This is something we’ve noticed, too. Fortunately, me and the trouble absolutely LOVE the smell while we’re in the place – its one of the things that makes Alleycat’s IMO, but it sure does stay in your clothes and hair afterwards.
I had some Caesar salad the other night and thought it was very good.
On my recent recon (that’s like a trip but with a military flavor i.e. camo underwear) to Taipei I paid a visit to Alleycat’s with that beer-hating Stragbasher.
Wonderful pizza! And Alan is a nice chap: it’s great to meet someone who appreciates the thud of willow on leather.
She doesn’t want to smell like pizza. She wants to smell like BACON PIZZA.
As for the Caesar Salad controversy, I may make myself unpopular, but I like the new one better than the old. My only complaint from my last visit was that they ran out of fresh mozzarella and I couldn’t try the new tomato and mozzarella salad.
It just goes to show, you cannot please everyone, no matter how you try.
I don’t notice the pizza smell… but I would think that would be a plus for a pizza joint.
As for the salad, my boy and my wife LOVE the salad now.
My boy and I had the mozzarella and tomato salad last time there… It was very good… my boy as crazy about it… we finally found a way to get him to eat tomatos… 
Thanks for your comments everyone.
Please allow me to address a few:
Pizza Smell: We have realized that the extractor we have is a little inadequate. A larger one will be installed soon.
Bacon: I have it sometimes. But it’s not on the menu. Will add it. And have it all the time.
Caesar Salad: I make it fresh everyday. I don’t measure the ingedients but instead use what I think are the appropriate measures. That’s why the salad dressing varies. I would rather this happen than splash Costco’s bottled dressing on a few Romaine leaves.
House Wine: We’re using larger glasses than most establishments. And believe for what you get for NT$100; it’s a steal.
Pizza: Getting better all the time.
Menu: Will be adding a few things, and new toppings. eg. Artichoke Hearts
Bill Settling: No, I don’t accept willow spankings as payment. My wife might though. I’ll have to ask her. 
Thank you all for you continued support.
Alleycat
[quote=“Jack Burton”]I also went last night with my wife and 5 starving kids. We had goat cheese pizza with basil. very good.
alas, I do miss that Shepherd’s Pie. but I must say the 100nt glass of wine was decent. and the garlic bread is still very garlicky good. and the calzone is still delicious as ever.[/quote]
your kids were quite loud, but well behaved. i suggest u buy each of them a drink next time, preferably the bucket sized pint glass of hoegaarden.
and no spinich for u sir.
Alleycat’s is great. Caesar is something i don’t order anymore either. Something funky goin on in there. Other than lack of desserts - canoli, lobster tail, biscotti, panna cotta, gelato/sorbet, limoncello or sambuca…i love the place…been there WAY too many times in the past 3 weeks.
-chris
Dear Readers,
I can’t recommend highly enough Alleycats as the ideal venue for a party.
Last night we had a ‘send off’ party there, I’m guessing about 25 people participated. Alan and his good lady kept the food coming ‘buffet style’ and the quality was consistently excellent!
Alan, I am confident when you host such parties you will secure new patronage; so many people last night were very complimentary about the food, the music, the decor and the reasonable prices…you can’t go wrong!
A big thanks to both of you for giving us all a memorable night.
See you on Tuesday… a party of three this time!
Regarding your cricket query, the Formosan Cricket Club is run by Sunil Sistla, a real gentleman, you can email him on sunil_sistla@yahoo.com
A while back I opined that Cosi-o-Cosi has Taipei’s best pizza. But, after having Alleycat’s pizza several times now and giving Cosi-o-Cosi another chance this past week (to be fair and certain)… I am changing my assessment.
While Cosi-o-Cosi serves a very, very good pizza, Allycat’s pizza is even better.
Highly recommend Alleycat’s pizza. Alleycat knows that I don’t like spices sprinkled on top of my pizza and he makes them the way I like even when I forget to remind him (like last night). The pies coming out of his brick oven are really out of this world.
Okay, I just returned from Alleycats, and this is what I learned:
- Jacking-up the price for each topping is ridiculous. Why aren’t there set pizzas?
- Alleycat’s friends are more important than the other customers.
- There are many mosquitoes there; they WILL bite you.
- The cheese on the pizza is low quality and will ensure a sprint to a restroom on the way home.
