David Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Gossip

The Martin Street Pizza Meltdown

A good chef is a currency known to make or break a joint in this town.  And it isn’t unusual that the restaurants in Raleigh that succeed have menus that have been intelligently designed by smart professionals.  That’s one reason Martin Street Pizza was so exciting.  Daniel Taylor had created what looked to be another hit.  Formerly of the Underground, Taylor was able to make both restaurant’s menus reflect three tenants: simple, local, and delicious.

This week Martin Street Pizza suffered huge turnover, including the loss of Taylor, and in that loss a transformation. While reasons for Taylor’s departure haven’t been confirmed, employees have had agreements reneged, including more than a 50% cut in hourly compensation.  The employees point to Don Bender the owner of the Martin Street building that the pizza place sits in.  It is said that Bender would lose(see dana’s correction) his grip and unleash daily in the business, ripping control of the menu from Dan Taylor, throwing away supplies of hand made sauce and dough and replacing it with products from food services.  This is a far cry from when MSP opened, the N&O paraphrased Bender on the menu: “is inspired by Mario Batali’s Mozzo in Beverly Hills.” Batali is known for his handmade dishes and Taylor’s certainly lived up to that standard.  Under Bender’s current mood though the food is no where close to its original incarnation.

Just read the comments on our original article to see how things have changed.

we went for lunch last week and there were delightful surprises...a homemade sausage for the slices and the blue cheese salad dressing was 4 star quality. well, we went back yesterday and sad to say, the sausage was sliced, not homemade and the blue cheese dressing was straight from a jar. come to find out the talent in the kitchen, Daniel Taylor, and the owner had a conflict on the direction of the offerings.

-reader kd

Read Martin Street Pizza Reviews and Contribute your Own

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  • wg07/22 01:39 PM

    sucks… i never even got a chance to try it out.  do you think it will fail completely??

  • Leo07/22 01:49 PM

    Damn, so sad to hear about this. I’ll have to give the ‘new’ place a try though. I just hate that it was a 10 and it could now be a 6 or worse.

  • yikes07/22 02:18 PM

    ahh, bennders are the reason for any demise in downtown affairs.  him and his son screw things up for their own benefit, it seems.  that building is a black hole for commerce.  i tried the original martin street pizza and it was real good and real fresh.  now that bennder’s tainted hand is running things, i’ll stay far, far away.

  • Al07/22 02:27 PM

    It was always owned by the Bennders.

  • Dana07/22 02:27 PM

    A) *lose (his grip)
    B) *Bender
    C) Here we go again. Martin St. Pizza is still open, and still will continue to serve great food, so long as people don’t prematurely bury it.

  • Jason!07/22 02:32 PM

    Went there today for the third time, and the only thing that tasted the same was the fountain soda.  What kind of maniac throws away food?

  • David07/22 02:36 PM

    Thx for the corrections Dana. Did we say it was closed? No.  Do we have half a dozen verifications that the staff and the food has all changed in the past few days? Yes. Let us know when the next McDonalds is opening in suburbia. Thanks.

  • bigboy07/22 02:42 PM

    I have heard about the Bender’s antics, but thought I would try it out anyway.  Wow, people are right.  The owners are rude and the food was horrible.  This will be interesting to watch another Bender meltdown.  The over/under is 12 months. Advice to employees and vendors- get your $$$ in cash and up front.

  • bigboy07/22 02:49 PM

    “Bender’s current mood”...How funny is that.  This guy needs to check in to the new Butner hospital.  What a toolbox.  Also, the apple does fall from the tree.

    What a sad joke told over and over again.

  • mmz07/22 03:03 PM

    s/tenants/tenets/g

  • Ryan07/22 03:04 PM

    My husband and I took friends to MSP after a wonderful experience several weeks before.  Immediately, we noticed how empty and ‘dead’ the place was.  When the menu was given to us, all the wonderful appetizers were missing.  The pizza was still good, but we were sorry to see the risotto balls and fried zucchini gone.  Martin Street Pizza, the best thing you had going for you was your food.  The decor is typical and service mediocre.  I would HIGHLY recommend getting Taylor in and Bender out of the kitchen.

