Pizza This Week

Well... I had pizza today. Imo's in Collinsville. I was visiting my folks and since I am unable to get a fresh Imo's pie here in central Illinois they are always open to a little pizza when I am in town. My dad loves it because my visits usually guarantee a a couple of pies from the local Imo's.

I remain on my diet which is strictly enforced during the week. Salads, light soups, fish and fresh fruit will dominate again this week. I've dropped just about twenty pounds in the last month and right now I am sitting at just about a biscuit over 300. Fit Club West is still a regular stop in my day.

My plan for pizza this week revolves around the monthly poker game this Saturday night. I will come bearing some pizza pies and will get individual gambler reactions to the pizza along with my own review.

The pizza parlor in my sights? That will stay secret for now.

-PizzaMan

Quick Stop @ Horsehoe Bar & Grill - Collinsville, IL

TJ says... " that's the best pizza I ever had."

Horseshoe Sports Bar

Saturday Morning View

Checking in from breakfast on my way to put in some overtime at work. On the menu this morning? A slice of amazing breakfast pizza from Casey's. Butter brushed crust, eggs, sausage, cheddar jack cheese... Mmmmmmmm.

Morning goodness.
Washed it down with a Snapple diet peach green tea.

That is all.

-PizzaMan

The Blue Duck is cooked

We had a restaurant in town that opened about 6 months or so ago. Overall their food wasn't that great but they did have a few dishes that were pretty good. I was partial to their Pot Roast dish with potatoes and carrots. It was one of their better menu items. I noticed toward the end of their run they were trying new things including offering chili and sooup and sandwiches. They also had an amped up horseshoe cheese made from pepperjack on the menu. I regret I didn't get a chance to try the chili and the new horseshoe. Their original horseshoe was just bad.

I guess I am disappointed The Blue Duck didn't succeed because it's nice to have a few restaurants in town to choose from and the folks who ran it seemed friendly enough.

Guess they should have tried pizza.

Weekend Notes: 02/14/10

No pizza for me this week. We did have Mexican last night from Cancun in Sherman.

I lost another 3 pounds last week and I am on the verge of dropping below three bills for the first time in 3 years.

We have a family day planned for this hallmark holiday. Bitty basketball followed by a trip to Build-a-Bear and supper out...most likely at a steakhouse. We are leaning toward Texas Roadhouse.

See ya over a pizza!

-PizzaMan

Just up the road: PJ's Pizza & Pasta

Well we were in Mason City to watch a little hoops, (Illini Central vs. Pleasant Plains) and also to watch the halftime show. Our good friend's twin 4 year old daughters were dancing in the halftime show so I figured I'd snag a few pics of them. After the game/halftime show we rolled down the street to have dinner at PJ's.

Where they're located:
124 E. Chestnut St.
Mason City, IL

Call 'Em:

217-482-3616

The Pizza: Cajun

The Crust: Hand-tossed

The Dish: PJ's is a different kind of restaurant. It is a small town eating establishment that offers meals that are more likely found in a big city specialty joint. There are two dining areas here and really two different restaurants. On one side you have PJ's and the other is considered Jack & Jo's. You can order off either menu regardless of what dining room you are seated in.

PJ's is in downtown Mason City right next to Mason City Limits comedy club. The atmosphere is friendly and local and the restaurant's owner, John Means can usually be found seating people or visiting with the diners.

How'd it eat? My pizza arrived after about 15 minutes and a couple of cold Budweisers. The smell of fresh garlic, marinara and sizzling steak was filling up the dining area as the server brought everyone's food. The cajun pizza sitting front of me was loaded with toppings of chicken, chorizo and shrimp. The flavor on this pie was well balanced and rested comfortably on the zesty creme based cajun pizza sauce mixed up by the chef at PJ's. As wonderful as the meat toppings were it was the sauce that really made this pie. The sauce had the consitency of a nice alfredo and had distinct seasoning from cayenne or red pepper and a little paprika among other flavors. It's not too strong or spicy. Even those who are easily overpowered by spice will not have any issues with this pie.

The cheese appeared to be a mixture of mozzarella and jack and it fused well with the spicy chorizo and mild shrimp. This mixture allowed the flavors of the meat toppings and the robust sauce to carry the pie.

