Reaching Altitudes of Meh at Flying Pizza

Twenty- Sixth Stop: The Flying Pizza

Date: February 23rd, 2012

Location: 9563 Fields Ertel Road Mason, OH

Ranking:  23

In gathering the basics to start off this post, we were surprised to find that The Flying Pizza was ranked #23.  After all the pizzas we've had across the last year, it just doesn't seem to be better than half of the entire list. 

Perhaps it was us; perhaps we just didn't order well.  When you enter Flying Pizza, you step in front of a large counter where you are meant to place your order, and behind which the staff prepares dough and bakes the pies.  As usual, we had no idea what we wanted to order.  We started to peruse the menu but, honestly, both of us felt a little rushed with the pizza attendant waiting in front of us with a pen and order pad in hand.  He was very nice, though, and told us about the two types of pizza that the pizzeria offers:  Neapolitan and Sicilian, the former meaning "New York Style" and the latter being thicker-crusted and generally cut into square pieces.  Both were appealing, but after our adventurous turn at Ferrari's (Thai and Mediterranean, remember!), we were both in the mood for some standard NY, wedge-shaped slices of pizza. 

Then, we noticed the lunch combo menu posted on the back wall of the counter area.  There were 4-5 options, each featuring different components (pizza, salad), toppings (sausage, pepperoni, sausage & pepperoni, cheese), and styles (the aforementioned NY style and Sicilian).  Pinched for time and growing oh-so-hungry, we both thought this was our best bet.  Robyn went with the 2-slices of pepperoni and mushroom, NY Style, plus a drink.  Courtney copycatted the format, but opted for sausage and pepperoni as her toppers.  Both meals were $6.95 plus tax.  Not bad.  Oh, and did we mention that the NY style slices were HUMONGOUS?  The Flying Pizza definitely doesn't skimp.  For good measure, though, we tacked on an order of breadsticks.  As dippers, we were offered pizza sauce and/or nacho cheese.  We quickly confessed our mutual, unbending love for nacho cheese and politely accepted the proposal of both sauces.  

We grabbed a little booth while we awaited our lunch order, which the server had promised to bring to our table.  This place has a pretty New York-y vibe, and definitely exhibits an atmosphere of a traditional pizzeria.  It is clean and casual, with the long counter between dining area and kitchen space, and white tiled floors.  Black and white photos of New York and baseball scenes are mounted on all the walls, conjuring up a feeling for times past.

The view from our seats, looking toward the entrance

Our pizza came, and the giant slices were spilling off the sides of their paper plate beds.  Additionally, 6-7 breadsticks were piled on a separate plate, dotted green with herbs and drizzled with (I assume olive?) oil.  From the overall looks of things, we were ready to dig in. 

With nacho cheese as yellow as Courtney's phone!

Immediately, Robyn felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment as she looked at her order.  Everything looked fine…except for the mushrooms.  While neither of us is sure precisely how the pizza was made, it appeared that the mushrooms were removed from the can, drained, and then plopped onto an already cooked pepperoni pizza.  Maybe this is just a personal preference, but Robyn likes her mushrooms to show a little evidence of having been cooked.  The flavor and texture are pretty appalling to her otherwise, which is why she decided to dump most of them onto the plate instead of into her mouth.  Other than that particular aspect, Robyn thought the rest of her pizza was okay.  The thin crust had a good chew with a crisp bottom.  The pepperoni was sliced thick, and added a welcome flavor to the slices.  The breadsticks were also a highlight for her, after the letdown of the mushrooms.  While dunking our breadsticks, both of us enjoyed the unconventional, processed, gooey sludge known as “nacho cheese” more than either of us would like to admit.  Also, when this is one of the highlights of your meal, you know there must be some room for improvement.   