  • Brendan07/22 03:20 PM

    “Let us know when the next McDonalds is opening in suburbia. Thanks.”

    Awesome. That’s an extremely mature response that makes this blog come off as even more pompous than normal. I really enjoy reading many of the articles here but could do without the “holier than thou” attitude that often accompanies it.

  • bigboy07/22 03:36 PM

    Brendan, come on.  You know the people who run this place and that they deserve all the “holier than thou” attitudes.  Oh, and by the way, you make me laugh using pompous and extremely mature something related to the Bend-Overs.

  • dc07/22 03:48 PM

    I took my girlfriend there about a week ago.  The food wasn’t so bad but the service was horrible.  Every interaction we had with the waiter was awkward. When we sat down we were each given a different menu and the waiter finally had to ask which one was current. Things just didn’t make sense:
    Are they fancy or are they casual- they tried with the decor but seemed to just give up abruptly at some point and is why we’re greeted with the soda machine as we walk in the door. 
    Should I go there for a slice of pizza: about $3 or buy a whole small pizza for $14 that ends up being about the size of 1.5 slices???

  • Rusty07/22 03:51 PM

    Still haven’t gotten a chance to try the place, so I guess I’ll be part of the “don’t know what they’re missing” crowd.

    It is always a shame to hear about employees getting the shaft at no fault of their own.

  • bigboy07/22 03:52 PM

    the line has changed:

    over/under is now 8.8 months.

  • Miles07/22 07:38 PM

    Been there twice now.
    Pizzas fine.
    Service was fine.
    Wouldn’t break an ankle to make it there.
    But it was all pretty unassuming.
    Which can, at times, be refreshing when going to restaurants.
    Do I really need to go to another punk rock / or region-based/ or chain pizzeria?
    No.  So, thank you Martin Street.
    Do I really need to be hit over the head with the heavy-handed theme park restaurants?
    No.

    Sure, I could complain about the lack of fresh garlic on the topping listings (really ?!) ...
    But they did find some up for me.
    And I could complain about listening to the Beatles greatest hits CD in its entirety…
    But I s’pose it could be worse.

    I could be under the illusion that any of the other pizzerias here in town are really that amazing.

    I mean, it’s pizza for crying out loud.
    It’s cheese and bread.
    I’m sure we have all had worse.
    And, I’m sure we will all manage to eat it.

    As far as the management goes…
    Wait. Your telling me there is chaos betwixt the owners and the management/cooks in the restaurant industry?
    The next thing you’ll be telling me that water is wet and a rail system would be a good idea.

    Keep serving the cheese and bread Martin Street,

  • danielito07/22 08:00 PM

    moonlight is the only pizza i will ever need!

  • kd07/22 10:24 PM

    Yes, Miles, it’s just pizza...cheese and bread.

    There are those of us who actually take pleasure when a cook or chef kicks it up a notch.
    Simple food like a slice of pizza can be transformed into an extra special taste experience when someone in the kitchen loves to make their own red sauce or sausage or grilled onions.
    It shows a passion for their work and we get the benefit of their passion.
    And even in a single slice of pizza pie, I could detect this chef’s passion.

    I didn’t mind the soda machines at the front of the store. I didn’t mind the wait staff working with a learning curve. I didn’t mind the decor...I just liked what that chef had to say with his cooking.

    I don’t know any of the players involved, owner or kitchen staff...but I am sorry that this union didn’t pan out.

    Good luck to Mr. Bender in finding a winning formula for his new enterprise.

    and to the exiting chef...please hook up with Greg Hatem. You two are made for each other.

  • cj07/23 07:00 AM

    Believe it or not I actually went there four times during their first two weeks in operation.  Even then, it was a little strange the way the quality/taste/etc of the food changed from day to night.  Lunch excellent.  Dinner not so good.  During lunch the pizza had a tasty thin crust, the next night, thicker and bubbly… similar comment with the sauce and mushrooms too.... fresh to packaged.  Not necessarily a deal breaker, however, it was odd at the time that it varied that much.

