The black squirrel picked our pizza and wing blog spot this week!

CONSTANCE: It was a beautiful day to clean the attic. And I had procrastinated enough. Ten years actually! So I organized and I traveled for six hours down memory lane: the mementos from when I was a camp counselor all summer in the Allegheny National Forest with out toilets and WITH huge spiders. My camp nick name was WC for water closet! The Native American tomahawk and beads from a trip to South Dakota when I was 11, and my first knitting projects that my Grandma taught me on that trip. College photos and pledge books and paddles ... and my son's baby blankets and toys. The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all these retro games - Life, Happiness, and remember Battleship!

Leading up to the black squirrel. There were a couple of boxes from my ex-husband in the attic that had to be sorted through. His diploma and year books, an envelope that contained his great great great grandmothers hair that had been cut off because she had the fever (seriously!) and the black squirrel. It was taxidermied of course. And these past 10 years, the attic had been his home. Oh, that reminds me, I found one of my favorite childhood books too, "Miss Suzy" the squirrel.

So I packed up this menagerie of memories - his memories, and had them in two boxes sitting on the front porch. I left a voice mail asking how quickly he could come pick things up but hadn't heard back yet. I knew I was in trouble when Mathias came over, and first thing he grabs for is the black squirrel and says, "This is kinda cool!". I knew that I had to take charge and get the squirrel, the fever hair and deer antlers to my ex as soon as possible, or risk having the squirrel take up residence in the house again.

That's how the black squirrel picked our pizza and wing blog spot - Country Tavern! We could stop in and order our za and deliver the menagerie and be back with dinner waiting for us.

They don't accept credit or debit cards there, but being a "townie" versus a casino tourist, I was able to write a check. We ordered the buffalo-Cajun-ranch wings.

They came with free carrots and celery too!

And it had been some time since we had sausage pizza to that was our topping. We were starving and had looked forward to this all week! The crust was fresh dough and the sauce and sausage reminded me a little like Luchetti's and it was delicious. Trust me, I just had three pieces leftover for breakfast. I had to use the 5-second rule as KC the kitten had jumped on the counter and knocked the za all over the floor. So to get my point across - I even ate it off of the floor! Let me be clear - I picked it up and ate it at the table!

The wings were my kinda wings too! Crispy ... packed with a flavor punch ... but not too saucy. There are leftover wings for Mathias, but no pizza and I think he'll be okay with that cause he really loved the wings too.

They are smoke-free there. The bartender had to be the enforcer while we were there and a patron asked for an ashtray after he had lit up. He must not have been a townie!

Our meal was a little more pricey, but well worth it. $24.96 for a large 1-item pizza and 20 wings. Fresh, quality ingredients and a delightful atmosphere = priceless. Well, delightful might not be the best choice of words, what do you think Mathias? It was a nice place and delicious-o pizza and wings!

The 411:
Country Tavern
8107 Perry Hwy
Erie, PA 16509
(814) 864-5635

A+++++++++++

CONSTANCE: It's been a long week for us Amish with raising a new roof for the neighbors and all, that we were excited that Friday brings pizza and wing night. Since we had recently visited my hometown favorite, Mathias wanted to share his howetown favorite with me ... Pizza Plus. I thought the title for this week's blog would grab the essence of how I felt about it too ... an A+++++++ just like Ralphie got in "A Christmas Story" for his essay.

It was delicious! The pepperoni was all curled up like little saucers and reminded me of Luchetti's pepperoni. And had me at "hello!!" (Name that movie!!) Oink! Oink! I had four slices. It was tasty. The wings were honey mustard, which Mathias picked. I finally had to confess that I don't really like honey mustard wings. The color was creepy and I was suspicious, but I tried two little drummies like a trooper. They were very meaty and all, but I just am not a big mustard fan. But don't let my less than enthusiast review taint you here.

I'm sure Mathias will tell you more when he comes in from roof raising ... but I'd give a 6 out of 8 slice review. And it's not an 8 cause I don't like mustard. But the pizza rocked!

