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| - We Calgarians do not suffer from want of pizza. It's easily available everywhere. Some however, like Famous Ray's are gloriously and deliciously unique.
The first thing you'll notice upon entering Famous Ray's is it's character. The walls are covered in retro beer signs (Schlitz, Coors) and there are vintage books and magazines scattered around, as are honest-to-god vinyl 7-inch and 12-inch records. Not to mention a working jukebox. In short, if you're a fan of 50s and 60s pop culture, this is *the* pizza place for you.
The second character you'll meet is Al (not Ray) the gregarious proprietor of Famous Ray's. He will quickly pop out of the kitchen to greet you and then just as quickly invite you into the kitchen so you can see your pizza just as it comes out of the oven.
From here, it's very apparent the differences that set Famous Ray's and Al apart from your average pizza place. He'll show you how he makes the dough, the herbs and spices that go into it, rather than the veggies left in their boxes in some storage room, they're colourfully piled behind the glass fridge doors so you can see what you're about to eat, even the chicken is roasted in house. On my most recent visit, he let me observe while he "finished" the crust of the pizza with a homemade herbal butter. The attention to the smallest detail is fun to watch and delicious to taste.
As well, any order over $20 gets a free Caesar salad, full of crisp romaine, garlicky dressing and crunchy homemade croutons. I haven't tried Famous Ray's "Best Greek Salad in the World" yet, but with a description like that I probably have to.
Famous Ray's makes a solid, Greek-style pie. My brother and I usually make it through 2 slices each before being defeated. So it's a good thing it makes for a fantastic lunch the next day.
For those seeking just a taste, he also offers a slice of pizza and a pop for $4.75.
This has quickly become my favourite pizza place due to the quality of the food, the decor and the genuine nature of the owner. Much like the souvenirs on the walls, they just don't make'em like this anymore.
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