  • TSnow2760407/23 08:43 AM

    Don’t you hate when you spend time typing something only to lose it when you hit “Submit?” That just happened to me so I will give the cliff notes.  I didn’t know their situation and went last night.  Not good.  On par with NY Pizza across from campus on Hborough St.  And I noticed at the time that the staff seemed beat down and not happy.  Finally Miles, all pizza is not created equal.  When I have Moonlight, Lilly’s, Piccola Italia, and Two Guys as options, why would I ever go back here?

  • Cydney07/23 09:02 AM

    Bender doesn’t own the building, he leases it.  He’s been in the paper many times regarding problems with the City and the landlord (strip clubs and Sopranos wannabes), so can’t imagine that he’d be hard to get along with.  Can’t wait until that contract expires.

  • Cydney07/23 09:14 AM

    Correction… I think Chris is the Sopranos wannabe.

  • Ben07/23 09:47 AM

    I went right after opening and it was great and my second experience was completely opposite.  The only positive for Round 2 is that they still were serving Peroni on draft. 

    I would definitely recommend going to a suburbia McD’s than this pizza place.

  • Miles07/23 10:04 AM

    Being someone who used to throw good pies for a living.....
    I just don’t think it’s worth getting all spun out about.

    Yeah, I’m sure eating good food and the best wine is something we would all want.

    But I’m not going to be so boring as to turn down a Pabst or street vendor style slice of pizza when nothing else is available or my fragile sensibilites demand more.

    If I am on the same corner as MSP late at nite….I’m getting a slice there.

    And i HAVE been to those other places.  O.K stuff.  Sure. 
    But is it so much better that I would kick this place when there down/just opening ?

    I think the quality of triangle’s pizza contingent is so moot.
    It’s so damn relative.  No different than arguing what regional BBQ is the best.
    Foodie culture B.S.

  • oakcity07/23 10:13 AM

    martin street was really good when i went for lunch, about 2 weeks after they opened. i was so excited to see a real deal pizza joint within walking distance of work. sad to hear about all of this.

    truth is though, chefs have a vision they know what they want to produce, good food. owners also know what they want to produce, a profit, sadly this often comes with a decline in quality to save a few pennies.

    owners and chefs inevitably butt heads, having been a chef in several downtown locations i know this first hand, and have had my fair share of run ins and screaming matches, but the thing that keeps customers coming back is quality, you can overlook snooty waiters and bitchy waitresses as long as the food is great. what matters most is WHATS ON THE PLATE!

    and if you think pizza is just bread and cheese, then you don’t know good pizza, the slices you can get from a carousel heater at the fast fare is just bread and cheese, but is it any good?

  • Jay07/23 10:22 AM

    There a plenty of people like myself that like to grab a nice lunch during the workday.  This new place seemed like a possibility.  But if the jars and cans are replacing the fresh ingredients, it’s off the list.  Yeah, maybe if I was starving and on that corner, but there’s plenty of other places nearby to choose instead.  The owner sounds like he has a power trip issue.  Is it true that the Benders have sunk some businesses in the past?  There are tons of crappy pizza places in this area - we certainly don’t need another.  I might try it to confirm.  At least it’s not called NY Pizza, I Love NY Pizza, Brooklyn Pizza.  As soon as that’s the name, you know there’s a good chance it will suck.  Bella Italia in North Raleigh has great pizza - try their grandmas - sooooo good.

  • David07/23 10:29 AM

    Yeah, I could do without the condescending comments about Dana’s blog.  He has been providing a great service for Raleigh residents and has done an excellent job at it for several years now.  I am interested in sites such as this one for other information and would like a chance to check you out with an open mind before it turns me off.

  • TC07/23 11:04 AM

    “I could do without the condescending comments about Dana’s blog.”

    Dana’s blog was a condescending comment.

  • bigboy07/23 11:43 AM

    which soprano would chris be?  Christopher or Vito??

    Raleigh is far too small…

  • oakcity07/23 12:35 PM

    still nothing is better than good old franks pizza on new bern.

