Tag Archives: best

Home Away From Home…

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BozzellisMicMacPizza2

I don’t venture back out to the Washington, DC area enough.  I was born here, I grew up here, spent my youth here, and now find myself an outsider, but I’m really not.

As eras have ended, new ones can begin.  We can honor the past, but not live in it too much.  We can honor the present and still be nostalgic all at once.  I tend to that part a lot.  It must been something good is happening or about to happen.

Bozzellis

We skip the good because it’s more than great.  Bozelli’s (menu and story) came through recommendations from my friends who live near the Newington location (there’s 4 altogether in the DC area) and have been raving about it.  They’ve wanted me to come just to try this pizza.  Of course I’m all about seeing my friends, especially ones I don’t see too often, and enjoying great company with great food, pizza or otherwise.

The cozy atmosphere is just what I wanted on this particular day.  It’s small, yet big enough to accommodate any group or individual, and they will feel right at home.   For me, less is more, even though more can be just as great.  For this particular evening, a small group of pals was plenty.  And just right.

Suggestions were made and recommendations came.  But something about the Mic Mac felt right and felt oh so comforting on this particular night.  This is there Mac & Cheese Pizza and it’s incredible….

BozzellisMicMacPizza

Macaroni, mozzarella, cheddar, and peperoncini heated beyond words, with a crust that will make warm you all over.  This hit my heart, my soul, and everything in between.  The quaint and almost eerily quiet atmosphere added something to this.   This is my kind of Saturday night.

 

I can’t say enough about how this pizza was put together.  It’s like it was speaking to me and telling me you’re surrounded by good people, by a good energy, a home away from home, and that everything is going to be alright.   On this night everything was more than alright.

 

You get a few simple ingredients, a good energy behind the pizza creators, a perfect temperature to heat it, and you get this masterpiece.  I know how amazing it tasted, but writing about it in hindsight tells me just how brilliant this was.

After that, where do you go from here?   Well I had to do a reprise.   I stayed in the area, and the following day I went with one of the suggestions, to go of course, the Boom Boom Chicken.

 

I can’t say which pie was better.  It’s not a fair assessment.  I loved them both for different reasons.  This was to go, so the experience was different.  It’s not that I didn’t have time to savor it like the night before, it’s just that I didn’t have time to savor it.  Make sense?  I loved it though.  Chicken on a pizza is usually a safe bet.  But this wasn’t just a safe pizza, this was another work of art. The fire-braised chicken, red peppers, and the spicy mayo complement one another oh so well.

 

The mozzarella base is almost lost in the shuffle, but it shouldn’t be.  That’s the soul of the pizza.  Yes I say soul, because everything starts with cheese pizza.  Without that, the whole doesn’t equal the, well you know…

The prices for any size are reasonable, and nothing goes past $20 for the largest pizza. For Washington, that’s a good price.  It’s a great price anywhere, but food and experiences like this have no price tag.  They mean more than any dollar amount or any receipt.

Great experiences will last with you in this lifetime, into eternity, and every lifetime after.   This is one I will always regard with highest esteem because of not only the context, but for the magical moment in time.   This was so significant for so many reasons.  We all have those stories, you have those stories, where it wasn’t just about the food, and the food only played one part, yet an important one.

BozzellisPizzaBox

This was amazing, this was special, and this was important.

Until the next visit…

Peace Be With You…

Love,

Ideen

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I Love Wegmans.

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WegmansSicilianBuffaloChicken2

It’s one of those magical paces on earth.  I seriously believe that to be true.

I think I got it right this time.  Some time back, I wrote about Wegmans (past stories can be found here) and the slices and story I wrote about was a bit goofy.  It just didn’t click like I hoped. Maybe I was trying too hard.  And the anomaly was that their pizza was not up to par.  That’s going to happen.  That’s also not going to make me stop going here….

As a matter of fact I go to a Wegmans at least 5 days a week.  At least is the operative word, because sometimes it feels like I go there more than once a day.   That does happen.

