Re-Attempt #39 - Ruby's Pizzeria

This was a special re-attempt at Ruby's. As prior, the pizza was very, very good. It is still on it's game as being one of Cedar Rapid's best pizza restaurants! No ratings were taken for this attempt, however, pictures were shot. We had 10 participants for this event.

Attempt #55 - Red Vespa Pizzeria

The Venue

208 E Main St.

Solon, IA 52333

(319) 624-2080

South of Cedar Rapids is a small city which has lately contained an influx of wealthy people who work in the metro Iowa City area. The Red Vespa is no small Iowan town pizza joint, it is a classy place with a large bar and liquor selection as well as containing classy, Neapolitan Wood-fired pizzas. Booths, tables, and bar seating exist, with authentic hard wood floor, and an Italian brick oven tops it off as a great place for pizza. The service was excellent; the waitstaff was very accommodating and friendly.

You can check out their website at www.theredvespa.com, or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RedVespaSolon/

Menu

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Thin

We had five participants so we ordered six pizzas, which only came in one personal size. They did not offer any different size, or crust. In fact, they only offer gourmet options-to order our pepperoni, we had to order the sausage and substitute the sausage for pepperoni. The Red Vespa has daily pizza specials, each with a unique topping which is not on the menu. The pieces were cut into quarters, since they are meant to serve 1-2 people each.

Mediterranean – House-made Pesto Cream Sauce, House-made Mozzarella, Prosciutto Di Parama (Crudo), Arugula, Sweet Grape Tomatoes, and Shaved Parmesan, $15

Bee String, $13

Sweet Corn – Sweet Corn, Creme Fraiche, Garlic Olive Oil, Prosciutto Di Parma, Sicilian Oregano, and Fresh Mozzarella, $14

Bee Sting – Spicy Soppressata, Calabrian Chilies, Honey, Chili Oil, $13

Rugula – Arugula, Prosciutto Di Parma, shaved Pecorino, $13

Pork Love – Prosciutto Di Parma, Soppressata, and Fennel Sausage, $14

Pepperoni – $13

The Verdict

The pizza was thin, with a slightly beady rim to it. Sadly, the excess of wonderful toppings made each pizza soggy in the middle (which explains the poor crust rating). The topping selection was amazing (see the menu for details), with unique twists and combinations of flavors. Speaking on that note, the Bee Sting was rated as the groups favorite pizza, mildly spicy chilis paired with sweet honey and spicy soppressata! What a awesome tasting pizza. The Sweet Corn came in second, and was very noteworthy (I almost couldn't decide!). The sauce was good, but a bit on the light side. The cheeses were great, however, I felt that their oil may have been the main concern of the crust's sogginess. Nevertheless, if you are in the mood for a unique pizza, take a drive and give them a try.

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 8.80

Cheese 8.20

Sauce 9.60

Topping 8.00

Crust 6.60

Venue 9.20

Favorite Bee Sting

Rugula, $13

Mediterranean, $15

Sweet Corn, $14

Slices

Pork Love, $14

Pepperoni, $13

Attempt #54 - Need Pizza

Menu

The Venue

207 2^nd Ave SE #200

Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

(319) 362-6333

Need pizza is a new restaurant which opened up recently in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is located at the heart of downtown located near the intersection of 2^nd Street and 2^nd Avenue. The restaurant had two ping pong tables, along with TVs, Lego's for the kids, and a black chalkboard for guests to write on behind one row of tables. The bar area had old refrigerators which had taps mounted on the doors, serving a wide variety of beer. During lunch, they do serve pizza by the slice, if you in the area.

You can check out their website at http://www.needcr.com/.

Pizza Fries

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Average

We had nine participants so we ordered four pizzas (3 large and 1 medium). The style is “New Haven”, which draws on the east coast for inspiration. The size comes in small, medium, and large. They did not offer any gourmet pre-configured pizza options; however, they did have a special of the day (Buffalo Chicken, only available in the medium size).

