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Zelda's In Downtown Sac


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#1 booboo

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 09:22 PM

What a HUGE disappointment, couldn't believe it. I have heard about this place since I'd lived in Elk grove and I suppose I had huge expectations.

The staff absolutely HATES each other. Nothing like watching staff tell each other to "F-off" and just scream at one another in general. I was told by my friend who was at one time a regular there (and a huge fan of the place) that I missed the real good fight while I was in the bathroom. She went on to say that when Zelda was alive, she use to come out and be a real pistol as well. I guess crap rolls downhill, and keeps on rolling after people die cause that part of it was still alive and well. Now onto the so called "pizza".

If you're into bread and no toppings, this is the place for you. God, Chicago Fire's deep dish does serious damage to Zelda's. I have a feeling that's what Zelda's dishes use to be like...had to have been. Even my experienced friend who's a huge fan thought things were a little bleak. It was like eating a bagel with tasty ketchup on it. Just didn't stand up our Chicago Fire and Pizza Classico...not by a long shot. However, you can't beat their TWO DOLLAR A GLASS HOUSE WINE (BOGLE!!!).

Oh yeah, CASH ONLY. Whatever. I know, I know...VISA really puts it to the merchant, but tough sh*t. That's how people pay for things now. Sending someone two blocks down to an ATM in the dark frickin sucks and is total crap. This place better watch out. A lot of other joints have and are opening up in the area that will put these guys right out. Needless to say the decor hasn't been updated in years - however that's part of their charm -but in this case adds to how much they don't give a crap about the customer when you add everything up.

My two cents. Good luck Zelda, you'll need it!!!!

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#2 Warren G

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 09:27 PM

Zelda's is a place for good Greek food. I've never tried their pizza. Everything my wife and I have had there is better than at the Kabob House in Folsom. Their gyros are especially good.
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#3 stacycam

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 09:42 PM

I am in utter shock. I honestly can't even come up with the words to adequately respond. The only thing I can say is that I love Zelda's, have been going there for years. Their pizza is AUTHENTIC Chicago pizza. Eat pizza in Chicago, then try Zelda's. Chicago Fire's stuffed is like... Giordano's in Chicago, but Zelda's is like Pizzeria Due's. CF's deep dish isn't as good.

I'm sorry. I just cannot disagree with you more. It's fine, though. That place will always be in business. It's too bad you had such a bad experience.

And, Bogle better be $2, because it's crap.

#4 cw68

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 10:29 PM

QUOTE(stacycam @ Oct 4 2007, 10:42 PM) View Post
I am in utter shock. I honestly can't even come up with the words to adequately respond. The only thing I can say is that I love Zelda's, have been going there for years. Their pizza is AUTHENTIC Chicago pizza. Eat pizza in Chicago, then try Zelda's. Chicago Fire's stuffed is like... Giordano's in Chicago, but Zelda's is like Pizzeria Due's. CF's deep dish isn't as good.

I'm sorry. I just cannot disagree with you more. It's fine, though. That place will always be in business. It's too bad you had such a bad experience.

And, Bogle better be $2, because it's crap.

Zelda's does not compare to Chicago Fire. Due's (or Uno's) is not authentic Chicago pizza. Giordano's is the best of the mass produced places, but just a "good" rating where there is "great" pizza. The number one thing that Due's has going for it is it's location for tourists. Don't want to assume anything, but wonder if you ever lived there because I don't know locals who eat there. Locals will order Giordano's if they can't get it from their little favorite.

Darn. I'm hungry and want some really good Chicago pizza. Chicago Fire is the best out here, but it's still light-years away from the pizza at home. I don't think the Chicago owner watches it come out of the oven to make sure that the cheese is browned enough all the time.

#5 Dave Burrell

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 07:18 AM

Yikes! sorry to hear about the bad experience there and most of all - thanks for the warning!

I rarely go to downtown Sac much, let alone for dinner, but for the one or two times a year I am in that area its good to know where NOT to go - thanks for the heads up about that place.


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#6 Deb aka Resume Lady

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 07:37 AM

I'm surprised. I haven't been to Zelda's in a while, but from my experience her pizza was much more authentic than Chicago Fire, and I love Chicago Fire. Chicago Fire pizza has good taste, but doesn't have as much cheese as do authentic Chicago deep dish pizza restaurants. In fact, I usually find Chicago Fire to have too much dough for the toppings, as you've evaluated Zelda's.

Funny thing, a month or so ago the Bee ran a deep dish pizza recipe that was supposed to be VERY close to Zelda's. I recently made it, and my number one complaint about the recipe was that it didn't have enough cheese/toppings for the dough (which is easy enough to alter in the future). This didn't match my experience at Zelda's at all. I hope Zelda's recipe hasn't changed. sad.gif I've made my own deep dish for years, but I still don't have quite the taste I'm looking for. I think I'm going to add Zelda's sauce to what I'm doing already and give that a try. Also, FoodTV did a show on famous Chicago recipes a few weeks ago, and they featured Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza. I may have to look up that recipe and see what's different about theirs.

