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/

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

 

Beau Jo's Pizza

Beau Jo's pizza is a unique "Colorado Style" pizza, otherwise known as a "Mountain Pie". There are eight locations, seven of them in Colorado. The original one is in Idaho Springs, up the mountains West of Denver off I-70, on the way to the ski resorts up there. I like to make a stop through Idaho Springs when I have the time, to hit Beau Jo's. I admittedly have never had any of their menu items besides the Mountain Pie, which has a very big crust and traditionally you put honey on the crust after you eat the part of the pizza with the topping on it. I'm not really a huge fan of the big crust to be honest. I need to try one of their "Prairie Pies" which supposedly have a thinner crust. The topping part of the Mountain Pie is really good, though. They use premium ingredients, whole milk cheese (which I think makes a great flavor), and a distinct spice combination in their sauce. In the pictures you will see their "Little Sicily" specialty pie, which is pretty good. The prices, however, aren't very good in my opinion. A "medium" (2 pounder) will run you $18 to $20. The Idaho Springs restaurant does have a very cool feel to it, though. It's like a big log ski lodge. I suppose you are paying for the experience. It's a good pizza, but I have had much better for much less money. I recommend this place, but have to give it only 3 stars, maybe 3 1/2 on the taste itself. If you're craving honey on this crust, though, it's really good.
Web site: http://www.beaujos.com/

 

Woody's Pizza

My favorite pizza in Colorado is Woody's Wood Fired Pizza. There are four locations that I know of, but they seem to be not quite the same company. They are all almost the same, though. I used to live in Fort Collins, where there was a Woody's right by CSU campus that I went to a lot. Sadly, I read that this location closed on June 25, 2011 to make space for more student housing :-( What a shame! I have been to the one in Golden, which claims to be the original, and has been voted Best Pizza in Jefferson County. I have also been to the one off Quebec and Evans in Denver. There is another one in Arvada. All of them that I have been to offer an all-day pizza buffet, as well as a salad bar. The cooks are always happy to cook whatever pizza you request. My favorite is the buffalo chicken pizza. The location in Golden, however, usually puts crumbled bleu cheese on it, though, which I don't like. I just ask them to not put that on. I also love their artichoke pizza. The photo below features their California pizza (my second favorite), pepperoni and bacon pizza, and the Buffalo Chicken pizza from the Evans location in Denver. Stop by if you're in the area!
Web site (Arvada and Denver): http://www.restaurantonline.biz/wwwroot/woodys/indexs.php
Web site (Golden): http://www.woodysgolden.com/

Helen Back

I spend a lot of time in the North-Western pan-handle of Florida for work, around Fort Walton Beach. One of my favorite places to go when I am craving pizza is a bar/restaurant called Helen Back. There are a few locations in Florida, but I have only been to the one in Fort Walton Beach. It is located right on the coast of Okaloosa Island and has a huge patio/deck dining area that overlooks the bay, as well as a bar area inside. The pizza at this place is really, really good. The sauce and toppings come almost out to the edge of the crust, and whatever seasoning they put on the crust is awesome. It is nice and salty with a hint of garlic, which I like. I usually get "everything on the top line" minus jalapenos. I have experimented with other toppings but it isn't the same experience. Try this pizza out of you're in the area!
Web site: http://www.helenbackcafe.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!)