Rolling in the Deep (Dish) at Bourbon House Pizza

Fourteenth Stop: Bourbon House Pizza

Date: April 26, 2012

Location: 7500 Oakbrook Drive Florence, KY 41042

Ranking: 20

Chicagoans feel deeply about their pizza (pun intended).  Those raised on the popular East Coast styles of New York thin crust or the traditionally Italian style Neapolitan pizzas might consider Chicago deep dish to be more of a “casserole” than a pizza.  However, pizza perfection tastes differently everywhere in America, depending on the region of the heartland you are in.  Fortunately, our geographic location lends itself to sampling a variety of culinary tradition from the people who have crossed, transplanted, or stumbled upon our area of the map.  Though we were far from the Windy City, the pizza we ate at Bourbon House could have fooled us.

Clean, casual, and modern atmosphere

Complimentary garlic knots for first-time visitors!

Our knowledgeable server was able to give us the run-down on the whole process of how our pizza would come to fruition.  A deep dish pizza is a work of precision and careful methodology.  It’s a two-step and approximately 25-30 minute process, we learned.  After a few minutes of preparation, the bottom crust and toppings cook in the oven for about 10 minutes.  This pizza, which most closely resembles a pie, is then removed from the oven, and the top crust is applied.  It cooks for 10 more minutes after this addition.  If it’s undercooked, it will be an unappetizing sludge of soggy ingredients.  If the crust is weak, it won’t be able to stand up to the dense filling of cheese, sauce, and toppings inside.  A deep dish done right is quite the accomplishment, considering it is easier to screw up and harder to perfect than its thin-crust counterparts.  So pat yourself on the back, Bourbon House, you got it right!

Where do we start with this thing?  It was monstrous, and we immediately knew why our server said that a medium would be way more than enough for the two of us.  Our server kindly served us each our first slice.  This was greatly appreciated, as slicing and serving inches of cheese and toppings isn’t the easiest feat.  We ended up only eating one piece each of this delicious creation, taking home 3 apiece for leftovers (which, by the way, heated up amazingly in the toaster oven).  Deep dish pies are known for their substantial amount of “fillings,” and depending on what kind of toppings you choose, they will turn out anywhere from hefty to staggering in size. 

These were our leftovers. 

We ended up ordering the Bourbon House Supreme, which was “loaded with Ricotta and Mozzarella Cheese, home made robust sauce, and your choice of any three toppings.”  For our toppings, we got the ol’ trusty combo of spinach, mushroom, and pepperoni.  The most amazing part of this pizza is the crust.  Biting into the crust was subliminal-the contrast of the gooey toppings with the chew and crisp of the crust was just right.  The pepperoni was notably delicious, with its savory spice and flavor refusing to be hidden by the bulk of the fillings.  The Ricotta cheese was an unlikely contender in the mix, but the little blobs mixed throughout were rich and creamy, adding an opposing dimension to the chewy goodness of the mozzarella.   

Not the most flattering picture, but I don't think the pizza minded. 

If you want a quick bite to eat, do not come here.  Visit Bourbon House pizza only when you have time to wait for that perfectly cooked stuffed pie of a pizza, and then savor its every bite.  And, if it’s your first visit, be sure to mention that to your server.  First-timers are privy to a free order of garlic knots.  This is the owner’s “thank you” for trying her pizza.  Every “thank you” should come in the form of warm, savory bread treats.  The garlic knots came out crispy at the edges, dough-y in the center of the knots, and accompanied by a thick, dipping-friendly marinara sauce and melted garlic butter.  They were so scrumptious that we couldn’t leave a bite to spare. 

The service was tip-top, the atmosphere was cozy and clean, and the food was impressive.  Our server’s reheating tips worked like a charm (cover the crust in foil, just like a pie), and the free appetizer was a nice and generous gesture.  All in all, we were quite pleased with Bourbon House Pizza, and stand by its strong ranking in the pizza list.  We will definitely be returning, though possibly not until we chomp away at the 36 pizzas left in our mission. 

Tom's Papa Dino's (named when people still knew how to use apostrophes)

Eighth Stop: Tom’s Papa Dino’s 

Date:  March 4^th, 2012

Location: 290 Main Street  Florence, KY 41042

Ranking: 39

We were actually aiming for Bourbon House Pizza last Sunday, but upon arriving found a note on the door:  the restaurant would be closed for the evening due to unforeseen circumstances.  We were bummed, of course, especially since we had taken measures to make sure that this was an “open on Sundays” kind of place.  However, we acknowledged that the circumstances causing them to close were probably much more important than us being able to eat pizza for lunch, and began a spontaneous hunt for a new pizza location in the area.

