Luciano's Pizza & Wings - Denver, CO

1043 Broadway
Denver, CO 80202
303 446 2424 (phone 1)
303 446 2525 (phone 2)
303 446 2425 (fax)
http://www.lucianospizzaandwings.com/
Hours: Mon - Thu 11:00am -10:30pm, Fri - Sat 11:00am - 2:30am or later, Sun 11:00am -10:30pm

Styles of Pizza: traditional
Service: counter service, carry-out, delivery

Standout Tidbit: 18" & 26" sheet pizzas in addition to 16" & 12" round pies.

Review: Luciano’s is located on Broadway just 2 blocks south of the Denver Public Library and the Denver Art Museum. The restaurant is clean, and the exposed brick walls are decorated with framed Italian Art Deco posters. Even though there is enough seating for at least 20-30 patrons, our groups have been the only dine-in customers both times I have visited. Judging by the cavernous kitchen and its’ 4 big pizza ovens, I assume Luciano’s gets a large amount of delivery sales from the Capitol Hill and Golden Triangle neighborhoods, as well as a decent amount of foot traffic from the Broadway club-goers needing late night pie by the slice.

There are several specialty crusts on the menu, and we ordered a basic cheese pie with the garlic crust. The dough seems to be their standard offering with a special topping added to the outer rim/lip, as opposed to being incorporated inside the crust. It was, in fact, very garlic-y.

This thin-crust pie has a lot of thickness to it. Although the outer layer has a nice, slight crispness, the inner crust is very soft, doughy, and breadlike. The cheese was layered thick on top and looked to be just a smooth layer of glistening white-ness with only a hint of browning. It was so think, in fact, that when it came out of the oven, you may have been hard-pressed to see any sauce peeking through, until the pie is cut into slices. We found it to be quite gooey and stringy when separating a slice from the tray or taking a bite. As far as the flavor of the cheese, it was pleasant and mild without being overly salty or greasy.

Once the za cooled down enough to taste everything properly, we agreed that the sauce was our favorite part. (My brother and I RARELY agree on anything.) It was very flavorful and tomato-y without being too sweet or salty. The texture was quite smooth without being creamy.

The downside of this pie in my opinion (others have corroborated my impressions), is the sheer quantity of the cheese and sauce and thickness of the crust. Everything is present in equal amounts, but I personally feel there is too much of everything. One quick peek into my vast archives of past pizza pics reminded me that Luciano’s is just as generous with the addition of fresh toppings as they are with the core ingredients.

I thought this to be a slightly dangerous pie as once you a bite through the thick strata of cheese and toppings, you then have to worry about the deep reservoirs of scalding red sauce squirting out the sides of your slice or down your chin. I, for one, quickly opted for a knife and fork, as things were getting messy. Tasty, but messy.

In all fairness, it has taken me a LONG time to post this review and I should go back to check to sample another pizza and my facts. A Zealot's work is never done.

Gavin

Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor - Cedar Rapids, IA

3419 16th Avenue SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: 319-396-0626
http://www.happyjoes.com/

Sunday - Thursday 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.;
Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Styles of Pizza: Traditional Thin-Crust, Deep-Dish Pan, Chicago-Style
Sauces: "Original", Deep-Dish Pan Sauce, Taco, Italian, BBQ, Alfredo, or Nacho Cheese
Of note: Most locations also serve liquor (helps to deal with the kiddie birthday parties in the next room).

Tasty Tidbit: You say it's your birthday? Happy Joe's believes that all birthdays are special. Let them know and you'll get a giant ice cream sundae for dessert.

Review: My most recent trip to Happy Joe's was about a month ago and I have been putting off writing this review ever since. Why? Simply because I don't have enough words in my vocabulary to describe what it feels like to walk through the doors and into pizza heaven.

Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor is a fairly common midwest chain with over 60 locations in six states (Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Wisconsin). As a child, Happy Joe's was the first pizza I ever tasted and it's thanks to them that I'm such a zealot today. Birthday parties, family events, and ordinary pizza nights were all celebrated with the help of Happy Joe's. In fact, in the early days of dating my future husband, I took him to Happy Joe's on his very first visit to Iowa. The jury's out, but I'm pretty sure the allure of returning twice a year for great pizza was a primary factor when he proposed.