Bleh

Perhaps it wasn't the best thing ever, but Courtney enjoyed her pizza.  The slices were huge, thin, and allowed her to fold it before taking a bite.  This helped to contain the pieces of sausage, which were piled atop each slice, and constantly spilling when she picked one up.  The crust is good - thin and just sturdy enough while still being bendable.  The cheese is nice and greasy, and the flavor beckons you to take another bite.  Going back to the sausage, though:  similar experience as with Robyn's mushrooms.  It really seemed to be school cafeteria or frozen pizza sausage.  Maybe it wasn't, but the look and taste certainly recalled those less-worthy varieties. 

On your way out, you or your inner child may want to snag one of the Blue Bunny frozen deserts from the case in front of the counter.  We opted out, with little room for anything other than the pizza in our bellies.  Also on the way out, you need to be careful with your leftovers— the “to-go” packaging is prepared at the counter by sliding your greasy paper plate (the one you ate from!!) into a paper bag and rolling the ends of the bag shut, creating an awkward, floppy triangular prism.  And on a non-related pizza note, Robyn would like to add that she was very impressed with the size and cleanliness of the women’s bathroom.  It was probably one of the cleanest restaurant bathrooms anyone has ever set foot in!       

Weird, right?

Ta-da!

So, again, perhaps we just didn't order well.  We are having the delayed realization that pizza-by-the-slice and combo deals might not be the way to go at some places (though Goodfellas in MainStrasse sure does it well).  Flying Pizza has a pretty lengthy menu that provides a substantial list of the standard pizza ingredients, plus some less common ones (like Ricotta cheese and sliced meatballs).  If you go, go for dinner, and order a whole specialty pie or develop your own concoction of different toppings.  Trust us that the Neapolitan crust is a good choice, or try the Sicilian which, based on photos, looks pretty tasty itself.  Though the pizza we had on our visit wasn't particularly our favorite, we'd give it another shot.

Pizza by the Slice, and a Whole Lotta Spice

Twenty-third Stop: Ramundo's Pizzeria

Location: 3166 Linwood Avenue  Cincinnati, OH 45208

Ranking: 14

It was a weeknight, and takeout pizza seemed like a good way for us to spend the evening.  There are a few places on the pizza list that offer only takeout, or are perhaps best designed for takeout.  Ramundo's has a very small interior, with its space mainly reserved for the kitchen.  There are a couple of bar top-type tables immediately near  the entrance, mainly there to accommodate the late-night diners after their rounds of the many bars that pepper the heart of Mount Lookout.  For these patrons, Ramundo's offers the good ol' pizza by the slice deal, also a good option for a quick lunch for those who work at the local businesses.  If you want a whole pie and a seat, though, we recommend picking up an order and heading home to your dining room table.  Or, better yet, your couch, which we all know is the best place to eat pizza. 

For a few years, Courtney and her husband lived right in Mount Lookout square, within walking distance from some great restaurants.  There was Ruthai's for (you guessed it) Thai food, Betta's, no longer there, for wonderful Italian (Filo Chicken!), and Zip's for a tremendous burger.  Ramundo's was their go-to for pizza whenever the mood struck, and they usually ordered a 3-topper with bacon, spinach and tomatoes.  It was always delicious, with the freshest of ingredients and just a little spicy kick to the sauce.   

Having not had Ramundo's for too, too long, Courtney was truly looking forward to reconnecting with their pizza.  We called ahead to place our order, which included that large bacon-spinach-tomato pie and some Ramundough Bites.  These aptly-named treats are described on their website as "zesty pepperoni & cheese rolled up in our garlic butter brushed dough".  Who can resist that?  Plus, we learned about Ramundo's Rewards, a loyalty-type program for clients, and how new members get a free order.  Top that.

The pizza was just about ready when we picked it up, and we were quickly headed back to Courtney's to indulge in its deliciousness. 

Sometimes a dish, an event, a place can take on added importance and greatness in your mind, increasing with the years and with every time you remember it in conversation.  "Remember how good that blah blah blah was?"  "It was the best blah blah blah EVER."  We're sure you know that overhype-things-for-yourself feeling; we can't be the only ones.  Well, sadly, that was the case here.  Courtney had such melt-in-your-mouth memories of Ramundo's Pizza.  Worse, she'd passed this excitement onto Robyn.  In the end, we both ended up disappointed.  Bummer.