For the sake of life, and things in general, I wanted to keep this as simple as possible. It’s November.  We’re already so busy to begin with.  The holidays are fast approaching.  What a trite thing to say, but it’s true.  For all the commotion that comes our way, there’s plenty of room to keep things as even keel and as comfortable as possible.

Pizza is at the top of that list.

Wegmans (more about their amazing story here) knows good pizza.  A visit to multiple locations verifies that.  They’ve been consistently great to amazing.  Maybe an understatement.

I’ve shared pizza with good friends, with family, and myself.  Their a growing supermarket chain, but no matter how big they get, it keeps feeling like home.

Their pizza has a familiarity and a simplicity that feels familiar.  It takes me back to places, and then it only takes back to a recent place.  Yes, like the last time I visited. Not everything is that dramatic for me, I promise…

If you truly judge a place by their cheese alone, then Wegmans can do no wrong.  What a perfect recipe of the most simplest ingredients.  I think the most important ingredient however is soul, spirit, and enthusiasm.  Having a wonderful crust doesn’t hurt either.  A strong base and foundation culminate into an all around winner.

Their blanca is the same.  The seasonings, the olive oil, and the ricotta on such a perfectly heated crust is the stuff of beautiful.  I love white pizza and can sometimes be critical of how some places make it, but they nailed it.   My personal and humble opinion is that it’s the most difficult of pizzas to do right.   Yes they did.

What I love is that their Sicilian Style is self-serve. Try saying that a few times over.  And featured today was the Buffalo Chicken.  It may be heavy and thick for some, but that’s the beauty of choices.  I enjoyed it but know I could make at least two meals out of this.  You know the main ingredient in buffalo chicken, so I don’t need to repeat them.  I highly recommend.

I highly recommend Wegmans in general.  Pizza notwithstanding, they have a commitment to the best quality food and the best everything.   I’ve always had good experiences here from grocery shopping, their pharmacy, their cafe, the hot food bar, the sandwich shoppe, the cheese market, the deli, the seafood department, and everything in between.  Trust me, there’s a lot in between that it may take a bunch of visits, and then more to get it all in.

There’s no need to get it all in now.  The journey is the best part.  It’s one I intend to continue on and revisit many times over.

I love it and I’m willing to bet many of you who are fortunate to live by one or have visited, can say the same.

I love Wegmans and I’m so grateful for all the good it brings.

Peace Be With You.

Ideen

…Then It Must Be True…

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MariosChickenPizzas

There was some exciting information featured in a prominent spot, as soon as you open the doors of Mario’s Original Pizza & Pasta.

MariosOriginal

I don’t need to go into specifics, but the front of their website (menu here) provides the link here.

MariosMenu

To say something is the best anything is all perspective.  Best in the universe, best in the world, and best in the state are all solely on opinion, conjecture, and all that stuff.  But there’s always something bigger than us.  That’s that universe talk.

I never thought of Mario’s as the best anything.  That’s not meant as an insult.  I just thought of it as a charming location adjacent to Belvedere Square that was convenient and affordable.  Most slices are $3 and under.  Fantastic.

I also think of it as great pizza.  I can’t say it’s been my favorite because there’s random days I can go here or anywhere, and some of the slices might be off.  Everyone has an off day.  You don’t want to judge a pizzeria or restaurant on one visit.   You also can be mislead if the food was larger than life.  But that’s the thought and feeling most of us would prefer to hold on to.  I mean right?

Someone other than some experts must really like these slices, because at lunch time the whole area seemed decimated.   I’m grateful there was enough to get a fair perspective.  And no I didn’t eat this all at once.

MariosChickenPizzas2

Between the cheese, the pepperoni & sausage, the shredded buffalo chicken, and the chicken parmesan, you can’t go wrong with any.  That means right and yay, and all the superlatives you can throw at them.