Recognizing the fact that we have such a long history together, I thought my Happy Joe's review might be a little biased. So, I returned with an open mind, a notebook, and a camera to determine once and for all - is it REALLY the best pizza ever?

The menu at Happy Joe's touts your typical pizza fare, but has some lovely surprises as well. "Traditional" pizza lovers might be taken aback to see such specialty pizzas as Happy Joe Special (ham and sauerkraut), Taco pizza, or a Spaghetti Pizza, but every 'za here is done deliciously.

Our most recent visit took us to one of two locations in Cedar Rapids. Being closer to the airport (and our first stop after we arrived in town) it's not the location we'd typically go to, so I was excited to try my objective review on a new joint. We ordered a large Happy Joe Special, a staple for any of our visits, and a Little Joe with onion, pepperoni and sausage. We got there a little after 1:00, right when the all-you-can-eat pizza lunch buffet was ending, and had our choice of tables. (You read that right - an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. Did I say this is pizza heaven or what?) Soda is served at a do-it-yourself fountain and refills are free and unlimited, so I filled up on Cherry Coke and waited patiently.

The pizzas were delivered in about 20 minutes, and looked (and smelled) as delicious as ever. Real cheese is used and the toppings are always fresh (although some are sure to debate how "fresh" sauerkraut really can be). The large, 16" 'za was cut into 12 narrow slices - perfect for having "just one more piece" no matter how stuffed you are.

The buttery crust was perfect; crispy but not over-cooked. The sauce, cheese, and toppings were all evenly dispersed, not allowing one taste to over-dominate the others. Even my mom, who doesn't like sauerkraut, took a bite and commented on how tasty it was.

I have no complaints when it comes to this pizza, and wish all could be this good. The only drawback to dining in comes when you walk by the ice cream parlor at the end and are too darn full for dessert.

Skeptical? Try for yourself. For a $50 delivery charge with a minimum of three large pizzas (it's cheaper than gas and worth every penny!), you can have Happy Joe's delivered right to your door.

Zippity-do-za,
SupaCoo

Waldo Pizza - Kansas City, MO

7433 Broadway (75th and Wornall)
Kansas City, MO 64114
Phone: 913-363-5242
http://www.waldopizza.net/welcome/
Hours: Sun - Thu 11am - 10pm, Fri & Sat 11am - 11pm

Styles of Pizza: St. Louis Thin Crust, Traditional Hand-Tossed, Honey Whole Wheat
Service Type: Dine In, Delivery, Carry-Out


Standout Tidbit: St. Louis Style Pizza!?

Review: Where's Waldo? It's in Kansas City. And although KC is known for it's BBQ, it may soon be known for pizza. Why? Because, in a word, "that sh!t tastes good".

After a short drive to the "Waldo" neighborhood in Kansas City, my brother (phat pocket j) and I quickly spotted Waldo Pizza. It was a weekday night and there was a small wait. We were greeted with a sign that read, "it's worth the wait". So, we bellied up to the bar, where they have a nice selection of local micro-brews.

Half way through our first Boulevard Pale Ale, we were seated. We jumped right in and ordered an extra large (16") St. Louis Style pie with mushroom, green peppers, chicken. What's St. Louis Style? It's a rich blend of NY Cheddar, Provolone, Swiss, and Mozzarella on an extra thin crispy crust glazed with garlic butter and a light touch of sauce.

It was good. The crust was thin, crisp on the outside - but you could still fold a slice. The blend of cheeses was great. and not too cheesey. The toppings were fresh. I barely noticed the sauce (they weren't kiddin' when they said "light touch of sauce". It wasn't a "white pie", the hint of sauce takes the edge off of the cheese.

I spied the table next to us. They had one of the Honey Whole Wheat crusted pies. It looked good, too. Now that I know where to find Waldo, it's safe to say that I'll be back.

