The Barstool Sports Founder and YouTube sensation Dave Portnoy, who runs One Bite Pizza Review, awarded Fresh Farms Market a 7.9 out of 10 for its New York-style pizza, praising Fresh Farms Market for their use of fresh ingredients. Their pizza relies on fresh ingredients from start to finish. The cheese blend mixes mozzarella, Romano, and provolone, while workers make the homemade sauce in the kitchen. The dough ferments overnight before use. Steve Najjar has traveled to pizza shows across the country, constantly tweaking and perfecting the recipe.
Portnoy arrived Thursday after the Grosse Pointe grocery store spent 228 days posting videos to catch his eye. The University of Michigan alum made the stop while visiting Michigan for the Wolverines’ matchup against Oklahoma.
James Najjar, son of Farm Fresh Market’s co-owner Steve Najjar, began this quest in January. Every day for 228 days, he posted pizza videos on Instagram and tagged Portnoy, hoping to lure the media personality to their Fisher Road location.
“I said ‘I am going to get Portnoy to our store, and I am not going to quit until he comes,'” Najjar said, according to the Detroit Free Press.
On Tuesday, Portnoy announced on X that he was headed to Ann Arbor. “I’m gonna stop in Detroit for a pizza. Any new or old spots I need to try?” he wrote.
Thursday afternoon brought the payoff. Portnoy ordered a plain cheese pizza under an assumed name, and once he sampled the pizza, Najjar said that Portnoy told him it was an excellent pizza and one of best he’s ever had at a supermarket.
Denise George works as the florist at the store. She watched business spike Thursday night when news of the visit got out. “We’re just trying to be ready for it as much as possible. Having dough ready and having the staff available,” she said, according to the Detroit News. She also said about the experience, “He was great. It was positive. Everything was great. He gave us 7.9.”
Portnoy’s One Bite Pizza Reviews YouTube page has 1.5 million followers, with more than 5 million on Instagram. A visit to an establishment by Portnoy can cause a huge influx of exposure and customers. For example, in 2021, Melvindale’s Fredi the PizzaMan earned an 8.7 rating and sold out every day that week. The owner’s autism foundation raised more than $26,000 in the days that followed.
Portnoy stopped by Emo’s Brick Oven Pizza in Dearborn this week too, awarding that spot a 7.1 score. He also stopped by Amelia Street Pizzeria in Hazel Park. We’re waiting on his score from this spot.
One Bite reviews post on YouTube Mondays through Thursdays, so the Fresh Farms Market and Amelia Street Pizzeria videos should go live next week.
Fresh Farms Market is located at 355 Fisher Rd. in Grosse Point. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Call 313-882-5100 to order pizza.
Dining and Cooking