Chus On Chow

We like OIP’s char-grilled wings so much that we nearly always order them – the only variation tends to be when I’m feeling particularly gluttonous, and may order a pizza slice supplement for the wings.

I finally switched it up and ordered a calzone, something I’ve considered doing for ages.  I was not disappointed with the pepperoni and cheese one that I ordered – it was very tasty, and MASSIVE!  It could have easily served as two meals, although I went crazy and devoured the whole thing.  Calzones often come in generous portions, but this one could have blocked out the sun had I held it in the right position.

Lonnie also got adventurous, and ordered a Philly Cheesesteak with onions.  I previously made a big deal elsewhere on this blog about eating cheesesteaks and other treats in Philly, which was great fun.  But Lonnie said that this one beat all the ones she tried there!  Oh boy, that’s an argument waiting to happen!

Lonnie has already written here about how much we liked Gianni’s Pizza.   Naturally, we had to go back.  This time, while doing a bunch of holiday prep, we wanted to treat ourselves.  I ordered their Moshulu Park Pizza, which is broccoli, garlic, and ricotta.

The broccoli was cooked just right, the garlic was just the right amount, and there was a generous portion of ricotta.  We both thought it was another winner.  Best of all, it was a beautiful day, so we were able to have it for one of our first front porch meals of the season.

And wait, that’s not all!  Gianni had been touting his Dart Wings on our previous visit, and I was in a fairly gluttonous mood, so I decided to augment our order with some of these.  He had described them as spicy, and they were, but not like the level of really hot wings, just a nice little snap of heat.  The flavor was round, quite savory, and a bit sweet.  I really went for it.  Lonnie liked the flavor, too, but is not quite as fond of sweetness in wing sauce as I am.  In any case, they will go into our short list of local excellent wings; these are the first ones in awhile that I think can compete in tastiness with OIP’s char-grilled ones.

I should point out that for me, places get bonus points for varying from the classic Buffalo Wing formula, lots of butter, Frank’s Hot Sauce, etc.  I like that type of wings, too, and there are a number of places near here that do them very well, such as the Change of Pace.  Come to think of it, I have no idea what Dart Wings are, exactly, except that they taste great!  I’ll have to ask Gianni for details next time I’m there.  Go visit Gianni’s here on Burnet Ave.

I love Indian cuisine.  There aren’t a whole lot of choices in our area, but thanks to our friend Owen, we found out about the new Taj Mahal, and it’s near us, at 3138 Erie Blvd. in Dewitt.  It’s in a building that used to be Quiznos, in a plaza that has the Guitar Center (it figures that Dave would notice that!).

The decor is pleasant and new.  They were doing a brisk business the Wednesday night we were there.  The service was polite and attentive, yet the staff seemed to be rookies.  If it’s true that the restaurant’s forbear is Samrat up on the SU hill, I wonder if they are actually grad students.  They did well enough, and I’m sure they’ll be on a more firm footing soon.

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Our neighbors, Pete and Barb M., just turned us on to NY Gianni’s Bronx Style Pizza – we’ll call it Gianni’s Pizza from here on in – and boy are we ever glad they did. Y’all will recall how miserably Cosmo’s failed the Lonnie’s-hot-fast-pizza test. So I figured, to be fair, I’d have to run Gianni’s through the same test. OMG! What a difference!

I called Gianni’s after looking at their website and asked if I could place an order by phone but eat it there. The very friendly fellow on the other end of the line said, of course! and wanted to know how soon we’d be there. “Seven minutes” I said. “It will be done in twelve. Come on down!” Sure enough, it was hot and ready when we got there, a short drive down Burnet Ave from our Eastwood home.

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Michael Angelo’s recently opened on James St. in Eastwood between Sacred Melody Plaza and Wegman’s.  This location has been the site of many restaurants, almost qualifying as a restaurant graveyard.  I did my share of whining when the Melt Shop closed, whose service and simple fare I enjoyed and rooted for.  But by now it’s almost morbidly fascinating to see every brave soul who tries their luck in this karma-challenged spot.  I know none of you could have guessed it, but they offer Italian fare.

We made our way over to Michael Angelo’s on a very cold night recently.  As some already know, the owner was previously a very longstanding chef at Antonio’s, and some favorite recipes from that former hotspot came along with him.  I went for the Riggies to cut the winter chill.  This Utica-styled pasta favorite was appropriately spicy, the sauce was good, and the portion was quite massive.  Lonnie opted for the fish sandwich, and we were both impressed with the flavor and how refined and delicate the breaded coating was.  Our server was very pleasant and friendly.

It’s a small, modest place, not comparable to somewhere like Antonio’s, a fairly fancy restaurant.  The new decor is tasteful, though.  It’s almost surreal to have seen such a long sequence of decor changes in that building.  We’ll see how they make out – they don’t appear to be doing a lot of advertising, so I’m guessing that their success will depend on whether they can attract former fans of Antonio’s who might enjoy a somewhat more modest meal price.