  • BA07/23 12:40 PM

    Excuse me, but I just wanted to say to Miles:
    I am on a PBR budget and enjoy all different types of food and places, but if I could get good tasting cheap food at a place located within blocks of my office and it suddenly became bad food, why do I not have a right to be upset?
    This isn’t foodie culture, this is a basic need for cheap food that is not full of manufactured ingredients.
    To not expect the best from any place or person, regardless of what it is, is why we have created this culture of chain restaurants that all taste like the same shit.

  • bigboy07/23 12:43 PM

    The Benders:

    Savannah Soldier, Inc.—the corporate entity behind Restaurant Savannah—has been sued by vendors for nonpayment, by contractors for breach of contract and by North Hills developer Kane Realty to regain possession of the restaurant after failure to pay $101,485.11 in rent. One former owner is suing another. And a father is suing a son.

    -The News and Observer

  • bigboy07/23 12:57 PM

    Nice, Clark.  Real nice:

    A lawsuit involving the owners of Restaurant Savannah has emerged in the wake of the North Hills eatery’s closure.

    The complaint centers around a loan made by plaintiff Donald Bender to Christopher Bender and Vincent Barresi, the original owners of Restaurant Savannah when it was formed in April 2005. The $180,000 loan was made in December of that same year, states the document.

    The lawsuit claims that defendants Christopher Bender, Barresi and a third man, Jeffery Moore, who eventually bought Restaurant Savannah, have defaulted on the loan.

    The complaint, which was filed in January, alleges that Donald Bender has suffered damages of $178,000 plus interest, court costs and attorney fees.

    - The N&0;

  • bigboy07/23 01:07 PM

    June 4, 1996 The News & Observer
    Restaurant owner guilty of assault

    ANNE SAKER STAFF WRITER LEAD

    RALEIGH - The young owner of Wicked Smile, a hot new downtown restaurant, pleaded guilty Monday to pinning a woman who worked for him against a wall and holding a blowtorch just inches from her head. The blowtorch was lit. Chris Bender, 26, could have gotten 60 days in jail, but District Judge William Lawton instead put him on probation for two years and fined him $500. He also ordered Bender to get counseling about domestic violence and to stay away from Samantha Dickinson.

  • corey3rd07/23 02:40 PM

    The three visits we made to Martin Street Pizza during the reign of Daniel Taylor were great. He was doing more than running a pizza joint. He was able to straddle the normal pizza by the slice with Ed LaDou’s creativity. We brought a party of 16 into the place and everybody was pleased and stuffed by the end of the night. But now that it’s all out of a can, what’s the point? Why waste the gas? It’s no longer a destination restaurant. It’s just a place you eat at if you’re stuck downtown.

    I can save a lot of time by just ordering up a pie from the Pizza Transit Authority.

    Bender had a good things going and he had to punt it away.

  • john07/23 03:39 PM

    wow.  you folks really don’t like these guys.  tell me, how much money have any of you spent opening/running a bar or restaurant?

  • bigboy07/23 03:43 PM

    John-

    zero.  the bar/restaurant business model sucks.  get to know the Bend-Overs and you will understand, my man.

  • corey3rd07/23 04:05 PM

    if WRAL reported that the Angus Barn was being turned into a Sizzler, would you think, “It’s still a steakhouse, what’s the issue?”

    Doesn’t matter how much money I’ve spent running a restaurant. What matters is how much money I intend to spend at a restaurant. What drags me out of my own kitchen. What makes me want to go back.

    This was a great set up. And instead it became the reverse of an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. Everything Gordon Ramsay promotes on that show was tossed into the dumpster. Chuck E Cheese pizza

  • yikes07/23 04:52 PM

    hey...don’t forget the other businesses chris bender fucked up....lizzy’s (now alibi), martin street music hall....that building blows.  martin street pizza was doomed from the start.

  • karen.07/23 06:54 PM

    “it is said that bender would...” but has it been confirmed? or is the validity of that statement up in the air, like taylor’s reasons for leaving? don’t you people ever talk to real sources?

