Pizza #17 Antonio's

Fred and Trixie Hyser joined us for pizza at Antonio's.  Antonio's is in Westerville at the intersection of Maxtown Road and Sunbury road.  I was delighted to try a new restaurant and then surprised to find out that it was new for all of us.  They had ordered the pizza to go, but never had the full dining in experience.

We arranged to meet there at 5 PM.  I have found that dining early is really great because when we get there - like this time - the restaurant is pretty empty. This is good for me who HATES to wait for a table and really good for Chuck  who has trouble hearing when there is alot of background noise. 

 It has a narrow seating area and it did get crowded and noisy before we left.  You can see in the picture the tile floors and wooden tables and comfortable ambiance.

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The service was friendly and prompt.  We ordered our pizzas at 5:04 and they came by 5:23.  We had beer and wings as appetizers.  And they were delicious.  Chuck ordered spaghetti and meatballs, Fred and Trixie ordered an "All the Way Pizza"(pepperoni, sausage, onions, green peppers, sliced mushrooms!) and I got "Nonna's White Pizza." (blend of ricotta, mozzarella and provolone cheeses, Nonn's special seasonings and fresh tomato.)





















I have to say that I think Fred and Trixie had the best pizza.  It was meaty, filling and  flavorful and really really tasty.  Mine was cheesy and rich and  somewhat bland. Perhaps Nonna needed to add a few more seasonings  With both pizzas the crust was moist.

Chuck enjoyed  his spaghetti and somehow came home with three boxes of leftover salad, pizza, spaghetti and bread.

Overall, Antonio's is exactly what they call themselves - a family neighborhood pizzeria. When we left, it was clear that it was popular for take out and dining in.  When I looked them up online I saw that they have won a lot of awards over the years. They have a varied menu with lots of choices and I would definitely come back and order something besides Nonna's white pizza.

Pizza #16 Villa Nova

I had lunch with Gail Taschner this week and she suggested Villa nova on High Street.  I had been to this restaurant before about 12 years ago after church with a crowd.  And I was not impressed at that time.  Now, with my eye for detail I realize what a kitchy gem this restaurant is.  It has very interesting and unique decor.

The first thing you notice when you come in is the vast array of brass teapots hanging all around the room.  I have never seen anything like it.  There were also pictures underneath the teapots and it was a feast for the eyes.  There are carpeted floors, wood tables, a wall of clocks, tiffany lights and it was crowded.   Older people (even older than Gail and I!) seemed to favor this place.

The service was very good and I ordered my cheese pizza and a diet pop.  Gail came through with the order of Yuengling and we learned that they serve it in frosted mugs that are so cold there is ice on the top of the beer!  She ordered ravioli and also got bread which was good and hot and garlicky.

She pronounced her ravioli "awesome" and we both like the pizza.  It was flavorful, cheesy, tomatoey with a thin crust.  It was good and above average for sure.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who has never been here just for the decor. The service and food are very good and you know that you have had a truly authentic Columbus experience when you come here!

Pizza #15 Amano's

I am writing this three weeks after the occasion of trying the pizza and I fear that my memory is not so good - but I do have a lot of pictures.

I went to lunch with Kim Veatch and she suggested we try Amano''s at  Worthington mall.  And I had no idea that this restaurant existed!  It is behind the mall and I arrived early and looked at the apartments that had balconies  looking down on this restaurant.  A different kind of view, I guess.

Anyway,  she has friends who swear by this pizza and so we tried it.  It was a beautiful April day and we opted to sit outside in the patio area.  It is comfortable and kind of fun.  I thought that this depictuion of Brutus buckeye was particularly noteworthy.

We ordered our cheese pizza and salad and I had a beer.  It all came fairly quickly.  The salad was good but not exceptional.  The pizza was cheesy but the crust was kind of like cardboard.  In my notes I wrote that there was almost too much cheese (is that possible?) and afterward  Kim said she didn't feel great because of that perhaps.

Here is a picture of the inside of the place - they have music in the evening and I am sure it is fun.  It was a good - but not great pizza.

I recommend eating on the patio.  Beer and Pizza outside seems almost healthy!.