Tag Archives: pepperoni

Alexander’s the Great

Posted in Baltimore, pizza by

The Fells Point Festival is just one week away.  I find that so exciting and freaked out that time is just flying.

And As promised, the pizza theme of this neighborhood continues.  This visit brings us to a much more favorable spot, as opposed to last week, Alexander’s Tavern.

A month-and-a-half ago a huge group of us were out in the neighborhood for a dear friends birthday. Several stops were made but none were better than this location.

Our group of about 50 or so had taken over the entire front bar area.  And there was such a powerful and magnetic energy in the room.  My words alone will not do it justice.   The day was phenomenal.

And speaking of that, I saw a few friends eating a few appetizers and other foods to soak up the libations that were being procured throughout the afternoon.

To my pleasant surprise, a couple pals were eating pizza.  So I just had to jump on this opportunity while I was there.

ThreeLittlePigs

Now I’ve noshed here a multitude of times before and always enjoyed myself.   I forgot they served pizza and shame on me for that fact!   After making several inquiries to the friendly bartenders and perusing the menu, the unanimous suggestion was to order the 3 Little Pigs!  Mama Mia!

Alexander'sMenu

I had this in early August but the taste still resonates with me.  The crust was thin and just perfect.   On just a visual level it was almost too beautiful to eat.   One thing about me, I’ve never seeked out red meat on my pizza.  It’s just never been near the top of the list for me.   It’s not that I don’t love it.  I just prefer chicken, vegetables, seasonings, yummy sauce, and of course lots of cheese.

ThreeLittlePigsSlice

But this is something else.  The trios of ham, pepperoni, and sausage taste so fresh and so real.   For a second, I thought all this meat could clash and some flavor might be lost.  How wrong I was!  I also do love some ham so this was a treat. Just looking at the toppings I can tell this is real quality and a lot of effort was put into preparing this.  I took a few pieces off my mini slices and ate them individually and it was glorious.

The sauce and cheese were easy to taste even with all that meat piled on top.   My mouth is watering at the though of having one right now.

ThreeLittlePigsWine2

The presentation was inspiring as well. I found the plate that it came on to be very charming.  Whether the color was intentional or not, I don’t know.  But I do believe they do serve red plates and I find this detail to be an added bonus.  And it went perfect with my wine!

ThreeLittlePigsWine

These are personal size pizzas and I would’ve devoured another one.  But I also found this too good not to share.  I passed around a few slices to the buds of our birthday crew, and the positive reviews were unanimous.  It was superlative city.   Being in a great mood also helps.   Everything just felt right about the day.  And the was pie is stupendous, sensational, and splendid.   It was so good that a little over-the-top alliteration was necessary.  And they’re only $6 on Thursdays!  That’s highway robbery!  This pizza is worth every penny and then some.

Alexander'sFrontAlexander's

If you’re in the neighborhood or going to be headed to the festival next week, I strongly recommend stopping by for a pizza or anything for that matter.  I’ve always had a great experience here.  And I cannot wait to try some more of their creations.

Thank you so much.

Best,

Ideen

BOP or Bust?

Posted in Baltimore, pizza by

The Fells Point Fun Festival is the first weekend in October.  For at least the next four weeks, the posts will be dedicated to a pizza joint (or wherever I made eat a pie or slice) in this historic neighborhood.

BOPFront

I knew for a while that I was going to write about Brick Oven Pizza.  This is not going to be pretty.

I had been eating here since moving to the area in 2000.  And like many a tourist I either discovered it by walking around the neighborhood after a night of libations, or through word of mouth.  It’s been a while but for me I think it was the former. And then the latter after learning more about this amazing part of the city.

And if memory serves me correctly, I loved it the first time I ate it.  I loved it all the way up until about 2007 or 2008.   And I’m not quite sure what happened.  Either the quality of the food got cheaper, the way the pizza was prepared and heated changed, or my tastes went into a whole different trajectory.

