Convenience Pie
At Benny's Pizza in Beardstown, IL

Virden's Gem

Once again it's been a while since I checked in with a review, so here goes nothing. We were attending a football game in Auburn so we planned an extra 7 mile trip south to try some pizza at DiCarlo's in Virden for our pre-game meal. I have had friends from Macoupin county pressing me to try this pizza for quite a while, so this past Friday was the day.

Where they're located:
330 N. Springfield St (IL Rte 4)
Virden, IL

Call 'Em:
(217) 965-5323

The Pizza: Sausage, garlic, black & green olives

The Crust: Thin

The Dish: This is a true "Mom & Pop" restaurant ran by founders Sal & Vita DiCarlo. Located in tiny Virden Illinois which sits about 20 miles south of Springfield, DiCarlo's is a small restaurant that sits on the main drag just north of the center of town. The atmosphere is friendly and family oriented with a small salad bar and about 15-20 tables. It's a seat yourself joint with daily specials and they only take cash. Leave your checks and plastic at home.

How'd it eat: There was a short wait for the hot gooey pizza. As a matter of fact the pizza came before my trusty assistant's meatball sandwich. He was enjoying cold milk and I had a Busch draft in a cold mug. The pie was topped copiously with cheese and the olives (not enough around the edges though), but would have like a little more sausage than what I got. The meat was scarce compared to the olives. They nailed the fresh garlic though... I think it goes so well with the olives. The cheese was all mozzarella and there was just enough where the other flavors weren't drowned in it's creamy goodness.

The sauce and the crust are what make DiCarlo's an outstanding pie. Firstly and most importantly, DiCarlo's does not skimp on the sauce. You won't have request extra sauce here. It has a thicker than usual texture with just a hint of sweetness and basil.
The crust is not super thin but it is still crispy and holds the toppings well without being flimsey or soggy. There is a slight buttery flavor to the crust that really works with DiCarlo's tasty sauce.

All of the elements of an excellent pizza are there so you're going to enjoy a top shelf pie no matter which toppings you like. DiCarlo's is well worth the 20 minute drive from Springfield if you're in the mood for some tasty pizza!

SPP Rating 8.5

With my trusty assistant at   DiCarlo's Pizza in Virden.   
There will be a review coming soon.

A pizza has been targeted!

This Friday The Springfield Pizza Project is back on track. We've targeted a pizza and will be gnoshing and soaking up atmosphere in a local area pizzaria. So be ready! Pizza makers... please bring your A-game to the kitchen everyday. We expect the best everywhere we go.

So where will we be going this Friday? Find out after our visit Friday night. We're heading to a local high school football after our meal so I will post from there.

-Pizzman

Time to dust off the blog

Been away from the blog for a few months but not away from pizza. Looks like this Friday will be a good day to make a surprise visit to a local pizza joint for a pie. Where to go???

NYE Flashback: Milo's on The Hill

On New Year's Eve we headed to the St. Louis area to attend a party in the MetroEast. During the day we took a trip across the river The Hill neighborhood to do some shopping for pasta, salami, fresh spices and wine from Viviano & Sons Italian grocery.
We had my wife's brother and his wife from Georgia and cousins from Bloomington/Champaign area in tow. We showed up with no real plan except find a nice restaurant and eat lunch and then do some shopping. We drove around the Hill for a while, looking for a place with a casual atmosphere that we all hadn't tried before. Zia's, Mama Campisi's, Bartolino's, Rigazzi's, Charlie Gitto's were all out. We first considered Amighetti's and noticed a nice looking tavern style restaurant across the street. It was Milo's Bocce Garden. A small place with a nice bar, some dart boards and a tasty menu. Out back there are large covered bocce courts where Milo's runs competitive leagues.

We arrived at Milo's about 30 minutes after an F3 tornado had hit the south county area of St. Louis but the sun was out and there was no damage on The Hill. The only negative was that all the satellites were out and they could not get the Notre Dame bowl game on the bar television. We ordered drinks and took a gander at the menu. It's a pretty simple selection at Milo's... sandwiches, pasta or pizza with a few specials depending on the day. We got a starter of toasted ravioli and griped about missing the Irish on TV. Everyone went with pasta and sammies except me.

I opted for the hot chicken wing pizza. We enjoyed the local flavor in the bar area while we waited for our order to arrive. There was a guy puffing on a big stogie telling others at the bar about the damage the tornado did over in the Sunset Hills area, the bartender was negotiating with DirectTV to get someone out to Milo's to get their TV's running so they could get the Fighting Irish on the television. For the record, I read where Milo's will officially be a smoke free establishment starting 2/7/11.

The food was brought out rather quickly and the pizza looked and smelled excellent. It was a 9 inch pie loaded with small chunks of chicken covered with chopped tomatoes and gooey provel cheese. This pizza was just a real nice surprise. There was a moderate flavor of buffalo sauce mixed in with the marinara and provel as well as a distinct garlic infused olive oil probably brushed on the crust. The chicken was just chicken, nothing special maybe a little bland but the tomatoes were spot on. They offset the spicy kick of the buffalo sauce perfectly.
The whole thing sat on a crispy, well baked crust that would make any St. Louis pizza chef proud. The composition, presentation and flavor of this pizza was just outstanding.
I can guarantee one thing... I will be back for another one.

SPP Ranking: 9.0

Cash & Carry... Dillon's

It's been a while since I've checked in with a review so I figured try a spot I've never had before. So here we go with Dillon's Pizza.
A couple of things I don't like about this joint from the get go is the fact that there is no dining room with carry out or drive thru only. The upside is you can order from the bar next door and eat in there. The Somewhere Else Lounge...nice place. Secondly, Dillon's is a cash only establishment. No checks, no plastic. Very inconvenient. The customers don't seem to mind much as this place does a good business.

