The Best Pizza is in Mexico? Say What?

Cafe Roma
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
July 23, 2010
3ish pm

Words will not be able to express the love I have for this place.  If I could fly into Mexico just to hang out here, I would.  These types of unexpected surprises is what traveling is all about.  Now, I had read about this place on my trusty tripadvisor sight, but I have to say my expectations weren't too high.  At the time of our trip this place was ranked as the number one restaurant in Puerto Vallarta.  However, I had my doubts that it would live up to those expectations.  I'll admit I snobbishly thought a bunch of Americans who didn't know what good food in Mexico was like ranked this place so high because it catered to the American way of life.  "I," I reasoned, "am more refined than that, and surely a pizza place that also doubles as a year round spring break hot spot will not be my favorite place in Puerto Vallarta."

Well, I can readily admit to having some snobby foodie thoughts now and again, but I will also easily admit when I'm wrong. Dead wrong.

Erik and I had been out exploring Puerto Vallarta and were getting really hungry.  It was about 3 pm and we had yet to eat anything for lunch.  We saw that we were close enough to Cafe Roma and decided to walk over.  Since it was late afternoon the place was dead, but we were happy to see it was open.  We climbed the steps to the second floor restaurant and laughed at seeing this: 

Unfortunately, the camera couldn't catch all the fun phrases but they say things like, "Seriously folks, we're not serious." And, "If you like our food tell others, if you don't like our food go parasailing."  Then at the top of the stairs you are greeted by this:

From the 50's and 60's classic rock and roll that was playing in the background and nods here and there to the United States, you can quickly infer this is where the ex-pats hang out, and rightly they should.  We were warmly welcomed and the owner seemed genuinely happy to talk with us.  As we looked over the menu he asked where we were from and when replying Ohio he immediately then asked, "Browns or Bengals?"  But before we could even think to answer he replied, "Cowboys, of course!"  Quite the character. 

He then let us know that since it was our first time there we could have Pacifico (the local beer) for five pesos each.  Erik thought he had gone to restaurant heaven.  We ordered pizza with ham and pineapple and as our order was put in the owner came back to discuss what languages we spoke.  I tried to pass off some rusty French, but I was quickly shown up.  He then encouraged Erik to practice his Spanish with him as we waited for our pizza.

When our pizza arrived we were impressed by how good it looked, but even more by how good it tasted.  The pineapple was fresh and just slightly warmed to bring out its flavor.  The crust was thin and done in true Italian style, slightly blackened while cooked at very high temperatures.  It reminded me so much of the pizza I had had in Italy I asked if the cook was originally from Italy or had studied in Italy (he was not and did not).

As we finished our pizza the owner pointed out we had a visitor sitting across from us.  This big orange guy is their neighbor.   

The location of this place is just great.  The Rio Cuale is across the street and the Sierra Madre mountains are in the background.  I just loved it here.  Then, for the icing on the cake, as we were getting ready to pay our bill the owner brought us shots of tequila.  He said that was the only way to go in Mexico, especially when it's your first time visiting. 

As we left we decided to get a fun picture with the mural on the wall and the owner insisted on moving the lights so our picture would be just right.  Here it is: 

Apparently that iguana neighbor can get pretty angry! 

We left Cafe Roma with a full and satisfied stomach, maybe a little too much to drink, and a happy heart.  What more can you ask for on vacation?

Bill Total:  Not sure, but definitely on the inexpensive side.

Overall Rating:  5 buckeyes

And just for fun, here's a picture from a Mexican candy store and the sunset that evening. 

Dine Originals Week Fail

Tutto Vino
Dublin, Ohio
March 12, 2010
8:30ish

Some of my most favorite eating out experiences have been through Dine Original's version of Restaurant Week (or Dine Originals Week, as they call it).  Dine Originals is a wonderful group of independently owned and operated (i.e. non-chain) Columbus area restaurants.  They're all about celebrating what is local and what makes Columbus unique.  This is a group I can definitely get behind.   

Each time this week comes up throughout the year I eagerly anticipate the menus the different restaurants will offer and spend quite some time perusing through them and debating with my husband which one sounds like the best fit for what we're after.  This week was no different and we finally decided on trying out Tutto Vino.  This was not a restaurant that we'd heard a lot about, but the menu looked great and the place is featured as a wine bar.  How could we go wrong? 

