Attempt #72 - Via Sofia's Italian Kitchen

Venue-Inside

The Venue

1125 1^st Ave. SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402(319) 362-9667

This restaurant is located in the downtown Coe College/St. Luke's Hospital neighborhood. Part of the restaurant was once a Zio Johno's, while the back end was once Sip 'n Stir. This new chain (the first and currently only location) is a spin off of Zio Johno's. This counter-service eatery has several types of pasta, pizza, and even ice cream. They have plenty of table and booth seating available, in a clean, well lit atmosphere. I was extremely impressed by the customer service. They clearly tried to put the customer first by the service. They even provided us 2 free baskets of garlic bread on the house. Sounds like an Italian eatery to me!

All Meat, Large 16 Inch, $17.99

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Average

Menu: https://www.viasofias.com/menu

Participants: 8

Pizza Ordered: 3 Specialty Pizza, 1 Single Topping

Sizes Offered/Ordered: Small (12”), Medium (14”), Large (16”)
Crusts Offered/Ordered: Standard Crust

Pieces Cut: Triangular-Shaped – cut rectangular per request

Pepperoni – Large $14.25.

All Meat – Ham, sausage,beef, and pepperoni, smothered with mozzarella cheese – Large $17.99.

Chicken Gourmet – Seasoned chicken with Alfredo sauce and mozzarella cheese – Large $18.99.

Veggie – Mushrooms, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and black olives, smothered with mozzarella cheese – Large $17.99.

Chicken Gourmet, Large 16 Inch, $

The Verdict

Sauce: The sauce was average.
Cheese: Average.

Crust: This was a little burnt on a few of the pizza. The flavor was average (a little on the sweeter side), nothing to write about.

Toppings: The toppings selection were sparse on the pepperoni. The sausage was tasty, which came from a good butcher.

Final Comments/Considerations: This pizza is worth a shot if you are around Coe/St. Lukes hospital and want to try something else out. I like the counter-service concept. It provides more of a help-yourself American atmosphere. As for the pizza, I would personally order the All Meat as I found the sausage to be unexpectedly tasty! The majority liked the chicken, with its creamy Alfredo sauce base.

Veggie, Large 16 Inch, $17.99

All Meat, Large 16 Inch, $17.99

Pepperoni, Large 16 Inch, $14.25 Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best. Overall 7.81 Cheese 8.00 Sauce 7.75 Topping 7.88 Crust 7.25 Venue 8.75 Favorite: Chicken Gourmet

Attempt #71 - Algers Pizza Palace

Venue-Outside

The Venue

106 1^st Street SW

Mount Vernon, IA 52315
(319) 895-6971

This restaurant is located in the downtown strip of Mount Vernon. It has been at this location for 31 years, and is in the hands of its second generation for the past 16 years. This cozy restaurant has a large hand painted mural on one side of the wall and has plenty of booth and table seating. The college staff were friendly and very helpful as was the cook (owner). The ingredients are local - sauerkraut comes from Minnesota, and the cheese is direct from Chicago! The crust is hand tossed.

The Pizza

Venue-Inside

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Average

Menu: http://www.algerspizzapalace.com/download/i/mark_dl/u/213605/2565188/pizzapalace%20updated.pdf

Participants: 4

Pizza Ordered: 1 Specialty Pizza, 1 Single Topping

Sizes Offered/Ordered: Small, Medium, Large
Crusts Offered/Ordered: Thin and Deep Dish

Pieces Cut: Triangular-Shaped

Pepperoni – Large Deep Dish Crust $15.

The Everything – Canadian bacon, pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black and green olives, sauerkraut, pineapple, mozzarella – Large Deep Dish $19.

Menu

The Verdict

Sauce: The sauce tasted a little sweet for my likings. Maybe it was an ingredient in it that didn't sit well with me.
Cheese: Average.

Crust: Although we only ordered Deep Dish, I was impressed at its crispness and firm texture. Wonderful job!

Toppings: Good selection of local, fresh toppings.

Large, Deep Dish Crust, Pepperoni, $15

Final Comments/Considerations: This pizza is a wonderful pizza to try if you are in the area and need a place to grab a quick bite. The staff is very nice and accommodating, and the food was good to try. I kept thinking that it reminded me a LOT of Happy Joe's pizza! My wife also commented on this as well! Its a local form of Happy Joe's (only slightly less expensive). If you are in the area, I would highly suggest to give them a try!