- shawniscool (with phat pocket j)

Pizza Junction - Greenwood Village, CO

4666 S. Yosemite St
(Yosemite @ Union)
Greenwood Village, CO
Phone: (303) 221-4004
Fax: (303) 221-4510

Styles of pizza: Traditional thin-crust
Service: Carry-out, dine-in, counter, delivery

Standout Tidbit: Everything's better with Strawberry fountain soda. Yum!

Review: Five days after reading about Pizza Junction winning "Best Pizza of the West"* at the International Pizza Expo, three faithful zealots ventured out for a try. After all, "award winning" and "pizza" are some of our favorite words.

Pizza Junction lives in a 70s-style strip mall just north of the Tech Center. The nondescript interior is plastered with train pictures, clocks, signage, and anything that shouts "CHOO CHOO!" (including a clock that, on the hour, does just that). We strolled up to the counter to place our order for the standard large cheese. We were thrilled to discover that the Junction is one of the few non-NY style places to offer an 18-inch za. The other surprise - a choice of three self-proclaimed "savory sauces" - Traditional, Spicy, and White. After inquiring about the best, we settled on their recommendation of spicy.

Being the only people in the joint we had our pick of the tables. The dining area is cozy (read: small) and contained four small patio tables covered with checkered tablecloths. We sat down and enjoyed our sodas (Pepsi products) while the smell of our pizza baking filled the tiny space. We talked briefly with the owner who told us he'd been perfecting his recipes of sauces and crusts for a few years before recently opening the PJ. The menu sports your typical pizza-joint toppings, with the addition of one unique item: cashews. We were enlightened to learn that "true" Hawaiian-style pizza is ham, pineapple, and cashews. (Cashews? Hawaii? Really?)

When our piping hot pizza was delivered it nearly covered the entire surface area of the small table. The cheese ventured nearly all the way to the edge of the crust and was bubbly and browned (almost too much so for our taste). Digging in (caution: HOT!) we munched through a traditional-style crust and discovered a slightly zesty bite to the sauce. The crust was soft and chewy, with a nice flavor. There was no crispiness to it at all. I thought the spicy sauce was fine, but I would like to return to try the traditional since I prefer a more tomato-y flavor. This had a strong "tangy" character in addition to the slight spicy heat. The cheese had a good, not-too-salty taste, but was about four minutes too brown and seemed to get lost among the odd spicy sauce and pillowy crust.

As we finished up our meal, the tiny restaurant started to jam with local high school students. The remaining tables filled up quickly with prepubescent teens and was more than enough incentive for us to refill our sodas and hit the road.

I hope to return to Pizza Junction to give another pizza a try (especially if they add sauerkraut as a topping as I suggested. Luckily, along with the colossal 18-incher, they also offer personal size pizzas that I wouldn't have to share.) In addition, their Cinna-Pie and Caramel Apple Pizzas sound like delicious ways to finish off a meal.

Hit the tracks to the Pizza Junction and let us know what you think!

Za-liciously,
SupaCoo


*editor's note: We should let you know that Pizza Juction won their award for the Train Wreck pie, with 3 cheeses, sausage, bacon, onion green peppers, and pineapple. - G

Boston Pizza - Las Vegas, NV

1507 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Phone: (702) 385-2595
Fax: (702) 386-6921
Hours: Daily 10am - 4am

Styles of pizza: Traditional thin crust
Service: Counter dine-in, carry-out, delivery, catering

Review: Boston Pizza is located on Las Vegas Blvd, a couple blocks north of the Stratosphere. It is a low, white, stucco building with “Boston Pizza” painted directly on the outside walls in bright blue lettering. Next door, across the parking lot, sits Olympic Gardens, the famous Vegas strip club. Apparently “Papa Pete” owns Boston Pizza, the “OG”, and pretty much the rest of the block. There is even a mural on a wall inside with a cartoon depiction of Pete’s journey to Vegas from the East coast to start his little “empire”.

There are only two windows on the building, and the first time I saw BP from the outside, I thought two things. #1) it looks closed. #2) it looks like the kind of place you would go to find old replacement hubcaps for your vintage Oldsmobile. The inside of the joint reminded us of a snack bar in an old-school roller rink or bowling alley. The carpet was old and looked like it was acquired at a casino carpet remnant sale. The bathrooms got forceful “thumbs down” from all Zealots in attendance. Like the other independent, away-from-the-strip, pizzerias we visited, Boston Pizza was pretty smoky, even though there was only one other occupied table at 2:30 in the afternoon. We did not notice any posted non-smoking section.