MariosCheese&PepperoniSausagePizzaSlices

There’s no need to necessarily review slice by slice.   I will say if there is a weak link, it would be the pepperoni and sausage, and that’s strictly just by my opinion.  I have never loved the heavier red meats on a pizza.  It’s just a thing for me.  I will continue to try them and offer thoughts, without my bias.  But sometimes it’s hard.  I still thought it was really good, and once again enjoyed picking off the toppings and appreciating them on their own.

So that meant I had the equivalent of two cheese slices.  What can you say?  Cheese is cheese, and when a crust is heated and reheated just right, with where I thought I tasted some butter, along with a comforting dough, all is right with the world.  And that universe I keep speaking of.

MariosBuffaloChicken

The chicken based slices really do stand out.  As you can see the shredded buffalo chicken is different than how many pizzerias present buffalo chicken.  Sometimes you see it diced, sometimes you see strips. and sometimes you see it in it’s purest form, shredded and pulled style.   The visual makes it almost look too good to eat, but it’s stellar.

MariosChickenParmesan

The chicken parmesan is almost on that level, but I once again liked their strips actually on their own.  Yet all the complementing topping and seasonings were fine as a pizza by themselves.

So that’s kind of that.  This is a great pizzeria, that has plenty of seats and a pretty view of the outside world and the city streets.  I like that.  It’s a place that feels safe but there food is anything but.  It’s adventurous yet approachable, and affordable.  Those are the A’s that we like.

I like this place.

Peace Be With You.  Always.

Love,

Ideen

 

Annapolis’ Best Kept Secret?

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GiolittisSpecialPizzaPie2

It just might be, because when I mention Giolitti Fine Italian Market & Delicatessen (here is their lunch menu, their dinner menu, more about them, and contact information)  to friends who live, work, or spend time in the area, either they haven’t heard of it, or didn’t realize they make pizza.  I was one of them.

I found this place by accident.  But I don’t believe in accidents, or any of that.  No such thing.

The charm of most Italian markets is at least from my experience, they were built way before what we have today.  They were both chains, box stores, and all these corporate entities we see today.

For over 25 years Giolitti’s has been serving the Annapolis community, and has sustained a loyal following (for those who know about it, and plenty do for the others that don’t…), that these chains would envy.

I discovered this place actually heading to one of these more well known stores, but knowing how important it is to support local, and at worst window shop and browse, I wanted to see this for myself.  And how beautiful it is…

Along with a plethora of great wines for purchase, a charming ambiance, friendly staff, and an overall good energy, is just some of the many reasons why this place is thriving, and boy it is it thriving.   On this particular day, the place was packed.

On a recent search for pizza in the area, I was getting the sense that I was running out of new options (My love for Annapolis all around can be found here.) but the universe and a little  searching has its benefits.  The truth is, I will never run out of places to talk about.  And in the chance that I do, I can always revisit, as more than enough time has passed on some of my favorite pizzerias and places in general.  I will revisit several in time, but first things first.

How about the pies?

I’ll admit that I’ve been spoiled by Italian delis and markets food and pizza in general. My standards and bar has been raised.  I have expectations now.  I want the best.  But good and great is well, sometimes good and great enough.

I adore Neopolitan style pizza, and I’ve had it probably more times than I realized.  One of many things not to take for granted.

GiolittisPizzaPie

I went with their simple cheese and made it half pepperoni, and then the Giolitti’s Special which is Prosciutto, Arugula, and Gorgonzola.  On the latter the substituted spinach since they were out of arugula, and I’ll have more to say on that in mere moments.

GiolittisPizzaSlice

The cheese and pepperoni is just good pizza.  No, it’s not the best I’ve ever had, but that crust, that dough, the way it was heated brought me such joy and comfort.  Joy and comfort is good.  The greasy style of cheese and pepperoni has that feeling of many pizzas shared with family when I was kid, in present times, and hopefully in the future.  This is a great slice and great pie, the more I think about it.

