Even though 2020 has been the weirdest year ever, I am still staying busy and eating as much as I possibly can. The past couple months have been sparse for blog content - not because I haven't been trying new restaurants - but because I bought a house! So all of my free time has gone toward getting settled. So I apologize for the delay - but let's get to it and talk about a new-to-me pizza spot: Donatos.



Donatos is Dawn's favorite pizza, so we had to hit it up while in Hilliard, Ohio (which is the Columbus area). It is "America's original Edge to Edge pizza" on their famous thin, crispy crust. It is cut into squares - also known as "tavern style" or "party style." I feel like I see this in the Midwest only.

The crust is, indeed, very thin - but wasn't particularly crisp. And, the sauce really did go allll the way to the edges, so if you don't love the puffy crust at the end or even the super crunchy bit, this may be for you. I liked the flavor of the sauce - mild, but not bland. And they were not skimpy on the toppings, even on a small pizza. It's not my preferred pizza, but it may be my favorite of this style!

Grade: A

My favorite pizza of all time, DiCarlo's, is centered primarily in the Ohio Valley, But they have some outliers - like Myrtle Beach and the Columbus area.



I'm nothing if not dedicated, so I knew I wanted to knock off ALL the locations of DiCarlo's eventually - not just the ones in West Virginia. That led me to this Hilliard location.



If you've been hiding under a rock (just kidding :)), DiCarlo's is Ohio Valley-style pizza - a crisp baked crust with a slightly sweet and tangy tomato sauce. Once that's baked, they sprinkle fresh mozzarella cheese on top so it gently melts. It's perfect. And controversial - because some people like their cheese to get so melted it turns into a greasy glob.



The DiCarlo's locations further away from the Ohio Valley tend to be a bit more modern - with accepting debit/credit cards and having actual indoor dining. The Hilliard location follows that trend.



But they do keep their menu simple - pizza, pepperoni rolls, soda. I went classic 8 cuts (or pieces) with mushrooms. Why? That's as many as typically fits in one box.



So, it's pretty much the same DiCarlo's I know and love, but with just little tweaks. The mushrooms didn't have the garlic salt I love, and much of the mozzarella was very long shreds. But - still great taste.



Have you tried this location?



Grade: A

The collective heart of Morgantown broke when Lefty's Place was forced to close after the building flooded and left the dynamite pizza spot homeless.



Lefty's Place, which serves up Detroit-style pizza, became a quick favorite of mine with its caramelized crust and cheesy perfection - despite my initial hesitation at yet another pizza joint in a college town. But this never was - and isn't - a typical pizza joint.



That's right. Lefty's Place is back. It's now located in Burroughs Place and has used the quarantine time as a soft rollout. I may or may not have planned a trip to Morgantown based solely on picking up a pizza here. As with all things Lefty's does, their ordering process was seamless. They open up ordering a day or two ahead of time. You place your order online for a specific time. You pull up to the shop. They have a rack outside where they will put your pizza with your name on it. No contact. No exchange of money. Perfect.



Oh, and that pizza? Perfection. You all know my love for DiCarlo's... but this may just be the second best in the state.



Grade: A+
(psst yes that's the first ever A+ on my blog - why not try something new?)

It's Pizzamingo, round two! The Gilbert location is actually the one I'm most familiar with - red and yellow building and all - as I've driven past it numerous times. But, this time, I was able to stop.



Pizzamingo is known for its yellow crust and is a hometown favorite. Since I was able to just try the pizza, I went for something else on the menu this time: Pizza Bread.



The pizza bread has a toasted bun, a sweeter sauce, mozzarella and mushrooms. This is the second time I've had a "pizza bread" in southern West Virginia, but I honestly hadn't really herd of it until then. It's more like a toasted pizza hoagie - but I really enjoy it.



What's your favorite thing at Pizzamingo?

Grade: B

You know how everybody has a devotion to their hometown pizza place? Well, you know how I am about my beloved DiCarlo's Pizza. Pizzamingo has a similar following for those in southern West Virginia.



Currently, Pizzamingo has just two locations: Brenton and Gilbert, though I learned this wasn't always the case and there used to be more. But while in this part of the state, I decided to check out both locations. Why not? First up is Brenton.