The pizza menu is fairly standard with small, medium, and large (16”) pies are available with all the usual toppings. They do not appear to do offer individual slices. The prices are decent and a 16” large za with one topping goes for just over $12. Maybe it is the proximity to another strip club but BP, like Daddy’s reviewed earlier, had a menu with offerings far away from just pizza. At Boston Pizza you can order beef or cheese steak sandwiches, grinders/subs, pastas and calzones, gyros, burgers, fish, wings, soups, and much more. For me, this is usually a sign that I won’t be able to count on this place for high quality pizza as they are concentrating on reaching a much wider market. This wasn’t going to sway us though, and Boston Pizza didn’t disappoint… my theory at least.

When we stepped up to the window/counter to order our cheese pie, I got the impression we were intruding on the staff’s slow afternoon, as they seemed frustrated to take the order. Maybe they are just anti-tourists – it could be that I was a little snap-happy with my camera.

Although being incredibly hot at first, the pie seemed undercooked on top. The sauce tasted OK, but not overly fresh and we guess that it was probably canned (we are not positive, though). The cheese had a decent flavor and a nice amount of moisture to it without being overly greasy. The problem was sheer amount of cheese, which dwarfed the normally sufficient amount of sauce. Our thought that it wasn’t quite done being cooked came from the fact that the cheese was extremely gooey, almost to the point of being liquid. The crust had an odd texture to it for pizza. It was very soft reminded us more of a biscuit or dense pancake. This theory was supported by a peek at the underside of a slice, which reveals how even the caramel-like coloring is, just like a well-cooked flapjack on a griddle.

We all considered this to be fairly mediocre za. Several locals we asked claimed Boston Pizza as their favorite and they were sure we tried it on a bad day. We agree that it could have earned better marks with slightly less cheese and another minute or two in the oven, but I’m not sure what could be done about that funky, biscuit crust.

Gavin

Daddy’s Pizza - Las Vegas, NV

2103 Western Ave.
Suite A
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702)-388-0006
Fax: (702)-386-0047
Hours: Mon-Sat 24 hours, Closed Sunday

Style of Pizza: Traditional thin crust
Service: Counter service dine-in, carry-out, delivery

Review: We were exploring some non-tourist areas of Las Vegas, trying to find decent North-South travel routes that didn’t involve the strip or the freeway, when we spotted Daddy’s Pizza, or at least the sign that said “Open 24 Hours,” “Special! Slice and a drink $1.99.” It wasn’t on our list of places to hit, but we figured with a special like that we’d have to give it a try.

We were curious what could keep a Daddy’s open all night in a clearly industrial neighborhood – till we looked across the street. It turns out that Daddy’s Pizza is right across the street from Cheetah’s, a strip club that is also open 24 hours. Now we know…

Upon entering Daddy’s, we were welcomed by bright fluorescent lights, a loud TV, a plastic tree in the corner, and a huge cloud of cigarette smoke. My brother was convinced we had interrupted a local Bulgarian mafia “sit-down, ” as the only patrons in the joint were a table full of chain-smoking, Eastern European men who halted their discussion when we walked in. It seemed like they decided to leave when they realized we were dining in.

Although the menu was packed with Italian fare, Greek dishes, burgers, ribs, subs, chicken, and more (not to mention the white board with a separate menu in Russian), we couldn’t be dissuaded from our mission. We wanted our $1.99 slice and drink. DENIED! It was a daytime-only special clearly meant for local workers. At night they take advantage of the alcohol-soaked strip club patrons by removing the special and not doing slices. They did give us the carry-out discount on a 16” pizza for $5.99. Twenty minutes later we got our piping hot cheese pie, but had to wait a few minutes longer for it to cool down to safe temperatures.