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best. Overall 7.25 Cheese 7.25 Sauce 6.25 Topping 7.50 Crust 7.75 Venue 10.00 Favorite: The Every

Slices

Large, Deep Dish Crust, The Works, $19

Attempt #70 - Montana's Family Restraunt

The Venue

433 E Main Street
Central City, IA 52214

(319) 438-6413

Venue-Outside

Menu

This restaurant is located in the downtown strip of Central City, Iowa right off of Highway 13. The seating has booth, table, and bar seating. During the weeknights, its not hard to find a table, and carry-out is common in this community. The parking is as easy as you'd want it to be. The place is decorated with cowboy memorabilia and crosses, which gives it a western feel.

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Average

Menu: https://www.facebook.com/Montanas-Family-Restaurant-144826802209180/

Venue-Inside

Participants: 8

Pizza Ordered: 4 Specialty Pizzas

Sizes Offered/Ordered: 10” and 14”
Crusts Offered/Ordered: Varies, thin on the 10”, average on the 14”

Pieces Cut: Triangular-Shaped

Pepperoni – 14” $13.49.

Taco – Sauce, Beef, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Taco Chips, Black Olives, and Onions - 14” $17.49.

Spicy Dick – (Not on the menu, recommended by owner) Chicken, Jalapenos, Cheese Black Olives, Tomatoes, Onions, Lettuce, Alfredo Sauce - 10” $8.99.

Venue-Inside (Bar)

Chicken Alfredo – Alfredo Sauce, Chicken, and Cheese – 14” $17.49.

Meatlovers – Beef, Sausage, Pepperoni, and Cheese - 14” $17.49.

The Verdict

Sauce: Tasty sauce. They didn't hit it too sweet, which was a good thing.
Cheese: Average.

Crust: The Thin was chosen to be the favorite. This propelled the Spicy Dick to be the crowd favorite pizza.

Toppings: Average, about what you'd expect from a small town diner

Meatlovers 14" $17.49

Slices

Final Comments/Considerations: Montana's isn't known for the gourmet menu. Its a family diner that serves up some pizza. This is the classic kind of pizza anyone can enjoy, a four year old up to a 44 year old. I was a little disappointed with the Taco, there weren't toppings/sauces for it when it was served. The wait time was a little excessive between ordering the second wave of pizzas, which was another incontinence. So if you order, order all at once. The Spicy Dick was a creative, unique pizza which shocked me. In fact, I was the only one at the table who wanted it...willing to pay for it on my own dime just to try it. This time is panned out earning 63% of the votes! So if you're in the Central City area, give the old Spicy Dick a try!

Taco 14" $17.49

Pepperoni 14" $13.49

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best. Overall 6.06 Cheese 6.25 Sauce 5.63 Topping 6.75 Crust 5.63 Venue 5.88 Favorite: Spicy Dick

Spicy Dick 10" $8.99

Attempt #69 - Lucky Penny

The Venue

Venue-Outside

1705 Boyson Road
Hiawatha, IA 52240

(319) 200-4312

This restaurant is located in the same location as the Brickside Cafe was located. In fact, they use the same pizza oven. The establishment serves a wide variety of beer, wine, and liquor. I noticed they put a lot of money into the granite tabletops, and penny lined bar top. They even had a shuffleboard table. The wait staff were a little tired when we arrived at 6pm on a Tuesday night. The venue appeared to be winding down, which was unsurprising considering it was a week night. The waitress we had served our large group well, covering drinks quickly. The pizzas were brought out together, which was a benefit. They also accommodated us by handling our large group via a reservation within a three hour notice.

Menu

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Average

Menu: https://www.luckypennypub.com/menu

Participants: 10

Pizza Ordered: 6 (the sixth was the Sweet Tooth Pizza [Dessert])

Sizes Offered/Ordered: One size (12”)
Crusts Offered/Ordered: One style, thin

Pieces Cut: Rectangular-Shaped

Pepperoni – $9.25.

Carnivore – Sausage, Pepperoni, Black Sheep Bacon, with mozzarella on tomato sauce - $10.00.

Chicken Pesto – Chicken, Roasted Red Pepper, Mozzarella, and Goat Cheese on a Basil Pesto Sauce - $10.00.

Margherita – Fresh Mozzarella and Basil on ta tomato base - $10.00.

Sausage, Black Olive – Build-your-own - $10.50.

Venue-Oven

The Verdict

Sauce: This was average, nothing special.
Cheese: It appeared as if it was cooled, so it seemed unappetizing. It tasted good though.

Crust: This was also very average. Considering how Brickside Cafe used that exact same oven, I am aware that it can produce better crust. I was disappointed to find that they did not use semolina flour on the bottoms of their pizzas.

Toppings: Average (lighter side)

Venue-Bar

Final Comments/Considerations: Good news, the Lucky Penny beat out the Brickside Cafe in terms of ratings! Although their toppings aren't unique, their crust and sauces are average-I would think this would be a good place for a first date. There's nothing risky about the venue or the pizza, however, there is not anything surprising by it either. The pricing may need more adjusting given pretty much every pizza is $10, but this place is still new and trying to get on its feet. Check them out for your next date night!