As we drove over to the restaurant we debated what the cheese plate would be like and which one of us would get the pork tenderloin and which one would get the scallops (see Tutto Vino's Dine Originals Week menu here).  We often try to order different things and then share so we can experience more flavors.  We both had had a long day at work and were very hungry.  By the time we got to Dublin we were salivating! 

When we entered the restaurant we saw that there was a small wine store set up to the right and then a small restaurant and bar area to the left.  It looked very cute.  The hostess immediately gave us a warm welcome and quickly seated us.  We noticed that the ambiance was much louder and rowdier than what we had expected.  It kind of had more of a neighborhood bar feel rather than your typical low key and relaxing wine bar experience.  Some guy was playing terrible 80's music on his electric keyboard and it was so loud that I had a hard time having a conversation with Erik (No joke and no exaggeration.  I even like 80's music; but this is the type of 80's music that should die).  Then I also couldn't keep from staring at this diner sitting at the table in front of me.  He was on the burly side and was curiously wearing a heavy leather jacket a la James Dean and had 70's style side burns.  Definitely not your typical wine bar patron.  And oh how I wish I had the nerve to take a picture of him to share with you all, because he became much more important later in the evening!

Service was on the slow side, which gave us some time to contemplate what we wanted to do about dinner.  Given the fact that we had both had long and exhausting days at work, this was not turning out to be the relaxing fine dining evening we had envisioned.  We debated going to another restaurant, but ultimately decided we were too hungry to take the time to go elsewhere.  However, the music was so loud we also couldn't fathom staying there for a 3 course dinner.  We decided a pizza would be the quickest way we could get out of there with a full stomach. 

Since our dining objective had changed from leisurely dinner with wine to fast food we opted not to try any wine flights.  But the neighboring tables did and they looked like good and generous pours.  I went for a glass of a 2007 South Australian Shiraz called Snake Charmer and have to say that this was a very good glass of wine (and almost made me forget the synthesized music around me, but only almost)!  It was smooth, sultry, and elegant with dark berry flavors and cherry with some spice.  Had the atmosphere been different, I surely would have gotten another glass.  But instead I bought a bottle to take home and enjoy later!

Erik was impressed with the "beer cooler" which allowed him to easily peruse his options and then serve himself.  To go with our drinks we ordered the "Diavalo" pizza which came topped with banana peppers, red pepper, red onion, green pepper, and capicola ham.  This was truly a great pizza made up of good, fresh toppings and a crispy crust.  Delish.

About mid-way through the pizza the electronic 80's music had stopped, the mood quieted down, and I actually started to enjoy my meal.  However, just about five minutes after this I saw my neighbor with the side burns and leather jacket get up and move towards the "stage".  With closer inspection we realized he was an Elvis impersonator!  We couldn't believe our luck.  Check please!!

Overall, the wine and food were great.  However, the service was slow and the atmosphere was much too like an experience from Night at the Roxbury for me to enjoy a nice, relaxing glass of wine.  Because of this I don't expect to go back, which saddens me because I was really impressed with the food and wine selections.

Here's to a better Dine Originals Week experience next time around. 

Bill Total: 1 beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 pizza, and tip:  $22

Overall Rating:  2 1/2 buckeyes (bumped up from a 2 due to the good food and wine). 

A Steeler Lunch

Bella Notte Italian Eatery

1914 Penn Ave

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222

October 11, 2009

2pm ish

To finish up our afternoon on The Strip we decided to share a pizza while we rested up for our drive home (well actually Erik needed to rest up, I actually planned on napping during the drive home).

The day before we had seen a group of friends sharing a pizza from here along the road and we decided it had just looked too good to pass up.

This place had the air of your traditional pizzeria and looked like it had served many pies to fans during home Steeler games. This Saturday the clientele seemed more subdued due to the away game. However, the restaurant was still fairly busy with families, a few fans watching the game, and shoppers like us stopping by during a day of sightseeing.

We could sit anywhere and we decided on a booth where we had an equal view of the TVs to keep an eye on the game and the cook getting orders ready and tossing pizza crust high into the air.
The service was good and our waitress quickly got our drinks (Coke for both of us) while we decided on pizza toppings. This time we went for a peperroni with tomato slices.