  • kh07/23 08:10 PM

    I’m so sick of these d-bags messing up every single place I like. I miss old Alibi. Last time I poked my head in there, I think Fred Durst was tending bar. Props to my homey Nickie the B!
    And I’m guessing that the chicken-topped pizza slice I had there was post-Taylor, seeing as how it tasted like they boiled pieces of chicken and then dropped them on top. The rosemary sorbet was good, though.
    While it’s true that there are lots of pizza places, the thing this one offers that few others do is pizza-by-the-slice all day. When you like pepperoni, onion and green pepper and your best friend likes mandarin oranges and pineapples, that makes a difference. Plus, no leftovers to worry about lugging around when you want to go out after. I mean, would you really want to eat your leftovers after they sat on the bar at Slim’s for a few hours? I mean that as a compliment, Slim’s.

  • brian_M07/23 08:14 PM

    Kinda sad, I was looking forward to checking this joint out.

  • gooie07/24 05:49 AM

    BA, it is very difficult to produce “cheap” food that is NOT full of pre-manufactured ingredients.It takes a lot of labor to produce real food, and a lot higer quality ingredient shopping list. I imagine these factors, especially the labor to produce the effort, were some of the major reasons that this place took a 180.

    Now I have never eaten there, and these comments don’t really make me want to race right over, but sometimes it is the public’s demand for “cheap and quality” that sinks a place. Folks will say” oh it’s good and fresh and tasty, , but it’s sooo expensive”, or they will say “it’s ok but it’s cheap”.

    Imagine if they had opened up with the current business model from day 1...I bet it would still be a welcome arena for a quick bite of “cheap” food.

  • BA07/24 08:21 AM

    I mentioned “cheap and quality” mainly b/c of the other pizza places people have listed - Lilly’s, Moonlight, Capital Creations… these still fit in the realm of cheap and good to me, unlike Miles’s implication of being a “foodie” which to me implies much higher prices/demands.
    I do think there are places that sink b/c of the “cheap and quality” demand, but I also think it’s possible to have both.
    No, I’ve not owned a restaurant/bar, but there are a few examples in and around downtown Raleigh that at least seem to be thriving and attempt to do things locally and/or with fresh ingredients but are not ridiculously expensive. My main point was that I think we should encourage those type of places and not put up w/ crap food and/or high prices just b/c it’s in the right location.

  • bigboy07/24 09:54 AM

    karen- you must also believe in the tooth fairy.  the fact is that DB is madcap who treats everyone like dog doo.  ever heard of karma? 

    over/under- 8 months, 2 days

  • john07/24 11:12 AM

    you guys must really love your pizza.

  • corey3rd07/24 11:16 AM

    it was pizza and the people behind the pizza that we enjoyed.

  • gooie07/24 01:26 PM

    ok BA I see your point...I like all those places, too, and I hate the term “foodie” or “wine snob”...I can search out great inexpensive places to eat, and I do not like paying a lot of money for wine, although I like good wine and good food...I do not think you have to be a “foodie” to appreciate those...I, too would rather go to Lilys or Baja Burrito than go to some “foodie” place and get snooty service and overpriced food, which seems to be the trend in this town…

  • sally07/24 01:37 PM

    I didn’t even know about this place to begin with.

    But please, please, let me know where Daniel Taylor goes next. His food was wonderful at Underground - although I knew the setup wouldn’t last.....

  • Joe at Slim's07/24 02:26 PM

    What’s wrong with your pizza sitting on the bar at Slim’s?!?! Just kidding. I know exactly what you mean. Thanks for the compliment (although I did just scrub down the bar at Slim’s with reckless abandon)! Maybe I’ll just get one of the 25 vagrants that will try to scam something from me today to hand out free slices to everyone that comes in this afternoon…

  • EMG07/24 04:00 PM

    That explains it all...amazing one week (despite no liquor license which went on for several days after opening) and mediocrity the next.
    And now I know why.  I guess it was only a matter of time.

  • 1234507/24 04:47 PM

    It is a shame!! We can only hope they get it together, I would hate to see another restaurant go under downtown.