BOPBuild

Lets be clear.  At one point this was my favorite place for pizza.  I craved getting pies of all flavors.  I loved the cheese, white, pepperoni, and many other toppings.  When I lived in Towson, during and after college, my friends and I would make special weekend trips to get a couple of boxes for carry-out.   I thought it was quality pizza.  And high quality at that.   Not anymore.

In the late 2000’s to now I have seen such a sharp decline that it’s alarming.   I’ve eaten here day and night and the quality has been lackluster regardless of the hour.   I wanted to think that the effort is not quite there after the bars close vs. during the day, but it’s bad all-around.

But yet I kept going back because I wanted to believe that the quality would resurface.  And it’s one of the first places I grabbed a slice when living in the area.   Then I started to go out of my way to avoid it.   What’s even worse now is when I’m in the area, I don’t even think to go unless it’s with friends or for the purpose of this blog.

BOP.Cheese.WhiteBOP.Pep.Pesto

And speaking of that, I will be reviewing four slices, albeit briefly, which took place over two different visits.  One was during the day and one was near closing time.  It doesn’t matter which took place when as they were all pretty disappointing.

BOPCheeseBOPWhiteBOP.PepBOP.Pesto

When I said I will be brief I was serious.  The order does not matter but I got a cheese, white, pepperoni, and that funny looking one.  That’s a cheese with pesto on top.  I had ordered a white slice with said pesto and they gave me that.  I wasn’t even in the mood to tell them they messed up, as the point is moot.

BOPOven

There is no soul to this pizza anymore.  The crust, the cheese, and the toppings had no flavor.  Sometimes I felt like I was eating soap.  It was a struggle to finish any of these.  They look so much better than they tasted.  The dough was cooked funny and I don’t see how a brick oven can make this.  It’s a tragedy.

BOPMenu

And for what they charge there is no justification.  These are not premium slices.

The staff working the front has also left a lot to be desired.  I get people have bad days but a lot of these folks seem to phoning it in.  And that energy reverberates to everything.

BOPCeleb

I think the celebrity testimonials are wonderful but I suspect many are from years ago, when the pizza was impressive.

I write all this because I care.  I miss the old B.O.P.   And I don’t it coming back.  In a way it’s heartbreaking but it’s also time to move on.  Every now and again if I’m desperate maybe I’ll grab a slice but there are food options elsewhere.

Many folks from the area will disagree and I understand.   Some of my friends are loyal to this place.  I was but my heart isn’t there anymore.   It’s time to move on.

BOPVan

I can only hope the Fells Point pizza will get better from here.

Best,

Ideen

Living In America

Posted in beach, holiday, pizza by

This Summer has been one for the ages!   And I don’t want it to end.  It’s not only been fun writing about pizza. It’s just been fun in general.  The whole reason for doing this is to feel good, enjoy life, and to make some pals along the way.  That is what life is all about.

An added bonus in my pizza travels, is that I get to be extremely random.  I can write about anything pizza related and hopefully find the positive and sometimes spiritual in every situation.

It’s only fitting that on this unofficial final weekend of my favorite season, that we celebrate what is good and symbolic about this holiday.  Were these three paragraphs a little too melodramatic?  Then good! 🙂

I had to take it back to the beach and this time I found myself in Rehoboth to be more specific.   There’s a lot to love about this cozy and charming resort town.

There’s great restaurants, shopping, bars, people watching, and of course the beach and boardwalk itself.   So what about the pizza?

Well there’s plenty of that.   I had a list of places I wanted to check out and they were all in close proximity of one another, but fortunately plans don’t always go accordingly and something new throws you for a loop.  I’m happy it did.

This lead me to America’s Pie At The Beach.  And what a wonderful surprise awaited me and awaits anyone else that tries their pizza!

The staff could not have been more friendly and approachable.   They had some unique selections to go with their cheese, pepperoni, white, etc.

They could tell it was my first time as I was eager to try a couple of random slices.  So without any further adieu, here were my two orders :

TheSlices

First was one they had literally just created that day. It includes bacon, red onions, and peaches!  Yes peaches!  And it was then topped with greens.   You must pardon my excitement, I may be missing or incorrectly typing a topping or two but that’s the gist of it.  I don’t believe they even had a name for it.

