Thursday, August 20, 2009

Adriatico's New York Style Pizza


Seventeenth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Adriatico's New York Style Pizza

265 West Eleventh Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Anthony's Pizza & Subs


Sixteenth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Anthony's Pizza & Subs

602 Pleasant Ridge Avenue
Bexley, OH 43209

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers


Fifteenth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers

21270 Polaris Parkway
Columbus, OH 43240


Thursday, July 30, 2009

Iacono's Pizza


Fourteenth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Iacono's Pizza

4452 Kenny Road
Columbus, OH 43220

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria


Thirteenth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
(shipped from Chigago)

Trevor Ferger Stadium
http://www.tastesofchicago.com/

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Flanagan's Pub


Twelfth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Flanagan's Pub

3001 Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road
New Albany, Ohio 43054

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Panzera's Pizza


Eleventh Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Panzera's Pizza

1354 Grandview Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43212

Thursday, July 2, 2009

High Beck Tavern


Tenth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
High Beck Tavern

564 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
The stars and stripes were flying high and Lee Greenwood was playing on radios nationwide. The 4th of July had arrived and what better way to start the weekend than a stop on the pizza tour? Due to a number of factors High Beck was chosen as the stop on the tour. I arrived with Emily and Kenny wearing my first Red, White and Blue outfit of the weekend. Following the trip to Josies I was hoping we would not lose any momentum at this stop and I was not disappointed. We had about 6 confirmed people and as everyone arrived almost everyone had an unexpecte person or two who would also be joining us. I was over the moon at the success of the tour stop. Once Ty Man finally arrived it was time to order the pizza. Commissioner Reis was unavoidably detained for the pizza portion of the stop so I took the reigns and began the discussion of what we should eat. Of course we had a pepperoni on the list, the question was what else would join it? There were about 12 people at the table when it was time to order. Sadly, 6 of those twelve people had already eaten, were vegans, were insane, couldn’t speak English, or some other goofy excuse and were not going to be eating. Not to be deterred we ordered up three pizzas. We got the pepperoni, a ham and a pizza that no one remembers (sorry). After a little longer wait than expected, and a few more beers, the pizzas arrived. Because this is the most transparent pizza tour in American history, I must admit I had been to High Beck for pizza a few times. In fact, on the night before the Purdue game last year I ate more pizza at High Beck than I have ever had before or since. Anyway, we were in Columbus so it goes without saying that the pizza was thin crust cut into squares. The crust is very standard. I would compare it to a thin layer of smashed Wonder bread. The sauce is a good but uncharacteristic. However, where High Beck makes up some ground is with a little larger pepperoni than your standard issue model. Most pepperonis are about the size of a quarter but High Beck’s are the size of a half dollar. In summary High Beck makes a slightly above average pizza but it served in a great atmosphere and almost always with some cold beers. The rating this week was a 6.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Josie's Pizza

Ninth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Josie's Pizza

952 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43222
Our trip to Josie's started on an interesting note. For those who do not know, there are two Josie’s on West Broad Street. This detail caused some serious confusion in my car. I was riding with future Doctor Scott and we went to the most western Josie's on West Broad. This Josie’s is located in the Hilltop and had bars in the windows and a very rough crowd (thank god Scott was there). After taking a quick look inside, Scott and I decided we were in the wrong place and reversed course. We headed about 5 miles east on Broad Street and found the Josie’s on the west side of Columbus. Josie’s was kind of a hole in the wall place in a brick building and has a plain yellow sign with red block lettering that simply says, “JOSIE'S PIZZA.” Anyway, due to getting lost Scott and I were the last to join David, Robbie and Sarah for the tour stop. When I walked in I saw a fine place with a minor drawback that Josie's does not sell beer. Oddly, they have all kinds of pop. For example I had a Mountain Dew and David had a Mello Yellow, so no allegiance to Coke or Pepsi at Josie's. Finally it was time to decide what kind of pizza to order. As usual, we had to have the standard pepperoni but that would not be enough for all five us. We consulted with our waitress and she guided us towards a supreme and a medium B-L-T pizza with ranch on the side. At this point I should mention we had five people at a table that was probably better suited for three so when our pizza arrived there was not much space for it. The pepperoni arrived first. The pepperoni looked like a cheese pizza upon arrival and I was a little bit concerned. However, upon a closer review the pepperoni was baked underneath the cheese (see picture above). There was not an overwhelming amount of pepperonis on the pizza but an adequate amount of pepperoni was there for a very good pizza. Once again the pizza was a thin crust cut into square pieces (A Kenny Special). Shortly following the pepperoni arrival were our other two pizzas. The B-L-T looked like a pile of lettuce with a pizza underneath. Of course I had to try a few pieces and by brushing away some lettuce to get down to a reasonable amount of lettuce and a little bit of ranch it was a very good pizza. Not to get sidetracked, but is there anything that isn’t going to be good that involves bacon, cheese and ranch? The supreme had to be positioned on the table behind us due to real estate limitations. The supreme was piled high with all the toppings, probably a half inch taller than the pepperoni, and each bite was perilous with many topping falling off, but the end result was delicious. Of the three pizzas we had, the supreme was my favorite. In summary, Josie's was a nice place and I could see myself eating there again, especially since my office is a mere 5 minutes away. I think the consensus on the pepperoni was a 6.5 out of 10 square pies.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Plank's Cafe & Pizzeria

