Bronx Pizza of Deland Florida

Typically I don't use delivery to explore new pizzas, but today was a special day for no reason aside from doing this one thing differently. With a ratio of 2cr/1ce/2ch*, Bronx delivers the kind of east coast pie you can expect from any small chain in central Florida. It's not new york, but it's what the people know.

Bronx's dough gets a 3 out of 5 from me. It was crispy on the bottom and somewhat light, though not as airy as what you'd get in the big apple. The flavor was fine. The fact that our pie was delivered made the whole thing more dry than you'd expect from something fresh from the oven, so I did take that into consideration.

For sauce, I'll give Bronx a 4 out of 5. It was rich and full of herbs. While it was closer to spaghetti sauce than I'd prefer, I kept wanting more of it. When it comes to style, I give Bronx a 3 out of 5. Nothing stands out about it at all. And at thirty dollars for a large cheese, delievered, I feel like they don't even want my patronage. But maybe customers are expected to pay for the experience of their glorious restaurant, like at Ruckus. I don't know. I don't feel like I can give a full judgement here because I've never been inside.

For overall quality Bronx gets a 4 out of 5 from me. Mind you, I'm no longer in Bloomington Indiana where I'd give any shop an extra point for employing mostly university kids making their first attempt at holding down some kind of job. I can only assume people who cook professionaly in Deland have almost nothing else going on in their lives because they can't afford to do anything but cook, at their jobs, all the time.

With a final score of 70%, I enjoyed Bronx Pizza enough to give it a follow-up review, with the whole dining experience.

* Let me explain my ratio system, regarding mass of standard Pizza Elements. Cr=Crust. Ce=Sauce. Ch=Cheese.

For CR (CRust), 1 is the equivalent of a transparent pizza in the New York style, or the rolled-out, crackery Saint Louis style. 3 would be a regular Domino's hand-tossed Pizza. 4 would be like a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza, and 5 would be like a Sicilian Pizza or some varieties of Deep Dish.

For Ce (sauCE), 1 would be a watery sauce with a thin spreading, no clumping and no oozing. In this cause, the sauce is an afterthought, more like oregano than a key ingredient. 3 would be what you'd expect from a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. 5 would require a fork to eat.

For CH (CHeese), 1 would be a transparent layer, mostly existing to assure you that your pizza indeed Does have cheese on it. 3 would be a regular Domino's hand-tossed pizza. 4 would be what you get on a Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. And 5 would be what you get in a pizza that requires a fork to eat, like a respectable Deep Dish Pie.

Ruckus Pizza of Raleigh, North Carolina

Upon meeting pretty much anyone from a new region, it's natural for me to inquire about their favorite regional pizzas, from a regional chain. And my trouble with taking suggestions on pizza is, that I must always write my truth. While I often opt for the large pie, the deal for slices at Ruckus was too good to pass up. It was like $3 for a slice from a thirty inch pie. The RATIO for my cheese slices was 2cr/1ce/2ch, typical for a big slice joint.

I'll give their dough a 2 out of 5. It was both burnt and soggy, without much flavor. The outer crust was also pretty dry. So there were a variety of textures, not in really in a good way. Their sauce gets a 4 out of 5. It checked all the boxes for me.

For style, I give Ruckus a 3 out of 5. I like how cheap it was, and I wonder if that has any correlation to the full liquor bar enabling the restaurant to keep the profit margins low on the food. That being said, the place was very loud, with many tvs all showing different things. I got to watch some people hit golf balls while the tv behind me showed recaps of some of the best tik toks of the day. It's the kind of pizza joint that has black urninals, weird sinks, and serves sushi and poke bowls. While I admired Vito's inclusion of 'mexican' food, I don't think sushi is one of those things that should be served from the broiling kitchens of a regional pizza chain. I guess it's fine to give options to people who show up for the atmosphere and really Really don't want pizza. But what kind of pizza joint should put so much work into pleasing people who don't like pizza? I don't know.