But this was a very charming slice.   I thought the lettuce (which I’m going to say was red leaf) would be too much, but it was a fantastic addition to this wonderful slice.  I must say the peaches did it for me. This all came together superbly.   If it was just a white pie with peaches I’d be happy too!  Red onions were a welcome addition too.  And the crust was heated so perfectly!  What a wonderful crunch.  And the way the cheese, and the toppings baked into the crust is aesthetically pleasing. This was creativity at its peak!

Peaches

Here is a picture with the lettuce off to the side, so you can get a great visual of what’s below! Magnifico!

I did my first peach festival a few weeks ago, so I felt warm and fuzzy having this one too.  This was a symbolic gesture from the universe and to myself as well.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get anymore inspiring, we have the New Orleans!  I visited New Orleans for the first time earlier this Summer, so this was more of a sentimental choice than anything.

I was able to get a cheat sheet off the menu for this one.   I was too excited at the time to remember all the toppings for this soulful slice.

It’s amazing how one or two toppings can make or a break a slice.  This one falls on the former.  The mozzarella with the pepper jack cheese is a heck of a duo.  I would have been happy with the slice as that. But even better, the honey dijon mustard and cajun chicken gives it some authentic New Orleans flavor. And again, it’s heated to perfection.

America'sPie

As you can see their website is under construction but the pizza is anything but.   There were so many unique pies and slices to try that I hope I get to visit again very soon.   It also seems they create stuff on the fly and that day.  Like the first order I referred to, I was so excited I didn’t even get the name.   I’m not sure if there even was one.  Regardless, they were both wonderful.

For more on my love of peaches, click here.  And for my love of New Orleans, you can follow this link.

I found out the place has only been open a month but they’re making a strong case for one of the best pizzas at the Eastern Shore. And I wish them all the best!

And on a personal level these two slices were incredible representations of two of the more wonderful experiences I had this summer. (New Orleans and the Peach Festival)  I doubt that’s a coincidence.

Happy Holidays.

Best,

Ideen

Tugo, or not Tugo

Posted in Maryland, pizza by

Ocean City, MD has always brought me found memories, from when I was a kid.   A lot has changed but a lot has remained the same.

There’s a lot more to do as an adult, in terms of bars, clubs, and restaurants.  But, this resort town prides itself on being a family destination, first and foremost.

I remember eating Pizzas Tugos when I was a kid and thinking it was the greatest pizza on earth.  Actually every pizzeria I ate at felt like the greatest thing in the world!

Either my taste buds have expanded or I just grew up.  Because these two slices I got were anything but the greatest.

TugosSlices

How great and greasy does that appear?  Well it may look appealing to the late night delivery and pick-up crowd, but that still doesn’t make it any better.

I understand this is a small sample size, but it was still disappointing.   It was way too loaded with grease and fat.  Now or a night after the bars, that might be just fine.  But I can only imagine what you’d be feeling the next morning.

It was also very salty.  I do like how there was loads of cheese bleeding into the to go (tugo? hehe) box.   But the cheese was a big mound of salt and other problems.

The sauce tasted a bit funny too.   It just didn’t go with the cheese or the crust.  And the latter was a bit soggy.  I tried to eat what I could, but I had to give up.

TugosBanner

Some of the other problems included the service.  There was no line in front of me, and I waited a good 15 minutes for my order.   You would think with all that time passing, that my pizza would be either heated up just right or a bit lukewarm, or maybe a little of both.   No, this was scolding hot and not in a good way.   My tongue burned but fortunately I survived and didn’t need a fire extinguisher to save me.

In keeping up with trying to find positives, I do like that they have their own design paper for carry out, which you can see in the first picture above.  Other than that I don’t know.    Well, the pepperoni was ok.  I picked those off and ate those on its own.

Now when many of us are at the beach, or away on vacation, our goal is not necessarily to look for amazing, knock your socks off pizza.  But it should at least taste good.   This wasn’t the worst but I found it mediocre and boring.   I don’t see the point in coming back to visit anytime soon.