So, where else would we go?  Courtney remembered another Florence location on the list:  Tom’s Papa Dino’s.  We made a quick phone call to confirm that they were indeed open, and made the additional 15 minute drive down to the Union area. 

This little restaurant is family-owned, and has been in operation for a little over 50 years.  The vintage-looking sign out front shows the restaurant’s age, and suggests how embedded this little pizzeria has become in the local community over the years.  Tom’s Papa Dino’s is definitely on the smaller side, but we’ve found this to be common for most of the good pizza places.  The lights are low and the colors are warm and inviting; there is also some family memorabilia adorning the walls to make it even cozier.  We snagged a table towards the back with a view of the kitchen and promptly ordered an appetizer.  At this point, at about 4pm with no lunch, and after driving around Florence for what seemed like 2 days, our stomachs were growling. The battered mozzarella sticks were the perfect antidotes to our hunger while we waited for the pizza.   

We had looked over the menu, and though they did offer a standard amount of specialties and a list of potential toppings, we opted for something pretty basic.  The Paparoni features double pepperoni and extra cheese.  You can’t go wrong with these two, so we took this easy route and placed our order pretty quickly.  We enjoyed some mozzarella sticks as we waited, and discussed whether or not these proprietors are aware of our blogging mission.  Here is a scenario that we imagined:  (Server) “Tom!  Papa Dino!  The girls from Top This are here!”  (Tom/Papa Dino break out in a panic)  “Mama mia!  Let’s give them a pizza that will make their hearts melt.”

We had ordered a large pizza chiefly for its promise of many leftovers and second suppers.  It came out, piping hot and simply smothered in mozzarella cheese.  The Paparoni is constructed in layers (i.e. cheese, pepperoni; cheese, pepperoni), rather than just throwing down a mat of cheese and topping it with the pepperoni slices.  This is nice, as you get little hidden treasures of flavorful pepperoni as you eat, as well as some crispier pieces on top.  There was ample sauce, which was enough to match the extra cheese and pepperoni; they really balanced it all quite nicely.  The sauce was a both a bit tangy and sweet, like most we have encountered. 

Considering the gooey mounds of cheese atop its surface, we were both impressed by the thin crust.  It withstands the cheese well, and we found ours to still be firm and dry.  Our only real problem came when we tried to slice and serve this bad boy.  The amount of cheese piled onto this pie makes it difficult to cut, as the cheese doesn’t seem to want to be separated from its brother and sister cheese strands.  This became easier as the pizza cooled but, of course, we were too impatient and hungry to wait for that.  In the meantime, we were victims of the dreaded topping avalanche, which actually wasn’t so bad, as long as those toppings were making it to the right place (i.e., our mouths).    

This is Robyn's 1st piece, after the arduous slicing efforts that took place before making it to the plate 

Tom’s Papa Dino’s definitely appeased our hunger.  The pizza was not our favorite, but we both definitely liked it, and we must remember that there is some tough competition out there in this pizza mission (although admittedly, not so much competition in Florence, KY).  Tom’s Papa Dino’s pizza is nothing fancy; rather, it is just a good, solid pizza from a nice, family-run establishment.  If you are in the area, swing by to try the Paparoni or another classic pie.  Be sure to snag some tasty fresh cookies from the checkout counter before you head out, especially if they are covered in white icing and green sprinkles.  You will not regret this, we promise.

"Since we started adding the icing on these, we can't keep 'em!" said the lady in charge

Last, but Not Least

Fifth Stop: Mio’s Pizzeria

Date:  February 9, 2012

Location: 8470 U.S. 42 Florence, KY 41042

Ranking: 50

We’d heard rumors of the heart-shaped pizza, one only offered around Valentine’s Day and at Mio’s Pizzeria.  Then, the weekend prior to our visit, Courtney received a Living Social alert regarding a half-price deal at none other than Mio’s Pizzeria.  Happenstance! 