Since each pie is hand tossed and made to order, it did take awhile for our pizza to come out, but we didn't mind. It gave us a chance to put our feet up and talk about the wedding.

When the pizza came out is looked like yummy, cheesy goodness! However, we wondered where the peperoni was hidden. We soon found out that they use chopped peperoni pieces (think Totino's party pizza style) instead of slices! I must admit while the rest of the pizza was fabulous with good sauce, nice seasonings, and a great crust; I was really missing the more powerful taste of slices of peperroni.

Overall though, great atmosphere and service. Good crust, spices, and cheese. However, due to the pepperoni, I can't call this the best pizza in Pittsburgh.

Cost: 2 Cokes, 1 large pizza with peperonni and tomato, and tip: $17.63

Rating: 3 buckeyes

However, as we walked back to our car we found just one more place we just couldn't pass up. Fudgie Wudgie Fudge and Chocolate Factory.

Now this place was great! Unfortunately, since we'd just gorged ourselves on pizza and a host of other samples from the strip we felt fudge would be pushing it. But, we couldn't leave empty handed either. We decided to take chocolate dipped marshmallows as a small dessert to enjoy later in the car! While Mon Aimee impressed me, I (and my wallet) felt more at home in this candy store ;)

Ahhh.....after a food filled weekend we were finally ready to head home to the Buckeye state.

Pizza, Fire, and Art!

Enrico's Pizza and Restaurant

5788 Frantz Road

Dublin, Ohio 43016

September 19, 2009

6ish pm

My husband and I were looking for more of a low key dining out experience before going downtown to see Waterfire and explore the Riverfront Arts Festival. We thought a mom and pop pizza place would be just the ticket and had heard Enrico's just might fit the bill. A friend of ours had insisted we put it on our evergrowing list of restaurants to try and as I looked up reviews online I noticed, by far, the majority were favorable; with one even stating the pizza was the best they've ever had, even when comparing it to pizza from Sicily! If this is pizza better than how the Sicilian's do it, then I need to try it :)

As you walk in the restaurant the first thing I noticed was the wonderful smell of a true pizzeria. This is the smell of a blend of homemade crust baking, family dining, and Italian spices. While those big named chains can crank out a decent pizza, the places just don't have the same smell. It took me back to this pizza place my parents would take me to on Friday nights, named Chester's. I remember standing in line to order our pizza, my head just reaching the top of the counter, and smelling this same smell. Then we'd walk back to dark wooden tables to patiently (actually impatiently and complaining was probably more the case since I was 5-7 years old, but that's beside the point) wait for the pizza to be brought out. I also remember how awesome I thought it was that this restaurant actually had TVs in it. Can you imagine now being impressed by TVs in a restaurant? How things have changed, and how old does saying things like this make me feel! But I digress, back to Enrico's.

The server told us to sit wherever and then another server quickly came over to take our drink orders. She was possibly the mother of the family because she was definitely professional, friendly, and seemed invested in the place. She knew her job and did it well.

A weird quirk of mine is absolutely having to have some sort of soft drink with pizza and Coke is definitely my preference. I just can't drink anything else with it; so that's what I ordered. The husband is much more flexible and thought an Italian beer would be fitting, so he ordered a Peroni. We took a minute to look around the place and noticed that the place was busy, but not overly crowded. There were about 8 couples, mainly people in their 30's and up enjoying what seemed to be "date night". There was one family with kids. The restuarant definitely had a family friendly vibe, but this night it was mostly couples. It seemed like many people were regulars and knew the family. You could see the grandmother (at least I assume it was the grandmother) cooking in the back, while the mother chatted up a few of the guests and ensured they were having an enjoyable time. If you're looking for a mom and pop classic pizzeria, this is definitely your place!

We then went over the menu and the typical Italian entrees of spaghetti and lasagna definitely tempted us, but overall we decided we came here for the pizza and that's what we were going to try! We both got side salads, mine with ranch and Erik's with house made Italian. We couldn't agree on pizza toppings so I decided to go vegetarian on my half with onions, green peppers, and black olives; while Erik went with capicola on his half. I was happy to see such authentically Italian topping choices.

