Have you Hurd... I have been searching for something... Just remembered... A great local pizza joint...

I know for a lot of folks, Spring Break is vacation season.  A time to take time off work and spirit da youts away to some far-flung exotic (warm & sunny, entertainment filled) destination and re-energize for the push to the last day of school and endless days of summertime fun (for the kids anyway).  Since we don't have any children, it really turns into more of a stay-cation for us.  Spring Break provides ample opportunity to visit many places near the big college here in Columbus (that shall remain nameless) that will be less in demand while the students are away.  It seems this year, we knew when it was scheduled, but forgot until the last night to actually trip down to campus for any reason.  My 44 year-old brain isn't nearly as reliable as it once was.

Thankfully, my wife woke up this rainy Friday morning and remembered it was Spring Break.  She reminded me and we laid plans to hit Adriatico's after work for pizza.  If you can only make one stop before the hordes of crazy kids come back to town, that is as good a place as any.  Managed to scoop a couple friends and their daughter to join us which made for a fun five-some for dinner.  

Within these few pages
is the stuff of pizza dreams.

We arrived just before 6:00 pm and the place was nearly empty.  Found ample parking right in front and gladly dropped $1.50 into the meter for 2 hours of food and fellowship.  My wife and I were the advance team, so we texted to let the others know we had arrived and immediately secured a table near the door.  We ordered drinks and an appetizer and told them not to rush, since there wasn't much of a crowd pressing for seating.  They arrived at the same time as our bread sticks with garlic butter.  Piping, hot golden-brown braids of chewy baked dough with a generous side of garlic butter.  A half dozen of them was just enough of a warm up for our crew.  Knowing that the thick crust pizzas take awhile to bake, we asked the waitress to bring an individual cheese pizza for the youngest member of our party.  As three year-old's go, I have to say she may be the most patient and agreeable I have ever met.  Still didn't want to press our luck.  -smile-

Yummy braids of dough to
kick off the meal.

We attacked the bread sticks, and politely sent the waitress away twice while we pondered the endless list of toppings and negotiated our way to a Buckeye XL pizza on Sicilian (thick) crust.  We settled on half pepperoni/sausage/mushroom and the other half the legendary INFLATION FIGHTER.  Can't go wrong with pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, ham, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, green, and black olives.  I love green olives on pizza, but so many other places go overboard with them.  Adriatico's knows a good balance.  The perfect combination of all the critical elements.  Crust was just slightly crunchy on the edges and dense and chewy through the center underneath a better than average tomato sauce, respectable cheese blend and the aforementioned toppings.

I feel the consumer price
index falling with each
delicious bite.

Just because we couldn't
handle the 18 x 24 doesn't
mean you can't.

The waitress tried to steer us down from the Buckeye XL, but we were undeterred.  Perhaps we thought we could still eat like college students?  It's 18" x 24" she exclaimed.  No problem we shot back.  It will cover the entire table she intoned.  Just pull over another table we retorted.  She sighed like a Mother about to let her kids learn something the hard way and said OK, if you insist.  Indeed we did.  -smile-  As for actually walking our talk...  Not so much.  It will be good for leftovers.  That is what will help us sleep tonight.  Because we took a shellacking from that monstrous pizza.  I am not ashamed to say it was Buckeye XL - 1...  Dining Scout and the rest of his band - 0... -grinch-like scowl-

This is like an Easter egg in your
favorite video game.  I don't even
need to tell you what it means.
You will know instantly and
experience the same visceral reaction
 as your intrepid Dining Scout.

Good grub... Even better company...  Just ran out of steam.  Sign of old age?  Absolutely not!  Just wiser and bit more restrained.  -smile-  We packed our to go boxes and headed for the door.  The bill didn't leave too bad a dent in our collective wallet either.  By the time we walked out the door at 7:30 pm, it was clear "Adriatico's on Spring Break" is not a well-kept secret.  The joint was full to overflowing and a few desperate souls were eager for a table to open up.  I am sure they enjoyed it as much as we did.  Have at it, guys.  Just watch out for that Buckeye XL.  They should call it the Buster Douglas KO pizza.  It will knock you flat for sure.   -big smile-

A couple of  to go boxes...

Better make that four...  Stan
does not like to stack the
pizza in the to go box.
Does anyone besides me?

OK... Maybe three... 

www.adriaticososu.com

Your Dining Scout and Shade Tree Chef,

Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike