Tag Archives: Chicken

Four For The Fourth

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VitosAllFour

It’s already July and that makes me sad.    Some people view the upcoming 4th of July Holiday as the halfway point.  Halfway point of what?   Ah I don’t even want to say it.

The intrigue continues as I’m literally going to review four slices that I (sort of) purchased earlier tonight.  How quickly I forget how apropos this was going to be.  I’ve expounded on different ways but I’ve never been one to believe in coincidence.

VitosFront

I found myself at a familiar place, Vito’s Pizza in Baltimore.  For my friends in Baltimore, you might be asking which Vito’s exactly?  There’s too many to count.  Or maybe I just don’t feel like counting.  No, I just don’t care.  This is my Vito’s today and their website offers no help and that’s fine with me.

Sometimes we just want pies without all the other bells and whistles.  Even though a multitude of businesses have some form of a social media presence, some like to live in the past.  I’m ok with the past and the simplistic way of going about things.

To be specific, the neighborhood is called Cedarcroft.  This is the first time I’m hearing this.  I’m not sure what to make of it.  I find the whole thing hilarious, but it’s really not that funny.  Haha.

I went to a university not far away so Ii’ like to consider it Towson/Baltimore border.  I don’t know if this place existed when I was a student, but nevertheless now the place is infiltrated with them.  Students.

The vibe in the area is something I subconsciously (wait what?) paid attention to, but never put my finger on why I was drawn to this place.   But I figured it out on this night. There tends to be a sense of community and togetherness in the plethora of neighborhoods behind the strip mall where this pizzeria stands.  Whether it’s genuine, artificial, transparent, or hollow, it’s there and I can’t escape it nor do I want to.

Enough of the metaphysics, how was the pizza?

VitosCheese&Veggie

I’ve always loved the cheese and veggie here.  That continues on this visit.  Keeping it simple is the theme of this post.  The cheese is essentially an extra cheese with delicious pizza sauce and that crust is masterful.  Throw on some onions, peppers, and other various vegetables and you got the latter slice, which also was stellar.

VitosChickenDuo

The breaded buffalo chicken was good but as great as it’s been in the past.  My only thought is the lack of buffalo sauce.  Otherwise this was good.  The barbecue chicken was not edible for me.  I’ve never liked that combination on a pizza but this was disappointing here.  3 out of 4 ain’t bad.

But why did I get 4?  Well I came in late enough that the owner was trying to get rid of as many slices as he could.  He messed up my order and basically gave me that barbecue chicken for free.  But I think he would have done so anyways.  He almost gave me the equivalent of a large pie to go but I wasn’t feeling greedy.  Hopefully those slices didn’t go in the trash as they tend do to at close of business hours.  And no, I’ve only had tiny portions of my slices, I may be able to get a total of four meals out of them.

The owner is funny.  He seems like a real Italian.  At least I want to believe that.  He isn’t friendly or standoffish.  But he has the look of a guy who works hard or maybe just carries himself like he does.  I wouldn’t expect him to recognize me but he always has this same snarky and dry sense of humor with me and his other customers.   Hopefully that’s his way of showing appreciation.  Otherwise I could see my people would be turned off.

Speaking of which, he did double charge me on my meal, so look at your bank statements after the fact.  This shouldn’t dissuade you from trying a slice.

Neither should the lack of atmosphere on the inside.  I’m all for ambiance but this is just a pizza after all.  Those beautiful distractions are eye-candy but the pizza has got to be yummy.  That’s a technical foodie term by the way.

If you like solid pies that are bigger than usual and a throwback to what an authentic no-nonsense pizzeria might feel like, this is right up your alley.  If you’re looking for something inspiring, you might get it outside, or maybe that’s just me.

Happy 4th,

Ideen

The Groovy Gourmet

Posted in pizza by

PeaceAPizzaSlices

The amount of times I’ve driven by on or on the outskirts of Peace A Pizza without stopping in is too high to count.   I’m perplexed at myself.  But earlier this week I was in the vicinity and decided it was finally time.  Maybe the sun being out consistently has snapped me back into a bit of normalcy.