Where they're located:
500 N. Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, IL

Call 'Em:
217-544-3206

The Pizza: Half cheese/half bacon & shroom

The Crust: Thin

The Dish: One of the cleaner restaurants around the area with an extremely friendly staff, Dillon's is a no frills joint with a counter and a small waiting area. Very accommodating ordering process and up front prices with the tax built in for an even payment amount which is a plus since it is cash and carry.

How'd it eat: Right from the start let's just say that this pizza was absolutely PACKED with toppings. Since this was a half/half pie with one half just sporting cheese topping (for my 6 year old) this is really like two different pizzas. I must admit I was secretly looking for a little provel or other creamy cheese to go with the oodles of mozzarella on the cheese side. Well... not so fast. I did enjoy the mozzi because it did have a nice flavor, I just felt like something was missing. It may have been the lack of cheese mixture or maybe it was the fact that there was very little seasoning on the cheese side. The bacon and mushroom half was much more impressive. The hot, delicious, crispy bacon was everywhere and there plenty of firm mushrooms in both short and long cuts. The mozzi was just as tasty and well spread out on this half as it was on the other half and there was a slight flavor of sweet basil.
The sauce was a major disappointment though... mainly because I could barely taste any or see any. Come on Dillon's! Don't skimp on the sauce. That is a quarter of any pizza, and you just can't get away with going that light on the sauce. Period.
The crust on the other hand is probably the best aspect of this pizza. Crisp, crunchy with perfect "doneness". Although I like my crust a little thinner I don't really have anything critical to say about the Dillon's foundation. Just as stiff in the center as it is on the edges with no burn. Crusty yummy!

Let's face it, Dillon's makes a nice, traditional pie. Better than average in the Springfield area and a place that definitely has a niche on the northside pizza scene. I'll certainly recommend Dillon's because overall it is a nice pizza. Ask for extra sauce.

SPP Rating 7.4

Top 15 pizzas in Springfield

1. Bernie & Betty's Pizza - 9.2
2. Sam's Italian Pizza - 8.8
3. PJ's Pizza & Pasta 8.6
4. Palermo Sicilian Cucina - 8.3
6. Mario's Italian Restaurant & Pizzaria - 7.9
6. Gallina Pizza - 7.9
7. Luca Pizza - 7.8
9. Gabatoni's - 7.5
9. Joe's Italian Pizza - 7.5
10. Rico's - Sherman - 7.0
11. Leo's Pizza - Petersburg 6.7
12. Top Cat's Grill & Chill - 6.6
13. Sam's Too - Sherman - 6.3
14. Coz's Pizza & Pub - 5.9
15. Vic's Pizza - 4.7

Who's The Boss? Uncle Tykie's that's who.

I have a couple of reviews I have been meaning to post however I just enjoyed a pie from a new local restaurant and I want to post my thoughts on this one while it's still fresh. You may have noticed we lost a restaurant in Athens a few months ago... Well we recently gained a new restaurant in the same location that is serving up some tasty grub. Uncle Tykie's Prairie Fire Grill & Pizzaria is making a splash in Athens so far.

Where they're located:
213 N Main St
Athens, IL

Call Em:
217-636-8400

The Pizza: The Boss Hawg

The Crust: Hand Stretched


The Dish: Deldon "Uncle Tykie" Krueger has recently opened a new restaurant location in Athens after a successful run in Ashland. He has now turned his Ashland restaurant into a headquarters for his catering business. Frankly... Ashland's loss is Athens' gain.
Uncle Tykie's is not a typical pizza joint. The decor is simple and slick and it screams...BBQ. The dining area is not large but the tables are spaced well and it doesn't seem small when you're eating in.
Krueger's specialties are his fried chicken and pork bbq with BBQ ribs checking in as one of his best sellers. The hamburgers at Uncle Tykie's are also something to behold and to taste, with offerings such as "The Big Tykie" and the "Diablo Burger". But don't worry... This place does pizza, and they do pizza well. We had a busy night tonight between teeball practice and some some grocery shopping so we called in take-out to enjoy at home while unwinding from a packed day.

How'd it eat? Well first off I want to give Uncle Tykie's props for absolutely nailing the pick-up time of my pie. I rolled in as advised on the phone (20 minutes) just as they were pulling my pizza from the oven. Money.

The Boss Hawg is an interesting pizza and not one I have sampled before. It is a heavy pie, loaded with ham, sausage and bacon... perfectly roasted and smothered with fresh, top notch mozzarella cheese. The hand stretched crust boasts a slightly smoky flavor and has the kind of crispiness that held up well under the strain of the copious toppings. The crust was just about perfect from outside to center.

In my humble opinion, the lynchpin of this pizza is the sauce. That's right folks, the sauce. It's not your average tomato based pizza or marinara sauce which is why it's outstanding. This sauce is Uncle Tykie's special blend BBQ sauce. The sauce sets off and compliments the pork toppings well. It has an obscure sweetness that meshes so well with the saltiness of the bacon and ham. It's literally finger licking good. Bring on the wet wipes!

Uncle Tykie has a winner with this pie and I highly recommend it. Word is he has developed a new apple/BBQ sauce but I'm not sure how I feel about it being added to this pizza. I know this much... It's not broke. ;-) Although I do want to get a taste of this new innovation maybe on some ribs, or a pork chop. Leave the pizza be.

SPP Ranking: 8.7

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