- The service is slow and bad - unless you’re buddies with Alleycat, you will be ignored.
That’s just my opinion. Feel free to go there and experience the hype first-hand. I will not go back. Good luck finding new customers.
[quote=“terror firmer”]Okay, I just returned from Alleycats, and this is what I learned:
- Jacking-up the price for each topping is ridiculous. Why aren’t there set pizzas?
- Alleycat’s friends are more important than the other customers.
- There are many mosquitoes there; they WILL bite you.
- The cheese on the pizza is low quality and will ensure a sprint to a restroom on the way home.
- The service is slow and bad - unless you’re buddies with Alleycat, you will be ignored.
That’s just my opinion. Feel free to go there and experience the hype first-hand. I will not go back. Good luck finding new customers.[/quote]
Well, it’s not often that I need respond to such harsh criticism, but here goes:
- Jacking-up the price for each topping is ridiculous. Why aren’t there set pizzas?
Dude, have you costed a kilo of pepperoni in this town? - Alleycat’s friends are more important than the other customers.
I don’t treat my “buddies” better than my other customers. That’s just plain nonsense. The familiarity I have with the customers whom you saw tonight is BECAUSE they have returned, and NOT because I knew them before opening Alleycat’s. - There are many mosquitoes there; they WILL bite you.
A valid complaint, we’ll have this sorted soon; obviously an oversight, I didn’t consider summer. BTW, there on loads of them, a few manage to make their way downstairs. - The cheese on the pizza is low quality and will ensure a sprint to a restroom on the way home.
Oh come on! - The service is slow and bad - unless you’re buddies with Alleycat, you will be ignored.
How is it then that you were served your pizza within 15-20 minutes of arriving? I might be busy, but I know that one person at a table is worse business than two waiting for that table.
Shit man, we were busy tonight. Freaking busy. We do our best to make everyone feel welcome. I’m sorry if you felt unwelcome.
I know you’ve just arrived, and that you had a bad night at Vibe last night. But bashing someone’s livelihood in such an obviously aggresive and malicious way is no way to go about making new friends. However, should you fell inclined to return, I’ll gladly make you a pizza on the house.
Oh, and we’re getting new customers all the time, and many of them return.
Oh, and my wife just informed me that she tried to talk to you on several occasions. You were, I am told, off-handish.
well i must say, i’ve been lurking in these forums for a little over a week, but that (you know the one) irked me so much i became a member in order to post. after just returning from another vist to Alleycats i have the following comments.
{digression} those of us who have been here a while (and hopefully a majority of new-comers do too) know what things we may have “sacrificed” by living here but have chosen Taiwan as our home. i for one, feel i have sacrificed little except for some good mexican and a decent piece of pizza and a few other things (could we get some decent art exhibitions like man ray or marcel duchamp please). strange how the little things are the ones you miss the most.
anyway, back on topic, i think Alan responded remarkably well (far more restrained than i probably would have and therefore have take a bit of time to offer my 2 cents in a manner that offers some advice rather than fuel the fire).
but, what’s with accusations of charging per topping? this is normal in most establishments i have been to, particularly abroad. set pizzas? ok some people might like the convenience but i usually don’t like the styles the management comes up with. i much prefer to create my own.
< Alleycat’s friends are more important than the other customers. >
WHAT? Alan treated me like a friend the very first time i went there. from what i have seen, i think all or most of the customers are treated as friends by Alan and his wife. if you are open to making new friends others will be too.
<- There are many mosquitoes there; they WILL bite you. >
i’ve never seen a one.
<- The cheese on the pizza is low quality and will ensure a sprint to a restroom on the way home. >
nonsense. the ricotta, goat cheese, and feta are excellent.