This pizza was a pretty bad gut bomb. Although it clearly looked to be well baked, the almost flavorless “pellet” cheese was overly gooey. There wasn’t nearly enough of the canned sauce and the crust was mediocre. This instantly reminded me of snack bar or discount chain delivery pizza. I haven’t eaten a Domino’s pizza in years, but this was pretty much what I remembered.

Gavin

Peppino's Pizzeria & Restaurant

12201 E Arapahoe Rd
Suite A1
Centennial, CO 80112-3918
(303) 799-9409

Styles of Pizza: Thin crust (slices or whole)
Service: Counter service, carry-out

Standout Tidbits: Hmmmm... not so much.

Review: Peppino's is located in a standard, unassuming strip mall-style building that looks like it could have been built anytime between now and 1980. The state of the restaurant inside tells you that it probably opened closer to the 80's, and the Peppino's staff hasn't changed anything or done any fixing up since then. I wouldn't go as far as to say the place was dirty, but, it certainly wasn't fresh and clean. The ceiling tiles were way past yellow and well into brown. The vinyl booths had deep dips in the seats. The ceiling fan had mismatched light bulbs and its blades were wilting more than the fake flowers on the tables.

The team of older Italian gentlemen behind the counter didn't do much to warm our hearts to this place. In fact, they didn't do much at all besides guard the soda fountain against refills and pressure us to make a choice and move down the line. Along the line you can pick from the pastas, iceberg salads, or slices under the glass display. Customers can also order fresh, whole pies or calzones. We opted for a large za with mushrooms and made our way to the droopy booth.

Although we were initially unimpressed with Peppino's, we started adding things up. The pizza oven was well-used. There were thin slices behind glass. The guys behind the counter were grumpy. The table cloths were plastic and red-checkered. Had we stumbled on a true "old-school" pizza joint? Were we about to be treated to some great, East-Coast za?

The pie itself was unimpressively fitting for the place. As soon as it arrived we were aware of the canned 'shrooms. They were laid too thickly on the entire pizza and then buried under just as much cheese. Although the cheese tasted ok, it was overly chewy and too elastic when trying to separate one slice from the rest.

Please don't misunderstand me here. This was not like a nice, gooey slice where the hot cheese is almost dripping. This was closer to the consistency of stretched Silly Putty. Silly Putty that at least tasted ok.

The canned mushrooms didn't seem very cooked and were quite rubbery. Underneath them was a minimal amount of red sauce, which, like the cheese, tasted just ok. I really have no big complaints about the crust. It had a decent taste and wasn't too crisp or too chewy.

When we first arrived, it was early in the lunch period, and we were almost the only ones there. When we left, the place was about 60% full. The curious thing was that it didn't seem like anyone was talking or enjoying their lunchtime. It just looked like they were there to eat out of necessity, before heading back to their hopefully more enjoyable jobs.

Overall, Peppino's gets a sub-ok rating. 2 out of 5 whatevers (if we had a ranking system established). I have no idea how the pasta or calzones are, but I also have no real desire to go back and find out.

Gavin

PizzaExpress: London Bridge

4 Borough High Street
London Bridge
London SE1 9QQ
Telephone: 020 7407 2995
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30am to Midnight
Website

Styles of Pizza: Indivudual thin-crust
Service: Table service, carry-out (I assume)

Standout Tidbits: Ummm,... it's in London (that's a high point for us Yanks). Actually, the stylish décor stood out to us.

Review: With a name like "PizzaExpress" you would totally expect a fast-food or delivery joint. Maybe so in the US. Across the pond in the UK, PizzaExpress is a chain of pseudo-fancy pizza restaurants you will see ALL over London. Seriously, they are about as prevalent as McDonald's is over here.

All of the PizzaExpress locations we saw were different in their layout and size. Some were small and intimate, while others were a little more open with two stories of seating. There is even one location in SoHo that doubles as a jazz club. All of the locations are similar in that they all have a subtle, simple elegance. The décor is made up of light colors on the walls, dark woods, large windows, and contemporary art sprinkled throughout. Most of the tables were small, for two, but could be easily rearranged for more. There were fresh flowers, clean wine glasses, and white cloth napkins (a good indicator by my mother's standards) on the tables. It seems that all had full bars with prominent displays for their wine selections.

