Dave Portnoy in town for Michigan game, rates 2 Detroit pizza places

Persistence paid off for a family-owned Grosse Pointe market in getting media personality and businessman Dave Portnoy to try its New York-style pizza.

Since January, James Najjar, son of Steve Najjar, the co-owner of Fresh Farms Market on Fisher Road, has been trying to lure Portney to the store. Each day since then, Najjar said he’s been posting daily pizza videos on Instagram, some with ratings from customers, and tagging Portnoy on Instagram @stoolpresidente hoping to gain his attention.

Portnoy is well known for his One Bite Pizza Reviews on YouTube, a channel with more than 1.5 million subscribers. He also has a huge following on Instagram with more than 5 million followers.

Najjar got the idea to do the daily videos with his brother Joseph, along with his father Steve and uncle Larry Najjar, the store’s co-owners for more than 30 years.

“I said 'I am going to get Portnoy to our store, and I am not going to quit until he comes,'” Najjar told the Free Press.

That was more than 228 days ago, and Portnoy, Najjar said, finally paid the store a visit on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 10.

“I had a feeling he would come this weekend because of the Michigan game,” James Najjar said.

Portnoy posted on X on Tuesday, Sept. 8, that he was coming to Ann Arbor. In a One Bite Pizza Review of a Dearborn spot, he said he was in town for the Michigan vs. Oklahoma game. Portnoy is a Michigan alum, and the game is at noon Saturday at Michigan Stadium. He’s also the founder of Barstool sports.

“Heading to Ann Arbor this weekend (home of the 1-0 Wolverines) I’m gonna stop in Detroit for pizza. Any new or old spots I need to try?” Portnoy posted.

Najjar said they were making a plain cheese pizza for a customer when Portnoy came in.

Unbeknownst to Najjar, the pizza they were making was for Portnoy – but under a different name.

“That’s what he (Portnoy) likes. Mostly cheese, but he does change it up sometimes,” Najjar said.

Although Portnoy’s video review of Fresh Farms Market's pizza is not on the website yet, Najjar said Portnoy gave the market’s pizza a 7.9 score on a scale of 1 to 10.

“He said it’s an excellent pizza and one of best he’s ever had at a supermarket,” Najjar said.

Najjar said the market’s pizza uses all fresh ingredients from dough to its cheese blend of mozzarella, Romano and provolone, never frozen products.

“My father, Steve, has been going to pizza shows throughout the country to make sure our pizza gets even better,” Najjar said.

Fresh Farms Market’s pizza sizes are 10-, 14- and 18-inches. There’s a variety of pizzas from Margherita to meat lovers, supreme and a pepperoni with basil, Dave’s hot honey and ricotta cheese.

Dave Portnoy makes Dearborn stop

In Dearborn, Portnoy made a stop at Emo’s Brick Oven Pizza at 22749 Michigan Ave.

On Portnoy’s onebite.app is his review of Emo’s, which he describes as being like Greek pizza.

“Kind of feels a little bit like Greek pizza to me, and that's heavy and thick. That could be conveyor belt,” he said in the video.

After taking a bite Portnoy, said that Emo’s pizza “tastes pretty good. Light. But I do think it’s conveyor belt.” he said.

“I'm gonna go…I'm also starving, which helps. That was a generous 7.1. “I'm in a giving mood. There you go. 7.1 That's our view. This is kind of cold weather pizza, which makes sense for Detroit.”

When Portnoy tries a pizza for a One Bite Pizza Review, it can mean big business for the restaurant.

In February 2021, Portnoy named Fredi the PizzaMan’s New York-style pie the best in metro Detroit.

Fredi the PizzaMan is from Fredi Bello and is a carryout spot. Bello has no website, no online ordering and no phones in Melvindale. It’s walk-in only.

Portnoy rated Bello's New Yorker pizza an 8.7 out of 10. After Portnoy’s review ran, Bello quickly sold out, churning out 90 pies in three hours.

And it’s not only pizza for which Bello is known.

Bello founded the Fredi the PizzaMan foundation in 2016 after his son was diagnosed with autism. The charity foundation raises money for autism awareness with a focus on providing equipment for sensory rooms in schools. In 2021, after Portnoy’s pizza review, Bello told the Free Press at the time he received more than $15,000 in donations for the foundation.

Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SusanMariecooks. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.

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