For overall quality, Ruckus gets a 3 out of 5. I don't like the contrast of dry and soggy, and there were some bites with no discernable sauce at all. It's a good thing I got a side of it. While I can see why some people might love going to this place, with a score of 60%, I'll be exploring other options next time I'm in the area.

Vito's Pizza of Cumberland Virginia

When it comes to out of the way pizza joints, I usually expect the cooks to have been there at least ten years, knowing their business well. Such might have been the case at Vito's. After entering through a mudroom with community flyers and quarter machines, one selling sticky hands, I noted most of the workers at this place to be family... like a dad and kids. Immediately my expectations rose.

Our pie had a RATIO of 2.5cr1.5ce3ch. The dough gets a 4 out of 5 from me. It was soft, sweet, comforting and delicious. If only there'd been more sauce, the goo factor would have brought me to my knees. Vito's sauce gets 3 out of 5. It was a little bland, a little watery, but the present flavor was good.

For style, I give Vito's a 4 out of 5. It really is my kind of place, where you can sit down and order and receive unlimited diet cokes without getting up once. It's not fancy, but done right. Our server was a sassy old lady who stayed remarkably on top of everything.

The menu also had a number of traditional italian and homestyle dishes, making it a local staple for all types of people. But there's more. A cardholder on our table displayed Vito's all new mexican menu. That's right. Vito's now serves mexican food too. I'd love to compare and contrast their marinara and salsa. My only complaint about the pizza was that there wasn't enough sauce. So I'm penalizing the score of style so I can give Vito's a proper 5 out of 5 for overall quality.

I had no complaints about our pizza, nor the dining experience. With an overall score of 80%, I recommend anyone in the beautiful, backwood mountains of Virginia to check this one out.

Stavro's Pizza of Orange City Florida

If you're reading this, you're probably aware of my opions on Florida pizza's complacency with delivering little more than a passable approximation to the New York style. At the least, Stavro's gave us something a little different. Their pie had a RATIO of 2cr/2ce/3ch. The dough gets a 3 out of 5. It held itself together without getting too soggy, but it was somewhat bready and lacking in flavor, likely underproofed and underkneaded.

Their sauce also gets a 3 out of 5. It didn't pop the way I might like it to. In fact, it could have easily have come from a huge can that read "Pizza Sauce." There was no tang.

For style, I guess I'll give Stavros another 3 out of 5. It's not same as everywhere else around, and I dug the establishment's aim for coziness without pretention. There are a number of other italian dishes on the menu, which I'd like to try, but I might expect some form of pasta that's been sitting in the cooler for weeks. But you never know until you try. This is just speculation, as Pizza is often the best deal on the menu. We also got the chicken finger appetizer, which had to have come directly from a box in the freezer.

For overall quality, I'll give Stavro's a 4 out of 5. And mind you, this isn't Bloomington Indiana. This is central Florida, where cooking jobs are reserved for grown-ups who need to work. I found nothing wrong with the construction and presentation of our pie. But will I go out of my way to get it again when there are better joints just around the corner? Probably not. With a final score of 65%, I would recommend Stavro's to anyone very hungry within its two mile radius.

Old Town Pizza and Tavern of Saint Augustine Florida

It's hard to tell which part of Saint Augustine is the Old Town unless you're talking about the town itself, in which this pizza joint's a new spot on West King in a building that's been home to many short-lived restaurants. OTPAT (old town pizza and tavern) is more cozy than I expected it to be, with full table service, a reasonable selection of beverages, and an overly friendly guy who plays guitar and sings over a pa that's just a little too loud.

Our pie itself had a RATIO of 1cr/1ce/1ch. Possibly the thinnest pizza in town, you could almost see right through it. Its thinness reminded me of De Leon Pizza out on the east side, but it can't be the same recipe otherwise they would have kept the name. I'll give their crust a 3 out of 5. It was pretty crusty and dry, but altogether pretty good.

Their sauce gets a 4 out of 5, I guess. I liked it and its general lack of filler, but there's nothing special about it. OTPAT's sauce does its job as hoped.