LUCKY PENNY	BRICKSIDE CAFE (was in same location, now out of business)
Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best. Overall 8.10 Cheese 7.70 Sauce 7.30 Topping 8.25 Crust 7.75 Venue 9.00 Favorite: Chicken Pesto	Overall = 8.06 Cheese = 7.89 Toppings = 6.56 Sauce = 6.67 Crust = 9.00 Venue = 7.83 Favorite: The Greek

Chicken Pesto, $10.00

Margherita , $10.00

Sausage, Black Olive, $10.50

Carnivore-$10.00

Pepperoni - $9.25

Slices

Sweet Tooth Pizza, $8.00

Attempt #68 - Falbo Bros. Pizzeria – S. Gilbert St.

The Venue

Venue Sign in Window

457 S Gilbert St,
Iowa City, IA 52240

(319) 337-9090

This restaurant is located stone is in the historic college town of Iowa City, Iowa. It is within walking distance from the University of Iowa campus, and is carry out only. There is no seating inside! We ended up meeting up at the Old Capital mall to eat their pizzas. The joint has 90s looking artwork, staffed with local college students. They have a fountain self serve pop machine alongside the pizza by the slice options and the to-go 2 liter pop bottles (Pepsi products).

The Pizza

Venue Kitchen

Chicago Style: Yes

Crust Thickness: Thin-Average-Thick

Menu: http://falbobrosiowa.com/order

Participants: 8

Pizza Ordered: 4

Sizes Offered/Ordered: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large/3 Large, 1 Small
Crusts Offered/Ordered: Thin, Deep Dish, Stuffed / 2 Thin, 1 Deep Dish, 1 Stuffed
Pieces Cut: Triangular-Shaped

Pepperoni – Large, Deep Dish Crust, $17.37.

Large, Da Works, Thin Crust, 20.21

Four Cheese – Two kinds of mozzarella, Romano and cheddar, Small, Stuffed Crust, $16.27.
Da Works - Pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, onions and black olives, Large, Thin Crust, $20.21.

Taco – Large, Thin Crust.

The Verdict

After cooking, the pizzas cut into triangular shaped wedges.

Sauce: Lacked flavor, and was light on most pizzas except the stuffed.
Cheese: This seemed okay. Nothing great tasting, but nothing special.

Crust: Burnt of the bottoms of the stuffed and deep dish. Lacked bready flavor, seemed dried out and like cardboard.

Toppings: Average

Participant Favorite: Da Works

Large, Pepperoni, Deep Dish, 17.37

Final Comments/Considerations: I don't have much to say on this pizza attempt. Many commented that this place would be rated a 1, and to my surprise, it was better than I expected. It hands down beats its neighbor (Sam's Pizza). The Pepperoni was simply foul tasting, but the four cheese was quite good (except for the hard layer of burnt crust). On a plus side, the staff were helpful and friendly. If you're drunk and need a late night pizza, this place might be a good option, since they deliver.

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 5.00

Cheese 5.13

Sauce 4.13

Topping 4.50

Crust 3.25

Venue 0.00

Favorite: Da Works

Large, Taco, Thin Crust

Small, Four Cheese, Stuffed Pizza, 16.27

Attempt #67 - The Wedge (Riverside Drive, Iowa City)

Menu

The Venue

517 Riverside Drive

Iowa City, IA 52246

(319) 337-6677

This restaurant is located stone is in the historic college town of Iowa City, Iowa. This serves as a important dining establishment for the Iowa City locals-either you are a Mesa Pizza fan or a Wedge Pizza fan. They offer carry out or delivery options, as their 'pizza by the slice' slogan implies its more of a grab-and-go kind of place. The Nutcracker is their signature pizza according to many locals.

The Pizza

X-Large 16 Inch, The Nutcracker, $21.49

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Thin-Average

Menu: http://www.thewedgepizza.com/menu2015-april.pdf

Participants: 14

Pizza Ordered: 8

Sizes Offered/Ordered: Medium (12”), Large (14”), X-Large (16”)/2 Medium and 6 X-Large

Crusts Offered/Ordered: Regular only

Pieces Cut: Triangular-Shaped

Pepperoni - Regular Crust, $13.75.

Cheese – Medium 12”, Regular Crust, $12.00.
Love Supreme - Sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, red onions and green peppers, laid down under a bed of white cheddar and mozzarella with tomato sauce. Truly a love supreme, X-Large 16”, Regular Crust, $21.49.

The Meatball Parmesan - Our homemade meatballs, red onions, tomato slices, and fresh garlic, covered in mozzarella, white cheddar, and Parmesan cheese, all on a tomato sauce base, X-Large 16”, Regular Crust, $21.49.