Buffalo Chicken Special, Medium

BBQ Chicken, Onion, Roasted Red Peppers, Large

Pepperoni, Sausage, Meatball, Bacon, Large

BBQ Chicken, Onion, Roasted Red Peppers, Large

Pepperoni, Large

The Verdict

The pizza was very good, chewy, large triangular slices (often the pizza didn't fit on my plate). The crust wasn't too thick, and the toppings were set on about right. Surprisingly, the meat pizza (Pepperoni, Sausage, Meatball, and Bacon was the crowd favorite earning five votes. The sauce was a little on the light side. For me, I prefer my pizza crust to have a little bit more bready thickness, but many don't. Although we loved Ruby's as our favorite place after 54 Pizza Attempts (located right around the corner from this place) , I can see a possibility where Need Pizza exists and Ruby's does not just by the fact that Need Pizza has such a unique offering (Ruby's is a lot like Tomaso's [another local favorite]). Stop on by if you want a slice of New Haven style pizza! Its probably the closest thing Cedar Rapids has to a New York Style pizza.

Buffalo Chicken Special, Medium

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 7.75

Cheese 7.63

Sauce 7.38

Topping 7.38

Crust 7.63

Venue 8.44

Favorite Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, Meatball

Pepperoni, Large

Pepperoni, Sausage, Meatball, Bacon, Large

Slices

Attempt #53 - Forbidden Planet Pizzeria & Video Arcade

Venue

The Venue

111 S. Dubuque

Iowa City, IA 52240

(319) 358-6400

Wrapping up summer is our last Iowa City pizza attempt for the time being. We choose the newly established Pizza Arcade due to its awesome vintage video games, as well as fun atmosphere. The space is rather limited, as you can see in the photo, but the food doesn't disappoint! If you call in advance you can easily have enough space for a party of 10 on a weeknight. Its the weekends when it gets busy. They carry their own type of tokens, so be sure to cash out before you leave or save them for next time. You can check out their website at http://forbiddenplanetiowacity.com/.

The Pizza

Menu

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Thin and Thick

We had Nine participants, so we ordered four pizzas. They have two types of crust, Neapolitan (thin) and Deep Dish (thick). The pieces were sliced into triangular-shaped pieces.

Pollo Fantastico – Tomato, brined mozzarella, choizo, bacon, pepperoni, & beef. (Neapolitan Crust, $13.50)

Taco Truck - Black bean, chorizo, Monterey Jack, onion, cilantro & lime. (Neapolitan Crust, $13.50)

Italian Stallion Medallion - Rich tomato, pepperoni, Italian sausage, Andouillé, salami, bacon & mozzarella. (Deep Dish Crust, $20)

The Cuban - Pulled pork, prosciutto, pickle, swiss, special mustard sauce. (Deep Dish Crust, $19)

The Verdict

Italian Stallion Medallion, Deep Dish Crust, $20

The pizzas were all very good. Neither of them were soggy, nor overly greasy. The sauce could have been a little heavier though. It did seem to taste a little dry-it could have been something with the dough perhaps. The Taco Truck was a close second for me, but the Italian Stallion was my, and the crowd's favorite by a long measure. Although the deep dishes take around a half an hour to cook, they were certainly worth the wait. As for the video games and pinball machines, what a great way to spend some quarters while waiting for your pizza!

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 8.31

Cheese 8.50

Sauce 7.63

Topping 8.38

Crust 7.25

Venue 8.25

Favorite Italian Stallion

Pollo Fantastico, Neapolitan Crust, $13.50

Taco Trunk, Neapolitan Crust, $13.50

The Cuban, Deep Dish, $19

Slices

Attempt #52 - Mesa's Pizza

Menu

The Venue

114 E. Washington St.

Iowa City, IA 52240

(319) 351-6372

What to order?

Nested in Iowa City's pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus, Mesa's has a representation for serving unique and sometimes bizarre-but good, pizza. As you might expect from a college town, the inside of the joint is rather basic, with a long stretch of tables against on side of the wall. Customized monster-like artwork covers the inside all four walls, with the far back section is where you order by pointing at each pizza and asking “What's that?”. The prices were cheap, and it was awesome that they commonly serve by the slice. Their procedure involves reheating the pizza in the oven for a minute after you choose what you want, so its hot when you get it. The menu items are simple, pizza, pop, along with a little salad. You can check out their website menu at http://www.mesapizzaia.com/menu.html.

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Thin

Our group consisted of six participants, so we ordered 14 pieces of pizza. Since they serve by the slice as well as by the pie, we capitalized on the wide variety that Mesa offered. The only have New York style of crust, but if you order a whole pizza, you can choose a size to meet your needs (12” Medium, 16” Large, and 20” Extra Large).