Crustwise this pizza got it done. The crust was a slim hand-tossed that tasted like it was maybe brushed with olive oil or had some bit of seasoning added. It had a smart crunch all the way to the center, with a firm top and it was not overdone. I sprinkled on a little crushed red pepper to add some spice to this pie. I likey some spicy.

The 30 minute drive up to Mason City from Springfield is definitely worth the trip. You're gonna get a tasty pizza with a little small town charm...and if you plan it right an evening of laughter at Mason City Limits. Try PJ's out, you won't be sorry.

SPP Ranking: 8.6

Gallina's Pizza

Ended up on the east side of town again on a Friday for the much anticipated showdown between the Lincoln Railsplitters and the Southeast Spartans for a piece of the Central State 8 crown. Needing another pizza on the east side of town I found my way into Gallina Pizza at the Capital City Shopping Center. Glad I wondered in...

Where they're located:
3133 South Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, IL 62703-4501

Call 'Em:
(217) 529-0649

The Pizza:
Spinach and Bacon

The Crust: Hand Tossed

The Dish: You don't see many pizza parlors in the Springfield area where you make your order at a counter or window and then go sit down and wait for a slice or entire pie to delivered to your table.
Now I had heard some people say they had a long wait for their pizza after they made their order, even for just a slice. It appears to me those may have been exagerations. It took me about 12 minutes to get my pizza and while I waited I enjoyed an excellent salad topped with the Gallina house Italian dressing and a fat green olive on top. The salad was enjoyable and the dressing was especially good.
One of the interesting aspects of Gallina's is the decor. There are Italian flags, posters of Italian landmarks, Serie A soccer club paraphernalia and other photographs of family and friends who frequest this restaurant. It's an eclectic mix of adornments but it works. Cold Peroni beer kept me satisfied after I finished my salad and waited for my pie to be delivered.

How'd it eat? My pizza arrived in a timely manner and was served with shakers of parm and crushed red pepper. The pizza was served piping hot straight from the oven and it looked and smelled wonderful. I burned the roof of my mouth with hot cheese because I couldn't wait long enough for it to cool a little.

This pizza featured an excellent fusion of toppings and cheese. The bubbly hot mozzarella blanketed the crispy bacon and tasty green spinach. I think the bacon/spinach topping combo is one of the better choices for a good pizza.

The crust could have been a tad bit better. It was slightly overcooked on one of the quadrants . The top of the pizza was cooked just about as good as it could have been though. The edge of the crust that was overcooked could have been due to the extremely hot oven. Sometimes these ovens over time don't heat evenly causing the pies to need to be turned and shifted more often.

The sauce was not anything special but it was rendered in appropriate amounts. Not too much, not too little, but just enough.

Gallina Pizza was very good and really... a pleasant surprise. This is a true mom and pop pizza joint and is nice place to enjoy some pie with friend or family.

SPP Ranking: 7.9

Super Bowl Sunday? No Pie For This Guy!

As you may or may not know, I am completing my Springfield Pizza Project in conjuction with a diet and lifestyle change. Which means regular workouts and a radical diet upgrade. Unfortunately upgrade DOES NOT mean more pizza. It means less pizza on the whole. Instead of sitting down and demolishing an entire large pie I am just putting a dent in a small one. So for now everything is good on my program. I began it on January 19th and today is February 7th. That's 20 days. I weighed this past Friday (day 18) and I was down 12.2 pounds since beginning the program. I am proud of that considering there are 6 pizza reviews completed during this span.

So today I plan to eat a little too much and also drink a llittle to much as well. I enjoyed pizza the last two evenings for dinner so today I'm going to fall off the wagon with summer sausage, cheese and crackers, wings, chips, dips and plenty of Old Milwaukee light...my light beer of choice right now.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday. Go NFC!!!!!

P.S. - Stay tuned for reviews on Gallina Pizza in Springfield and PJ's Pizza & Pasta in Mason City.

-PizzaMan

Checkin in' from Gallina

I know, I know.... I still owe an update on my trip to Bernie & Betty's last saturday night. I'll get to it I promise. Right now however, I am sitting at Gallina Pizza sipping a cold Peroni and waiting for my Friday night pie. Lincoln @ Southeast basketball game to follow.

