Attempt #10 - Michello's Pizzeria

The Venue

808 7^th Avenue

Marion, IA  52302

(319) 377-5787

Michello’s Pizzeria has a few amazing specials each Monday and Wednesday nights—their specialty large 16” pizzas go on special, buy one, get the second one (of equal or lesser value) for half price.  On Wednesday’s all pizzas are 25% (which is essentially the same offer, without the one pizza restriction).  The restaurant is a popular among locals…most people seem to have their pizza delivered.  They have a few tables in the dining room area, with the maximum seating to be around 30 people.  The place has a very homey feel to it-the kind of feel that you get from a locally owned joint that treats their customer’s well.  The staff was very accommodating to our needs. 

All 12 taste testers (Well, 11 since I'm taking the picture...)

The Pizza

Chicago Style:  No

Crust Thickness:  Average to Thin

Our group consisted of 12 participants; so we ordered EIGHT large 16” pizzas.  Each extra large specialty pizza costed around $16 apiece, with every other one coming in at $8. 

1.      Margheritta - Light pizza sauce, fresh basil, fresh tomato slices & a sprinkle of sea salt, fresh mozzarella and fresh garlic.

2.      Rustica - Full flavored and spicy. Imported Italian tomatoes, fresh garlic, goat cheese, mozzarella cheese, shaved parmesan, capers and basil.

3.      German - Pizza sauce, bratwurst, sausage, sauerkraut & cheese.

4.      Gyros - Light pizza sauce, gyros meat, tomato, onions, cheese and side of cucumber sauce.

5.      Chicken Philly - Light pizza sauce, grilled chicken, onions, mushrooms, peppers, mozzarella & cheddar cheese.

6.      Mexican - Pizza sauce, spicy ground beef, jalapeno, mozzarella, cheddar, tomato and cilantro.

7.      Tropicana - Pizza sauce, pineapple, Canadian bacon, mango & cheese.

8.      Mediterranean - Pizza Sauce, Italian Sausage, pepperoni, black olives, green olives, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

My favorite was either the Gyro or the Chicken Philly Pizza.  My wife, Nicole, preferred the Mediterranean (because of the olives) and some others strongly preferred the Rustica (because of the goat cheese).  The Mexican was also a kicker…the spiciness of the jalapeño’s really kicked in!  This was a good pizza to counter the sweetness of the Tropicana.

German, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Chicken Philly, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Gyro, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Rustica, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Margheritta, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Mediterranean, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Mexican, 16" Extra Large Pizza

The Verdict

The pizza was cut into squares, which gave us a more “traditional” feel when digging in, plus it allowed us to sample multiple pizzas with ease.  The toppings were evenly distributed, and the cheese was just about right.  For some of us, the pizza was not as thick and saucy as they would have liked.  Everyone loved the variety of all the unique styles and toppings of pizzas.  Some of the common complaints I heard were that the pies needed more sauce and the sauce itself needed a bit more spice to it.  The crust was a bit too thin for some of us, in a couple of cases the center pieces were a bit soggy.  The restaurant offers a wide selection of interesting pizzas, with very delicious toppings-it scored some of the highest ratings in the topping category that we’ve ever seen!

Tropicana, 16" Extra Large Pizza

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall = 7.75
Cheese = 7.58
Toppings = 9.00
Sauce = 6.25
Crust = 5.50

Attempt #9 - Riley's Cafe

The Venue

515 Williams Blvd

Fairfax, IA 

(319) 845-5040

Riley’s Café used to have their own pizza joint located in the back of their Fairfax restaurant’s business, however, it has since conciliated into one business.  Each Monday night, their specialty large 16” pizzas go on special, so instead of $12.99, the price drops to $8.00 for a pie.  The restaurant has a heartland, home cookin’ feel to it, lightly decorated with old memorabilia.  They have large booths that could easily fit three people in each side, perfect for a family.  This is the only location that still serves pizza.  For those of you who don’t know, Riley’s has two other locations in the Cedar Rapids area, one on Center Point Road, and another on 1^st Avenue NE in Cedar Rapids. 

The Pizza

“The Hawaiian Delight” [toppings:  ham, pineapple]

Chicago Style:  No

Crust Thickness:  Thin

Our group consisted of 5 participants; we ordered just two large 16” pizzas.  The first was called “The Carnivore” [toppings:  pepperoni, italian sausage, canadian bacon, ham, hamburger], and the second was “The Hawaiian Delight” [toppings:  ham, pineapple].  My favorite was the meat loaded carnivore; however, others preferred the hawaiian, since Italian sausage isn’t always the most appetizing to some.  

Cross-section of "The Carnivore"

The Verdict

The pizza was cut into squares, which gave us a more “traditional” feel when digging in.  The toppings were plentiful, and the cheese was just about right.  For some of us, the pizza was not as thick and saucy as they would have liked.  The crust was New York style, so all those thin crust lovers might be in for a treat.  It wasn’t super thin though, and certainly not crispy.  There was a slight amount of breadyness to it which made this pizza on par with that of Miguel’s (in my opinion).  Overall, it is a great value for the $8 price.  I would go back and order another pizza, especially after a long day from work on a cold Monday when I didn’t want to cook. 