GiolittisSpecialPizzaPie1

The Giolitti’s Special is something I must have again.  I think the arugula would have made this so much better.  I have to be honest here.  I like spinach and it doesn’t take away from the pie, but I don’t know if it adds anything.  I actually found the pie with just the prosciutto and Gorgonzola to be just fine.  But it’s one of those, I can’t wait to try this again at full strength kind of things.

GiolittisSpecialPizzaSlice

But there’s no need to quibble and no need to complain.  This is a great place, was a great experience, and the pizza is definitely worth it.  And quite affordable too.

Local business always has a special place in my heart, and so does Annapolis.  That combination is why I will be back time and time again, to try many of their other foods, grab bottle of vino, and maybe have a pie or two again to share with friends.

This is a place to share with friends, family, and anyone that brings you joy.  This place brings me joy, Annapolis brings me joy, and I love this market and our state capital so much.

More next week? Hmmm..

Peace be with you.

Ideen

 

I Love This Weekend

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CarpaccioSlices3

Sometimes life works out, the planets and stars align, and the universe does look out for you.  It looks out for us in more ways than we realize.  We might not always see it.  I know I don’t always see it.   And even with all the good that is about to transpire this weekend,  I may not fully grasp how beautiful the next few days are going to be, until way after its over.  I know I’ll love it while it’s happening, but I’ll look back fondly on it even more as time goes by.  This is more than nostalgia or reminiscing.  Some thing just hit you.  You wish time would stand still, you could do this all day, you could do this forever, and you could be around these people forever.

CASA-Website-SaveTheDate-3

What I’m referring to is the annual CASAblanca Gala presented by Anne Arundel County CASA, this Saturday, November 4th.

I mentioned Anne Arundel County, which is synonymous with Annapolis.  I’ve said plenty of good about our state capitol in the past, yet I can never say enough.

My dear friend Rebecca is the Executive Director of Anne Arundel County CASA, and it’s an amazing time to share with friends and to support a wonderful cause.  This their 20th year holding the event, which takes place at the beautiful Westin Hotel in Annapolis.   It’s my third year attending, and the third time is a charm to finally write about…

CarpaccioFront

Carpaccio Tuscan Kitchen is literally footsteps from the Westin, and has been as convenient and a go-to for me as any.  Well why do I say convenient and go to?  Isn’t this a sit-down restaurant with fine dining, a place to relax, and appreciate the food and surroundings?  Well yes, but I’ve actually never eaten here.   What I’m actually referring to is Carpaccio 2go which is adjacent to the restaurant, and I mean this with all sincerity, looks like something I’ve never seen.   I almost feel like it’s too good to be true in a way.  I don’t know how to explain it but the location is perfect, and I can’t exactly put my finger on why.

Maybe because many pizza places with slices to go don’t look as beautiful as this.  But if you look around the vicinity, the tiny of white colors of the building, the hotel, and the residential units across the way, all match.  While the area looks pricey, and of course it is, it almost feels supernatural in a way.  Again, it’s all open to your interpretation, but there’s an architectural and metaphysical force that worked in concert with each other to create all this.  In some ways, it”s almost too beautiful.  But I should appreciate all the beauty for what it is.

AnnapolisView1

I’ve been to the carry out side many times and because of the location and the aura I was feeling, I had immensely high expectations.  Now, not every time is going to be mentioned or will every slice be featured.  I will reserve it to two visits for now, which means a total of four slices.

CarpaccioSlices2

The first visit I will discuss was back in late Summer.  Now it’s hot and pizza is hot, so what am I trying to say?  I really don’t know haha, but my slices on this day were the Sausage and Peppers, and then Chicken Pollo. Now I know what I was trying to say.  I think some slices work better in different climates, similar to how we drink wine, and how we eat other foods during certain times and certain seasons.

