Rocky's Pizza

I've been away from Detroit for over 30 years now, and haven't been back since '87 to see the Tigers lose to the Twins in the playoffs.

Anyway, I still dream about a peppeoni pie from Rocky's on 7 mile. Once, we drove in from MSU on a Saturday night just to satisfy the craving. Told Rocky how far we drove and he gave me one of his pizzeria bowling shirts that I still wear proudly.

I know they are not there anymore, does anybody know if they moved to the suburbs or eventually closed the doors?

Mmmmmmm, Rockys!

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Originally Posted by Honeyman

I've been away from Detroit for over 30 years now, and haven't been back since '87 to see the Tigers lose to the Twins in the playoffs.

Anyway, I still dream about a peppeoni pie from Rocky's on 7 mile. Once, we drove in from MSU on a Saturday night just to satisfy the craving. Told Rocky how far we drove and he gave me one of his pizzeria bowling shirts that I still wear proudly.

I know they are not there anymore, does anybody know if they moved to the suburbs or eventually closed the doors?

Mmmmmmm, Rockys!

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Rocky was my uncle. He passed away some time ago. He was a great guy.

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Originally Posted by LodgeDodger

Rocky was my uncle. He passed away some time ago. He was a great guy.

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He seemed like a great guy, LD. Heaven is the proper place for that pie. That thick yet fluffy, bubbly crust. The pepperoni charred on the edges so it was just a little crunchy. The gooey cheese that would stretch from the slice to your mouth when you ate it....AHHHH!

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Originally Posted by Honeyman

He seemed like a great guy, LD. Heaven is the proper place for that pie. That thick yet fluffy, bubbly crust. The pepperoni charred on the edges so it was just a little crunchy. The gooey cheese that would stretch from the slice to your mouth when you ate it....AHHHH!

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Oh my GOD...stop! PLEASE! Uncle Rocky's pizzas were the BEST!

Pop and Uncle were in the same poker club. When the poker night was at our house, Uncle would bring pizzas for everyone--including a special one for us kids! We'd fall on the box as if we hadn't eaten in months! Those were the days...

Uncle always had a big grin on his face. That's a face that will always be in my heart's neighborhood.

Rocky's was in my old neighborhood, just west of the Royal Theater. I ate there many times - the pizza was great. I think it might have been open untill the beginning of the 80's.

Lodgerdodger,

you did not get the recipe from Uncle Lou???
you could have kept the family business going.
Never had a Rocky pizza, east side kind of guy.
sound delic..............

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Originally Posted by slick

Lodgerdodger,

you did not get the recipe from Uncle Lou???
you could have kept the family business going.
Never had a Rocky pizza, east side kind of guy.
sound delic..............

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I'm afraid not. ;-)

I did hear many wonderful stories about the business...

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Originally Posted by LodgeDodger

I'm afraid not. ;-)

I did hear many wonderful stories about the business...

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Please, share them with us!

I checked my shirt, still white after all these years, and was reminded it had Rocky embroidered in script on the left chest.

Am I wrong or did his wife, your aunt obviously, work with him at the pizzeria often?

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Originally Posted by Honeyman

Please, share them with us!

I checked my shirt, still white after all these years, and was reminded it had Rocky embroidered in script on the left chest.

Am I wrong or did his wife, your aunt obviously, work with him at the pizzeria often?

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Yes, Aunt Mary. She is still with us.

I remember Pop telling a story about the pizzeria when it first opened. At the time, that area had quite a few folks who were Jewish. Uncle couldn't get anyone to eat there for love nor money. One night, he came up with the idea to serve kosher pizzas.

It worked. The place was full after that.

lodger dodger,

there is hope! I am sure Aunt Mary has the recipe for success.
Us guys know women never forget!

Regards to Aunt Mary!

Silly...we all have some form of the recipe! The family cooks the pretty much in the same manner. We're all great cooks.

I just miss the pizzeria...and Uncle.

Warmest regards to you and your family, LodgeDodger. I grew up eating frequently at Rocky's from the late '60s through the early '80s...some of my fondest memories of childhood involve meals there with family and friends. The roast chicken was great too!!! And I seem to recall your uncle with an accordion....

I too, have fond memories of Rocky's. I grew up 1 block away since the age of 5. I would say that I had a Rocky's pizza about once a week for almost 20 years, because Saturday was always Pizza Night. Rocky gave me my first job! I used to wait in the alley at the back door for Rocky to come back from grocery shopping. He used to pay me for helping him take the grocery's into the kitchen and stock the shelves.

Rocky was special because it represented independence in a strange way. You see it was the first place I could go, and tell Mom, "I'll get dinner on my own, tonight"! Me and the boys are going to Rocky's!!! Imagine that at 12 years old.

I got a triple in the NW Detroit Little League Championship [[probably my greatest sports moment in my life) and drove in the winning runs!!! Where did we go celebrate after the game? Rocky's!!!

I would always take my girlfriends in the neighborhood to Rocky's on first "dates", because he used to make me feel like a big shot by calling me by name and giving me "extra's" and free sodas!!! Boy did that feel great!!! That was before VIP sections!!! LOL

Mary was always there and I loved hearing Rocky yell her name from the Kitchen...."Mary, Mary".... for some reason, she never answered!!!

I remember the pizza, and have been in search of something similar my entire life... I am still looking. The thick pepperoni that used to curl up on the edges to form little bowls. Not like the thinly sliced crap you get today. And he never put it in a box... there was a cardboard platter placed in a plain brown wrapper/bag like thing!!! By the time you got home, there were a few grease spots on the top,.....

Good stuff... I could go on for days.

LodgeDodger... if you could send me some photos of the restaurant, it would be the best addition to my scrapbook!!! I am 46 now, and still remember the days when I was a preteen...Rocky's was a big part of that. 3 boys spending all day figuring out how to scrape up $5, so we could get a Rocky's Pizza!!!!

I also have fond memories of Rocky’s. I worked for him as a dishwasher for several years. It was my first job. I lived two blocks down from the restaurant on Mendota street. I can remember helping him carry in 50 pound bags of flower in the back alley from the trunk of his car.

The pizzas were the best in the world. To this day, I haven’t found any pizza that could compare.

I remember one evening Rocky had a few drinks and started playing his accordion for his guess while smoking a cigar. Good times.

If you could also send me some pictures of the restaurant or post them on online, it would be greatly appreciated.

I actually had a dream last night about Rocky's Pizza, so I am bumping this thread I started.

Could almost taste it......

What a blast from the past! Rocky's was a BIG hangout when I was a student at U of D High in the early 1970s. I remember one evening, after a winning basketball game if memory serves, when the place was packed with students, faculty [[Jesuit and lay), and supporters. Suddenly, the proprietor [[it must have been Rocky lui-meme) came out with an accordion [[can I possibly be remembering this correctly?) and serenaded the crowd. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven--or, at least, Europe.

I'm so glad i found this post. I've been thinking of Rocky's for years. My dad would take us as a family, frequently for years in the 80s. Rocky was always super nice to me. I seem to recall what someone else said, that Rocky would often come out and play his accordion... I don't really remember the interior or decor, but my impression is that there were green lights over the booths. Can anyone verify? I've been in the process of gathering old haunts such as Rocky's for an illustrated semi-autobiography for almost two years and Rocky's is one of those places that can only be recalled in stories. There's no pictures online or anything that i've been able to find. But i did find this thread, so i had to immediately sign up. I'd love to keep the conversation going.

Thanks all,
~miguel