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall = 8.0
Cheese = 8.2
Toppings = 8.6

Attempt #8 - Xavier's Cocktail Lounge

The Venue

1401 1st Ave SE

Cedar Rapids, IA

(319) 364-9313

Each week Xavier’s has a ad in the PennySaver for ½ price on all medium (12”) pizzas from 4:30 – close on Tuesday night.  We decided to give it a try, with our largest pizza attempt to date, totaling 10 participants.  This longtime Cedar Rapids establishment has been in business for 35 years, and the pizza is a well known staple in the community.  The restaurant itself had a full service bar with several booths and tables.  It made the place a bit tight for groups of 8 or more, as the dining area was only two main rooms.  Old antique collectables were hung on the wall, that seemed reminiscent of an Applebee’s (but not as corny), or maybe Tic Toc, which is another local Cedar Rapids restaurant. 

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

The Pizza

Chicago Style:  No

Crust Thickness:  Thin

Because of our large group, we ordered six medium 12” pizzas! One Pepperoni, one Ba Da Bing (spicy meats, garlic, peppers), one vegetarian, one taco, one supreme (referred to as “The Conglomeration”), and one buffalo chicken.  

My favorite was the buffalo chicken; however, others preferred to vegetarian, pepperoni, and Ba Da Bing! 

The Verdict

Ba Da Bing! Pizza

The pizza was not as saucy as most of us would have liked.  One noted that the cheese thickness was as deep as the crust.  The crust was New York style, so all those thin crust lovers might be in for a treat.  Overall, it is a good value for ½ price, but most of us doubt we would rate it as high as we did if the price was not discounted. 

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall = 6.78
Cheese = 7.21
Toppings = 7.10
Sauce = 6.75
Crust = 5.80

Pepperoni Pizza

Veggie Pizza

Taco Pizza

Conglomeration Pizza

Attempt #7 - Zoey's Pizzeria

The Venue

690 10th St

Marion, IA 52302-3433

(319) 377-2840

Zoey's is famous in the Eastern Iowa Corridor, because it only has one location, in Marion, Iowa with ridiculously good pizza!  They almost always have a wait, so it's best to order carry out.  The Pizzas take about 40 minutes to cook, so be prepared for a wait if you do decide to dine in.
 

The Pizza

We ordered 1 large pepperoni pizza, and 1 zoey pizza (pizza with everything on it). 

Some of the comments that we made by our group were:  oily crust, kind of tasteless, delicious cheese and toppings, and sauce with “chunks ‘O’ tomato” in it. 

 

 

The Verdict

Personally, I loved it; however, our overall views were mixed.  It was Chicago Style, with a nice hearty, thick crust.  Although I do recall it being a bit oily this attempt, I’m convinced it had something to do with the topping combinations, as previous pizzas were not as oily.  Also, this pizza isn’t cheap by any means, you’ll be paying around $26-28 for a large zoey pizza. 

Here are our ratings...1 = worst and 10 = best.

Overall = 8.5

Cheese = 10

Toppings = 9

Sauce = 8

Crust = 4

A Pepperoni Chicago Style Pizza!

Up Close and Personal!

The Zoey Special - All toppings!

Cross Section of the Zoey

The "Zookie", a warm chocolate chip cookie for my Birthday!

Attempt #6 - Leo's Pizzeria Pastaria

The Venue

588 Boyson Rd NE,

Cedar Rapids, IA

(319) 393-4161

Leo’s is a relatively modern pizza joint that offers a pizza lunch buffet (not Chicago style).  In addition to classic and Chicago style pizza they offer salads, hot & cold sandwiches, ½ gallon pasta specials, gyros, calzones, and three desserts—cheesecake, dessert pizza, and an apple calzone.  We ordered a ½ pepperoni, ½ sausage Large Chicago style pizza that was 14”…it came out to ten slices, which worked well for a group of six.  One of the things that I am still shocked about (other than the sauce!), was how reasonably priced the pies were.  It came out to $14.25 for a large Chicago style pizza with one topping ($1.25 per topping). 

The Pizza

One Large (14") 1/2 Pepperoni, 1/2 Sausage Pizza

Coming into this, I was expecting a thick, super cheesy, pizza with a little sauce and a few toppings.  I was wrong.  The pizza had a sweet crust, which drew a some slight criticism from some of the group members.  The thickness of the pizza was not that of Sam’s.  Instead, it reminded me of that of a self-rising DiGiorno pizza.  The rim was a little crunchy, but still had the consistency of bread.  The sauce was my personal favorite.  It was well seasoned, with a little spicy kick.  In my opinion, the cheese was perfect for this pie…not too much, but not too little.  There was a little bit of grease

Open up!  This Chicago Style Pizza wasn't as thick as I expected

The Verdict

For someone looking to get into the thicker style of pizza’s I would highly suggest this place.  I was a little disappointed by the bottom crust of the pizza…I wished for it to be a little thicker.  I would probably rate this as my second/third favorite pizza. 

For the first time, I had everyone in the group participated in rating this pizza attempt:

A cross section of the pizza

1-Worst / 10-Best

Overall            5.6

Cheese            7.8

Toppings         6.0

Sauce               5.6

Crust                6.4