After an afternoon spent in the Tate Modern broadening our artistic horizons, Robin and I walked along the South Bank of the Thames and popped into the PizzaExpress London Bridge location for a late lunch. The crowd was very light at 15.30 (3:30pm) till several groups of teenagers, adolescents, and a few parents arrived to create two large tables of 12 apiece. We thought it interesting that so many youngsters were attracted to what we thought was a more "grown-up" establishment.

The menu boasts many "named" thin-crust pies and I didn't see any information for customers to build their own. All of the pizzas are personal-sized at 12" and are served uncut, with a steak knife on the side. Robin ordered the Bufalita, a pesto sauce pizza with buffalo mozzarella, beef tomatoes, garlic, basil, and rocket (arugula). Sticking to my simple tastes, I got the Mushroom pizza with their "special red sauce". All of the ingredients on both of our pizzas were very fresh.

Robin enjoyed hers quite a bit and found it to be somewhat flavorful. I agreed that hers had much more character, although there really was a LOT of rocket on top. Frankly, I found the sauce on mine to be a little bland. The cheese was fair, the mushrooms were subtly tasty, and black pepper had been ground and sprinkled on top, which added a nice touch. When I finally got his attention, I did ask the waiter for a little salt to enhance the second half of my pie. The slightly-flavored crust was thin, but not overly so. Although it was slightly browned around the edges, the dough seemed a little undercooked, and, as a result, our self-cut slices were a little limp.

Robin kinda liked her "fancy" pizza and would give it "good" marks, while I felt that my basic red sauce pie was a little lacking in flavor and only deserves a "forgettable, but it'll do in a pinch" ranking. Many of the other pizzas on the menu boasted obviously spicier, and more flavorful, toppings than the ones we ordered. We had no carnivores with us to sample any of the pies with meat or anchovies.

As I have mentioned before, I feel the foundation of a pizza is the crust, sauce, and cheese and if I can't rely on those three to combine and create a tasty za, then there's really no need to sample other ingredients. Hmmmm, perhaps I should clarify that statement: I feel safe occasionally ordering mushrooms on a new pizza, since I have never known them to overpower the taste of the aforementioned "foundation."

Overall, we both enjoyed the vibe of the restaurant and we were also surprised by the nice presentation and freshness of the food coming from such a widespread franchise. After all of this, however, I left feeling completely unimpressed with the pizza while Robin was only lukewarm about it... and isn't the pizza what this is all about?

Gavin

Two-Fisted Mario's Pizza

1626 Market St
Denver, CO 80202
303-623-3523
Hours: 11am-2am Mon-Thu, 11am-3am Fri, 12pm-3am Sat, 12pm-2am Sun

Styles of Pizza: traditional (some call it East Coast-style) thin-crust, Sicillian
Service: counter service, carry-out

Standout Tibits: 1) LOUD staff-picked music at night, which can range from punk, to hardcore, to hip-hop. 2) Instead of calling out your name when your order is up, or giving you a number to place on your table, they give you a large children's toy so they know where to bring your food. Last night we wound up with a Sesame Street kiddie ATM. 3) There are 3 old-school tabletop video games: Centipede, Ms. PacMan, and Asteroids. 4) Mario's is connected, via a heavy black curtain, to Mario's Double Daughter Salatto, a very cool, non-smoking bar/lounge that looks like it was decorated by Edward Gorey or Tim Burton. You can order pizza any time while on the other side of the curtain.

Review: Conveniently located in downtown Denver, Mario's is only a few steps from 16th street mall on Market Street. This joint is good for a quick lunch and great for the late-night bar-hoppers as it is open till 3am on the weekends and till 2am during the week. The menu is straight and to the point: slices or whole pizzas with toppings that don't stray from standard fare, calzones, salad, beer, and sodas.