TugosInLightsTugoSign

This shouldn’t sway you from not wanting to try them out.  You may love it.  I know a few who do. Here’s their menu.

Summer is in full swing, so more OC and Eastern Shore reviews will be forthcoming.    For a prior review from Memorial Day Weekend, click here.

All The Best,

Ideen

We Take Care Of Our Own

Posted in pizza by

PizzaPartyFriendsFirst

For a while now, we knew we wanted to make our own homemade pizzas, and were just looking for the right occasion to do it. Along with celebrating my birthday, a friends raise and their job, and the Summer, it’s always fun to cook at home.  And it’s always more fun with friends.

We each picked out the proper ingredients like cheese, sauce, oils, and toppings.   It can get exciting but can also be pressure packed to make a good pie.

As I was reminded, it’s always better to keep it simple.   It’s also good to be creative.  Most importantly, it’s about having fun and learning from mistakes and experience along the way.  As I learned here, less is always more.

ArchivistWithGlasses

We each made two pies a piece.  And they were all from delicious whole wheat dough.   Thanks to Wegmans for the majority of our ingredients.  For more on the wine pictured above, click here.

Here are the results of round one :

PizzaPartyMyFirst

Mine was a pesto base with cheese, mushrooms, olives, peppers, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes.   This was an adventure and maybe not the best one.   The ingredients were fine but the whole didn’t equal the sum of its parts.  The tomatoes didn’t need to be included and I picked those off the pie and ate them on their own.   I think a pesto base is great.  I adore pesto.  But just didn’t work here.  I was able to finish it, but it was a minor struggle.

My friends kept is simple for their first entries.

PizzaPartySimpleCheese

A basic cheese was made with pizza oil, and the results were better.  This was in the similar style to a white pizza.  You can see the cheese baked in the dough like a professional would make.   I got to try a piece and thought it was fantastic.

PizzaPartyAFriendsFirst

The final creation for the first go around was a tomato sauce base with cheese, peppers, onions, and chopped pepperoni. This turned out very well, as this was also kept simple.  The pepperoni pieces were a great add-on, as you’ll read about in our second set of masterpieces.

For round two, it was a combination of being creative and keeping it simple.   I chose the latter.

PizzaPartyMySecond

I learned quickly from my first undertaking to get back to basics.   This time I used tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and fresh basil for my pie.   The basil was growing by the kitchen window, and was found upon instinctively while we were making our meals.  I was happy with how mine was looking, but the basil really put it over the top.  After mine came out of the oven, I was pleased.   The shape of both of my personal pizzas weren’t the best, but that will be learned with experience, patience, and repetition.  But overall I was heartened with mine.

PizzaPartyFreshBasil

One of my pizza pals had a similar pie for theirs except no pepperoni. And he put the cheese on first, then the sauce (and a lot of it), and basil.   He was happy with that one.

PizzaPartyStromboli

And finally, my other fellow pizza pal turned hers into a calzone.  How cool is that?   This is a perfect case of knowing to be creative, but to also keep it simple and yummy.  She was pleased with hers as well.

We will be doing this again, either to celebrate, or for no reason at all.  It’s good to change it up a bit, and see if our meals can measure up to the outside pizzerias.  I was happy with this and can’t wait to do it again!

Keeping it simple, fundamental, and then taking the right chances is the way to go.

PizzaPartyAerialView

Have a great day!

Best,

Ideen

Memorial Day Moves

Posted in beach, Delaware, Maryland, pizza by

Now that we’re officially into Summer, I am grateful and happy to incorporate pizzerias near the Maryland and Delaware beaches.

For part of the Memorial Day weekend, I took a drive to the famous (or infamous depending on how you look at it) town of Dewey Beach.   It’s known for it’s bars, clubs, and other various social activities.   So how is their pizza?

Well for my first visit, the results are not good.

Grottos

One of the most visually noticeable establishments in the resort town is Grotto Pizza.  So this is where our inaugural Summer themed posts will commence.