CarpaccioSausagePepperOnion

While I’ve had mainly good experiences here, I know the best was still to come.  The sausage and peppers with onions was really good, and went great with your standard mozzarella cheese slice.  I will say without sounding like a broken record, the crusts on all these slices were heated tremendously.  You can see the colors across the board.  There was a lot of time and care put into the making of the dough and the heating.  You don’t need to be an expert.   You can just tell those things.

CarpaccioPolloPesto

Now I had high aspirations for the pesto.  I’ve ranted and raved about my love for pesto throughout my journey, and I wanted to love this one so much.  It was good but I know the best was still to come.  The pesto aioli was fantastic.  Maybe for me the white pizza with chicken, tomatoes, and those yummy mushrooms (more on the mushrooms shortly), caused a little bit of the flavors to be lost.   But still a good slice I would definitely have again.

CarpaccioSlices1

Now moving on to earlier this week, this is where expectations were matched and succeeded.

It almost seemed like the pizzas on display looked shinier and brighter, and I could do no wrong no matter what I ordered.  I was spot on and then some.

CarpaccioMargherita

The Margherita looks like art and tastes like art.  The marinara sauce is heavenly.  The photo doesn’t say it all but it says a lot.  Oh my goodness.  This is up there with one of the better slices I’ve had. The basil, garlic, mozzarella, and olive oil just makes this simple pizza one of the best I’ve had not just here but anywhere.  And the crust was even better today.

CarpaccioWildMushroom

Not to be outdone is the Wild Mushroom.  I love mushrooms and can have them with just about anything.  But when you throw gorgonzola, you’ve got to be kidding me, this is a gem.  Cremini and portobello mushrooms really make this pie but the combination of two contrasting cheese in mozzarella and gorgonzola also make this an absolute masterpiece.

CarpaccioSlices4

Recall how I said you look back on things with even more love and romanticism as time goes by?  This is how I felt about this visit.  I’ve been here many times and something about this one was just a cut above the rest.  I sensed it and maybe the universe did too.  This won’t be the last time I  talk about them.  The next time will be from the actual restaurant itself, which is gorgeous inside and in the patio area as well.  If you’ve visited then you know I’m talking about.   Yes I’ve never eaten there but was in awe of what I saw.

For more on Carpaccio, here is their menu (which serves many of the same pizzas as Carpaccio 2go, click here to make a reservation, their story, and contact information.

It’s going to be a beautiful weekend in the Annapolis area.  Not only is the CASAblanca Gala going to be amazing, but I’ll also be at the First Sunday Arts Festival footsteps away on West Street the following day.  It will be their holiday edition, yes it’s that time of year already. In addition is the Bay Bridge 10k this Sunday, the Eastport vs. Annapolis Tug Of War on Saturday, and the City of Annapolis General Elections are this Tuesday.  

AnnapolisView3

What an exciting time to be in the area.  If Annapolis wasn’t great enough, all these events just make this place all the more magical.

AnnapolisView2

It all begins with CASAblanca and I so greatly look forward to it.

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For more on Anne Arundel County CASA, here is more about them, volunteer, and donation information.

Thanks so much and I look forward to an incredible weekend!

Peace be with you and happy beginning to the holiday season…

Ideen

 

 

Friend(s) of CASA

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SocialPubAngelo&MarghertiaPie

This is a different post than the usual.  I’m going to get to the pizza right away, then focus on something of greater magnitude and importance.

This week brings me to the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore.  In the heart of everything are all the bars and restaurants on Cross Street.  And within that is the highly popular, Social Pub & Pie.

SocialPubPie

I’ve patronized this establishment quite a few times over the past few years, but never actually got to try their pizza.  It’s just how things work out I suppose.  The everything happens for a reason, and how things will work out, also applies here.  More on that after the reviews.

In anticipation of wonderful event coming up this Sunday, October 1st, I thought it was only right to discuss pizzas briefly, and then we’ll focus on something more significant.

I had every intention of making two separate visits, which would mean two pies.  I’m pretty good at math right?  Well, fortunately for me, and a great gesture by Social, they do half and half pies.  Which means I’m going to review for for you today.  And this fact can’t be discounted.  I’m grateful I got to expand my horizons a little bit.