X-Large 16 Inch, Oliver Twist, $21.49

The Red Baron - Tomato sauce, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, tomato slices, feta and mozzarella, X-Large 16”, Regular Crust, $21.49.

Riverside Pesto - A fountain of fresh garlic, sun dried tomatoes, fontina cheese & freshly grated Parmesan on our house basil pesto sauce, overflowing with mozzarella, X-Large 16”, Regular Crust, $21.49.

The Oliver Twist - Black olives, green olives, Kalamata olives, spinach, red onion, mozzarella and Parmesan on tomato sauce, X-Large 16”, Regular Crust, $21.49.

The Nutcracker - An enchanting creation of mozzarella, Parmesan, gorgonzola, and

fontina cheeses, sprinkled with pistachios and roasted peppers, all topping our house basil pesto, X-Large 16”, Regular Crust, $21.49.

The Verdict,

After cooking, the pizzas cut into triangular shaped wedges.

X-Large 16 Inch, Riverside Pesto, $21.49

Sauce: Traditional sauce, a little on the lighter side
Cheese: A little on the light side, just about right for my likings

Crust: Lacking heartiness, it seemed a little like cardboard

Toppings: Average spread, just about right.

Participant Favorite: Tie between Oliver Twist (Olive Pizza) and Riverside Pesto!

Final Comments/Considerations: I would seriously consider giving them a shot when you don't have to drive an hour after picking up the pizzas. It would be good to try them side by side with Mesa and see an outcome. Although I preferred The Wedge, many in my participant pool favored Mesa after this attempt.

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 7.29

Cheese 7.07

Sauce 6.50

Topping 8.00

Crust 6.79

Venue 0.00

Favorite: Oliver Twist / Riverside Pesto

Medium 12 Inch, Cheese, $12.00

Medium 12 Inch, Pepperoni, $13.75

X-Large 16 Inch, Love Supreme, $21.49

X-Large 16 Inch, Meatball Parmesan, $21.49

X-Large 16 Inch, The Red Baron, $21.49

Attempt #66 - Basta Pizzeria Ristorante

The Venue

Venue Outside

121 Iowa Ave.

Iowa City, IA 52240

(319) 337-2010

This restaurant is located stone is in the historic college town of Iowa City, Iowa. Among many college bars lies this classy establishment, with thick dark curtains, classy wood paneling, tile flooring, and high end Italian food. Aside from the pizza, common favorites include the meatball sub, prosciutto chicken, and chicken milanese. The wait staff was professional,and accommodating. One thing to note is try to make reservations even on weeknights. They luckily got our large group in at the last minute. Major props to them!

Menu

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Thin-Average

Menu: http://www.bastaiowacity.com/images/Basta%20Dinner%20menu%207-7-16.pdf

We had eight participants so we ordered five pizzas. They offer one size, somewhere between 12” to 14”. They serve three types of crusts, regular, thin, and gluten free.

Margherita - San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, extra-virgin olive oil, Regular, $13.00.

Salsiccia – Handmade Italian sausage, San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil Crust, $15.00.
Pepperoni x2 - Regular Crust, $13.50.Lobster – Maine Lobster, sweet corn, fire roasted leeks, pancetta, mozzarella, ricotta, Regular Crust, $18.00.

Chef making pizzas

The Verdict,

After cooking, the pizzas cut into triangular shaped wedges. The sauce had a nice spicy zing to it, it was delicious! The crust was a little burnt on the edges of some of the pizzas, yet it was chewy, which is terrific for my tastes. Unfortunately, it was soggy in the middle of most pizzas. The pepperoni. Where do I start?!? It was simply the best I've ever had!!!!! Upon seeing the chef make the pizzas, I noticed the the pepperoni had big chunks of fat on it-no wonder why it tasted SO good. It was clearly not your mass store bought topping-this was high quality ingredients. 

Oven

The cheese also was high quality. The entire time I kept thinking that this place is about on par with the Lincoln wine bar in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The main difference lies in the crust-the wine bar's was thinner and less chewy than Basta's. The sausage on the Salsiccia was spicy...awesome for those of us who enjoy a little heat. Many participants raved about the lobster and its white sauce. In fact, the Lobster and Salsiccia tied for the favorite pizza. So, if you have some extra cash in your wallet and want to try out Basta's, you won't be disappointed!

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 8.94

Cheese 8.63

Sauce 8.25

Topping 9.00

Crust 8.25

Venue 9.00

Favorite: Lobster / Salsiccia (Spicy Sausage)

Lobster, $18.00

Margherita, 13.00

Pepperoni, 13.50

Salsiccia, 15.00

Slices