<- The service is slow and bad - unless you’re buddies with Alleycat, you will be ignored. >
absolute rubbish. both Alan and his wife (sorry i didn’t catch her name) are charming, kind, and very friendly. they go out of their way to make you feel at home. if fact that is what Alleycats makes me feel - like you are at a friend’s house or a friend’s restaurant. i would rather wait a few minutes for food quality and personalized service than a “mcdonaldized-impersonal” experience sans-personality. by the way, when was the last time you went to a restaurant and the owner asked for your name? Alan did and it wasn’t exclusive to me. add to that i met for the first time 2 very friendly and outgoing contributors to this forum and we all had a good chat. i’ll be going back not just to enjoy the good food but also to meet more good and friendly people.
after consideration, i tried to think of something that was negative. at first i thought you couldn’t smoke but found you could discretely. i don’t know about busy weekend nights but it is true for weekdays. i hope by stating this the position doesn’t change. [AND DON’T CHANGE THE BEER PRICE!]. ok, maybe use kalamata or nicoise olives instead of standard black olives, but that is really struggling.
finally, it should not go unappreciated what Alan and his wife are doing. it is not often that we have the opportunity to feel proud about how someone, particularly a “foreigner”, is contributing to our community and city. it only takes a few glimpses at other threads on this forum to see examples of how not to run a business.
and in closing (before this turns into a eulogy, (not elegy)), i admonish all of you and your friends to go to Alleycats and see for yourself. not often do you get a chance to eat delicious food with friendly service and at a fair price. [DON’T CHANGE THE PRICE OF THE HOEGAARDEN] i don’t want to but i know we will all be hearing crying about it being too packed and popular in a month. so go now and see something special.
i’d write more but i’m off to relish the three remaining slices of the fabulous goat cheese and olive that i brought back home. one final piece of advice - you get what you give. if you want to be successful in Taiwan or in most any place in the world, you must have patience, acceptance, and tenacity. the patience to contain yourself so that you can reap the benefits of what you have sown, acceptance to allow others to live their lives with the same freedom and opportunity with which you want to live yours, and the tenacity to go after the dreams you have and will have.
[quote=“elektronisk”]what’s with accusations of charging per topping? this is normal in most establishments I have been to, particularly abroad. set pizzas? ok some people might like the convenience but i usually don’t like the styles the management comes up with. I much prefer to create my own.
< Alleycat’s friends are more important than the other customers. >
WHAT? Alan treated me like a friend the very first time I went there. from what I have seen, I think all or most of the customers are treated as friends by Alan and his wife. if you are open to making new friends others will be too.
<- There are many mosquitoes there; they WILL bite you. >
I’ve never seen a one.
<- The cheese on the pizza is low quality and will ensure a sprint to a restroom on the way home. >
nonsense. the ricotta, goat cheese, and feta are excellent.
<- The service is slow and bad - unless you’re buddies with Alleycat, you will be ignored. >
absolute rubbish. both Alan and his wife (sorry I didn’t catch her name) are charming, kind, and very friendly. they go out of their way to make you feel at home. if fact that is what Alleycats makes me feel - like you are at a friend’s house or a friend’s restaurant. I would rather wait a few minutes for food quality and personalized service than a “mcdonaldized-impersonal” experience sans-personality. by the way, when was the last time you went to a restaurant and the owner asked for your name? Alan did and it wasn’t exclusive to me. add to that I met for the first time 2 very friendly and outgoing contributors to this forum and we all had a good chat. I’ll be going back not just to enjoy the good food but also to meet more good and friendly people.
[/quote]
Interesting. Your argument proves nothing. The facts thus far are as follows: I did not like the food, service and atmosphere. You did. My opinion remains the same.
The food gets better each time I go there. Last night we had eight people who ate a total of like four calzoni, four pizze, two capresi, a greek salad, brushetta, four bottles of vino, and then i stumbled out in a stupor of cheese and wine completely forgetting to say goodbye to my companions and Alan and Jenny.
Sorry Alan, and thanks for everything! 
I had a fantastic time last night at my leaving dinner with my colleagues. Everyone was very impressed, including Closet Queen, with your food, service and atmosphere.
Should Alien have a leaving party there? Hmmm…Alan? Only if everyone I know on forumosa promises to come and wish me good riddance. Including the enigmatic lane119 and wolf reinhold.
I’ll second that. Last night must have been about my sixth pizza there, but it was by far the best. Crispier than before, and utterly delicious.
Brian
Terror firmer: You are new to Taiwan, I think, and so I would just like to point out something to you: The pizza in Taipei sucks! We who have lived here for awhile compare Alleycat’s pizza to the usual offerings available in Taipei, and think it’s good. I like Alleycats, but even I will admit its pizza is not as good as the pizza available back home. After you’ve tried other pizza places here, I think you too will realize that Alleycats is as good as it gets.