Eighth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Plank's Cafe & Pizzeria

743 Parsons Avenue
Columbus, OH 43206

Plank's Cafe is a Columbus landmark which I have frequented since I was a small child. It is a family owned spot on the eastern border of German Village that attracts a good crowd of loyal patrons from all over the city. On some nights, I find my second grade teacher, whose father founded Plank's, managing the floor. In any case, on to the pizza review. We had a relatively strong crowd at the eighth stop, including the commissioners, Katy, Cari, Lauren, and Drew. Lauren is not a fan of the sweet pizza pie sauce, so she ordered a salad with fried chicken on it. That is all I will say about that scene. The others ordered three pies, a pepperoni, of course, a cheese, and a brat. None of us had ever had bratwurst pie, so when we noticed it on the menu, we ordered up. The pizza at Plank's is thin crust, traditional square pie, with a sweetness to it, I think in both the sauce and the crust. It is and has been one of my favorite pizza joints in the city for a long time, and is always a good time. The group as a whole liked the pie, especially Cari. If atmosphere were a strong weight on the ratings this place would be off the charts. It is decorated wall to wall with Buckeyes sports memorabilia, as well as other Ohio high school, college, and professional sports gear. If you are a Columbus native or resident, Plank's is a must to visit. The pizza is strong, and I rate it at 7 out of 10 slices.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Bexley Pizza Plus

Seventh Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Bexley Pizza Plus

2651 East Main Street
Bexley, OH 43209
Bexley Pizza Plus is the rival of Rubino's in terms of pizza in Bexley. For most in the area, its one or the other, but for others, like myself, they can eat both and be happy. My wife and I often find ourselves picking up pizza from both places in one trip because we cannot choose one over the other. This might seem a little foolish, but keep in mind that they are literally next door to eachother, making them not cross-town rivals, but cross-alley rivals. While I give a slight advantage to Rubino's in terms of pizza, BPP has two distinct advantages: 1) they sell beer, and 2) they have outdoor seating. Stan, Katy and I wandered over to BPP on a nice June evening and ordered a pepperoni pie and a couple of cold Bud Lights and anxiously waited out on one of their patio tables. While I was a little miffed that I had failed to order the maximum pep specialty pizza, instead ordering a regular pepperoni, it was still tasty. If I had my scene straight, I would have ordered the maximum pep, which includes a heavy combo of two types of pepperoni, margherita and mini, making for a delicious pizza, which I highly recommend. BPP is a good family joint where you can slug a couple beers with your pizza and do some people watching on Main Street in Bexley on on the patio, and I give it 6 out of 10 slices. My only problem with BPP is that every time I dine in or carry out, I find myself wondering if I should have gone to Rubino's instead. Either way, its a win on tour.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Rubino's Pizza

Sixth Stop in the Pizza Tour:
Rubino's Pizza

2643 East Main Street
Bexley, OH 43209

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Rick's Coaches Food and Spirits

Fifth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Rick's Coaches Food and Spirits

230 Granville Street
Gahanna, OH 43230

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Sunrise Inn Pizzaria Chicken & Wings

Fourth Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Sunrise Inn Pizzaria Chicken & Wings

2234 West Dublin-Granville Road
Columbus, OH 43085

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Tommy's Pizza & Subs

Third Stop on the Pizza Tour: Tommy's Pizza & Subs
1350 West Lane Avenue
Upper Arlington, OH 43221

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Plank's Bier Garten

Second Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Plank's Bier Garten

888 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43206

We decided to make the second stop on tour Plank's Bier Garten. We chose Plank's because the tour date coincided with the first ever Blue Jackets playoff game, which, unfortunately, was against the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Redwings. The Bier Garten has a great covered patio outside, filled with long wood tables, and lined with flat panel televisions. The environment was ideal. Pitchers of light beer were flowing, pizzas were coming out left and right, and we had a great crowd, including the commissioners, Tybes, Teaches, Robbie D., Kegan and his co-workers, and the great Kenny Powers. Overall, the pie was okay, and I would give it a rating of 4 out of 10 slices, but the environment cannot be beat for watching a game or having a post softball brewdoggy.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Rotolo's Italian Pizzeria

First Stop on the Pizza Tour:
Rotolo's Italian Pizzeria

1759 West 5th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43212

Rotolo's is an excellent carry-out pizza pie joint. They have several locations around central Ohio, but we visited the original on 5th Avenue in Grandview. There are only a few chairs for those waiting for their hot and fresh pie, but there are ample choices of reading materials, and the pies come out quickly. Service was spectacular, and they even apologized for our ten minute wait, which was very nice considering we did not call ahead. We took our piping hot pepperoni pizza pie back to Trevor Ferger Stadium and enjoyed it with ice cold light beers. The pepperoni pizza was your traditional Columbus square-cut pie. The crust was on the thicker side, but by no means a thick crust. The highlight of the pizza was the cheese, which was generously applied and great tasting. Another highlight was the pepperoni. It was overloaded, and half of it was burried under the cheese, with the other half on the outside, exposed to the oven heat, causing it to become nice and crispy and have a little curl to it. This first Pizza Tour stop was only attended by the two commissioners, Stan and Tabs. We both agree that Rotolo's gets 8 out of 10 slices.