So when I stepped out of my car and saw a hippie and positive logo on the outside I was hoping I was in for a positive and vibrant experience.   And that’s exactly what I got.

PeaceAPizzaFront

First things first, Catonsville is the home of this location.  And even though I’ve spent a minuscule amount of time in the town, I felt at ease and at peace walking around.  Yes I gave myself a few minutes to soak in the area.  It may not look as historic as towns near you, but it still had a community feel to it that I welcome in my life.

Smack dab and nearly centrally located is this pizzeria.    I was there at an off time so I had the whole place to myself.  While that may sound lonely, it was fine by me.  I was able to snap some photographs I otherwise might not have been able to.

PeaceAPizzaSlices2

Without even realizing, the two slices I ordered were based on my favorite ingredients. And I savored both.  I went with the Buffalo Bleu Cheese and the Green Goat, with the latter containing pesto.  For those who’ve been following this blog, I’ve raved about this sauce from the get go.  More on that in a moment.

PeaceAPizzaBuff

The chicken on my buffalo slice tasted fresh and real.  That’s all you can ask for.  I could pieces of chicken on this slice all day.  I didn’t have all day though.  The bleu cheese was delectable but the funny kicker is that instead of sour cream, they used crème fraîche instead of our cream.  What’s the difference?  You can read more here.  The red peppers were a nice touch.  This was a wonderful gourmet slice.  And that’s what they tout.

PeaceAPizzaGreenGoat

The Green Goat is a funny one.  When I ordered the slice at the counter, I forgot to ask what it was.  I just liked how it looked and saw the green pesto sauce emanating from the slice.  So after looking my pictures over and perusing the menu, I can deduct that is what I ordered.  My excitement got the best of me.  At the time I could only officially identify my slice as, ‘what is this?’ or just ‘this’.  That’s the crack reporting you’re looking for I know.

The goat cheese and pesto are a winning combination.  I love how both slices look. I’m admiring them even more a few days after the fact.  The arugula and plum tomatoes also complement this slice accordingly.  Man I love this one too.

I noticed they didn’t heat up either slice entirely.  I’m actually glad they didn’t.  I’ve mentioned before, that sometimes heating it up too much will cover up for glaring holes and issues with the pie itself.  Lukewarm is a strong barometer of how the pizza truly tastes.What I ate is what I got.  Makes sense right?

The vibe inside is one of happiness, harmony, and hippies.  Did I just do some alliteration again?  Oh boy.  And I wanted to avoid using the word hippie if I could.  But it applies here. I’m all for uplifting vibes and feeling good.

PeaceAPizzaOutside

This is a chain that looks like it will blow up.   There’s only seven locations currently, but I suspect that number will grow.  If you’re near one I highly recommend a visit.

I had way too much fun here.  I will have to come back here sooner much rather than further down the line.  Whether it’s this particular location or elsewhere, I welcome trying some more unique and groovy slices.

PeaceAPizzaDeals

I’m feeling those good vibrations.

Peace and Love,

Ideen

 

Busy City, Busy Pizza

Posted in pizza by

ZucchiniSlice

I’ve had a lot of great pizza in my life and a lot of bad.  Even that bad can be edible.  Even the bad can be tolerable.  But sometimes the bad can’t be written about.  It would defeat the purpose of this thing if I wrote about dreadful pies with little subjectivity.  I’d be done within a couple paragraphs. If a pizzeria touts itself as one thing but doesn’t deliver, that’s worth writing about.

This brings me to this weeks post, Alberto’s Pizza in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC.

I’ll give a brief overview of my experiences in D.C.  I have done by share of bar-hopping and dining out in and around Dupont.  But I never noticed this pizzeria.  Was my one-track mind fixated on other things, other foods, other experiences?  Or was it easy to miss?  In the 15+ years its been open I’m reasonably certain I’ve never set foot in the place.

Our nation’s capital, like many cities, continues to grow exponentially with little end in sight.  The infrastructure and public transportation system is equipped to handle that. Well at least I think it is.