  • style07/24 07:38 PM

    If Dan"Toolbag"Taylor is such a good chef why did the Underground fail? Probably cause he wasted time and money on stupid incidental crap like homemade sausage for pizza. What a load of garbage. It’s pizza not rocket science. He should have taken the time to come up with good crust and sauce(the base of good pizza)instead of bothering with infused oils and sausage you can get from US Foods without the overpaid wanna-be sous chefs prepping it. The guy’s been gone for like 3 days. They were open for a week before that. He dropped the ball and overshot the product. Quit bitching. Anyone who has ever worked in restaurants knows it’s about the price point. You can’t sell a 10 inch pizza for 18 bucks and expect to stay in business. Doesn’t matter what you top it with. People want inexpensive decent quality product. A slice or two and a drink for around 5 bucks. No one cares about some failed ex-tappas joint with weak overpriced food’s chef/owner and his homemade garlic paste. Go cry about something of consequence. It’s as good as any pizza. Eat there or don’t, but don’t post anonymous trash talking cause your “buddy” lost his job…

  • corey3rd07/24 07:41 PM

    “but don’t post anonymous trash talking cause your “buddy” lost his job…”

    and you aren’t being anonymous?

  • style07/24 08:05 PM

    Touché. I retract the word anonymous. Doesn’t change the issue. But let’s be fair. The guy’s are both fucked up. Who isn’t? However, what makes you think you could even hold Chris or Don’s jock. Show me what any of you have accomplished with your lives? Who are you to pass judgement? Two successful people, Maybe they’ve had failures, but Dan taylor hasn’t done anything to brag about, and that includes his pizza. Underground? A hole under a washed up comedy club? If City Limits wasn’t next door, no one would have even wandered in there by accident, save the occasional bum…

  • corey3rd07/24 08:27 PM

    I took a group of 16 people over to MSP when Taylor was working and nobody had a problem with the crust or the sauce. And they would have told me if they thought the pizza was subpar.

    I don’t know why you’re so bitter about the Underground. we had amazing dinners there. Sure it was a hidden away, but I never walked out of there without being blissed out. Most importantly, my wife was getting multiple foodgasms. If only bums in this town could eat so well. I brought in a video crew from Tokyo one night and they ordered everything on the menu. They weren’t bitter and wanting me to take them to the Sizzler.

    And I don’t know what happened those final weeks of the Underground, but I do know that the jerk from Goodnights was the worst person to deal with. Twice he lost our reservations when we had parties of 12 coming over.

    And why would anyone want to touch father-son jocks? Although there’s probably a website that supports such a fetish.

    Maybe we should just live in a world of Golden Corrals, McDonalds and Olive Gardens. Maybe it’s just great when Kane runs off J.K.s steakhouse for a lame Ruth Chris steak outlet. Any chef in Raleigh that aims beyond TGIFridays needs to be deported.

  • happy07/24 10:52 PM

    Franks Pizza on New Bern (near MLK) is amazing!

  • G07/25 12:20 AM

    “Yes. Let us know when the next McDonalds is opening in suburbia”

    Yes. I’m no business major, but I would think that the creator/domain owner/administrator of a website that was attempting to appeal to (what I would hope would be a decent-sized constituency) wouldn’t act like such a Goddamned pretentious dick to his audience. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking. I can understand: poor person probably wasn’t typing while wearing a thrift-store jacket. Honestly, who can blame you…

  • David07/25 07:49 AM

    G- hes not part of NR’s audience, mearly a critic.  I don’t wear thrift store clothes either, but don’t have a problem with anyone who does.  Hope you can score that MBA.

  • SDD07/25 08:45 AM

    There have been a lot of comments on here about “oh it’s just pizza, blah blah blah.” That is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. If you are craving a really great burger do you go to McDonald’s? Most people don’t. As simple as a burger may be there is a certain something special to doing it better than everyone else. The same deal with pizza. It’s not just bread and cheese. It is very complicated. Try to make a pizza at your house sometime and see how it comes out. There are four star chefs that can’t make a good pizza. What Dan Taylor and the kitchen staff at Martin Street did was make a pizza that was hands down the best in the city (I realize not everyone will agree with that statement, so save it). The beauty of something simple done very well is easily overlooked but if there is one thing Daniel Taylor knows how to do, it’s do the simple things well. Leave it to Raleigh to be enough of a crap city to complain about their full pizza being $2 more than the crap you get anywhere else around here. Raleigh needs to understand quality. Finally I do have one comment on the downside of Taylor. Regardless how good of a chef he may be, he seems to lack some business sense. Whatever happened at Underground, and now getting involved with someone known around town to be shady. I love his food but maybe he should sit the next couple business ventures out.