The 411:
Pizza Plus
2230 Broad Street
456.7350

Luigi's ... what a pleasant surprise!

CONSTANCE: Luigi's ... 20 wings + 20 pieces of pizza for $20 = priceless! It was a long day for us Amish. I know Mathias brings out our persona's more than I do, but I thought I'd try. Props for that?

We were up with the roosters for an early Bike Around the Bay ride. It was my first time on the bike this year, and it looked like rain and I was semi-disappointed thinking we wouldn't be able to ride. But it turned out to be a beautiful day and ride (till about 1 p.m. that is!). We had signed up for the 50-mile and maybe I could have done it, but after climbing the Waldameer hill with my rehab-ed knee, and I sat the whole way up too ... I defaulted with the 30-mile ride. I felt that we had totally earned our pizza and wings this week!

I haven't been back to Luigi's since I worked for a company at 12th and Plum Streets in the 90s. A lunch bunch would go up pretty regularly and what I remembered was their square slices. You could order lunch by the slice with whatever toppings you would like. Kinda different then ... and now!

When Mathias found a coupon in the phone book (you might be wondering how Amish have phone books?) we were so excited. I had remembered their sausage as being sliced so I picked the za topping and Mathias picked our wings. Parmesan Ranch. I took a late shower and my hair was still wet (I'm so vein, I bet I think this blog is about me!), so Mathias just went into the bar directly to pick up our za and wings.

Apparently, I missed quite the show! He can tell you all about that.

From the first bite of pizza I was transported back in time and remembered why I loved their pizza so much. The sauce is a little on the tart side but very substantial. Mini-chunky I guess you'd say. The cheese - delicious, and yes, the sliced sausage had tremendous flavor. It was square like my favorite hometown pizza too. With crispy crust.

The wings were the most unusual we've had since writing this blog, well in my lifetime actually. They drizzled the Parmesan cheese all over them. The photo doesn't do it justice. Trust me - to die for!

We'll definitely be back, and hope you enjoy as much as we did if you go. Be sure to clip the 20 + 20 = $20 coupon outta the phone book too.

The 411:

Luigi's
1801 Liberty Street
455.9541

Mother's Day Hometown Pride: Taking the Blog on the Road

CONSTANCE: We took the pizza and wing blog on the road for the best Mother's Day ever ... with my mom and family in Sharpsville. Mom and brother Bill brought the new grilled wings from KFC. Really good and tasty and lots of white meat too! And Mathias and I treated to Plaza Pizza ... this pizza is huge and seriously, the best ever. I have yet, after living in Erie for 20+ years found anything to rival the taste and value. What you're looking at fed a family of 8 and about half of the tray was leftover. $20 - yep, $20. Stop by when you go to Kranyak's Christmas Land (it's right next door) or when you shop Reyer's the world largest shoe store, or The Winner for a prom dress. Enjoy Plaza Pizza - an 8 out of 8 slice review!

I wish we would have grabbed a couple of extra slices for the ride home by way of the Queensryche concert in Pittsburgh. We were so hungry after wards that we took the buggy to Taco Bell and inhaled a couple of fresco tacos.

Mathias: So it took the buggy about 90 minutes to get to Sharpsville; I've done some work on the engine and we made good time.

Plaza Pizza has a reputation for being the best regarded pizza in the Metropolitan Sharpsville area. Driving around in the buggy, we saw plenty of places particular to the Sharpsville area but all agreed on Plaza Pizza; in fact, it was on the speed dial. Since telephones are frightening to the Amish, I figured hitting one button wouldn't be as bad.

Right off, I was glad I was up raising a barn this morning because it prepared me for the workout of carrying the pizza box! It was the size of a small garage door!!! We had half cheese, half sausage (I believe the sausage was a former resident of our booming pig farm?!?!). Flat out, the crust was the best I've had yet; so good that I took all four corner pieces to get most bang for the buck. It was crunchy but not stale kind of crunchy. The sauce was quite tomato-ey and the toppings were a bit spicy. Just enough to put a zing in the Amish Grandmother we we're honoring that day. The pizza easily earned 8 out of 8 slices.