And I broke down both visits by first doing a tomato based pies, and then the second would be the whites.

SocialPubAngelo&MarghertiaPie

First up, the Margherita and the Sausage and Peppers, better known as the Angelo.

SocialPubAngelo&Marghertia

That looks pretty doesn’t it?  I will say that the thin crust was a pleasant surprise.  I was expecting something mega.  But then when I figured out these were wood fired pies, I was looking forward to a lighter and flakier crust.  And that’s exactly what we got.  The Angelo was really good.  With the latter having some fantastic sweet sausage that really makes this pie stand out.  I was in the mood for a little something different and this fits the bill.  The onions and peppers tasted fresh.  The Margherita is exactly what you would expect.  I wouldn’t say it was anything out of the ordinary, but it was solid.

 

I love the presentation and it makes for a great visual.

SocialPubWhitePie

But the whites is where things really went to another level.  For visit two, I went with the Spinach and the Onion Crumbled Bleu.   The caramelized onions on both were tremendous.  I have fondness for them in general and this did not disappoint.   The veggies on the spinach were good, but it was the Onion Crumbled Bleu that really stood out.  And I give all credit to the addition of Rosemary.  Yes there’s bleu cheese crumbles and provolone, and while they add something, the rosemary takes this to another place that I didn’t know existed.  If I’ve had rosemary on a pie before I don’t remember.  Either that, or just this just blew everything out of the water.  I can see where these cheeses, the olive oil, and that powerful rosemary taste can backfire.  Not here.  This was incredible.

SocialPubOnionCrumbledBleuSlice

If you could only get one pie here, I’d go with the Onion Crumbled Bleu. And that’s without me trying so many fun looking pies on the menu.  Well I can always come back.

SocialPubPizzaMenu

Their website is easy to navigate, so pretty much all the information you need is all found on the main page.

But onto something of greater consequence and importance, my dear friend Rebecca is the Executive Director of Anne Arundel County CASA, Inc.  And her organization will be hosting an event, the Ultimate Tailgate Party at Social Pub & Pie this Sunday (10/1/17) from 9a-12p, where ALL food and liquor sales will be donated to CASA.  How awesome is that?  How often do you hear of all proceeds going anywhere?

CASA-TailgateParty-2017-FB

A small percentage is always amazing, but to go above and beyond like this speaks volumes of the management of Social Pub, but also speaks volumes of the people at CASA.

Me and many of our friends have been supporters of CASA, for a number of years, so we know how amazing organizers, the volunteers, the events, and most importantly, the cause is.

I like to think of myself as a friend of CASA.  They even gave me a name tag with my name on it that read, ‘Friend of CASA’, on it, so it must be true.

But regardless, with all the events going on this weekend, this one I would highly suggest attending.  This will be in the private room on the second floor, so you can enjoy a good time with your friends in a more intimate setting, while still getting excited for any football game you’ll either be attending or watching

A gathering of good friends while supporting a more-than-worthwhile cause is what life is all about.  And I’m honored to be a supporter, and honored to be able to write about it here.

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Here are your links to know more about Anne Arundel County, CASA, how to volunteer, how to get involved, or to make donation.

Here are my previous CASA related posts for your reading pleasure (here, there, and, everywhere)

Sunday is going to be fun.  If you’re in the area, bring your friends, your pals, and anyone else that wants to take part in something beautiful.

We’ll see you then.  Peace be with you.

Ideen

 

South River Situations

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BellaSeraSlices

A dear friend, who has helped me with this blog over the past couple of years, always suggests to change up the city or town of pizzerias and pizza parlors, whenever I can.  If I end up in a place I’ve never written about, you know for sure I’ll be looking and hoping I discover something of a gem.

BellaSeraFront

Bella Sera of Edgewater, MD is a not-so-hidden gem in a strip mall loaded with chain restaurants and box stores that so many towns are loaded with, and make an otherwise charming town look well, just like every other.