Terror firmer: You are new to Taiwan, I think, and so I would just like to point out something to you: The pizza in Taipei sucks! We who have lived here for awhile compare Alleycat’s pizza to the usual offerings available in Taipei, and think it’s good. I like Alleycats, but even I will admit its pizza is not as good as the pizza available back home. After you’ve tried other pizza places here, I think you too will realize that Alleycats is as good as it gets.[/quote]
Thanks Bababa,
We’re working on making it just as good as it gets back home and not just here in Taipei.
I have to say, the pizza was the best I’ve had in Taipei. 
Seriously, it was good pizza. The crust had good texture, the mushrooms were flavorful (albeit nonhallucinogenic), the cheese and sausage were quality, the sauce was right on. A little more salt in the crust, to bring out the flavor, and it’d be great.
I’d agree with that. Just a tiny bit would be all that’s needed.
Thank you for a wonderful meal last night. The only complaint my GF had about the food was that the feta cheese was gross, but I guess Taiwanese people don’t like it. She was hesistant about the pizza but after seeing you in the back she relented. After tasting it she was hooked. Now this is an accomplishment because she doesn’t like Foreign cooked Foreign food. Cheers.
I’ve read this thread before but had to go back to check that someone had actually written what I thought I remembered about Alleycats. I thought I remembered something about ‘Alleycat only pays you any attention if you’re his mate’ I remember not being particularly convinced by the post at the time especially in light of everything else that had been written and a couple of recomendations from non forumosa posting friends. Anyway I went down there last week and in the spirit of forever dispelling the notion that Alleycat could be described as inattentive or showing ridiculous amounts of favouritism to his mates whist ignoring others etc I’d like to relay the following.
I’ve been wandering round communicating on a small hand held white board due to having polyps on my vocal chords and thus being forced to rest my voice completely. This means I have to stay out of smokey atmospheres (the pub…formally my lungs…) So I’ve been staying in and being bored. anyway last Thursday it was suggested that I go to Alleycats and after a quick consideration of whether it would be an okay enviroment (honestly that’s how tragic I’ve been forced to become) I recalled someone saying something about discrete smoking I think (it was absolutely fine) and anyway toddled off round the corner to alleycats (admittedly I was most worried about how I was going to resist the on tap Hoegarrden and remarkably inexpensive red wine since I’m also temporarily suspended from drinking).
I don’t think I need to say anything about the food other than it utterly deserves the reputation that it has gained in the forum. However at some point Alleycat meanders over and is introduced to me by a mutual friend. I wave and mouth hello. Anyway a few minutes later I see from my vantage point at the end of the bar that he’s busy on the computor and think he’s probably on forumosa…(a fair asumption really). After a little while he comes and stands at the opposite end of the bar catches my eye and kind of touchs the palm of his left hand with his right hand and then touchs the middle finger of his left hand with his right hand. I look at him very confused and he repeats the process. Something rings in my head from brownies twenty years ago… I imitate what he did only sweeping across the palm of my hand as I was taught in brownies and start pissing myself laughing. And quickly scribble a note to my mate - he thinks I’m mute all the time!!- which if you’ve met me you would know was a pretty funny idea. anyway he looks a little bit miffed and says ‘but I checked on the internet that’s how it said to say hi’ Bless his cotton socks the guy had just gone off to try and work out how to communicate with me, which, whilst I heartlessly laughed at the time (not at his effort as he could have been forgiven for thinking- about someone actually thinking that I couldn’t talk all the time) I consider to be a pretty damn good reflection on his character and to undisputably blow out of the water any accusations that he only pays extra special attention to his mates.
And, And, And, as we were about to leave I asked Jenny if we could take out a pizza (to feed my lazy flatmates and entice them down at a later date- they’re fickle so and so’s sometimes) and she sorted it out for us and just as it was coming out I accidently overheard alleycat mention that he’d already turned off the oven . But he’d still gone ahead and made it…where else would you get that kind of accomodation the first time you’d gone in somewhere?
oh yeah and when I was in there I was hankering after a mosquito zapper like the one they had at the bottom of their stairs for our flat…it seemed pretty damn good to me I don’t think one of the little buggers got near me all night and we were pretty much as close to the stairs as you could get.
All in all hats off…