We went last night at about 11pm after a few cocktails elsewhere and I can honestly say that I have had much better pizza here before. The crust was pretty good, with that just right combination of crispy on the outside and somewhat chewy within. The toppings seemed fresh and tasty but lacking in good coverage. We got the Shrooms and Spin pie which features mushrooms, spinach, and "fresh Transylvanian garlic". There was plenty of spinach, but I couldn't count more than 5 mushroom bits on the whole pie and Robin was halfway into her second slice before she exclaimed "oh, there's the garlic." The sauce wasn't completely flavorless, but I couldn't detect many spices either, and this wasn't one of those sauces where I am happy to let the tomatoes do all the work. The only condiments I could find to enhance the flavor were the little packets of parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper. OH!, my left ear for a dash of salt!

The decor is bright and colorful, but tends to feel like a college freshman's dorm room. This is due in part to the aforementioned music, multi-colored lights, upcoming concert posters, and various stickers peppered about the place. The staff is young, tattooed, and hip and seem to be having a good time when not overly busy, which it can get during the later hours.

Overall, I can just say that Mario's pizza was just OK this time around. We did get a good couple games of Centipede in, and another patron gave me his date's full beer when she decided it was time to start sobering up. I am pretty sure he hadn't slipped the roofie in yet.

Personally, I would rather chill to the DJ music next door and order the pizza from there. Not that I think it would have mattered this night, but we usually do order pizza when hanging out at Double Daughter and have really enjoyed it in the past. Just an off night I guess.

Gavin

Update 01/13/2006:
I hung out at Double Daughter last night with friends and ordered a couple pies. These pizzas were much better than my last visit to Two-Fisted Mario's. The sauce was delicious and I had no issues with the coverage of toppings. Be aware that the jalapños they put on the pies here have quite a bit of heat. Oh yeah, the happy hour drinks till 8pm are a big plus as well. - G

Carl's Italian Restaurant

3800 W 38th Ave
Denver, CO 80211-1906
Phone: 303-477-1694
Hours: 11am - Midnight Daily

Styles of Pizza : "American" Traditional
Service: dine-in table service, carry-out

Standout Tidbits: Carl’s has been ladling sauce since 1953 and is the home of a giant Italian sandwich dubbed the “Little Immigrant." A carb-packed basket of various crackers comes with all the salads.

A neighborhood institution in Denver’s North Highlands, Carl’s Pizzeria hides out in a humble brick building that parallels a busy 38th Avenue. Note the plate glass bullet holes and faded red carpet as you enter the establishment, and you’ll know you’re in “old school” territory. Ancient red vinyl booths and vine-and-column murals line the walls as the hostess leads Gavin and me back into Carl’s humble depths and leaves us with lunch menus. We find the service a little slow this busy Saturday, but our young, tatooed waitress is friendly and efficient.

We settle in and order a large (14") pie with green peppers, black olives and mushrooms (the menu also offers other Italian fare, such as pasta, calzones and sandwiches). While waiting for our main course, we munch on crunchy iceberg salads and breathe in the “ambiance.” Our fellow diners range from a fledgling family on a road trip to chain-smoking regulars in the next room. Everyone seems to be noisily enjoying their food, and somehow we, too, must find the kitschy surroundings and lack of pretense comforting, since we seem to find ourselves here at least once a month. Maybe the pound of sugar in my chocolate Pepsi is affecting my sound judgment, but I do feel “at home” in this no-frills setting.

Our pizza arrives piping hot and is fairly tasty with a nicely-seasoned but texture-free sauce (not too sweet or salty), and a generous amount of what appear to be fresh toppings and cheese. The mushrooms are happily un-rubber-ish, and the ratio of sauce to cheese is commendable. As for the crust…well…it’s just okay. A little crunchy, perhaps, and not much to it. Frankly, we’ve tried craning our necks to see if they have boxes of Jiffy Crust populating the kitchen area, but no dice.

Nevertheless, we manage to put away our slices without complaint – plus, we’ve found it’s best to eat as much as possible on the premises, since Carl’s pizza doesn’t re-heat very well – even in the oven, the cheese turns translucent and the crust becomes a bit soggy. Sigh. This Saturday, however, we can’t seem to eat an entire pizza pie. We leave with full stomachs and about four slices to spare, still knowing we’ll be back once that odd, old school urge resurfaces next month.

-robin %:-)