Brenton - as a whole - is new to me. I don't know that I've ever been through this town, but Pizzamingo was easy to find. The dining room was closed up due to the Quarantine, but luckily taking to-go orders. I went with a small cheese pizza with mushrooms. The first thing I noticed was that the crust has a yellow-ish tinge to it. Is it grease? Is it delicious secret spices? I don't know, but I enjoyed the slight chew of the crust. The pieces were cut in squares, which is not something you see every day. So that was fun. The sauce was mild, the cheese plentiful and overall - a very solid pizza.




Grade: A

Pizza is comfort food. So when things are crazy or scary, you know pizza is always there for you. And, every time I've driven through Elkins, I pass Darren's Pizza Shack and have always been curious.



It's an average sized space with a long counter separating the pizza ovens and the customer area. I kept it simple with a cheese pizza, add mushrooms. And, man, it was tasty. The crust was fresh and a little fluffy - not crisp. But it was flavorful and sauce, cheese and mushrooms created a beautiful symphony of flavors. *Chef's Kiss*



Grade: A

When something is named the "West Virginia Pizza Company," my interest is immediately piqued. It's as though this is the definitive pizza place for the state.



After I initially saw it, I tried to visit a few different times, but they were never open.



That was, until my last trip to Lavalette. I saw the "open" sign lit up, and I immediately pulled into the lot. There was a pick up truck backed right up to the entrance, which made it hard to get inside. I figured it was somebody who just didn't know how to park, but it was instead someone working inside.



Once I was inside, it seemed like it wasn't open to the public. The interior had kids' toys strewn about, and it could use a deep scrub. I was informed that it had been closed for a while and recently reopened.



They handed me a menu, and I ordered a "pizza bread." I waited and passed the time on my phone until my order was ready.



This sandwich was actually really, really good. It had a thick, sweet marinara sauce, melty cheese and mushrooms that could've cooked a minute or two longer. The bread was coated in butter and parmesan and had a perfect crisp. Very tasty.


Grade: C

While traveling for work, we spent an evening in Evansville, Indiana. Now, I've been to this town previously because my good friend Kayla lives nearby. But I was excited to try a new place I had never been: Turoni's Pizzery & Brewery.



This pizza shop is also a brewery. So, it's the best of both worlds here. The restaurant is known for its super, super thin crust pizza - like almost a cracker! I've learned this is reminiscent of St. Louis-style pizza.



For my order, I went with the Iron Man, which had mushrooms, garlic, spinach and artichoke hearts. Very thin crust, but the toppings were tasty. Definitely get more of a taste for those than with a thicker dough that can mask some of that flavor.



OKAY and then there was the beer. They had a handful of local brews. So I went with a flight to try a little of everything.



Unfortunately, things got a little mixed up and turned around so we weren't totally sure which beer was which and we ended up with an extra. I can tell you, though, my favorites were the honey one and my least favorite was the dark beer. It had a certain kind of bitter.

Grade: B

The Gino's in Huntington on 9th Avenue is magical. I had driven out this way to get a coffee (unfortunately the place was closed), but I saw "GELATO" plastered across the windows of this Gino's, and it caught my eye.

So, I stopped in and went immediately to the gelato case. I got two scoops: one raspberry and one butterfinger.

And dang yes! It is GOOD. I got my taste of fruity and my taste of chocolately. Both were delicious. And, while here, I looked over the menu.

These "Pepperoni Bites" caught my eye. So, I put in an order. I mean. Just look at how delicious these look. I can practically taste them now. Slices o pepperoni wrapped in dough and topped with garlic and romano butter. Yessssss.

Napoli's is a local pizza, pasta and sub chain in the Mid-Ohio Valley with a few locations in West Virginia. I've been wanting to try them for quite some time, but I only recently got around to doing so.

And in fact, it was Christmas evening when I was driving through the area that I had a hankering for pizza.

After calling in a pizza, I arrived at the Ohio Avenue location, thanked the guys for working that day and waited for my pie to be done. Once it was, I was on my way; pizza as my passenger.

The Sicilian pie is fluffy, but with a crisp crust. It's a beautiful combination. A nice layer of stringy cheese, mushrooms and a nice slightly sweet sauce. It made for a good pizza.

What should I try next?