So you could look at it and say, thankfully there is a local pizzeria, restaurant, in a sea of chains, and think to yourself, that it’s good that local business is still there and still thriving.  The other school of thought is well, you have a local operation that’s there and allowed to exist, in spite of everything around it.  I hope that makes sense.  And I’m not talking about this restaurant in particular.  It’s more of how I’m observing things.

Last year I had passed through Edgewater several times and literally just kept on going.  I didn’t stop and appreciate what was around me.  These things and moments are important to me.  It’s not a big thing, but the little things lead to big things.  And they’re all significant.   I had seen Bella Sera in pizzeria searches and then driving through, but I kept moving along.  I can tell myself that it wasn’t meant to be.  But at the time, it wasn’t…

Now it’s over a year later, and I’m back again under the most unusual, yet entertaining of circumstances.  That’s more of inside joke to me, but that’s how the universe works.  The currents and the energies led me here and I finally need to make the most of it.

Snuggled (or nestled) in one of the more approachable looking shopping centers, this pizzeria looks like a castle from the outside.   I had high hopes and sometimes those hopes based on nothing but how the exterior looks can lead to unrealistic expectations.

It was right before dinner time, so it was just starting to get busy, but thankfully they still had a lavish display of pizza slices on the counter.  I’m grateful for this because many establishments will nix slices in favor of whole pies for dinner time.  It’s a concept I completely understand, yet I find it refreshing when slices are available open to close. It’s so beautiful.

The exchange when I ordered was awkward to say the least.  And I’ll put most of this on me.   For inspired reasons, I went from wanting to order two slices to four.   Realizing that I would actually be saving money if I ordered a whole pie, I still went with the slices. I didn’t get the sense that mentioning my blog would be rejected, but nor was I feeling like explaining myself.  I stand by that decision.

And now I figured out why I might have been better off ordering a pie… I’ll get to that in a few moments.

BellaSeraSlices3

I ordered (here is the menu) the cheese, buffalo chicken, the spring white, and the inspired call was the spaghetti slice.   I’ve reviewed a similar slice here, to great results.

First off, I did not eat all of this right away,  I saved a lot for later.  Eating too much of this would be crazy.  I got three meals out of this, and that’s me trying to make myself feel better about this.

BellaSeraCheese2

The cheese was the best.  It’s simple.  The thin crust was great, and the cheese and sauce are exactly what you would want from a plain slice.  How does it stack up again others I’ve had?  I can’t say.  They’re all similar yet unique in their own essence.  I know there’s a real soul and a real emotion behind the making of these particular slices, and that counts for a lot.

BellaSeraBuffaloChicken

The buffalo chicken, again had a great crust.  The crusts on all of these stood out in a good way.  I see that the buffalo chicken is homemade.  That’s always a plus.  This wasn’t my favorite.  Something about the blue cheese, and maybe the mozzarella cheese didn’t work this time. It was a style clash that may work more times than not. But this didn’t click for me.

BellaSeraChicken

The spring white looked gorgeous.  The grilled chicken strips were so great. I could’ve had a plate or bowl of those on their own.  So in my traditional fashion I had a few on their own.   Maybe my tastes for white pizzas have changed or I’m having higher expectations because this didn’t gel like I hoped either.  The tomatoes tasted fresh, as did the boat loads of spinach (which I appreciate), but the actual white pizza by itself felt like it was lacking something.  It didn’t wow me.  I really wanted it too.

The spaghetti slice was $7.  That’s why I was told an actual pie of anything else would be better.  This was not worth $7.  This will fill you up.  And while it was good, the reminder of what I paid for did bring this down some.   This is something you could get multiple meals out of if you wanted.   But I wasn’t loving it.

If you look at their menu, their prices are on the higher end of what you may see elsewhere.  But that comes with a local business, and being in proximity (20-30 minutes Southwest) the state capitol of Annapolis will do that.