With an aggressively stuffy city, and the neighborhood within, I expect the food to be prepared and served with a similar energy.  That’s not necessarily a positive or an it is what it is declaration.  It’s more of what DC is and will continue to be, transient and immersed in its own universe.  That’s not my universe.

Enough of the monologue.  This pizza was disappointing.  I ordered 3 slices due to the uniqueness of the ingredients and toppings.  Unfortunately, each came out to $5+ a slice. I understand the location and high costs of running a business so the price isn’t that terrible.

But for the quality, I felt short-changed here.

I will attempt to find the positives with these selections.

ZucchiniSlice

Number one – the Zucchini, Parmesan, and Parsley.   For a place that touts itself as Chicago Style, I don’t know if this is that.   The thin crust on all three seemed flimsy and lifeless.   They all felt under cooked but this was the best of the three.  The zucchini and parsley were the saving graces.  The sauce tasted like strawberry jelly. It wasn’t even  jam like. The cheese was ok but when I get around to the next two, this seems feels even worse.

I’m hard pressed to find silver linings.

Mushroom&GoatCheese

Number two – the Goat Cheese and Mushroom.  Like the former, I had high hopes.   The goat cheese and mushroom were fine on their own but why was it on top of the mozzarella and that jelly sauce? Did I miss something or was this an accident?  This was an opportunity lost.

ChickenPestoSlice

Number three – the Chicken Pesto.  If there was chicken, I wouldn’t have known.  This was likely imitation pesto, if there is such a thing, drizzled over that same cheese slice.  I must have missed something.  I never thought I would have tasted bad pesto but this was it.  I’m heartbroken.

I write this with the understanding that they’re open late night on the weekends, so the expectations aren’t astronomical but the pizza should be decent.  And I went at lunch time. I should get my monies worth. This wasn’t even close.

For my friends that know the area, this may be a potential teaser for either next week or soon thereafter.  There’s a lot of action on that street, on that block, and even more micro than that.

PerfectLover

This sign is kind of funny even though it goes over my head, just like this pizza.

On to better,

Ideen

 

 

Something on the Somewhere

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TavernChickenPizza2

When I first started writing this blog, my primary focus was in and around the Baltimore area.  It was suggested to me that I expand where I could.   Even if it’s just a suburb, a different town will add a different element to my posts.   Since then, I’ve expanded to other parts of the northeast and sometimes elsewhere.  I don’t know where this is going, but global domination would be nice.  Or at least an expansion.    But this week I take it back to the city  I first wrote about.

Don’t you just love how I post a photo and then not get around to discussing it, until the second paragraph?   When you think of good pizza in Charm City I doubt Tavern on the Square makes many peoples’ top 10 or even 20 lists.   Should I even go higher?  This is not an indictment of them.   I actually found some of their pizza enjoyable, if not just flat-out scrumptious.  But there’s more to this place.  It’s become a frequent happy hour spot for dear friends of mine.  I’ve been grateful to be a part of many of these convocations.

TavernFront

But if you know the location, you know this bar has seen many transformations.  It’s been at least four different establishments since I’ve been frequenting this area.  Did I mention that this is nestled in the sometimes chaotic Canton Square?  However, this is one of the more subdued and refreshing locations, depending on what time of day you’re there.  And even at night it’s a little more reserved than some of the other more fraternized locales. Pun not intended.

For many, it’s like any other bar.  For me, I wonder what the identity is.  I over-analyze and ask sometimes reaching questions.  Maybe the fact that it has no niche is just what their niche is .  There I go being deep again.

Like I always ask, how was the za?

This is going to be a recap of several pies over multiple visits and in sequential order.  And in general, the pals I mentioned earlier were around for all of them.  I’ll try to simplify this so as to not overlap.