- PizzaMan

Bingo! Bernie & Betty's Pizza

After many recommendations we finally got into the mom and pop joint on the corner of Spring and Allen in Springfield. It was a plus that we got to enjoy this pizza with family and on a Saturday night. So there was good company to go along with even better pizza.

Where they're located:
1101 Spring Street
Springfield, IL 62704-2925

Call 'Em:
(217) 528-1821

The Pizza:
Pepperoni, Tomato and green pepper

The Crust: Thin

The Dish:
We attended mass at St. Joseph's Catholic church on the northend of town and then met at B&B for some dinner. This was my last "birthday dinner" as my birthday was already 10 days gone but we are close with my wife's Aunt and Uncle and so they wanted to take me out to eat for my birthday. I thought this would be a good a time as any to enjoy some pizza from Bernie and Betty's.
They take reservations here so we had a table set for 5:45PM and were immediately seated when we got there. The restaurant wasn't too busy at this point which we appreciated because we were heading out to watch some MMA later in the evening.
We ordered drinks and an appetizer and waited for the pies to arrive. Deep fried mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and onion rings arrived quickly and weren't remarkable. Probably no different than you can get anywhere else around town.

I think the service could have been a little more attentive considering we got there early before the restaurant filled up. There were a couple of times when thirsty diners at our table were left staring at empty glasses. That's not to say the service was bad... Our server was very friendly and accomodating, just not easily accessable. Luckily... The pizza helped me forget about all that.

How'd it eat? There's no reason to beat around the bush. This pizza was very, very good. It was loaded with fresh toppings, an even amount of gooey mozzarella cheese, a wonderful sweet, tangy tomato sauce all on top of an expertly baked, crispy, crunchy thin crust. I didn't find any drawbacks to this pizza at all. While I enjoy most pizzas I sample there are almost always little aspects of each pizza I would like to see done differently or improved. I have no such comments about Bernie and Betty's thin crust pizza. This is certainly one of the best pies in town.

Being that I had dinner here with a group we decided to try one of the Bernie and Betty's San Francisco sourdough crust pizza pies. The toppings chosen were sausage and Canadian bacon but the crust was definitely the star on this pie pan.

I gotta say... there was a little bit of sweetness with the sourdough that was amazing. I'm not sure if it was the sauce that was doing it but this crust really meshed well with the sauce and the cheese. The Canadian bacon was outstanding as well but I didn't care for the sausage much on this pie. Switch the sausage out for some pineapple and this crust and mixture would be perfect for a Hawaiian style pizza. Don't plan on gobbling 5or 6 slices of this pie down in one sitting unless you have an enormous appetite. The SF sourdough is seriously filling.

Overall I was most impressed with the pizza sauce that Bernie and Betty's delivers but the overall package is about as good as it gets in and around Springfield. Also included in the offficial review is the SF sourdough pizza which is an excellent choice if you are looking for something different than a traditional Springfield thin crust pie. Either way you're gonna be a winner.

SPP Ranking: 9.2

Upcoming Review: Bernie and Betty's Pizza

Invasion completed. We hit Bernie and Betty's Pizza last Saturday night. I hope to have the review posted by Wednesday.

-PizzaMan

Feline like a pizza? Top Cat's Chill & Grill

Once again I found myself with a little extra time available between a workout and a basketball game last Friday night. So, on the advice of someone at work I rolled into the Laketown area of Springfield to sample some pie at Top Cat's Chill & Grill.

Where they're located:
1822 Adlai Stevenson Dr
Springfield, IL 62703-4233

Call 'Em:
(217) 529-4005


The Pizza:
Pepperoni and Jalapeno

The Crust: Thin



The Dish: This was my first ever visit to Top Cat's. The first thing I noticed was that this place is a lot bigger on the inside than you would think after just seeing it from the outside. They need all the room too because they can pack them in. It's really a pub style restaurant with a good atmosphere that is very family friendly... I saw numerous kids in the building enjoying the food as much as the adults.
I settled in at a small table in the bar area and enjoyed some Doss Equis and watched the Australian Open on huge flatscreen projection TV that can also be seen from the main dining area while I waited for my pizza to arrive.
The service was fast and friendly but my waiter did let my first beer sit empty for a tad too long. I think he realized it and other than that one minor annoyance he did a really good job. My pizza arrived in good time and fresh from the oven. I sipped my beer a little and watched the steam rise off the hot pizza while the guy at the table over the short wall between us tried to convince hist wife that yellow mustard goes better with a bratwurst than brown mustard. I'm with the wife... brown mustard. Come on.