With that understanding I can understand the prices.  The other slices were $3-$4 which is reasonable and justifiable.

I will absolutely come back.   I’ll put a lot of this on me.  Maybe I forced this experience and it didn’t feel as organic as I hoped.  That’s going to make any food taste a bit differently.   Our minds are funny like that.

But I’m all for local and always want these businesses to succeed.  So if I’m in the area (which happens more times than I realize), I will absolutely get some more pizza, and maybe try some of their other entrees once again.

BellaSeraDoor

Here is more of their story, their menu, their contact info and location, and online ordering for our pals that are local.

Thanks so much and have a blessed weekend.

Ideen

It’s In The Way That You Use It

Posted in pizza by

NewmansWhite2

I wanted to have some fun with this one.  I want to have fun with all of these posts.  But sometimes the universe throws you a curve ball.  Actually no it didn’t.  I’ve wanted to write about Newman’s Own for many months now.  The obstacles, or experiences might be a better word for it, came my way, and even though I never forgot, it took me a lot longer to get here.

Because of that I’m going to write about two pizzas instead of one.  And I’ll get it out of the way now.  Both were absolutely phenomenal.  And with all the choices you have on a frozen pie, that’s not a gimme, and it’s not always accurate.

The idea of giving this careful thought and attention came back to me earlier this week.  And we all know how great the actor Paul Newman was.   More importantly, is his philanthropic work that resonates with many of us today.

First things first, how was the pizza?  Absolutely incredible. I kept it simple, which I like to do quite often.  And when it’s summertime we don’t want to think too hard about what we’re eating. Simple food is meant to simply be enjoyed.  With that being said I went with the four cheese, and one of my favorites, the white with spinach.  Both were exquisite.

Maybe its knowing the good behind this operation.  And knowing that 100% of profits go to charity is going to make not just the pizza, but all of Newman’s Own products taste that much better.  Your mind is going to make it believe so. When it’s great, a belief in someone or something makes it even greater. I firmly believe that’s how the universe and our hearts and souls are wired.  But it also helps when his food is usually delicious.  This was no exception.

It was bigger than that.

Maybe it was the place I was in, which might have been at peace, if even for a few moments, that both of these frozen pizzas turned out so amazing.   The thin crust and the golden brown goodness that these pies shows after heating told such a story.  I had this feeling, even before purchase and even before preheating stages, that I was going to eat something special.

The cheese and white had the most beautiful, flaky and thin crust that didn’t fall apart after each bite.  You know many frozen pizzas are known to that.   They each had their own personality and their own ways of showing that great pizza doesn’t have to be delivered or eaten at a swanky pizzeria.  Sometimes the best is at home.

NewmansCheeseSlices

The white with the spinach combination is just a gift from beyond.  Spinach is great and the white cheeses are the perfect complement to one another.  Visually stunning.

NewmansWhiteSlices

Now I’ve had these pizza pies before, but not like this.  I mean all I did was put them in the oven as 12 minutes later they came out glowing.   It’s something so simple that I think, no I know, represents something bigger than all of us.  To some, it’s just pizza.  To me it’s a metaphor.

It’s the most beautiful thing that can’t always be put into words.

So I don’ have much more to say, except wow.

There’s six more pizzas that I could try in the future, and I will.  And maybe in a future story I can elaborate on how amazing this foundation is.  When nearly $500 million has been donated worldwide, it’s something nice to be a part of, even if it’s just the ever slightest.

It’s good to be a part of good, and doesn’t take much effort.

It’ll be much sooner than later when I revisit this gorgeous entity.  I look forward to sharing more with you and with the universe.

For more on Newman’s Own, click here.  Here’s a link to their foundation.  And here’s a list of all their products.  And finally, more on the company, the charity, and there’s love for our animal friends too!  Yes! This is all happiness.  And it’s an extensive list of greatness.

This is greatness.

Thank you so much and have a blessed weekend.

Ideen