  • Cecil07/25 09:19 AM

    I had been meaning to try MSP for a long time but haven’t had the time.  Reading through all this yesterday convinced me to check it out myself.  I have to say, it was pretty damn good.  I’m not sure if it was one of those lucky ups of the ups and downs, but there was nothing artificial in this one.  The crust was very good.  Not as thin as I normally like, but nice and crispy and quite flavorful.  The basil and tomatoes slices were very fresh and outstanding.  And the sauce while not spectacular was certainly not bad.  Again, this may have been just a lucky experience, but it leads me to believe there may be more to come.  Maybe put the noose away until it all settles??

  • style07/25 09:26 AM

    First of all, I’m not bitter about the underground. I could give a damn. I went there several times and the food was ok at best. Nothing ground breaking or orgasmic going on. Don’t blame the guys at Goodnight’s cause Dan couldn’t make it work. If it was his place, he should have handled his own business. What the hell does a film crew from Tokyo know about food or have anything to do with food, anyway? Was it a food critic film crew? Quit trying to sound so important, Corey, or is it Joe? “I took a film crew, I took 16 people out, they would tell me"… Blah, blah, blah… Whatever.
    Secondly, I’m just tired of people ragging folks because someone’s overinflated concept didn’t pan out. It’s pizza, not haute cuisine. The problem wasn’t even bad food so much as over done food. You don’t gear a pizza place toward foodie’s. Well, not if you care to make a profit and stay in business. You want it to appeal to the “everyman.” Throw some upscale tastes in if you want, but it’s still just a pie. If you have any head for business, you know it’s a compromise. You can’t spend time a money making homemade pickles and sausage and garlic pastes and oils, and expect your costs to stay anywhere in the ballpark they need to be in. You can’t sell $50 pizzas. I mean come on, pickles? Yes, it’s a nice touch. If I was at a fine dining establishment and got a sandwich I’d expect the pickles to be made in house, but the best sandwich shops don’t even do it, because it’s not worth it when you can get great products these days ready to go. It’s not 1960. Food distributors are making high quality products these days. You want to sell foodie pizza? Go open a 40 seat joint, put together a menu and throw a fancy, overly elaborate(and overpriced)pie on it. Otherwise, leave it to people who want to make good, reasonably simple food for everyone. Cause it doesn’t need to be complicated to be good food. Simple usually winds up better…
    And since you’ve gone from bender bashing and taylor talk to JK’s, I’ll touch on that. You want top notch real high quality food? Go to Bon Soiree. I know Chip and Tina from JK’s. John Kane is a self-absorbed douche and a criminal. That aside, the place failed. Ruth’s Chris probably won’t. They put out good food. Hardly a chain to lump in with TGI’s and Olive Gardens. But what you ask, did Chip and Tina do? They moved on. Now Chip, who is a beast in the kitchen, is putting out some of, if not the, best food around here. And with Tina, service that blows them all away. Best of luck to Dan Taylor. Hopefully, he’ll move on and find his niché and maybe even some sucess. I’m not saying anymore on the subject, though I’m sure you will knowing I’ve said that. We’re all a bunch of hypocrites anyways…

  • corey3rd07/25 09:36 AM

    Unlike you “Style!” I don’t hide behind an anonymous name. You know who I am, unlike you who complain like an anonymous hypocrite.

    Of course I’m going to respond since you’re a bitter little prick. And that’s all I need to say about your anonymous nature. Blah, Blah, Blah - go eat your corn syrup frozen preprocessed cardboard. I think your pager went off for the table at Olive Garden.

  • 1234507/25 09:43 AM

    I must say style needs some lessons in humility and class. As a chef myself I wouldn’t let you anywhere near anything I was a part of. Get a hold of your ego and by all means learn to cook, then maybe you won’t have to bash people who are making it.

  • MoreStyle07/25 10:13 AM

    Sounds like “Style” perhaps has a fondness for, if not a connection to, the Benders - ya think?