How'd it eat? I want to preface this section by saying I really wanted to love this pizza. I had heard some excellent things about the pie they put out at Top Cat's and I think I went in with a few preconceptions. I was expecting the cheese to be softer mix of processed mozzarella with some real mozzarella. Don't get me wrong... the cheese was good. Just different than what I expected. I also expected the crust to be different than what I got. I thought it would be slightly thicker but still be on the thin side...you know still thin but with a little doughy consistency. What I got was good old fashioned St. Louis style thin crust. It was a tasty crust too. I'm not sure if they spread a little olive oil or something on the crust prior to baking it but this one was good. Better than expected.

My toppings were pepperoni and jalapeno peppers because I was in the mood for a spicy kick. Boy did I get it. The peppers were just spicy enough without being overbearing and delivered in copious amounts evenly around the pie. The pepperoni had equally impressive flavor but it was drowned out by the cheese. I had to dig a few slices out of the abundance of cheese to get a sample. A little less cheese and a little more meat would be an improvement, in my opinion.

Now let's get to the sauce. On your basic pizza it is located right between the crust and toppings. This pizza was extremely short on sauce. I know many people prefer a little less sauce.. it cuts down on the heartburn later. I dislike the heartburn too, but I need some flavorful sauce to kind of be the gateway between a good crispy crust and the toppings. It kind of fuses the two together. It's an important component in a complete pizza. It's a delicate balance in my opinion. It is easy to have too much or not enough. This pie did not have enough.


Overall I enjoyed this pizza from Top Cat's. There were a couple of aspects I would prefer them to do differently (more sauce, less cheese), but in the end they still have make a tasty pie with plenty of upside, including a fantastic crust. Add in the friendly neighborhood atmosphere and you've got the recipe for a great Friday night with family or friends.


SPP Ranking: 6.6

Saturday Notes

I'm just geting prepped for some pizza tonight. Just got done watching some Hoosier basketball. (Tough loss to the hated Illini. Props to Illinois though... they finished better.)

Gonna head over to church and get right with the G-O-D and then off to a Springfield restauraant with a great reputation for pizza and get a dinner and review in...

Gonna be good company tonight although Justin and Megan will missed.

Later MMA fights...might take some pics.

-PizzaMan

Friday Night Pie

After getting a recommendation from someone at my day job I found a couple hours to make a dinner stop for pizza at Top Cats restaurant.
I worked out twice today so I was hungry for a little pizza pie.

Stay tuned for a review on Top Cats pizza Sunday. I also plan to hit a legendary Springfield pizza place Saturday night prior to the Capital City Cage wars. Look for that review in he next few days as well.

-PizzaMan

Back in Springfield - Targeting a Pizza

Well, after spending last weekend in the metroeast I am back in the 217 to get a taste of some Springfield pie. Saturday night is the night...

Meanwhile I continue on with my diet and exercise regimen. I even rented a locker at the gym and stocked it with workout gear, towels and swim trunks. That way I am always ready to go.

So can I sample pizza all around town and maintain my diet? Only time will tell. I'll keep you posted.

I have targeted a Springfield favorite for Saturday night. Stay tuned.

-PizzaMan

Imo's: That's a good pizza!

Last Wednesday was my 39th birthday and my younger sister hosted a little get together to celebrate. As the guest of honor I was allowed to choose the meal and I of course opted for Imo's pizza. As a former resident of the St. Louis area I grew up eating that delectable concoction of provel cheese, pepperoni and thin extremely crispy crust. My sister prepared an excellent salad to go with this delicious pie that featured assorted greans (including spinach) and a chopped olive mixture that was tasty. Imo's house dressing was available as well as a bottle from Zia's and some kind of poppy seed dressing.
My other sister finished out the meal with two homemade ice cream cakes. One of the cakes featured my favorite candy (Hershey's Fifth Avenue) and the other was loaded with Oreo cookies. Here is the kicker...all of this and I am in the midst of a diet. I have to say I fared pretty well but did go over a little on the pizza. Hey... it was my birthday!