Cost $3.75 per slice

The Verdict

The best I can say about this pizza was the variety! It overwhelmed me. Half of the time I had no clue what I was eating since we shared each piece. I did not care for the re-heating each slice, as it made the crust thick like a shell and a little harder to chew. The toppings were interesting, but still good. The pizza size was great. I found the sauce to be lacking enough flavor on most of the pizzas. It seemed to be on the very light side. Each of the six participants voted for a different pizza as their favorite. Therefore, the winners were:

Southwest Steak and Guacamole

Kielbasa

Mac & Cheese

Spinach Feta Pesto

BBQ Steak

Bacon Garlic Mashed Potato

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 7.25

Cheese 7.67

Sauce 6.83

Topping 8.92

Crust 6.67

Venue 6.67

Favorite None-we tied with one vote for each

Attempt #51 - Lincoln Winebar

Menu

The Venue

125 1st St. W

Mt. Vernon, IA 52314

(319) 895-9463

Opened in 2007 the winebar was expanded in early 2012 to include a beautiful wood fired pizza oven from Naples, Italy. The expansion tripled the seating area and allowed for the addition of a small stage for live music. Owner Matt Steigerwald once ran the locally famous Lincoln Cafe, decided to sell the business to long-time employee Jesse Sauerbrei back on September 1^st, 2014. The venue has a very clean and trendy feel with a focus on three things: wine, pizza, and live music. As far as the pizza goes, these gusy are doing it right, with an authentic Italian brick oven roaring proudly behind their counter. The chief prepares the pies so everyone can see. Seating is limited, so if you have a party larger than four, its best of come early. You can check out their website at http://foodisimportant.com/.

Venue - Inside  (Oven), "Food is Important"

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Thin

Our group consisted of six participants, so we ordered four pizzas. They only serve them with one thin crust, and in one personal size that could feed 1-2 people. They have five pizzas that are always on the menu, with four specialty pizzas offered on the Tuesday that we participated.

Chicken, Sausage, and Chili Pepper - Nightly Special ($16).

Four Cheese – Nightly Special; Mozzarella, Feta, Buffalo Blu, and Parmesan Cheeses ($16).

Smoked Margherita – Smoked mozzarella, san marzano tomato, and fresh basil ($15).

Chicken, Sausage, and Chili Pepper Special, $16

Greens – Pistachio pesto, greens, and parmigiano reggiano ($16).

The Verdict

The pizza kept warm uncut, which allowed us to cut them as we saw fit. None of the pies was burnt which was a bonus considering their thin crust. The toppings were of very high quality, with unique and distinguished flavors bursting in each bite. Even over a glass of water, it will make you feel gourmet. They slices passed the bent test, meaning the crust was not soggy. The cheese on the smoked margherita could have used a little more. Overall, the delicious spice of the Chicken, Sausage, and Chili Pepper Special won me over, with the saltiness of the four cheese right behind it. Chicken, Sausage, and Chili Pepper Special ended up receiving the most votes (3). The only downside of this pizza is the price $15 is a lot for a personal pizza, but if you great pizza you have to pay for it. Personally, I enjoy the thick Chicago style pizza, but as far as thin crust goes, this may be the best I've ever had! If you are in the area, I would highly recommend to make the trip over to the winebar (Note: they are closed on Sunday and Mondays).

Four Cheese Special, $16

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 9.33

Cheese 9.33

Sauce 8.67

Topping 9.58

Crust 8.83

Venue 8.42

Favorite Chicken, Sausage, and Chili Pepper

Smoked Margherita, $15

Slices

Greens, $

Attempt #50 - Domino's Pizza

Pizza Snapshot Dominos

The Venue

1396 7^th Ave

Marion, IA 52302

(319) 377-0030

As I'm sure most of you are shock by reading this. Yup. Dominos. For our 50^th attempt, we ordered from Dominos. That was due to my mistake that the Lincoln Winebar is not open on Mondays. Because of this reason, that will occur sometime in July. Since it was last minute, we had it off site-meaning no Venue rating for this attempt.

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Average

Philly Cheese Steak, Large 14", Hand Tossed Crust, $17.99

Our group consisted of six participants, so we ordered 4 pizzas. Ours came in medium and large sizes, with the spread of hand tossed, thin, and pan crusts.