It's not that Ramundo's Pizzeria has bad pizza.  It's just that, well, it wasn't as good as we wanted it to be.  It certainly was not as good as Courtney recalled, though certain elements do stand out.  The crust - crisp and chewy.  The toppings - absolutely fresh.  The flavor - something was missing.  The sauce - incredibly spicy.  It probably didn't help that, before eating our Ramundough Bites, we both doused them with the side of sauce that accompanied them.  The spice of the sauce totally overpowered the poor little pepperoni and cheese snacks, and sent our mouths into a fit of rage.  We were a little saddened the by spice-level of the sauce, but figured it only hit us so hard because we had so liberally applied it to the appetizer.  Surely, the pizza wouldn't be so bad.  We were wrong.  Not horrendously spicy, but still a bit too much.  Courtney didn't remember it being like this in the past, but from what we've heard, that is generally the experience with their sauce.  There are folks out there who love Ramundo's.  After all, it is #14 out of 50.  We can see that, perhaps especially if you're into spicy.  Overall, it just wasn't our favorite. 

Ramundough Bites-what's not to like here?  Yum!

Some classic iceberg lettuce to cool the palate after that spicy sauce

We don't advise against Ramundo's, but we think it's fair to say we don't highly recommend it, either.  We've heard people exclaim their love for Ramundo's, and we've heard others denote it as "gross".  Guess we're right in the middle.  If you are a fan, be sure to sign up for Ramundo's Rewards.  Their e-mails are frequent, but they do offer some nice deals for their members, including bonus treats on your birthday.   Oh, and their calzones are fantastic.  Well, so says Courtney's memory, which is apparently not so reliable these days.  

Pricy Pepperoni

Eighteenth Stop: Raniero’s

Date: June 13, 2012

Location: 28 Martha Layne Collins Boulevard, Cold Spring, KY

Ranking: 48

We had kind of been avoiding Raniero’s for awhile, and for various reasons.  The day that we finally planned to cross it off of the list, it looked like our dinner may not come to fruition.  Courtney was stuck in horrible traffic from Mason to Raniero’s Cold Spring location, not far past NKU.  Of course, she had also left her cell phone at home that day, so therefore could not communicate this delay to Robyn.  She ended up being almost a full half hour late.  Being the awesome, patient friend that she is, Robyn waited.  By the time we were both there, our stomachs were growling.  This day surely warranted an appetizer.

We walked right in and were given our choice of seats.  We selected a high top table, ordered our drinks, and promptly perused the starter selections.  When we looked at the menu, it stated that they served Pepsi products.  We wanted Cokes, but both ordered Mountain Dew instead.  When we told our server this, she surprised us by saying that even though the menu says otherwise, they only serve Coke products.  Score!

There were a few things that stood out:  the standard yet typically delicious Garlic Knots, the Bosco Sticks (cheese-filled breadsticks), and the Luigi Snackers (kind of like a pizza hot pocket).  However, what really caught our eye were the Queso Cheez Stix, which promised to give us crunchy tortilla snackers filled with warm queso.  Our waitress fully endorsed this selection, so we decided to give it a go, turning a blind eye to its ridiculous spelling.  Pizza-wise, we decided to go simple this round, and selected Zia’s Pepperoni Pie.  This pizza promised to bring us pepperoni “stacked high and side-to-side”.  Sometimes, that is all a pair of girls need. 

Apparently we ate three of these before remembering to take a picture. 

