pizza

Al Forno, Providence, 5/25/22

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exterior –  577 South Water Street, Providence, RI

Al Forno Restaurant was opened in 1980 by Johanne Killeen and George Germon to use New England’s farms and waters to produce renditions of Italian food.   Al Forno means “from the oven”  and they use wood burning ovens and open flame grills to incorporate that concept into their dishes.  It is where the concept of grilled pizza was first used, which is served as an appetizer.  It’s a larger place with a dedicated parking lot.  Inside there are 2 floors for eating and a bar area that also serves food.  Small white cloth covered tables are quickly turned for the constant flow of people.  The downstairs room we were in had a wall of windows to the parking lot with the opposite wall’s windows being mirrored.  The lighting is lowered and no music was in the background.   Service was very friendly but not well coordinated.  Restaurants need to learn that if you provide very small tables you can’t bring too many dishes to the table at the same time.  Our pizza came out first following the bread bowl and then quickly followed by clams.  Food was piled to an uncomfortable mess.  I asked the server to slow down a bit and then it was 30 minutes after we finished that before anything else came.  It was good food but timing can really make me less fond of a place. Continue reading →

Boludo Nicollet, Minneapolis, 10/9/21

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street window

Buludo Nicollet is a small storefront off a street with only a to-go order/pick-up area.  They offer Argentinian dishes that Chef Facundo DeFraia learned from his grandmother.  The local newspaper food critic named him the “dough wisperer” and indeed he is.  They now have 2 locations since opening in 2018, there were a couple of outdoor tables for eating here whereas the downtown location has indoor seating.   They offer fresh made pizzas and empanadas as well as a couple salads and desserts.  It took about 20 minutes to make our order and it all came out at once.  It is well worth visiting for pizza and especially empanadas. Continue reading →

Tinder Hearth, Brooksville, ME., 8/27/21

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front

Tinder Hearth is a wood fired bakery of pastry, bread and pizza.  The owners, Tim and Lydia Semmler, started the bakery in 2007 and they added making pizza a few years after that.  They currently make pizza on Tuesday – Friday nights (this will change when the weather gets colder) for take out and outdoor dining but reservations are required for either option.  You need to call (207-326-8381) on the Tuesday morning of the week you want to come and make a reservation – and they go fast.  They also offer salad, ice cream and beverages.  There was a good amount of on-site parking  and then you walk up to the check in booth where you will be assigned a table and given your water, glasses, plates and flatware.   A separate ‘building’ sold the flavored beverages including wine and beer.  The tables are spaced throughout the garden area and there is a good sized sand pile for the little ones to play in.  Hours are from 4:30 to 8:00 and the menu is posted weekly on their Facebook and Instagram pages. Continue reading →

Café Beaujolais (The Brickery), Mendocino, CA., 7/23/21

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indoor restaurant

The Brickery is the pizza part of Café Beaujolais’, a complex of restaurants in the artsy town of Mendocino.  On the street is Café Beaujolais, a fine dining option open for dinner and in front of the Brickery is The Waiting Room which is a coffee and pastry shop till dinner time when it becomes a lounge.  It is a bit confusing at first but we followed the path between the buildings and found ourselves in a lovely garden area furnished with an assortment of tables and a window to place your order.  The daily menu and specials are written on chalkboards that hang on either side of the order window.  Inside you can see the fired brick oven where the pizza is cooked.  They also sell beer and wine along with offering a free jug of iced water.  After you order you get a buzzer that makes a noise when you can walk back to the other window and pick up your pie.  It is a truly lovely spot with good pizza.  You can visit the Waiting Room up near the street if you need a bathroom break. Continue reading →

Santarpio’s Pizza, Boston, 6/12/21

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building

Santarpio’s Pizza in east Boston is in a corner building that was a bakery in 1903.  In the 30’s the Santarpio family began selling New York style pizza from there and they still are along with barbecued lamb, beef and sausage.  It is open daily and accepts only cash.  Walls are adorned with boxing paraphernalia and posters.  There are 2 main rooms filled with booths and tables along with a long bar divided from the rooms by a partition.  The grill area is at one end of the bar whereas the pizza oven is in the back of the two dining rooms.  The bar sells beer and wine, which is also available by carafe.  The lighting is lowered and no music is in the background.  Staff was friendly and helpful. Continue reading →

Manny’s House of Pizza, Nashville, 4/16/21

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exterior

Manny’s House of Pizza is in the historic Arcade Building in downtown Nashville.  As you walk up don’t be surprised to see a line out the door but be assured it moves quickly and as you wait you can watch Manny toss the pizza dough and spread the tomato sauce.  Born in Sicily, Manny started in a Brooklyn pizzeria where he learned the skills needed to open his shop in the mid-80’s down in Nashville.  (His brother has a shop in Brentwood).  You can also get calzones, pastas, subs and pastas there but the majority in line with me were just getting a slice.  They are open weekday from 11 am to 4 pm.  When we went it was cash only. Continue reading →