It wasn’t until I saw a good friend eating a gargantuan meatball pizza, that I even knew it was on the menu.  The meatball on this day was heated to perfection.  Look at that immaculately heated crust.  And the burnt cheese on the side is always a nice touch.  You can tell the flatbread crust was heated with soul and the chef was enjoying himself.  The meatball tasted great as well.  I’m thankful my friend gave me a couple of slices to try.

The blackened chicken was at the top of the standings.  This was over a second visit a couple of months later.  The chicken just had a taste to it that worked.  And the accompanying vegetables complemented the protein.  Once again, that crust was heated in stellar fashion.  As you can see, this pie got decimated quickly.  I was happy to share with my friends as that’s what life is all about.

For the next visit, we all ordered a bunch of pies.  This is also where things fell apart.

I ordered the buffalo chicken.  This was the dichotomy of the first two pizzas. It wasn’t heated well.  And you can tell by the pictures.  The golden brown was missing.   The buffalo sauce was too spicy and the blue cheese tasted goofy. Yes I said goofy.  I don’t know what went wrong.  It was good enough to meat but their was nothing behind this.  It didn’t feel like the happy pie I’ve grown accustomed too. And that made me sad.

Some friends ordered the margherita. It just tasted like it was there.  The presentation was so-so, and this tasted like there was nothing behind it.  This looked and tasted undercooked.

TavernMeatballSliceDay2

Finally, a friend ordered the meatball and I just had to try again.  It was nowhere near the level of what I enthusiastically described earlier.  The meatball itself didn’t seem cooked and again the crust seemed boring.   Again, enough to eat, but nothing more.

So what happened?   I have my educated guesses and information. maybe it was an off night.  I was happy to share and swap slices with friend for the third visit.  I just wish the enjoyment level was on par with the first meatball and blackened chicken pizzas.

With that being said, that’s how I’ll remember the visits and the eats.  That blackened chicken was tremendous.  I would strongly recommend if you get the chance.  I look forward to getting another visit in and hoping for a repeat.

Nevertheless,  the positive experiences with good friends is most paramount.  And I’m thankful to have had many here, as either a happy hour, starting point, or ending point. And with that, to Tavern, one final thing needs to be said. Thank you.

All the best,

Ideen

A Very Special…

Posted in Christmas, pizza by

wawaveggiepie

I love today.  I’m also sad the holidays are winding down.  Christmas means so much to so many.  It’s about the friends, the family, and the love.

Oh and there’s all that food!

I wish there was a feeling of love all the time.   But as several wise folks have said, it all starts with me.   Maybe the holidays wouldn’t feel so special if it were to occur throughout the year.   So it’s up to me, you, or whoever to spread cheer and positivity as much as possible.  I adore the sentimentality.

And speaking of such joy…

wawalogo

Wawa is sentimentality at its height.   Ever since my first visit in 2000, I’ve been captivated ever since.

When I discover a new Wawa store driving on a highway or a random stretch of road I’m compelled to go in, even if all I get is a coffee or tea. It’s the energy of the store.  It’s an attachment to the good that it represents.  I can never have enough.

In here it always feels like Christmas.

So to my pleasure it was great to discover that they serve Focaccia Pizzas. This is a fairly new discovery.  I think they were introduced back in the fall of 2014.  That’s the first time I saw them.

wawapizzas

I’ve had all 5 pies listed, and they’re not going to be the best pizza you’ve ever had.  And you shouldn’t expect them to be.  But they’re enjoyable on the soft and squishy focaccia bread provided.

If you’re expecting world class pizza, you will be disappointed.   I do find the bread to be heavy and prefer to share the individual pie with someone else.  It’s ambitious to finish this on my own.

Over the course of recent history, I’ve had the buffalo chicken and the vegetable.   I found them both enjoyable within the expectations set forth by myself and within Wawa’s food quality.

The buffalo chicken sauce is really in-your-face and might be a bit arduous for some, but I took my time eating this.   The cream cheese was a bit dense and a substantial amount was thrown on there too.   The chicken and provolone were great.  They really made this pie.  It was the simple stuff that was the best.  I’ve seen this pattern before.

I dig the packaging too.  That can be seen above and below.

