RESTAURANTS + BARS

Buscemi’s celebrates 60 years of pizza

The 45-store chain has brought back the old recipe, ‘Detroit style’ pizza just in time for National Pizza Month

Melody Baetens
The Detroit News

When mentioning Detroit’s pizza history, names like Buddy’s, Little Caesars and Domino’s often come up because they are some of the first pizza empires that originated out of this area.

Eastsiders will include Buscemi’s in that list, too.

The party store pizza and submarine sandwich business started 60 years ago by Paul Buscemi. According to his son, Anthony Buscemi, who now runs the business, Paul returned from serving in World War II and was on the east coast where he saw many pizza and sub shops. When his east-side Detroit grocery store on Gratiot wasn’t doing well, he decided to add pizza and other products.

“He got his mother’s recipe for the sauce and the dough, and just started making pizza,” said Anthony Buscemi, who started working in the store with his dad when he was around 10. “Back then nobody knew what pizza was. You used to say ‘yeah we have a pizzeria’ and they used to say ‘oh, that’s a shame’ ... it’s like you’re on unemployment.”

It’s true. In 1956, Buddy’s had been around for a decade, but Little Caesars, Domino’s, Hungry Howie’s and other Detroit-based pizza chains were still to come.

Today, there are 45 Buscemi’s stores in Metro Detroit, most of them in Macomb County. They’re all franchised and operated by the party-store owners.

The Buscemi company, based in Roseville, helps train the owners, helps them design the store and provides the tools needed to sell the pizza and signature Buscemi’s subs.

“It’s a successful niche,” said Anthony, whose son, Paul Buscemi, worked at a Buscemi’s and now works as a purchaser for Carmela Specialty Foods and Fine Wines.

(Funny enough, he also worked at Hungry Howie’s as a teenager.)

This month, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the brand, the Buscemi company is bringing back their original “Detroit style” pizza. The square pizza with the cheese layered on top of the dough and spread to the pan so it bakes and gets crispy around the edges. The sauce is added on top.

Anthony said Buscemi’s stopped making pizza this way in the 1980s because it was too labor-intensive. Now that the family doesn’t own multiple stores, it can be done easier.

“It’s back on the menu,” he said. “We test marketed it in a couple of stores and it was overwhelming. We knew we had to do it in all the stores.”

The Detroit-style pizza is $1.79 per slice or $10.99 for a eight slices.

A list of Buscemi’s locations is available at originalbuscemis.com.

World of Beer in Canton

Beer bar chain World of Beer has opened a new Michigan location this week at 42820 Ford in Canton.

The 6,000-square-foot tavern (which includes a large enclosed patio), offers more than 500 bottled beers and 50 often-changing taps. This location has a Micro Matic Infusion Tower, a three-foot apparatus that allows World of Beer to infuse craft beer with herbs, coffee, fruit and more. This week, try Atwater’s Dirty Blonde infused with orange and vanilla.

The food menus are designed to pair well with craft beer, including a Sunday BEERunch menu with chicken and waffle sandwiches and blueberry wheat French toast. Look for Sriracha lime shrimp tacos, Guinness bratwurst and a burger topped with melted Chimay cheese from the Belgian brewery on the daily menu.

A World of Beer opened in Ann Arbor in 2013, but closed in 2015.

Call World of Beer Canton at (734) 844-0616.

Deliciously brief

■Diamonds Steak & Seafood in Howell is celebrating its 33rd anniversary by offering its popular filet mignon tops for just 33 cents. The promotion runs 33 days; it started Friday and runs through Nov. 22. Find Diamonds at 29 E. Grand River. Call (517) 548-7500.

■Mr. B’s in Royal Oak has rolled out its fall menu. Look for slow-braised beef short ribs with pappardelle noodles, stewed meatballs and steak bites. Mr. B’s is at 215 S. Main. Call (248) 399-0017.

■Café Succo Royal Oak has opened inside of Detroit Taco Company (formerly Zumba Mexican Grille at 304 N. Main in Royal Oak). The health-conscious eatery will serve smoothies, health bowls, salad and more. This is the second Café Succo in the area; the original is in Birmingham.

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

(313) 222-2402

Twitter: @melodybaetens