cheese, and vegetarian clearly marked (and separated). You choose the types of pizza you want, they slice off a section, and place it on their conveyer belt warmer. It arrives at your table, moments later, nicely warmed and ready to be devoured.

Cheese #4 ... plain & simple, yet delicious

It's super simple and totally family-friendly (there are usually a lot of kids). However, we've gone with a group of adults and a bottle of wine and it's just as lovely. Won't bore you with the details (you can visit their website), but it's a small enterprise opened by a mom and dad frustrated when looking for healthy options when feeding their daughters.

Veggie #7 zucchini, sweet corn, poblano sour cream, mozzarella

Our benchmark is always the plain pizza, but the vegetarian combinations are not to be missed. The butternut squash/caramelized onion/apple/ricotta/mascarpone will have you wondering why you bothered to order anything else.

Veggie #15 ... Is it dinner or dessert? Or both?