The vegetable one I had this week.  Doesn’t it look and feel like Christmas?  Ah those colors are magical. How are the flavors?   The spinach, tomatoes, and onions are magnificent.  I’ve enjoyed them on my subs and I enjoy them here.   This almost looks too pretty to eat. But I ate it.  And I picked the cheese and vegetables off at times when the bread was too much to eat.   But I will gladly get this one again.

A gentleman noted how amazing it looked when I grabbed my pie.   It tells me that he and many others may still not realize pizza is on the menu.

For folks who have been there, you know what you’re going to get. And it’s usually good.  This is not going to be the greatest pizza you’ll have and I doubt you would expect it to be.  But you will likely find joy, peace, and comfort here.  This isn’t just during the holidays but all year round.

For more on this fun store, you can go here and here.

I go to a store at least five times and will be headed there later today.  Yes they’re open on Christmas! Yes!

I will conclude with that.  I want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and anything else you celebrate.  This is a special time of year that I wish was perpetual.   But once again, it’s up to me.  It’s up to you.  It’s up to all of us.

All the best,

Ideen

Something New

Posted in pizza, Virginia by

This week’s post brings me back to Virginia, and specifically the Herndon area.

RubinosStoreFront

I had never heard of Rubino’s Pizzeria but this is what makes this gig fun. You can drive around any city, town, or neighborhood and you’re going to find a pizza place.   I feel like an explorer of sorts seeing where this journey will take me.  I have so many places like this stored away for future posts (hopefully) that now is as good a time as many to talk about one.

So this was a month ago and I found myself passing through the region, where I saw many a strip mall and shopping center.  With the power of technology and the Internet I was able to pinpoint a few places nearby.   But they weren’t as close to me as I had surmised.  So I said to myself I’ll let it come to me, and sure enough moments later I get to the Village Center at Dulles aka Clocktower & Village Center.

All the standard chains and box stores were visible but fortunately at the very end of one side of the strip you have Rubino’s.

This was during lunch rush so I am a little more objective as to the time, the crowd, the energy, and everything in between.

It was busy, the crowd was a lot of employees, government workers, tand corporate types.   So you’re going to get a lot of folks trying to expedite their visits and get out as soon as they can.

I ordered three (count ’em three) slices and my wait time was about 5-6 minutes and that was reasonable for the time frame.

In sequential order I will recap my carry-out order.

Rubino'sCheese

First, the cheese is very good.  The mozzarella, the sauce, and the crust mesh perfectly.   I forgot to mention that these are NY Style Slices, and they’re going to be thinner than what some of us might be used to.  But this worked here.

The picture above may look funny as  I literally opened it as soon as I got out of the restaurant, and you see that bubble or hole.  I attribute that to anything but the pizzeria itself.  This is a really good cheese that I’d be happy to have on-the-go or sitting down.  Nothing that bill blow you away but a strong slice for sure.

Now onto the bacon part of the discussion…

Rubino'sMeatLovers

The Meat Supreme with bacon, sausage, ham, and pepperoni was not my favorite.  The toppings were fine.  They may not have seemed as fresh a I would have liked but there was something else missing.   It seemed as if the flavors were too overpowering and I didn’t get to taste much of anything.   I picked pieces of them off and enjoyed them individually but it still wasn’t what I had hoped.   It wasn’t terrible but I didn’t find it very good either.  I ate about half and saved the rest for later.

Rubino'sBBQChicken

The Barbecue, Chicken. and Bacon I saved for last but this didn’t work.  I didn’t care for the bbq sauce and that really compromised the slice altogether.  The chicken was find but again it didn’t taste fresh.  And the bacon got lost in the shuffle.   I barely ate more than a few bites.

For all three the pizza crust itself was really good.

Rubino'sHangSign

In reading their story I do appreciate how it’s family run and that they now have three stores.  They’re three brothers that grew up in the area and went to school nearby.  I love finding out information like this and hope they expand and end up with more successes.

I am in Virginia quite a lot so if I pass through, I will give them another go again.

