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

 

Buffalo Wild Wings (B-Dubs)

Buffalo Wild Wings, or "B-dubs" is my all time favorite FRANCHISE place for wings, hands down. They have about fourteen regular sauce selections and four different dry rubs or seasonings. I'm not a huge fan of the dry rubs but they are pretty good. I usually go for the sauces, my favorite being the Parmesan Garlic, followed closely by Jammin' Jalapeno. After that I love the Mango Habanero (that's about as hot as I can take!) and the Caribbean Jerk. I always go Traditional wings. For some reason they taste so much better than the Boneless. Their potato wedges are awesome too, and I prefer ranch on the side (not a big fan of Bleu Cheese). I tried their ribs once and was not impressed at all. Most BWW have lunch specials where you can get ten Traditional wings plus fries or wedges for about $8. The location nearest where I work (on Chester Street by Park Meadows in Centennial, CO), however, does an "Unlimited Wings" M-F 11 AM to 2 PM, $9.99 for Traditional, $10.99 for Boneless. You get unlimited fries or wedges too. That usually makes for about a two-hour lunch, though, because I usually do either 18 or 24 wings (you order 6 at a time after the initial 12) plus wedges. Some places don't offer this special, and even this location stops it from time to time. When they have it, though, I put a serious dent in their profit margin for that day! The atmosphere is great too, if you like sports. They usually have numerous TVs with multiple games on. If you join their "Buffalo Circle" on their web site, each year on your anniversary of joining they send you a certificate for six free wings! I love this place!
Web site: www.buffalowildwings.com

 

Joe's Pizzeria

Joe's Pizzaria is a one-location mom-and-pop local pizza restaurant in Dayton, Ohio. There are many great pizza restaurants in that area, but this one was my overall favorite. They are consistently voted "best pizza in Dayton". Their pizza has a secret and distinct spice recipe that no-one has been able to duplicate. We used to make the trip from work and would call ahead, as they are usually really busy, understandably. We would order a deluxe pizza, light sauce, extra crispy. Some people feel the regular process leaves the pizza a bit soggy, but if you go light sauce extra crispy, it is really good. The picture below is of my old co-worker friend Jeff, about to devour a pie himself! The other pictures are better close-ups of a deluxe, and an extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage pizza. Absolutely incredible stuff!
Location: 4313 Airway Road Dayton, OH 45431 (937) 253-8154 (Call ahead!)

 

Penn Station East Coast Subs

Penn Station East Coast Subs is just what it sounds like, and is only found as far West as Kansas. This was my favorite hot sub sandwich restaurant when I was in Dayton, Ohio. Their Philly cheese-steak was probably the best "near-authentic" Philly I have ever had. They have the best Reuben I have ever had as well. They have fresh-cut fries (they had them before the recent craze that many restaurants have jumped on), and fresh squeezed lemonade which is really good. If you are in the Eastern part of the country, go to their website and see if there is a location nearby. I highly recommend!
Web site: http://www.penn-station.com/

Two years ago... Dayton, Ohio (White Castle)

I had to re-locate to Dayton, Ohio for a job in early 2008 from Colorado. I have many food experiences to share from the Dayton area, but those will have to wait.
Almost two years ago in late 2009, I was able to transfer back to the Denver, Colorado area, where I have lived since. I just wanted to share that the last meal I ate before leaving Ohio was the drive-through at White Castle. I know... if you've ever had White Castle, you either loved it or hated it. I found that most of the time men love it, women hate it. It's sort-of an acquired taste. I for one loved their sliders, but they haunt you the rest of the day. Very greasy. That's all I will say about that. Don't let this review turn you from further reading... the food will get better I promise!
Wed site: http://www.whitecastle.com/