I’ve been here several times before, so I knew what I was getting myself into.  I was preparing for the worst, as previous visits have made me wonder why I keep coming back.  Well it’s because it’s convenient and it’s right there.  And the outside decor and entrance is very welcoming and approachable.

I wish I could say the same about the clientele.   I know it was Memorial Day Weekend.  So it was going to be busier than usual and the staff might be overwhelmed.  When I walked in there was a decent line of a half dozen people, so I didn’t expect to wait too long.  It was about the wait I expected.

If it meant the pizza would taste better, I’d be happy to wait longer.  But not on this day.

GrottosSlices

I ordered a cheese and pepperoni slice each and both felt soulless.     I know Grotto has been known to add a lot of sauce on their pies, which is ok.  It’s a little sweeter than sauce I’m used to.  It just didn’t come together.   I do like that there was a decent amount of pepperoni thrown on that particular slice.  It just didn’t taste like a good piece of pepperoni.  I picked a couple off and ate them on my own and it didn’t taste fresh.   The crust and dough felt soggy, boring, and gross.

Unfortunately,  I barely finished a third of either of my slices.   They were that bad.  And I don’t like wasting food.  But I didn’t feel good eating this pizza.  I paid nearly $8.00 total for both slices.  I don’t see any justification for charging that amount.

When I was a kid I would eat at the many various locations near our great beaches.  And I seemed to recall, it tasted much better back then. Or maybe I’ve grown up and my tastes have expanded.

I didn’t go into this looking to trash this establishment or other pizza places on the Eastern Shore.  I went into this with an open mind knowing the time of year, the patrons, and the business of the weekend.  Nor was I expecting high end, brick oven, or artisanal pizza.  What I do expect is that the pizza tastes good. That’s not asking much.  And this didn’t even come close.

We all a whole Summer ahead of us.  And more beach pizza recaps will be coming.

I hope you all had a great holiday and enjoy your weekend!

Best,

Ideen

I Love Annapolis

Posted in Maryland, pizza by

I wanted to wish congratulations to the Class of 2015. Many Universities are having ceremonies this week and that includes the Naval Academy.

BellaItalia

I actually helped with the set up and break down of the stage and seating, for their ceremony one year ago.  In honor of graduation day, Memorial Day, and my sentimentality for our capital, I will be reviewing Bella Italia.  Which is walking distance from campus.

As you can see, there isn’t much to the website.  I basically posted all that can be seen.   I’m not sure if it’s still a work in progress or it’s going to be left alone.

But most importantly, how is the pizza?   This is a recap over two visits in the past month.  Which happen to be my first and second visits ever respectively.  Two slices and two visits!  Hehe.  Let’s get to it.

BellaItalia1

For round one, I got my order to go.  My first slice was a White with spinach and mushroom.  There really wasn’t much to it.  It was a decent slice. The vegetables tasted fresh.  The white didn’t taste as good as other ones I’ve had.  The dough and crust were good. It just didn’t wow me.  It was decent at best.

And number two was the Meat Lovers deep-dish style pizza.  This was fantastic.  It blew up me though.  I’m glad I tried this, as I don’t always see the Chicago-style slices available to patrons.   I took my time eating this. It was the perfect amount of crust.   I would be lying if I said I finished this right away.   It tasted just as good as a leftover meal the next day.  The meat and cheese really blended together into the pie.   And you can see it’s loaded with pepperoni, ham, sausage, and bacon. And they didn’t skim on the toppings!

BellaItalia2

And for my second visit,  I dined in.   The interior is very quaint and doesn’t feel contemporary.  It does give a hole in the wall vibe and I can appreciate that. The staff was very friendly both times.

For my first slice, I ordered the cheese.  This wasn’t good at all.  It might have been in the oven too long and tasted too crunchy for my liking.  There was a little burnt taste in my mouth as well.  This wasn’t the worst cheese I’ve had.  But this was disappointing.