Rubino'sCoke&Slice

And $3.99 for a coke and a slice for this area is pretty unbeatable.

I hope you all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend and I wish you all the joys of the holiday season.

Take good care.

Best,

Ideen

 

 

Hand Over Heart

Posted in pizza, Virginia by

WeThePizzaNola

The title make not sense at first, but the culinary joy sure does.

Over a month ago, I somehow find myself in the interesting locale known as Crystal City, VA.  The circumstances leading me here were a bit bizarre but that’s the joy of life.  You don’t always know how you end up at a certain places but at that very moment this is where you were supposed to be.

WeThePizzaRain

This brings me to We, The Pizza.   And I loved it.  With what was going on in the air that day and the gross weather, this was the comforting food that I needed.   You can tell in one of the photos that it was a gross and dreary day.

When it’s blah out I (or we) don’t always make the most rationale or educated of decisions.  Our axis might be a bit off.  I admit I was very off this day so what I chose to order might have seemed clumsy at first.  But I nailed it.  They nailed it.

I’ll say this though, the location is not the most approachable.  The D.C. area does bring an energy at times that doesn’t encourage that.  But that by no means will cloud my judgement on this or any other area order.    I think I’ve beaten around the bush enough.

I surveyed their eclectic menu and after much deliberating  I went with the Cajun Chicken & Andouille as my first choice.  Second but no least was the Forest Shroomin’ Slice.

Aside from the cheese which is $3, every slice on their menu is $4.  And for the location and what I was eating this was a bargain.

I’m still missing New Orleans as previous posts here and here will indicate, so this was the perfect slice to take me back.

Off the bat, the crust was cooked on each immaculately.  I am reminiscing now about how great it was. It had a genuine taste to it.  Maybe it was the oven, maybe it was the perfect amount of charring and heating, or maybe it was the folks and the energy behind the cooking.   So good.

WeThePizzaSnug

The free-range chicken and chicken andouille sausage come together perfectly.  Neither one imposes on the other and the toppings complement one another well. This may have been the first time I had this type of sausage, but oh my goodness this was a winner. I could have multiple slices of these.   The cajun seasonings brought just enough of a kick and spice to make this a winner.  This is a great pie.

The forest shroomin’ was a random choice and luck was on my side again. This will sound like a dig at first but it tasted like a cream of mushroom pizza poured on top of a pizza.  And I loved every second of it.  The thyme may be what really makes this slice.   I love mushroom so this is something I would definitely get again.  This may not be a slice for everyone but that’s the fun in pizza adventures.  There’s so much to choose from.

Look how cozy these slices are next to each other? They’re akin to being best buds.

I would be foolish not to mention that entertaining pictures adorning the walls and the mens room.   I’ve said it before but any pizzeria that has their own to go box gets many brownie points.  I love that touch. And now for your viewing pleasure:

WeThePizzaBox

I will be back.  I just don’t know when.  I had a pleasurable time here and the patrons who seemed to be in a rush were in good spirits.  Either that or I tuned all the negativity out.   The staff was very cordial too. I enjoyed myself.

WeThePizzaDisplay

They have  a Washington, DC location I’d like to check out sometime too!

WeThePizzaSide

For more information about this great spot or contact info click here.  And I love seeing community involvement tabs, so even more brownie points!

All I needed to turn a strange start to a day around was focus on something positive.  I discovered a great new pizza place and the dominoes fell from there.

That’s where the hand over heart comes in.  I was in a place of tranquility, along with feeling full and happy.   That’s all I needed.

Thanks so much and Happy Thanksgiving in advance!

Best,

Ideen

Called An Audible

Posted in Baltimore, pizza by

The Fells Point Festival Version 2.0 is now only a week away.   And the pizza party has taken a detour and we are making some new moves!

This post is about what I ate last night.   Sounds like a normal thing to write about.  But this is what makes blogging so fun. The dining establishment I’m expounding on today was nowhere on my radar.  It was suggested by a couple of friends. And away we go.

