Cal's Pizza is closing Tuesday

**Diehard** · January-03-10, 03:08 AM

Just heard from the waitstaff... I suspected this for a long time, but Cal's Pizza [[on Harper, east of Cadieux) is closing down on Tuesday. Best pizzas in town. Last chance to get one.

And I know y'all have some memories to share.

**the rock** · January-03-10, 07:55 AM

A real shame to see Cal's close. We used to also patronize the old Cal's on E. Warren and I remember when it closed several years ago. Cal's not only had great pizza but also sponsored softball teams in the old Detroit Recreational softball league. Our law firm had a team that played in the league and "Cal's Old Timer's" always beat us bigtime.

**Gannon** · January-03-10, 08:34 AM

Not to threadjack, but we went to Corsi's out in Livonia yesterday for dinner.

Chatted up a relatively new father to an adorable toe-headed two-year old who kept poking his head over the booth top to flirt with my buddy's wife...and we agreed this was a place worth supporting because we didn't ever want to see it go away.

Like this place is doing now.

Big bummer any time anything dies, especially one that did their task for us with excellence.

No cheers...

**FlyByDon** · January-03-10, 09:11 AM

Sorry to see Cal's close. However like many business on Harper, it's just not worth the effort / danger of staying open. With the depression in Detroit / nation I won't be surprised to see more close on the avenue. I'll for sure order another large with cheese and peperoni in the next few days.

**12468_laing** · January-04-10, 10:56 AM

Really hate to hear this. I left Detroit in 82, and everytime I came back, always made a trip to Cal's. Remember so many times at the location on East Warren - liked that place much better than the Harper location. I live in TN now, and recently found Jet's pizza here - the closest thing to Cal's we have here. Truly a sad day.

**pgn421** · January-04-10, 11:05 AM

We will be there tomorrow, for the wake!

**milesdriven** · January-04-10, 11:12 AM

Damn, used to walk there all the time. I guess it's the start of a downward spiral, if the smoking ban isn't amended Elam's, Guilford Bar, Nikki's Place, and First Place Lounge are sure to follow later this year.

**stasu1213** · January-04-10, 11:32 AM

I remember when Cals was Dominoes pizza, then it changed hands then it became something else. The only businesses that had stayed in the area is Blue Moon restaurant and the paint store on the corner. Nice area. Has lots of potential. Earlier this decade the area had problems with young men hanging around outside of that barbershop scaring customers away from patronizing the other businesses.

**Fury13** · January-04-10, 11:52 AM

I used to patronize Cal's regularly when I lived in EEV. Great pizza... in fact, one of the best on the eastside, if not the metro area. I'm lamenting the fact that I won't able to get one last pizza before they close. Damn.

Cloverleaf [[or maybe a trip over to the original Buddy's) is now really the only real option for far eastsiders, when it comes to that kind of quality.

**Maof** · January-04-10, 12:34 PM

any chance he's moving and not closing? cal's was best when on east warren and made great sub's too!

**ddaydetroit** · January-04-10, 12:46 PM

I can see why most of these places closed up a most common response when something is closing in Detroit is I used to hit that bar or restaurant I loved the place but stopped going there years ago? You move out to the burbs eat at applebees and can't believe that old bar is closing.

**tarkus** · January-04-10, 12:48 PM

That sucks,used to live behind the one on E. Warren, it always smelled so good when they were baking the pizzas. Their antipasto salads were the absolute best.

**kryptonite** · January-04-10, 01:36 PM

I used to live about five houses from the E. Warren Cal's and was there fairly often. It sounds like the Harper location is closing rather than moving? Too bad, Cal's was good pizza. Zeno's across the street next to Barbies was very good as well, maybe even better.

**Fury13** · January-04-10, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by milesdriven

Damn, used to walk there all the time. I guess it's the start of a downward spiral, if the smoking ban isn't amended Elam's, Guilford Bar, Nikki's Place, and First Place Lounge are sure to follow later this year.

Doubt it... maybe one or two of those places will close, that's it.

Guilford is now the Mugshot.

And Nikki's was way better when it was the Ebb Tide. No great loss there if it goes.

**12468_laing** · January-04-10, 02:38 PM

So, when exactly did Cal's move from East Warren to Harper? 80's or 90's? Anyone know for sure?

**pgn421** · January-04-10, 02:47 PM

Krypo- I miss Zenos. Marv was great. If you could get him out of Barbies

**pgn421** · January-04-10, 02:50 PM

12468- Cals, used to be on Kercheval and Lillibridge. It's named after the owner Jim "Torchy" a, mother

**pgn421** · January-04-10, 02:52 PM

I'm gpoing to be there tomorrow for beer and pizza

bartock · January-04-10, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by Fury13

I used to patronize Cal's regularly when I lived in EEV. Great pizza... in fact, one of the best on the eastside, if not the metro area. I'm lamenting the fact that I won't able to get one last pizza before they close. Damn.

Cloverleaf [[or maybe a trip over to the original Buddy's) is now really the only real option for far eastsiders, when it comes to that kind of quality.

Sorry to skew, but Dan Good Pizza is now in St. Clair Shores, on Mack south of 9 Mile. It is terrific.

**pgn421** · January-04-10, 03:12 PM

12468- Jim " Torchy" Scullens.mother, Cal

**eastland** · January-04-10, 03:58 PM

Several years back, I remember that G Willies Bar at 12 Mile & Harper used to make and sell Cal's Pizza. Tasted the same at the time; the current G Willies version is pretty close to the old Cal's pizza.

**Maof** · January-04-10, 04:25 PM

Doesn't Torchy own Irish Coffee?

**East Detroit** · January-04-10, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Fury13

Cloverleaf [[or maybe a trip over to the original Buddy's) is now really the only real option for far eastsiders, when it comes to that kind of quality.

No doubt about it.

**EastsideAl** · January-04-10, 04:46 PM

I remember Cal's when it was a bar on Kercheval. It was just around the corner from my great-grandmother's house. It was either there or at the original Moma Rosa's on Mack near Connor where I had my first taste of pizza. Went to the E. Warren one regularly back before I left the area for awhile and when I had relatives who lived over there. One of my cousins worked there for awhile too.

**Diehard** · January-04-10, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by ddaydetroit

I can see why most of these places closed up a most common response when something is closing in Detroit is I used to hit that bar or restaurant I loved the place but stopped going there years ago? You move out to the burbs eat at applebees and can't believe that old bar is closing.

Wish that was the case. I've been trying to go there over and over in past months and it seemed like it was always closed when I was hungry. They went to more of a nightclub format maybe a year ago and it's been unpredictable [[not to mention *ahem* unpleasant) since then.
I can see why they tried that route, since it was always packed on club nights, but the crowd they attracted was definitely the type I didn't want to hang with. Security pat-downs, painfully loud bad music, loud knuckleheads harassing the bartenders to try to get out of paying, fights in the parking lot... that part I won't miss.