L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, Naples, Italy, 12/19/19

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IMG_6881
exterior

L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele is made up of two rooms.  They serve beer, water or soft drinks, no wine and serve only Margherita or Marinara pizzas.   There is no menu. The entry room is slightly larger and houses the pizza oven, prep area and check out register.  The bare marble tables are large enough for multiple parties to be seated at.  Not sure they really liked having tourists in the place and I noticed they sat all the Asian people at one table, whether they were in the same party or not.  They let the folks in early as it was raining that day and when it was formal opening time one of the men came round to the tables and asked how many of each type you wanted and took drink orders.  Plastic cups, a pile of napkins and some flatware are then unceremoniously dumped on your table. Continue reading →

Pizzeria Da Attilio, Naples, Italy, 12/18 & 12/21/19

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IMG_6494
exterior

Naples is the home of pizza and Da Attilio served the best pizza I’ve ever had.  It’s a medium sized place in a touristy area but packed with people speaking Italian.  The red cloth covered tables are topped with plastic and set with paper napkins.  A large pizza oven is at the entrance to the restaurant where there is room for a few people to wait for a seat.  The wait was not bad.  The counter keeps a list and calls outside when it is your turn.  Inside there are a couple rooms with fairly close tables and lots of decorations on the walls.  No music is in the background just the hum of people happily eating pizza with friends.  When you get to your table there is a large menu and sometimes a special pizza of the day.  After you finish there is a counter up front where you can pay.  They serve wine and beer but I didn’t see hard liquor.  The staff were very friendly but pretty much in a rush as they have lots of people to attend to.  It was so good that we came back for a second visit.  Chef Attilio is the third generation of ownership of this business, named for his grandfather who started the restaurant.  He started helping his mother at the age of 6. Continue reading →

Barnes Trading Post, Solon Springs, WI, 8/17/19

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Barnes Trading Post serves breakfast,  burgers, chicken and pizza.  It was packed every time we drove by so we decided to stop in and try the pizza.  It’s a large place with lots of game machines.  There are stools at the large bar counter as well as various sized tables around the room.  A low ceiling, lots of light, many TVs, beer signs and lots of light wood make up the family friendly atmosphere.  Paper napkins and condiments are on the table.  Service was friendly. Continue reading →

La Bonne Mère, Marseille, 3/23/19

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exterior
exterior

La Bonne Mère is a tiny place with about 6 tables – very casual. It is mostly a place for excellent pizza run by partners in life, Jérémie Piazza and Mahéva Angelmann.  The walls are pretty much covered with mementos and art, with one wall being formed by a long stainless bar and that holds the register and wine bottles. The tables differ, some being wood and others metal, some clothed and others bare. It is a wonderfully cozy spot but if you want a table, reservations are a must – even at lunch.  The rest of the business is take out.  In the back of the restaurant is the giant pizza oven, where Jérémie makes incredible pies.   The excellent crust is topped with fresh, quality ingredients.   Not much English is spoken by the owners but enough for us to get by (especially with the help of another customer).  However even with a language barrier, we couldn’t have felt more welcome. Wine selection is limited but very adequate.

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Coop’s Pizza, Hayward, 2/8/18

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IMG_1403
exterior

Coop’s Pizza has been in business almost 40 years and serves primarily pizza but also serves sandwiches (including burgers), salads, snacks, pressure fried chicken and a few Italian plates.  They offer a good lunch deal but you have to be willing to eat buffet style.  It seemed to be the popular choice but we wanted to just try their fresh made pizza.  The large place has a few counter seats, lots of tables spread throughout a couple rooms and booth seating.  One set of booths is in a smaller room with windows to the street out front where a large patio is also available in better weather times.  A couple of the tables in the largest room are next to a huge aquarium and the rest of the place has lots of pictures and other decorations to look at.  There are a ton of horns around some used for door handles and some for lighting fixtures.  We were there in the winter and Christmas decorations were everywhere adding to the casual atmosphere.  Service was efficient and friendly.   Continue reading →

All Purpose Pizzeria, Washington D.C., 9/9/17

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IMG_9940
building

All Purpose Pizzeria opened a year ago last March and it is a fairly large place.  There are a variety of seating options  which are placed fairly close together.  Some seating at the bar is available.  It has a cool tile floor and wood slats in the ceiling to cover the exposed duct work.  At lunch it is pretty much a pizza and sandwich shop, whereas at dinner there are a few more options, so it was not surprising to find a number of families with children eating there.  We wanted wine by the bottle and the list is on the back of the dinner menu so I was able to get a photo of that to include with this.  Service was friendly, efficient and helpful.   Continue reading →