I wanted to end my post on a high note and I will do just that.  The other purchase shown above is the white with pesto, grilled chicken, and penne!  This was wonderful.  The chicken and pasta tasted fresh, and pesto is one of the marvels of this universe. And I always smile when I see toppings buried under the cheese.  It’s similar to finding hidden treasure!  The simple things and metaphors is what life’s all about. This is one of the better slices I’ve had since doing this blog. I was happy I ordered this and went out of my comfort zone to try something a little different and unique.

So there’s some great slices and some not so up to par, in my humble opinion.  I’m in the area a lot.  And I’ll be definitely giving this spot a look again.  For a recap of a previous Naptown pizza place, click here.

I wish you all a Happy Memorial Day Weekend.  Stay happy, healthy, and have fun!

Best,

Ideen

Flippin’ Fridays

Posted in Maryland, pizza by

Flippin'

What I love about this blog is that I know the world is my oyster.  I can talk about anything pizza related, with the intent of being fun. And I can change up locations at any time.  For this one, I’m getting a little away from the Baltimore area.

One day driving down by Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, MD I spotted a strip mall across the street, and discovered a new pizzeria.  I had to try it.

Flippin’ Pizza touts themselves as New York Style.  I know that’s hard to do when you’re not in the actual city or state. And this applies to any ethnic restaurant.  If you’re not in the home nation, how authentic can it truly be?  That doesn’t mean the food can’t be great, or even amazing.  Well the pizza I tried here is neither great nor amazing.  It was nothing special.

I am willing to try all kinds of crusts and doughs.  I prefer a thicker slice, but that doesn’t mean a lighter one can’t do the trick. Something was just lacking here.

In keeping with tradition, I ordered my usual two slices.

TomatoBasil

First, the Tomato Basil, which as you can see, has the ingredients listed, which is a nice touch.  I just couldn’t taste much of anything.  The flavors did not come together.  And the crust tasted like burnt toast.  I don’t think the crust being so skinny had anything to do with the overall bland flavor.  I just didn’t get much enjoyment out of it.

Brooklyn

Second, the Brooklyn, with some of my favorite ingredients, mushrooms and garlic specifically.  And I thought for sure this would be a winner.  Well it wasn’t a complete disappointment.   I expected more.  The meat did not taste as good as I liked.  I thought the pepperoni was ok but didn’t get much from the meatball.  Garlic usually makes everything better, but I got nothing here.  Same for the mushroom.

SoHappyTogether

What can’t be disputed is their amazing weekly special.  Two slices and a soda for $6.00, with tax included, is tremendous. I just wish I could say the same about the pie.  But for those looking for a deal, it’s hard to top.  And from the looks of it you can order this at any time of day, not just lunch.  Pretty awesome stuff.   And just because I didn’t enjoy it, doesn’t mean you won’t.  It just didn’t work out this time.  I’ll definitely give it another go in the future.

Their website is very user friendly.  And as you can see by their menu, they do have a gluten free selection.  And pride themselves on keeping it healthier than other comparable establishments.   Too bad that didn’t translate to a better experience.   Maybe next time I will build my own pie!

Another positive is their willingness to help out with fundraisers.

Their staff was very friendly and appeared happy to be there.

I wish Flippin Pizza all the best in their future endeavors and expansion.   Their intent seems positive. The franchise seems to be growing and more power to them.  Hopefully I’ll have a better eating next time.  Maybe you will enjoy a selection here!

Thanks so much and have a wonderful holiday!

Best,

Ideen

In Plain Sight

Posted in Baltimore, Canton, food, fun, Parkville, pizza by

pasticcio

There’s a lot of places we go to, because we like it, love it, out of necessity, or out of habit.  And then there’s you don’t even know exist or unintentionally take for granted.   Many of us drive by such locales to and from work everyday.

Pasticcio, in the Can Company part of Canton, might be one of those places.    Until a few years ago, I didn’t know it existed either.    But they have some mighty good slices.   They also have a full menu and a stocked bar, which is set up nicely to the side.

In the half dozen or so times I’ve been in, I’ve always felt a good energy and a good welcoming aura walking in.   The staff has always been friendly, and that’s an understatement.