    Underground was sold by the Taylors to a 3rd party who failed to take care of business.  It was then assumed by the aptly described “jerk” at Goodnights.  Prior to the sale, it was one of Raleigh’s finest restaurants featured regularly in the N&O;by Greg Cox and named one of the South’s finest in Bon Appetit.  To say otherwise proves ignorance.

    Martin Street Pizza was a great concept with extraordinary food until Mr. Bender Senior decided he wanted to play a more active role in its operation and direction, effectively negating chef Taylor’s love for delivering something above expectations.  To say it was “just a pizza joint” proves further ignorance.  Don’t take offense - just know you were not the intended audience or patron and the experience would be wasted on you.  Go order Dominos or Papa John’s and enjoy your Beck’s, err, Budweiser.

    Rumor has it Chef Taylor will be moving to a high-end tavern on Hillsborough Street but that has yet to be confirmed.

  • TC07/25 10:43 AM

    “It’s pizza, not haute cuisine. The problem wasn’t even bad food so much as over done food. You don’t gear a pizza place toward foodie’s.”

    So pizza can’t be gourmet?

    Maybe you’ve heard of a place called Spago’s.  It’s done okay for itself, and mainly because of gourmet pizza. 

    To assume food has to be average for a restaurant to succeed is limited and short-sighted.

  • kd07/25 11:34 AM

    I am amazed at how this topic has gotten so heated. Makes me feel like we are in Italy with all of these passionate attitudes. MSP is probably getting extra business from all this discussion as now everyone is curious to see what all the fuss is. Any press is good press.

    Kelsey...I checked out your blog. Looks good. Are you working someplace now or gearing up to open your own restaurant??

  • nickeledanddimed07/25 12:25 PM

    Every time I went (maybe 5 or 6 times) it was a little bit more expensive than the time before. It seemed like the price of toppings went up every week. That really started to irk me.

  • Brendan07/25 01:00 PM

    I went today and actually liked it better than the week they opened. I just want a quick, easy lunch. I don’t need gourmet.

  • SDD07/25 01:21 PM

    I guess you guys don’t realize the pizza at MSP before was simple. It walked the line between simple and run-of-the-mill. Not to say that what they are doing now is bad, I think everyone here is just trying to say that the bender’s were sitting on a gold mine and could have been a very big part of a very unique moment in Raleigh Cuisine. I love pizza, the good and the bad. It’s just a shame, for Daniel, and for all of Raleigh in my opinion, that Mr. Bender only wanted a run of the mill pizza place. And to Style, You are an idiot. If you know anything about food costs, consider this, daniel taylor ran an average food cost of 22% at Underground. The reason is that he knows how to turn waste into profit. Homemade sausage is cheaper than store bought sausage. Homemade pasta and pickles are cheaper than storebought. Things like that are made from waste or very cheap ingredients. They taste better and cost less than storebought crap. The reason for the higher prices is that there were pizzas with Proscuitto di Parma on them. If you don’t want them, don’t order them. Get a slice of cheese and shut up.Daniel is just the guy to know how to make money off waste. Stop talking about things you know nothing about.

  • oakcity07/25 02:48 PM

    “Leave it to Raleigh to be enough of a crap city to complain about their full pizza being $2 more than the crap you get anywhere else around here. Raleigh needs to understand quality.”

    most of the southerners, and Raleighites that i know DO know good food and value as well.

    Its the yankee infiltrators that tend to do the bitching and complaining in my experiences. If you don’t like Raleigh then take a trip back up I-95 kooks, we never asked you to come here in the first place.

  • gooie07/26 06:47 AM

    “he knows how to turn waste into profit”

    ...yumyumyum...I really want my food to come out of the trash bin....

  • gooie07/26 06:48 AM

    I wonder what his labor costs were?

  • Jon of Lilly's07/26 02:59 PM

    It sparks ones curiosity to hear so many passionate tales about pizza in Raleigh. There are many wonderful pizzarias here including mine, Bella Monica, Capital Creations, and so forth.  What we do is neither simple or easy; we all love the pleasure of a fine meal and impart that in our foods.  My hat is off to the hole lot of you at MSP who attempted a better experience!!!

    Proudly.

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