 Honest reaction:  the Queso Cheez Stix (ok, that is impossible to write without cringing) were good enough for a seemingly frozen appetizer.  We were hungry, so not all that picky, and we had no problem splitting these up and finishing them off.  However, we realize that it was not the most delicious of appetizers.  These surely are not fresh; we both believe that they originally hailed from the freezer section.  Accompanying six of these deep-fried treats was a little cup of salsa, likely of the Pace or Kroger brand variety.  We’re really not complaining about these – they were completely edible, and we were so hungry that we did not care.  However, it is something to note if you are in the market for a unique, homemade appetizer.  In that case, this is not the appetizer for you.  It’s also not for you if you hate purposeful misspellings (Cheez.  Stix.  Ugh). 

They might as well call them Kaysoh Cheez Stix.

Then came our pizza.  And folks, this is really the first time that we disagreed on a pizza.  Courtney liked it fine.  It was just a good, standard pepperoni pizza.  It had a good, greasy flavor that you expect from this classic pie.  The pepperoni itself was zesty, just as the menu promised.  Robyn, on the other hand, did not care for this pizza at all.  She ate it – just as with the Queso Stix, it was edible – but she really didn’t enjoy it.  Nothing about the pizza stood out or even hit the spot, and she was disappointed in pretty much every aspect of the pizza, which bummed her out.  While Robyn is the deeply in love with some greasy kinds of pizza (see: Jet’s), she did not like the amount or flavor of grease that seemed to be pooling all over the plate and seeping through the crust alarmingly.      

The whole shabang.

Ewwwwwwww

After Robyn sopped up excess grease with a napkin.

Now, back to agreeing.  We both agree that this pizza was a rip-off.  As aforementioned, this pizza description promised this specialty option to be “stacked high and side-to-side with zesty pepperoni”.  Only the zesty part of this description is correct; the pepperoni was not that prevalent.  There was really just a normal amount on it, which kind of pisses us off.  Our 12-inch pizza was $13.95.  Before seeing this pizza, Courtney had placed a to-go order for a large, 16-inch of the same variety.  This one was $19.95.  Twenty dollars for a pepperoni pizza?  It just seems like a bit much.  In drafting this post, Courtney checked out their menu again and saw that you can order a 16” “Pizza by the Pie” with one topping (example: pepperoni) for $16.50.  We are willing to bet that the difference in the amount of pepperoni between that and the Zia’s specialty kind is minimal.  Keep this in mind and save yourself some money if you’re ever in the mood for a simple pepperoni pizza from Raniero’s. The Zia is not worth it!  It is worth noting, however, that they seem to have good combo deals (under $5) if you’re looking for just a plain slice or two and a drink.   

  

Does ANYONE think this pepperoni is stacked "high and side-to-side"?

I suppose Raniero’s could have been a better experience; perhaps we just didn’t order the right things.  We’ve both heard good things from many different people (we actually ran into two different couples that we know just in our quick visit), so the place must be doing something right.  We understand that other appetizers choices are decent.  In fact, when we ran into our friend Jeff there that evening, he provided us with this quote:  “Who needs Mario when you’ve got Luigi Snackers?” The service was quality, and the atmosphere (an old Blockbuster) is nice for a pizza parlor/bar.  It is also worth noting that Raniero’s offers a 24” Pizza Challenge in which two collaborating contestants struggle to consume a 24” cheese pizza in less than 10 minutes.  If they finish within the allotted time, their pizza is on the house; if not, they must fork up the dough.  From the looks of their site, it looks like they are trying to petition this contest for Man v. Food.  Courtney’s brother has actually championed this feat, and has his picture framed on the Raniero’s wall.  Her family is very proud.

Here’s our biggest takeaway from our Raniero’s experience:  it’s expensive.  We’ve not had any complaints, really, about pizza pricing until this point.  Some places are more than others, but some are also better than others, or perhaps provide more quality ingredients (some of which are very noticeable).  At Raniero’s, we went about as simple as we could, but that wasn’t reflected in the price, and unfortunately the price wasn’t balanced with the quality. If you have $20 to spend on a pepperoni pizza, you’re probably better off going somewhere that offers you either better pizza, or the ability to add side items for that amount.