Attempt #135 - Lubben Vineyards & Winery

 

 The Venue 

13504 US-151,

Anamosa, IA 52205
(319) 462-1014

 

Since 2024, Lubben Vineyards and Winery has been a local stop off Highway 151 in Anamosa, Iowa. Several tables and seats tables exist, with orders being taken at the bar.  Although the food wasn’t super quick to the







table, it was hot and fresh.  The impressive thing was that most of the items were locally sourced and of high quality. 

   

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Thin, flatbreads.

Menu:  https://www.lubbenvineyards.com/menu-1-1

Participants: 6 (6 children)

Pizza Ordered:  6

Sizes Offered/Ordered:  Personal Flatbread

Pieces Cut: Square

 

Burrata – Sundried Tomato Pesto, Melted Mozzarella, Burrata, Locally Sourced Greens, Finished with Balsamic Glaze ($16.50)

Chicken and Avocado – Chicken Avocado, Mandarin Sesame Dressing, Melted Mozzarella, Pico de Gallo, Cilantro, Sesame Seeds ($16.50)

Margherita – Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh-Cut Basil, and our Signature Pizza Sauce, Finished with a drizzle of Balsamic, Glaze ($14.50)

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch – Chicken, Crispy Bacon, and Creamy Ranch with Melted Bacio Cheese ($16.50)

Pepperoni ($12.50)

 

 

 

Verdict

Sauce:  Sauce was a little light on the flatbreads, but that’s about right, considering they can get soggy easily.

Cheese:  High quality cheese makes the day.

Crust: Tasty crust with a good texture.  They were bready, hot and fresh. 

Toppings: Very high-quality ingredients.    

 

Final thoughts: 

I loved the pizza, although the portion sizes seemed a bit small.  This would be great to be paired with a salad. The wine flights were pretty fun, and the desert pizza sticks were worth a try. 

 

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

Overall 8.20

Cheese 8.40

Topping 9.00

Sauce 8.20

Crust 8.80

Venue 9.00

Favorite: Chicken Bacon Ranch

Attempt #134 - Dua Pie

 

Venue Outside

Menu

The Venue 

375 3rd St. SE,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
(319) 200-3379

 

Dua pie was a long-term creation.  The owner, original trained in New York, had came from the Dallas Texas area to then open his own pizza joint in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  He has a fully stocked (small but classy) bar, calzones, and various pizzas by the slice.  The lunch special is the best in town, $3 for two slices.  Seating includes booth and high table dining.  They do take reservations but usually you can just walk in and find a table.  The best seller is the stuffed meat lovers, with the cashier’s favorite being the buffalo chicken.

   

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: NY Thin and stuffed.

Menu:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DRUYdKLgKi-/?img_index=2

Participants: 12 (6 children)

Pizza Ordered:  3

Sizes Offered/Ordered:   Large (18”) or Small (14”)

Pieces Cut: Triangular

 

Meat Lover – Pepperoni, Sausage, Beef, Ham (Stuffed, 18”, $39.95)

BBQ Chicken - Chicken, Onion, BBQ Sauce (NY Thin, Small, 14”, $22.95)

White Pizza – Ricotta, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Garlic, Basil, Olive Oil (NY Thin, Large, 18”, $23.95)

 

 

 

Verdict

Sauce:  Red sauce was good from the side dip marinara.  I had wished we ordered a whole pizza, but instead I got a side slice for my child of pepperoni on NY Thin. 

Stuffed Meat Lovers

Cheese: I love that It wasn’t overloaded, but the White pizza was pretty bland, considering it was white sauce, I shouldn’t have been too surprised.  A few participants put red peppers on it, which made it a lot better.

Crust: Spot on for NY thin.  Hand tossed, definitely the highlight of the pie.

Toppings: Very high-quality ingredients, this guy clearly knows his stuff. 

 

Final thoughts: 

I would totally come back here for lunch, but I think the dinner pizza is a LOT of food.  The stuffed pizza especially filled me up! 

The blandness of the white pizza threw me off. 

 

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

Overall 8.25

Cheese 8.50

Topping 8.50

Sauce 8.25

Crust 9.38

Venue 8.88

Favorite: Tie – BBQ Chicken/Stuffed Meat Lovers

BBQ Chicken