Cockey’s was nowhere on my radar.  It was suggested to me by a couple of friends last night.  And in the context of where these posts are going, I feel like this was the perfect place to write about for today.   I took the inspirational several block walk from near the heart of the neighborhood to Upper Fells or Butchers Hill.   Since the website states Cockey’s Fells Point, I think I am ok.

I had only been here once before and really liked the atmosphere.  The interior is beautiful, the staff is friendly, there’s a nice outdoor dining area, and they have a good wine list.   The place has been open less than two years and a lot of the locals seems to enjoy it.

CockeysMenu

While going over the menu, I saw a lot of other meals I was interesting in getting.  But pizza is the name of the game, and I ordered the Ace Special.   I ordered this simply because the name stood out and I was in the mood for portabella mushrooms.

CockeysPie

When they brought the pizza out, I noticed it was cut awkwardly.  If the pizza tastes good, I wouldn’t think anything of that. But, I sensed the way it was uneven has to do with how hard the crust was to eat in certain places.  Some of it felt a bit overcooked and I had a hard time biting into my mini slices.  The tiny cuts are always a nice touch by the way.  It just felt rough on my teeth at times.

CockeysSlice

The toppings were very good.  I liked the cheese, sauce, diced chicken, mushrooms, and red peppers.  This is a simple yet tremendous mix of cheese, protein, and vegetables.  I just wish the crust was cooked a bit more evenly.   It was a distraction.   It didn’t detract entirely from the pie, but I was more perplexed than anything.   My wine was very good and complemented the pizza well.

CockeysSliceWithWine

Nevertheless, I will come back again  I will gladly get another pie or maybe something else that looks like it could be scrumptious.   Since it’s a fairly new restaurant and so much work seems to have been put into it, I want this place to flourish. There is a charming feel and energy surrounding the whole place.    This has the look and feel of what Fells Point is really all about; cozy, quaint, and approachable.

Cockeys

I look forward to coming back again.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

Little Lackluster

Posted in Baltimore, pizza by

I had intended to do a Fells Point related pizza post in conjunction with and leading up to the Fells Point Fun Festival.  That was supposed to take place last weekend.   The universe had other plans and we’ll see you in two weeks.  But the neighborhood posts will keep on coming leading up to the event.

My post from last week was meant to be the revealed on the weekend of the event, but I have adjusted accordingly. I am prepared for the challenge of finding spots that are hopefully informative and do the area justice.

LittleItalyFront

This week brings me to Little Italy Pizzeria, which is right off the heart of Fells Point.  That picture I took makes the place seem very authentic right?

Well that’s where it ends.  This pizza parlor suffers from the same issues, in my opinion, as Brick Oven Pizza which I wrote about two weeks ago.   Up until five years ago I would’ve said this pizza tasted great during the day, at night, by the slice, or a grabbing a whole pie to go.  It wasn’t fine craftsmanship but it was guaranteed to be a good pie that would do its job.  And sometimes that’s all you’re looking for.

Now the last few times I’ve ordered from them the crust, dough, cheese, sauce, and toppings all seem so lifeless.  There’s no feeling behind it.  But it serves its purpose.   I used to always order a za from here day or night and feel like I’ve enjoyed something tasty. And my interest has waned to the point where this might be the last time I go for a while unless I’m desperate.

I will recap the two slices I got, on my most recent a little over a month ago.  I’ll try to find the positives.

You know how when you see pictures of pizza you get hungry and get excited?  Even bad pizza will do that to you.   However, when looking at these photos I am turned off by them.

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There’s barely any cheese or sauce and that’s what I remember tasting. The crust tasted undercooked and a bit soft. Sometimes that’ll work but not here.   I do realize I was eating around 8 or 9 pm so the quality may not be as high.  But I’ve had the same slice during the afternoon and it was just as mediocre.

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The bacon, chicken, and ranch didn’t taste fresh.  The toppings seemed boring and just thrown on there.   Even bad pizza could be good pizza but this doesn’t apply here.  Even bacon which is hard to screw up, either tasted like it was past its sell by date or it wasn’t real bacon.  I’d rate both of these below average.

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My hunch is that the business is just going through the motions.  It can try to please everyone and change the quality of their pies at various times of the day, or just wing it throughout.  I suspect they’re doing the latter.  I can only assume why the caliber of their pizzas has dwindled.

I remember barely eating half of either and feeling bad I had to throw them in the trash.

The interior is narrow.  There’s only a few sets of tables and chairs which is what I do like about it.  It’s a grab-and-go kind of place.  I’d just use caution on the pizza.  Lowered expectations would work here.

More to come.

Best,

Ideen

Born To Za!

Posted in Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey, pizza by

ChickenParmPizza!

Of course I find a way to incorporate Bruce Springsteen into the pizza discussion.   This past Tuesday we celebrated the 40th Birthday of Born To Run!  And what does any sane person do?  They take a drive to Freehold, NJ and eat at one of the pizza places The Boss has been known to frequent.  But there’s more!

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After doing a little research and asking friends, I took the two-hour drive up the New Jersey Turnpike and made my first ever visit to Freehold.

This had such a good vibe from the get go.  There’s a very small town feel and energy that would only make sense, based on where I was.  We had a plethora of local shops, restaurants, and services, with a limit on chains.  And I like the sound of all of that.   It was an easy town to navigate.  And after a little bit of exploring I stopped in at Federici’s.

Federici's

The feeling inside and out was just as authentic as the town itself.  No bells and whistles, no hoopla, just a good energy with folks enjoying their meals and the company they were with.  Or you have someone like me, enjoying their meal in solitude.

Federici'sOutdoorMenu

I did a quick scan of the menu and decided on the Chicken Parmigiana to go.   The thin crust was outstanding as well as were the ingredients.  This came together perfectly.  This was a joy to eat!   Needless to say, for an individual pie, this didn’t have a chance.  I savored many bites as slowly as I could to appreciate what I was experiencing.   What an absolute pleasure this was.  The cheese was baked in perfectly as was the chicken.  And this tasted like real breaded chicken.  And I could go on all day about that sauce!  Holy moly!  Incredible stuff!

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This was masterful work.   I should have had another. I was full and satisfied.  But I don’t come around too often that I wish I had another to praise and laud.  It’s been a week but now I can’t stop thinking about how amazing this pie was.   There was a great soul behind the making of this pie.  Oh my goodness.

And the staff was incredibly friendly, even though the restaurant and take-out lines were starting to get hectic.  There were pictures of Bruce visiting on the wall, but I never could come across them.  Next time.

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For more on Federici’s and their story, you can go here and always my favorite is the community section of any website.

Of course when I’m visiting a new place, I do need to make some touristy moves.

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Directly across the street is the Columbia Triumphant statue.   Where you see that, you see a bunch of Jersey-related icons with their names on the bricks.  I was informed that Bruce had one with a special kind of cement in its spot in case anyone felt compelled to be bad and steal this piece of history.   I found it and got real up-close-and-personal photo! Woohoo!

Here is where I get a little cuckoo.  I had caught wind of the fact that the house, at 39 1/2 Institute Street, Springsteen grew up in from age five to the eighth grade was close by.  And thanks to help from a dear friend, I found it.  And I got some great up-close photographs!

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This street was so eerily quiet I was a tad nervous at times.  Literally, there was no one walking or driving by.  Maybe that’s how it was meant to be.  I spent a good few minutes appreciating this piece of history.

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The tree is the famous one that Bruce posed with for a photo shoot for the “Born in the U.S.A” album over 30 years ago.   Think I got enough of the tree and the house?

I could have stayed here for a while and done some more inspirational discovering, but I left on a very high note.  And that just means I’ll have to come back.

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Everywhere I went I felt the energy of something powerful.  It could have been the amazing pizza, being in a new place for the first time, how I was feeling at that very moment, or maybe just appreciating one of the New Jersey and this country’s greatest icons.

Thanks so much.  And Happy Birthday, Born To Run!

Best,

Ideen