One of the charms of this place, unintentional or not, by the pizza trays, is there his no signage describing which each pizza is.  So I always find myself asking one of the team members each time what certain pies area.     Always fun.  In turn, their online menu seems limited but in person it’s anything but.   They change their specials daily, and even the big ing.board with their specials list doesn’t feel intimidating.

All I’ve had their are slices, but next time, I would love to get something else.  It all looks so beautiful.

I usually do types of pies, but I was in a great mood, so let’s do another!

elookatthat

The pictures above don’t do this justice.

As I mentioned, the descriptions were not available, so I am going to describe each one, based on what this amazing person told me.

Going clockwise, we have Grandma’s Slice, which is squared shape and with a thicker crust.   And I could taste something  different about it, I just can’t put my finger on what it is.  Maybe it’s left to be mysterious and under the radar.  Seems to be a common theme throughout.  The yummy pesto and marinara are layered over the cheese and that’s it. Simple. Awesome. Delicious.

Next down the line is, the Deluxe, with pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and peppers.   And I don’t usually eat pepperoni slices, not out of spite, just because it’s not one of my preferred toppings.  But this was wonderful as well.   Everything was baked into the cheese perfectly.  And the thin crust is just as great as the aforementioned Grandma’s slice.

The white pizza, with ricotta, spinach, and mushrooms was next.  This was good, but my least favorite of the three.  I feel maybe since I tried the other two first, that my palate may have been thrown off a bit.   And I’ve also had some amazing whites.   You don’t often see mushrooms added to a white pie, so I loved that very much.

All in all, this was a rousing success, and I like the fact that this is readily available to us, in a wonderful part of town.   This is not something to be taken for granted.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Ideen

Wegmans, A Place For Friends

Posted in cheese, friends, fun, pals, pepperoni, pizza, salad, sandwich, soup, sushi by

wegmans

Or maybe a place for pals, if that’s more to your liking.  I sure do love Wegmans.   I think I visited my first one, when it opened up in Hunt Valley, MD about 10 years ago.  Originating nearly 100 years ago from Rochester, New York, they are growing in popularity and locations.   If you’ve been inside, you know it’s like the Disney World of food stores.  But, It’s more than just that.  It’s a place of joy, inspiration, and happiness.  And of course it’s a place where plenty of wonderful things can be purchased.   Let me not get too carried away here.  The heck with it, let’s have fun. It’s time to evoke emotions.

Anything you want to go, is here; from sandwiches, sushi, salad, soup and of course the hot bar with international foods from all over this wonderful planet.  But this is a pizza blog.  Time to make moves.

I must say, I love their cheese, white, and pepperoni pizza.  Perhaps in the future I will review those.  I will just say they are great.   And there will be more posts regarding Wegmans pies soon.

The specific store I visited for this installment was at Boulevard At Box Hill in Abingdon, MD.

This post will be about the Chef’s Creations, and they are constantly changing :

Slice #1 : The Bacon Cheese Blue Cheeseburger (pictured at the top of this post, on the left) : Oh my goodness.  This was heavenly.   I find their pizza dough to be exquisite.  It’s cooked in their ovens to perfection.  It wasn’t too crunchy nor too soft either.  It tasted like I was eating a naan or pita bread.  And that’s how their dough has resonated with me.  And the mozzarella and blue cheese melted together, with the bacon and hamburger meat is an incredible combination.   Phenomenal stuff.

Slice #2 : The Spinach Ricotta (pictured on the right) : Well something went wrong here.   I could tell it was siting on the tray for a while, as it was starting to look a bit old.  The pizza tasted great, but the crust was too crunchy.  The ingredients were great but needn’t have been out this long. I won’t fault the store, but I will fault time.  It just felt like eating potato chips.

But this will not discourage me from coming back.  In my opinion, they have some underrated pizza.  Maybe because it’s a grocery store and not a specific place to get an amazing slice or pie.  I will be returning and hope to bring another inspirational take on the Wegmans experience.  And with more pictures.

Best,

Ideen