Pizza Sam
Pizza Sam – Alma, Michigan
24
JULY, 2022
OK, fair warning… This review is very personal, completely biased, and has nothing to do with backpacking. My family drove into Alma for the first time in 1965. That night we stayed at the Triangle Motel, and I ate my first Pizza Sam pizza. I grew up in Alma. My history of eating ‘Sammies’ now spans 58 years. From the early elementary school days through high school, four years at Alma College, and right up to today. (Literally… I pulled a frozen slice from the freezer for lunch). Though I’ll admit to being biased, Pizza Sam pizza is precisely the New York, thin-crust style I love. They pile on the toppings and cook it in an ancient, museum-worthy Blodgett oven. I’ve had pizza in many places all over the world but have never found anything better.
“Signature thin crust pizza is about the same as I recently had in Italy.
Excellent, and very different than other local pizza places. Service was excellent. Very reasonably priced, good food, and good service. What more could you ask for?“ – Guest Review
History of Pizza Sam
Sam and Shirley Ortisi opened the Pizza Sam restaurant in 1960. It was located on State Street in Alma, Michigan in a small single room just barely big enough for the pizza oven. In 1962 they ventured around the block and opened up the new Pizza Sam building on Main Street we all know today. It started off as a one-room restaurant with limited seating and one pizza oven. Sam would eventually purchase the adjacent two buildings and increase the seating and kitchen space. In 2000, Sam’s son John took over ownership of the restaurant. In 2015, John’s son Vinnie decided to continue the family business after graduating from college. Vinnie has made a few changes over the past few years, but the restaurant still continues to thrive. Sam Ortisi passed away in 2017.
Ham, Bacon, Pepperoni – $10 and ‘Ten Minutes’
My go-to pizza from the beginning has always been a medium ham, bacon, and pepperoni. Hey, I’m a ‘Meat Lover’ kind of guy! I don’t remember the cost or timing in the ‘early days’ (the 1960s). But during my high school and college days, the price was $10, and they always quoted ’10 minutes’ for timing. It became a joke when we’d order. My friends would ask me, ‘how long?’ while smiling. They always knew the answer. The cost has increased ($16) but the ’10 minutes’ remains.
Another Pizza Sam ‘fixture’ was Stevie. I never knew Stevie’s exact role, but he was the main pizza chef for 25 years. The pizzas were prepared right up front at Pizza Sam. In plain view of people inside and out. The person you always saw flipping pizzas was Stevie. And he generally answered the phone too. Our saying was, ‘Stevie, flip me a good one.’ And he always did.
Winner of 2013 ‘Best Pizza’ in Michigan Award
It isn’t just me that loves Pizza Sam pizza. They have an almost cult-like following in the central Michigan area. That is especially true on the Alma College campus and the other colleges and universities within driving distance. From an MLive.com website article: “It was unquestionably the most controversial entrant in Michigan’s Best Pizza poll. Pizza Sam’s Pizza in Alma is closer to Mt. Pleasant and Midland than Lansing, yet there it was, winning the poll by garnering nearly 50 percent of the vote. “That just amazed me,” Shirley Ortisi, the wife of the restaurant’s founder “Pizza” Sam Ortisi, said on Wednesday. “We were shocked to hear that we were in the running for this contest.” Their popularity in Alma was undoubtedly enhanced by free delivery to the college campus (and only the college!).
Changes at Pizza Sam
For their first 50 years, little at Pizza Sam changed. The restaurant, on Main Street in downtown Alma, was open for extended hours seven days a week. Before the big box retailer stores came in on the outskirts of town, Pizza Sam was the nicest restaurant in Alma. They were known for their steaks, chops, and chicken, as well as their pizza. It was common to pick up a carry-out pizza and see both sides of the restaurant packed with dine-in guests. Not anymore. Sam’s son John took over running Pizza Sam in 2000. I don’t think John ever really wanted to do it, but the rumor is that no one else would. He scaled back the hours and menu. Covid eliminated dine in. Now Pizza Sam is still carryout only, and the restaurant’s seating area serves as a storage area for carry-out pizza boxes (lots of them!).
Conclusion – Pizza Sam
I will always have a special place in my heart for Pizza Sam. It provides me with great memories of not only my childhood and early adult life but also many fantastic pizzas as well. The restaurant has witnessed many changes in the local area over its 60-plus years of operation, and Pizza Sam has changed as well. It continues to have a cult-like following in central Michigan, especially among current and former Alma College students (including this alumnus of the college!). If you ever find yourself in the area of Alma Michigan do yourself a favor and try a Pizza Sam pizza.
I am a ‘content creator’ with a passion for backpacking, creating videos, photography, and writing – with a healthy dose of all things outdoors on the side!
