Godfather's Pizza

Being a "nationwide" chain, I would usually not review this pizza, but it is nowhere to be found in my home state of Colorado any more. When I was a child, there used to be one in my home town of Loveland, but they went away a long time ago. Years later when I moved to Dayton, Ohio, I found one in that area. There are now two in the Dayton area.

When I was able to go back to a Godfather's Pizza after possibly 25 years, I was impressed. Their huge amounts of cheese is very tasty, almost like they add salt to it. I usually don't like a thicker crust, but I like theirs a lot. They pride themselves in a great crust. The photos below show a "Classic Combo", which includes beef, sausage, pepperoni, black olives, mushrooms, and onions. This is my favorite pizza at Godfather's. They also make gluten-free crusts for those who are interested.
Web Site: http://godfathers.com/

Skyline Chili

One of my favorite foods when traveling to the Dayton, Ohio area is Skyline Chili. It isn't the usual chili that you would think of, it is "Cincinnati-style" chili, which doesn't usually have beans in it, but is beef and a mixture of special spices (I think there is a hint of cinnamon in there). They serve the chili as "Ways", a 3-Way being chili on top of spaghetti noodles, and a huge heap of shredded cheddar cheese on top. A 4-Way adds either diced onions or red beans. A 5-Way adds both onions and beans. They also serve the chili on top of "coneys" (small hot dogs). They add seasonal "extreme" cheese, which is habienero cheese, with quite a "kick", that I love. I usually get a regular 3-Way and a chili-cheese coney, both with "extreme" cheese if available. It is very tasty. I would recommend taking them up on the offer for a bib, as the sauce tends to get on your shirt as you eat, even if you're careful.

Skyline is based out of Cincinnati, and can be found in maybe a 100-mile radius out from there. I have heard that you can purchase Skyline chili in a can at King Soopers/ Krogers, but haven't really looked. I'm sure it isn't quite the same as the restaurant, but it's worth a try. Don't judge until you've had it at the restaurant though. I give this taste a full 5 stars!
Web Site: http://skylinechili.com/

Marion's Piazza

Dayton, Ohio is home of another of my favorite pizza restaurants called Marion's Piazza. I have been to two of the eight locations around Dayton: Centerville and Beavercreek. Both were the same, with a nice "old Italian courtyard" atmosphere, and great pizza. Almost every time I go, I get their "Super Cheese" pizza, which includes pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, onions, green peppers, and "mounds of cheese". One of the unique things about Marion's is their sausage, which is more finely crumbled than usual. Their sauce is on the sweet side, and they mound their toppings from edge to edge, which I love. I can't really explain why the pizza is so good, but the picture below says it all for me.

This restaurant is a local favorite for many people, and is a popular gathering place for sports teams, families, etc. Marion's has a couple of drawbacks in my opinion, though. First, it is cash only. No credit/debit cards, or checks. The prices are a bit on the high side, a small Super Cheese being around $13. Also it is so popular, that sometimes it takes a long time to get food or to find a place to sit. I suppose that is a good testament to their quality. They do claim to have been voted Dayton's best pizza, but a few places claim the same thing. This is definitely in my top five, and a must-have when I go to Dayton. I give this pizza a solid four stars.
Web Site: http://www.marionspiazza.com/

Donato's Pizza

I know it has been a while since I posted. My travels have taken me to places recently where no blog-worthy food is available. Fortunately this week, I have a real treat! My travels have taken me back to Dayton, Ohio, where my bio explains I moved from two years ago. I didn't have many pictures from my favorite food in the Dayton area, but am here all this week. I am trying to hit all my absolute favorite places while I am here.

Yesterday for lunch I chose Donato's Pizza. This pizza chain started in Columbus, Ohio in the 1960's. It seems to be localized to Ohio, and is quite unique. This is one of my favorite Dayton area pizzas, mainly because of its "edge to edge" topping philosophy. When I'm in the mood, I like deep dish as well, but most of the time I don't prefer a lot of crust, and like my toppings more. This is the case with Donato's. They also have a couple of unique flavors that I love. Their "Founder's Favorite" is my favorite, being a total meat pizza but with the addition of banana peppers, which really add a nice taste to the sausage, ham, bacon, and pepperoni. My other favorite is just a cheese pizza. There is something special about the seasoning they add to their cheese pizza, and they use provolone cheese, which gives it a different taste than the usual mozzarella.

If you find yourself thinking about edge-to-edge toppings pizza when you are in Ohio, give Donato's a try. I would put it in my top 5 favorite pizzas.
Web Site: www.donatos.com