Philly Cheese Steak - Philly Steak, Mushrooms, Green Peppers, Onions, Shredded Provolone Cheese, American Cheese (Large, 14”, Hand Tossed crust, $17.99).

Fiery Hawaiian - Robust Inspired Tomato Sauce, Cheese, Ham, Bacon, Pineapple, Roasted Red Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Shredded Provolone Cheese, Shredded Parmesan, Hot Sauce (Medium, 12”, Thin crust, $9.99).

2x Classic Pepperoni - Sliced pepperoni, fresh marinara, basil, and a blend of cheeses ($9.95).

Pepperoni and Sausage - (Medium, 12”, Pan crust, $6.99).

Pepperoni and Red Pepper - (Medium, 12”, Hand Tossed crust, $5.95).

Fiery Hawaiian, Medium 12", Thin Crust, $9.99

The Verdict

The pizza kept warm on the ride home, and smelled great. Each pie was cut in triangle except for the thin crust Fiery Hawaiian-that was cut into small rectangles. The pizza itself wasn't the best; but it wasn't bad either. Over half of the group voted that the Philly Cheese Steak was their favorite...it had a good blend of meat and white cheese sauce which made an exceptionally delicious taste in your mouth after each bite. Personally, I enjoyed the Pan style pizza because it reminded me of Tomaso's Detroit crust except it didn't have very much caramelized cheese alongside the rim of the crust.

Pepperoni and Red Peppers, Medium 12", Hand Tossed Crust, $5.99

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 6.42

Cheese 6.67

Sauce 6.17

Topping 6.33

Crust 6.67

Venue N/A

Favorite Philly Cheese Steak

Pepperoni and Sausage, Medium 12", Pan Crust, $6.99

Attempt #49 - Granite City

Menu

The Venue

4755 1^st Ave. SE

Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

(319) 395-7500

Most of you aren't surprised by Granite City, they are in most large cities across the country. With their consistent push as a micro brew, they serve up some tasty food as well-the London Broil being one of my personal favorites. The restaurant is divided into three main parts, the bar area, the large brewing vessels, and the main restaurant area. There are options for booths as well as tables holding up to 30 (call in advance). For many, the flat bread pizza is a typical thing to order for lunch or dinner, costing between $10-$12 and it just about right for one person. The corporate menu can be found here: http://www.gcfb.net/menu

The Pizza

Margherita, $10.95

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Thin

Our group consisted of seven participants, so we ordered 7 pizzas. They can come in one size (triangular-shaped) , with only one styles of crust (cracker thin).

Maple Pepper Bacon and Tomato - Maple pepper bacon, tomatoes, basil, and a blend of cheeses on a garlic aioli brushed crust ($11.95).

BBQ Chicken - BBQ chicken with cilantro, red onions, and a blend of cheeses ($10.95).

2x Classic Pepperoni - Sliced pepperoni, fresh marinara, basil, and a blend of cheeses ($9.95).

Margherita - Sliced tomatoes, fresh marinara and a blend of cheeses. Topped with balsamic glaze, and fresh basil ($10.95).

Buffalo Chicken - Buffalo-tossed chicken, cheese, celery and scallions. Drizzled with bleu cheese dressing ($11.95).

Prosciutto Olive, $11.95

Prosciutto Olive - Prosciutto ham, green olives, a blend of cheeses and fresh basil on a garlic aioli brushed crust ($11.95).

The Verdict

The pizzas came out on individual trays with rectangle cut pieces. The cracker thin was a favorite of some in our group, it maintained a snap. Each of the pizzas had a nice sharp cracker crust. The toppings were consequently light (not allowing the crust to be soggy). The Margherita tasted very much like a veggie pizza, rather than a cheese pizza. The favorite was the BBQ Chicken, with a tastey BBQ blended sauce, giving it orange in color. A close second was the buffalo chicken with a creamy white sauce with bleu cheese. Honestly, I wouldn't come here for just the pizza, I would come for the beer,pizza, and to socialize in an after-work classy kind of manner.

Buffalo Chicken, $11.95

Here are our ratings, where 1 = worst and 10 = best.
Overall 7.71

Cheese 7.29

Sauce 7.00

Topping 7.71

Crust 7.71

Venue 8.00

Favorite Buffalo Chicken

BBQ Chicken, $10.95

Maple Pepper Bacon and Tomato, $11.95

Classic Pepperoni, $9.95