Stationed in a strip mall with a Dairy Queen (say what?!) and your usual strip mall-type businesses, this location of Mio’s is cozy and clean, catering to both customers dining in and ordering out. We chose a booth along the side, and sat down in the dimly lit room to find a tiny little “I Love You” vase awaiting us, holding one single fake fabric rose.  How romantic.  Too bad, as our server later informed us, that this innocent flower was crushed by the booth’s previous inhabitant – a little girl bent on stacking items atop the vase.  Perhaps Valentine’s Day already gets her bitter.

An old school menu on display

We debated for far too long about which pizza we wanted; perhaps the indifference of Newtown Pizza still plagued us.  Luckily, we had plenty of time to think about it without feeling pressured, and our wait was peppered with witty banter from our charming server. In the end, after our server tried to take our order approximately 3-4 times, we made a firm decision.  It would be the heart-shaped pizza after all, specifically of the Fresh Spinach, Bacon & Tomato variety, which also offers garlic and onion on a sesame seed crust.  That last part is italicized because it is so very important.  Speaking of sesame seeds and witty banter, a favorite Mitch Hedberg sound bite comes to mind:

Comedy--Mitch Hedberg - - Sesame Seeds.mp3

We’ll let this thought stew with you while we move onto the main act.

The heart-shaped pizza itself is only offered in a medium, which actually ends up being a bit smaller due to the pieces removed to allow the actual heart shape.  It’s still the same price as a medium, so for the specialty pizza that we chose, the price was $15.49 (pre-tax).  It seems that they keep a supply of this heart-y dough ready-to-go, as our server mentioned something like “I think he still has a few of those back there.”  Does this mean it is frozen?  We should have asked. 

Our server delivered the pizza to our table and, yep, it was in the shape of a heart.  Mio’s pizza is thin, with the toppings covering it neatly and nearly to the very edge of the pie.  The spinach was set on the pizza in little clumps.  This worried Courtney at first as it reminded her of LaRosa’s, where she’s pretty sure the spinach is dispensed from a frozen pack (ewwww).  But, once she took a bite of the Mio’s pizza, she knew that it was, in fact, the fresh spinach that the menu description promised.  Thank goodness.  The tomatoes were also cut fresh, and pieces of thick, chewy bacon sprinkled the whole thing.  It really was quite tasty. 

That's amore!

Perhaps the best part of this pizza, though, is the crust.  This deduction does not stem from the crust itself (meaning the dough of which it was built), but rather from the hearty amount of sesame seeds that decorated and flavored it.  Unlike Mitch Hedberg, we can definitely imagine ourselves being disappointed if they took sesame seeds off the market.  The flavor of the seeds adds a fringe of wholesome, toasted nuttiness that invades nearly every bite as you get deeper into the pizza and the seeds scatter themselves about.  However, for those who find the sesame seed to be an aversive or unnecessary detail, you are advised to stay away from this type of crust on the menu for sure, because those little things will be EVERYWHERE when you are finished eating.  We were seriously licking our fingertips and pressing them against the pan so as not to let any of those little sesame buggers go to waste.  Sounds kind of gross to do this at a public restaurant, but we bet that you would do it, too.

No sesame seed is safe from us at Mio's

We had also ordered some Basil Bread with Cheese from the “Great Starts” menu, but that never came to fruition.  Many people would be mad about this forgotten appetizer, but it was a good thing, really.  We ate the whole pizza – every single piece –leaving no room for anything else.  Plus, we are pretty easy-going gals, and as our server had won our approval with his genuine likeability and charm, he was quickly forgiven. There were moments that totally made up for not getting any basil bread--watching him play with a funny baby (who, as a bonus, made really odd semi-disturbing faces at the two of us), learning all about Norwood and its secret backwards name (doo wrong(G)?), and looking at his phone to see a picture of him donning a mullet (before he donated his hair to Locks of Love!).  Redeeming qualities, for sure.  Courtney said that he would probably remember his basil bread faux pas, out of the blue, a week later, and realize with honest disappointment that he had failed us.  For these reasons, and despite the bread neglect, he earned a nice tip.  This here is a prime example of how servers can affect your dining experience. 

Overall, the pizza was very good, though we can’t say it’s the best we’ve ever had.  We both have always thought of Mio’s as a place that offered yummy pizza, and we still do.  Though it may be at the very bottom of Cincinnati Magazine’s list, it is definitely worthy of praise and inclusion in that elusive top 50.  I love that sesame seed crust is a possibility there, and honestly, it’s probably our favorite part about Mio’s.  The sesame seeds and that moment when, as we exited the building, our server rushed over to show us that picture of himself sporting a mullet.