Pranzo Forno! -- Willoughby, OH

The Pranzo Forno! stand at C-Town Chowdown

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit Cleveland's second C-Town Chow Down held in Lincoln Park in my very own neighborhood of Tremont. The first one was a huge hit, but the lines were so long that I didn't get to sample much (plus, it was freezing!). They decided to hold a second one on April 17, on another blustery (but very sunny) day.

This time, I noticed a "truck" (or, rather, a tent) that wasn't there before: Pranzo Forno!, a Willoughby catering company specializing in wood-fired pizza. (And yes, in fact, they bring the wood-fired oven to the event. Insanity!

I walked up and there was no line at around 11:15 am, and so I sampled a slice of what seemed to be a Mediterranean pizza. It had feta, huge basil leaves, garlic, and tomatoes. Everything looked so fresh. And it tasted great!

My slice

This crust was super-thin, light, crisp, and had the perfect amount of olive oil to make it flavorful and indulgent without being overly greasy.

From what I heard, Pranzo's stand was a hit at the Chowdown. Did you attend? If so, what did you think?

Luciano's at the Fashion Show Mall -- Las Vegas, NV

Luciano's Cheese Pizza

Just a warning -- I'm going to "cheat" on this one (sorta). I'm gonna grab a bit of my yelp review that I just wrote in order to post this. (I'm sure you don't care, but whatever!)


Luciano's is a pizzeria located in the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas, directly across from the Wynn hotel via a street bridge. We didn't rent a car during our recent trip, so needless to say, Lorelei and I went to this mall almost every day just to walk around and grab semi-cheap eats while we waited for Derek to get back from his conference expo. Ok, I also bought a pair of shoes once.


Anyway, back to Luciano's. They have a totally affordable lunch special where you can get a slice (any type you want!), a side salad, and a drink for only $8.95. This, in my mind, is a great deal.

Especially since you can choose whatever slice you want! Usually, a specialty slice can go anywhere from $1.50 to $2.00 more than a plain cheese one. I just got plain cheese, but that's 'cause I'm a traditional kinda gal when it comes to my pizza.

A little heavy on the cheese, but not in a bad way. Greasy. But also, not in a bad way. It just made me think of those people who sop up the grease with their napkins -- which I never do, by the way.


This pizza probably gets a 7.5 out of 10 for me. The crust was definitely the best part, although it was all pretty good. When describing the crust's taste, the only word I can use to describe it is "tasteless," although that's not really true and it doesn't make it sound good. It was good. Very good. Sometimes, the best crust just doesn't have much of its own taste. It's just sort of bland, but still has an excellent texture, and its lack of a "pop" allows the other ingredients to shine. So when I say "bland crust" I mean that in the best possible way. :)

The Pizza Place at the Wynn -- Las Vegas, NV

Seating area at the Pizza Place

While staying at the Wynn Las Vegas (I know, it's way too fancy for me) I came across a place called, simply, "The Pizza Place." It's on the first floor of the hotel, in a wing called the "Esplanade" boasting several top designer shops, and has a patio overlooking a ginormous fountain. But all that cool stuff aside, it has really GOOD FRICKIN' PIZZA.

You know how there's that dorky little video that greets you when you turn on the TV in your room? Well, this one had Steve Wynn showing off about his little hotel. And when the time came for him to talk about the Pizza Place, he said something along the lines of this: "For some reason, everyone knows that -- inexplicably -- the best pizza in the country is in New York. Well, at the Pizza Place, we challenge that." (I did listen to it about four times, but can remember only some of it, so these aren't his exact words. But the gist is that his Vegas hotel restaurant is trying to emulate NY pizza.)

Cheese pizza slice at the Pizza Place (sorry for shadow!)

Well, did they do it? I'm going to say yes! I can hardly believe it myself. But the pizza looks exactly like a New York slice. The sauce and cheese are in perfect proportion not only to one another, but also to its crust, which is paper-thin, yet crispy and chewy in all the right places.

At first, I thought maybe the taste was a little different. Not enough oregano, maybe, or parmesan? But then I closed my eyes and really thought about all the New York slices I've had. (This took awhile.) And, yes, somewhere in New York there is a slice that tastes almost exactly like the one at the Pizza Place.

Gelato showcase at the Pizza Place

This place also has homemade gelato -- not too shabby. But that's enough about the non-pizza food items. Except to say that they also serve breakfast, and I'm writing this from the restaurant (where they happen to have free wireless internet, a plus for guests) where I just finished a delicious bowl of steel-cut oats with dried cranberries, almonds, and golden raisins. (So yes, I did break rule #3 this time by talking about other food. Sorry to my followers -- all two of you!)

Capriccio II -- Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Chicken Marsala Pie from Capriccio II

The last time I visited my family in New York, we went -- as we always do -- to Capriccio II (Capriccio I is literally half a block away from its "sister" pizzeria. Ha ha!).

I know I said I wasn't going to review anything besides pizza, and I won't; however; just going to mention that I get main dishes/soups/salads here half the time because they are delicious. (The chicken Parmesan platter is my favorite.)

Eggplant pizza

But onto the pizza. They have several different pies to choose from, which tease you from the display cases by the register. There's the bruschetta pie, the chicken marsala pie, the eggplant pie, the white pie. And then there's the original -- and, in my mind -- the best!

Capriccio's crust is perfectly crisp without being burnt. It's the type of pizza that will probably stand out straight if you lift it, rather than sagging downward. You don't necessarily have to fold this pizza in half when you eat it ... but then you'd better use two hands. (Or, if you're feeling dignified -- use a fork and knife!)

White pizza

Some of the best pizza in NY is hidden away in this small town in Westchester! No need to go into the city for a great slice.