As for the staff's attitude at Zelda's, that hasn't changed. It has never been a warm and fuzzy place to go. It's always so busy at that restaurant, I've always felt like they couldn't wait for guests to leave so they could seat, serve, and crank through other guests. People go for the pizza, not the love.


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#7 cw68

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 07:51 AM

I agree about the whole cheese comment. Chicago pizzas have much more cheese on them than West Coast pizzas. And, to harp on this, they brown the cheese, not just melt it.

(Zelda's isn't as good as it was just a few years ago.)

This, my friends, is what a regular old pizza looks like in Chicago. Note that this is not Chicago-style deep dish:


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#8 stacycam

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 07:57 AM

QUOTE(cw68 @ Oct 4 2007, 11:29 PM) View Post
Giordano's is the best of the mass produced places, but just a "good" rating where there is "great" pizza...wonder if you ever lived there because I don't know locals who eat there. Locals will order Giordano's if they can't get it from their little favorite.

Nope, not from there. My best friend is from there, and I've visited. Giordano's is killer, but it's stuffed. I'm just saying that Zelda's is deep dish, which is different from stuffed. Just like the thin is Chicago-style, too, but it's very different.

Of course, Chicago makes better pizza than Sacramento. I'd hope so. biggrin.gif I just think Zelda's is a good substitute, and would hardly give it the crappy rating that booboo did. I like the deep dish because it is more tomatoey (is that a word?), where the stuffed is cheesy. I do, however, LOVE the spinach and mushroom at CF! Now I'm hungry!!!

Speaking of pizza - have you ever tried Zachary's in Berkeley? I've only had it once, and I remember it being delicious!

#9 Deb aka Resume Lady

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 08:20 AM

And this is what good deep dish pizza looks like.

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#10 ChipShot

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 08:24 AM

I order the real thing from Chicago, shipped in dry ice right to my front door. Hey, it's only money... cheers.gif
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#11 Deb aka Resume Lady

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 08:32 AM

QUOTE(ChipShot @ Oct 5 2007, 09:24 AM) View Post
I order the real thing from Chicago, shipped in dry ice right to my front door. Hey, it's only money... cheers.gif


From which pizzaria do you order? Lou Malnati's? I know they ship; not sure who else does.
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#12 ChipShot

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 08:51 AM

QUOTE(Resume Lady @ Oct 5 2007, 09:32 AM) View Post
From which pizzaria do you order? Lou Malnati's? I know they ship; not sure who else does.

Malnati's is by far the best...Good variety, never had any problems/snafus/bad food/delivery issues. Even have tried ribs, jumbo hot dogs, etc. And their gift cards make a great gift !! letseat.gif
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#13 johncam

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 09:08 AM

You guys are killing me! Gotta have CF or Zelda's tonight!!! Both are excellent, from my experience.

#14 booboo

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 09:59 AM

Yeah, sorry to bag on a local favorite...I knew I'd be stepping on some hearts, but I was just so dang disappointed, drove in traffic to get there...walking down the street in the dark to get money. I even like hole-in-the-wall places! If they just upped the toppings and took credit cards I might even be able to handle all the wait staff fights and hour long wait times for the food. Oh yeah, your right about the Bogle...but that's a step up for house wine and so many places pass it off as a featured wine and have a stupid markup for it. In fact, I can't even think of a place, even during Happy hour, that charges 2 bucks for anything alcoholic except perhaps jello shots...

#15 stacycam

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Posted 05 October 2007 - 10:17 AM

QUOTE(booboo @ Oct 5 2007, 10:59 AM) View Post
Yeah, sorry to bag on a local favorite...I knew I'd be stepping on some hearts, but I was just so dang disappointed, drove in traffic to get there...walking down the street in the dark to get money. I even like hole-in-the-wall places! If they just upped the toppings and took credit cards I might even be able to handle all the wait staff fights and hour long wait times for the food. Oh yeah, your right about the Bogle...but that's a step up for house wine and so many places pass it off as a featured wine and have a stupid markup for it. In fact, I can't even think of a place, even during Happy hour, that charges 2 bucks for anything alcoholic except perhaps jello shots...

Just curious - what did you get? We always just get mushroom and olive, and sometimes sausage (for my husband). I don't really like how they do the sausage. They chop it all up, so you can't pick it off.

That is such a bummer you didn't like the place. Thanks for going softly on us fans. wink.gif I know sometimes the buildup is so huge, that the let down is even bigger.

True about the drinks. I wonder if The Pine Cove still serves $2 (or was it $3?) pitchers. Probably not laugh.gif




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