For style, I'll give OTPAT a 3 out of 5. There's nothing original or special about their pizza. I feel like a new spot needs to make a really good impression for people to come back in favor of one of the many pizza joints that aren't open late. While this place has a pool table, and checks all my other boxes for comfort, my party was the only occupied table and our server was barely able to keep up. There are also card menus on each table for their desserts, obviously made with stock photos. Have I been kidding myself, or is there actually no distinction between chocolate Cake and chocolate Mousse?

For overall quality, I'll give OTPAT a 4 out of 5. Our pizza was quite good, albeit a little dry. I'm always impressed by a pizza of maximal thinness. With a final score of a 70%, I hope I'll get the chance to give Old Town Pizza and Tavern another shot.

Leo's Pizza (Restorante Italiano) of Jacksonville Illinois

Though the vibe of Leo's is an Italian restaurant, I've only ever had their pizza. And they serve a fine pie, with a full dining room and a line of to go orders to keep them busy all night. There's a good reason why this is one of the most beloved spots in my hometown. They serve pizzas both thin and stuffed. I'll rate their stuffed pie, with a RATIO of 4cr/4ch/3ce. Notice how the sauce was measured last. That's right, this is the kind of pizza with the sauce on top.

Their crust gets a 4 out of 5 from me. While it's chewy and delicious, it's also kind of dense and dry. Their sauce gets a 5 out of 5. It's deliciously sweet, complimenting the dough in every way. If only this stuffed pie was served with an entire lake of sauce.

For style, I'll give Leo's a 5 out of 5. It's a family run joint, with pictures of the family everywhere, often alongside hollywood celebrities. It also has a veranda for those who party extra hard. It's comfortably chaotic, feeling like home to every enjoyer.

Lastly, I give Leo's a 4 out of 5 for overall quality. I think the cheese could have more stretch to it. Maybe it was served kind of cold. At the pace they try to get these pizzas out, it's no surprise to find a slight focus on Quantity over Quantity. With a final score of 90%, I do hope you check out Leo's if you're ever passing through

Guzzardo's Italian Villa of Lincoln Illinois

By the name, you might have figured that Guzzardo's is more of a full on Italian restaurant than a pizza shop. And you'd be right. Pizzas are picked up at the back door, while diners have the glamorous experience of an italian restaurant with huge portions. Our pizza order was screwed up, somewhat. Instead of a cheese pizza with half pepperoni and sausage, they put toppings on the whole thing. Oh well. It had a RATIO of 3cr/1ce/4ch.

I'll give their crust a 3 out of 5. It was quite crusty, bubbling somewhat at the bottom where the dough soaked up a floury coating. It could have used more of a knead, but I found it enjoyable. And there was an adequate presence of goo where the dough met the sauce and cheese.

It's possible that most of the sauce absorbed itself into the dough, as there didn't seem to be much of it on the pizza. Lucky for me, our side of red sauce was huge. I should have taken a picture of it. The sauce gets a 4 out of 5. It was rich, long-roasted, with an abundance of oregano and marjoram.

For style, I'll give Guzzardo's a 4 out of 5. I do like how they gave us such a huge side of red sauce. Also, I like the idea of getting pizza at an italian restaurant, with a genuine italian feel. The pie hits that sweet spot between rustic and sloppy, wonderfully decadent. I imagine none of their pizzas are exactly the same, whether made for love or made for the cooks to get the ticket out of their faces. Who knows? That being said, I'll give this pie a score of 4 out of 5 for overall quality, with a final score of 75%.

The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

This is the second in King's Dark Tower series. Even with a gap of five months, I found myself forgetting who a lot of the characters had been. Lucky me, King knew how to throw in recaps when necessary. But for the next in the series, I won't wait nearly as long. I want more. I want a deeper immersion in this already fantastic piece of work.

In this one, Roland picks up the rest of this questing party in an adventure more dangerous and gripping than the last. I found myself unable to slow down, needing to know what happens next, among jaw dropping horrors. Roland plays a risky game indeeded, traveling between the mirage towers of our New York City and his own world, risking it all for his tower. This is my kind of fantasy, for sure.