Our salads came out quickly and we immediately dug in. The salad was very basic with iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, and a tomato. My ranch was a packet of Marzetti's. I'm never fond of restaurants presenting dressing this way. I realize most restaurants don't make all of their dressings homemade, but is it really too difficult to either put the dressing on the salad or serve it in a ramekin on the side? To me, this extra minute of prep work helps presentation and the overall vibe of the restaurant. Getting a packet of dressing in a restaurant just reminds me too much of a fast food chain. But while this is a negative to me I do realize I'm being pretty picky, and it's definitely not something that makes or breaks my experience either :)

Erik's homemade Italian dressing was served on his salad and we both sampled it. It had a surprisingly sweeter taste than most Italian dressings. However, the sweetness coupled with the oil were really the only flavors that came through for me. Overall, the taste was fairly bland. I would have preferred more Italian spices. Erik agreed.

My ranch was classic (Thanks Marzetti's!) and overall my salad was a typical side salad. Not bad, not great.

We finished our salads and our pizza was out momentarily. The pizza looked great and as you picked up your slice there were those great strings of melted cheese hanging on. I couldn't wait to try it. Of course I tried my veggie side first and I really hate to say it, but I was disappointed. The crust was great with a nice crunch, not too thick and not too thin. The cheese was perfectly ooey and gooey. The veggies were well cooked and not too heavily or skimpily topped. However, everything together just did not make me feel like this was the best pizza ever, or really anything close. It definitely wasn't bad, but I've had many better (including those in Italy)! I tried to think about what was missing, what was wrong, why I didn't love this pizza and I just couldn't place it right away. I decided to try a piece of my husband's side while I contemplated...

Now this is what pizza is all about. Erik's side obviously had the same nice crust and ooey gooey cheese. However, his was topped with the capicola which added a wonderful spiciness to the pizza. This was what was missing on my side! Not the meat (even though it was definitely high quality and I'd love to know who the supplier is), but the extra spice in the capicola added the flavor punch that my side didn't have. Enrico's seems to use basic, good quality crust, sauce, and cheese as a blank canvas for the spiced meat toppings (or maybe they were just out of Italian seasonings this day given the same problem with the dressing :) ). But this strategy works out wonderfully when you order a pizza with meat, but not as fabulously on a veggie pizza. If they asked me, and I'm not sure they would really care about my opinion since, based on the reviews, so many people love their pizza. But if they did, I would tell them to leave their meat topped pizza alone. It's done completely right. But if someone orders cheese only or veggie toppings, take a couple more seconds to shake on some Italian spices! We need flavor. This could help elevate their vegetarian pizzas to the same satisfaction level of their meat pizzas.

We downed the majority of our large pizza, paid, and took off in just enough time to make it downtown, park and run to the river to see the lighting of waterfire. Sorry about the picture quality, Waterfire did look more impressive than this in person.

I had heard about Waterfire sometime last summer, but missed it every time. I was happy we finally were able to make it to one this season. But I must say it wasn't what I had expected. Somehow I had anticipated a bigger fire display or maybe it organized more artfully. However, it still was very nice and something different to experience in Columbus. It kind of reminded me of a city version of the bonfires people have when they're camping or just hanging out in someone's backyard. Groups of friends, families, and couples all sat on the riverbank, talked, and watched the fire. Erik and I took a moment to first stand on the bridge and take the display in and then we moved down to the riverbank to sit for awhile and enjoy the warm glow close up. On a cool evening, sitting close to a fire is so comforting, homey, and relaxing! After we had our fill of the fire (and before the food coma from the pizza could sit in) we walked back up the riverbank to walk through the arts festival. I must say this is definitely one of Columbus's more classier festivals and for a minute I thought that surely I was in a different city. The opera was putting on a free performance which we enjoyed for a few minutes before progressing on. There was a wine booth and a mixed drinks vendor. We ordered 2 glasses of their white wine and it was so nice to sip as we strolled through the art booths and heard opera singing in the background. Now this reminded me of being in Italy. A perfect end to an evening out!

Bill total (for Enrico's only): 2 Peroni's, Coke, 2 side salads, large pizza, and tip: $37

Bill total (for Arts Festival): 2 glasses of white wine: $8

Overall Rating for Enrico's: 3 buckeyes

Overall Rating for and evening in Columbus: 4 buckeyes