The wings were the new Kentucky Grilled Chicken. That's all I have to say about that. You make the implication about how I feel about the Colonel's latest offering.

So, we get the buggy on the road and hit the show!! Front Row seats, five feet from the stage. The only thing keeping Constance from stage diving was a bunch of steroidy guys wearing t-shirts that said "Security". We haven't been this close since the Wandering Amish Concert Caravan back in '06. Fantastic show, got to talk to some of the band members afterwards at their tour bus and even got some mementos signed. Best. Day. Ever!!


The 411:
Plaza Pizza
2417 East State Street
Hermitage, PA
(724) 981-0634

Mama Mia!!! They should have blown up the pizza joint instead.

Mathias: Yeah, the title's a tad bit insensitive but I couldn't come up with something else while my popcorn is in the microwave. See ya in about two hours, after the movie.

CONSTANCE: Funny thing is that I thought the RedBox movie, "Run Fat Boy Run", would be a "B" movie and the pizza and wings would be 5 Star ... but instead, the movie was really good, albeit predictable. The pizza and wings had no flavor and were very greasy. Not spending much time with this review; clearly my least favorite ... 1 outta 8 slice review only because the people there were nice.

Mathias: Constance is right about the wings; they reminded me of tiny wet hand towels that you wring out; except they were soaked with oil. Not a pleasant sight or taste. It's as if they simply deep fried the wings and tossed them in the container-there was no ranch taste at all. However, I didn't think the pizza was that bad. The pizza was light and had good texture; it wasn't like chewing leather or raw dough. I'd give the wings a 1 out of 8 but the pizza 6 out of 8. This was the only time so far that we threw out the leftovers (just the wings, not the pizza-I ate that in the middle of the night).

John's Wildwoods Pizza - Strange name but damn good wings

Mathias: After several comments about John's Wildwood Pizza we finally made it out to Edinboro. We would have like to go sooner but Constance had some.....situations in that neck of the woods some time ago and we were just waiting for the dust to settle. I believe the statute of limitations has expired so we were free to hit the Boro.

CONSTANCE: We forgot the digital camera, so these are from the Blackberry. I LOVE JOHN WILDWOOD'S. We had a picnic along Lakeside Drive and went fishing. Good thing we didn't plan on a fish fry, right Mathias?

8 outta 8 slice review!!

Mathias: I can understand the loyalty to the college pizza joint. Back in the Arizona Territory, we had a place called Long Island Pizza that would deliver -FREE- a large one item for $4.00!!!! Of course, that was the early 80's (I ran so far away.........). To that end, I thought the crust was somewhat tough, like softened leather. The toppings and all were fine but the pizza was a bit chewy. Funny thing-the warmed up leftovers tasted better and weren't as tough. Go figure, or as we say in the Amish Community, Go Figure while you're raising that barn. So I'm giving the pizza 5 out of 8 slices.

The wings, on the other hand, were incredible!! They were the biggest so far and the honey mustard coating was thick and tangy. I had honey mustard wings at a sports bar back in the Arizona Territory some years back and they tasted like little chunks of pure sugar, (my teeth hurt after eating them) so I was a little leery. So, being Amish, I shunned them from that day forward. Here, it was a different story-tasty, tangy and just sloppy enough for me not to care about wiping my hands on my Amish Brand Dungarees. Gotta give the wings 7.5 out of 8.

On a side note, we went fishing at Edinboro Lake after our pizza and wings and for being one close to nature, I am the world's worst fisherman. I haven't caught a fish in the last 3 outings so it's a good thing we're not dependent on my skills to put food on the table.

The 411 (since the coupon was cut out of the phone book - oops!):
734-7355
johnwildwoodpizza.com

They're celebrating 30 years and have a pretty sweet Web site. Enjoy!