What makes Imo's so good? It's the provel! (From wikipedia)
Provel is a white processed cheese that is popular in St. Louis, Missouri. Provel is produced with Cheddar, Swiss, and provolone. It is soft at room temperature, with a gooey and almost buttery texture, and thus has a low melting point. It is the traditional topping for St. Louis-style pizza. It is also often served on salads, chicken and the Gerber sandwich. Some restaurants go a step further and use Provel for their pasta dishes with white sauce instead of the customary fresh Italian cheese and cream. Although popular in the St. Louis area, Provel is rarely used elsewhere.

The pie I indulged in was the pepperoni and bacon which is my Imo's pizza of choice but any pie from Imo's gets it done. We also had a pepperoni and pineapple, and a pineapple with green peppers, onions and ham. Just about any pizza topping goes with yummy provel cheese. The cheese is slightly smoky with a sharp finish and just really compliments anything on a crisp unleavened pizza crust. The toppings from Imo's are top notch but frankly I could use some more of them. That's my only real knock on an Imo's pie is that sometimes they seem to be a little stingy, especially with the juicy, delicious pepperoni.
Each pie is also seasoned with a mixture of oregeno, basil and thyme. This seasoning sprinkled over the top of an already baked pizza sticks to the melted cheese and hot toppings and adds another level of flavor. I'm a big fan of this mixture and often use it on pizzas I bake in my own oven.
The Imo's sauce is used sparingly but not much is needed to be the perfect base between crust and toppings. The sauce is from an old world recipe and was developed especially for Imo's pizzas by founders Ed and Marge Imo. It has a nice flavor with a hint of basil and maybe a pinch of sugar to knock down the acidity. I think the sauce would go well pasta and garlic bread too!

I hate that I have to drive 100 miles to get one but it is well worth the trip.

If you are ever in or around St. Louis I highly suggest making time to enjoy a meal from Imo's. Get their salad with the house dressing to go with your pizza and wash it all down with some ice cold Anhueser-Busch product... you won't regret it.

SPP Ranking 9.7

Mario's Italian Restaurant and Pizzaria

With an hour and half to kill in between a workout and a City Tournament basketball game I found time to sample a pie from the E. Clear Lake location of Mario's. I was happy to not have a wait at 6:30 on a Friday evening. It's nice to drive up to a good restaurant and walk right in and sit down.

Where they're located:

3073 E. Clear Lake Ave.

Springfield, IL

Call Em:

217-523-2211

The Pizza:

Garlic Sausage and sliced pepperoncini

The crust: Thin

The Dish: Mario's is another local restaurant that has an excellent reputation of serving tasty pizza. You can get your pizza with a choice of different pizza sauces including Bianca sauce which is a buttery garlic sauce without a tomato base as well a white alfredo sauce. Being a somewhat of a traditionalist I went with the basic tomato pizza sauce and garlic sausage with pepperoncini. Mario's offers cheddar cheese as a topping too and I asked the waitress to have them sprinkle a little cheddar in with the mozzarella on my pie. My server was very accomodating with my order and brought over another server who had been with Mario's for a while to help describe the different sauce choices to me.

You can't go wrong with the atmosphere at Mario's. There are a lot of brown and red hues and slightly dim lighting which really remind of some of my favorite spots in St. Louis on "The Hill" like Bartolino's old location on Hampton Ave. Mario's is perfect for a romantic evening of pasta and wine or a family evening of pizza and soda-pop as they have multiple dining areas to seat customers.

After getting my order made I enjoyed an appetizer of a cold Bud Lite while waiting for my pie to bake.

How'd it eat: There are a lot of good things about Mario's pizza. The toppings where fresh and numerous, the sauce was flavorful but not overpowering, the crust was crispy and evenly baked. There was definitely a balance to this pie. The toppings of garlic sausage and sliced pepperoncini were spread out well around the pizza and really mixed well. The garlic sausage is a great pizza topping and will adorn any future pies I order from Mario's. The pepperoncinis had a hot kick that followed the garlic flavor well.

I thought I tasted a hint of basil in the sauce but it wasn't so much as to affect the flavors of the toppings and crust.

There's always somehting to be said about crust because crust is an easy thing to mess up. The fllavor of Mario's crust was just okk, there was nothing really special about it. The thing I really liked about this crust was that it was so uniformly baked. Usually with pizza crust whether it be tick or thin crust, the level of crispiness is always greater the closer you get to the edge of the pie. Meaning the pieces on the outside edges of the pizza are always crispier than the pieces in the centers. (Assuming you have a square cut pie.) Mario's crust was even from center to edges which I think is pretty hard to do because I rarely see it. There wasn't wone part of tis pizza with a flimsy or soggy crust. Goooood stuff.

You want to sit down and have a solid pie and good environment to enjoy it in? Eat at Mario's.

SPP Ranking: 7.9

Weekend Update: Mario's and Imo's

Just a quick note as I get ready to head out to work early on a Saturday morning. (gotta take advantage if the OT is offered)

Last night I hit Mario's Italian & Pizzaria (3073 E. Clear Lake Ave.) for some Friday night pie and a couple of cold ones. The pizza was a thin crust garlic sausage and sliced pepperoncini. I love the atmosphere in that old building, reminds me of a few spots on "The Hill" in St. Louis.

Speaking of St. Louis... I'm heading that direction tonight to sample a pizza from one of the all-time greats, Imo's. It'll be with family which will make it even better than usual. I'm looking forward to it.

Stay tuned for my reviews on both of these pizza's within the next day or two!

-PizzaMan

St. Louis Legend this Saturday - Imo's Pizza

Okay, so plans have changed a little this week. I had planned on hitting Dillion's or Bernie & Betty's for some pie at the end of the week, but being that my birthday is this week I am getting to spend some time with family this weekend. I love my family but the best thing about this particular visit will be the presence of some of St. Louis' finest..."The square beyond compare"...Imo's Pizza.

So a review and photos will be forthcoming. It's only an hour away and not enough Springfieldians appreciate the subtle goodness of provel cheese and crispy thin crust, so Imo's will get some face time on the blog. My next city review will have to get pushed back to next week.

Got a question or a suggestion? Wanna have your say? Click the comments section and follow this blog.

-PizzaMan

Gabatoni's

There are several restaurants around town that you always hear about but never really go to or even know where they are. Especially if you live outside of the city like I do. Gabatoni's is one of those spots. I've been looking forward to having some pizza all week and I intended on eating at another local pizza place for the Project but my wife vetoed that selection so I came back with Gabatoni's and she agreed.

Where they're located:
300 East Laurel St.
Springfield, Il 62703

Call Em: 217-522-0371

The Pizza:
1/2 Bacon and Tomato and 1/2 Ham and Mushroom

Crust: Thin

The Dish: Gabatoni's has been around for a long time and by the looks of the exterior and interior of the restaurant, that much is obvious. Restaurants stay in business for long time because they are doing something right, and Gabatoni's is no different. They do pizza extremely well. The atmosphere is friendly, even if it is old school...what with the wood paneled walls and cramped dining area.
Marcie was our server and she provided excellent service throughout the evening.
We started with salads and had the house Italian dressing which was really good. The salad itself wasn't great. It was just some sloppily chopped iceberg lettuce and piece of tomato and some shredded cheese. Would have liked some other greens and maybe some croutons or olives in it.
We ordered the 16" pie and split it in half as far as toppings go. I enjoyed a cold beer while waited for the pizza to arrive.

How'd it eat: Frankly this was an interesting pizza. First of all the crust was unusually thin. (see the photo section). I've never had pizza crust this thin before. The thing about it was that it wasn't too crispy. I'm not sure how they make crust that thin and it doesn't get hard as a rock in the baking process. I really enjoyed the crust. My side of the pizza had bacon and fresh tomato and those toppings where tasty. The bacon was crumbled and was crispy but was not spread around well enough. There were some pieces that had too much bacon and some that didn't have enough. There was just enough sauce to make the pizza and it had a nice flavor. The lack of a good amount of sauce was enough to turn my wife off to Gabatoni's pie but I really enjoyed it.
The 16" pie was cut into squares and cooked to perfection with nice brown edges and everything evenly melted on top. I really think they should put a little more cheese on these pies but that is my only real knock on this za.
I plan to eat here again or at the very least get it as carry ot on my way home from work.

SPP Ranking 7.5